Timeline of Chattanooga, Tennessee

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The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Chattanooga, Tennessee, United States.

19th century

• 1838 – Cherokee Nation removed from Chattanooga, marched out to 'Indian Territory' (now Oklahoma) on the 'Trail of Tears'
• 1840 – James Enfield Berry becomes mayor.
• 1849 – Western & Atlantic Railroad begins operating.
• 1851 – City chartered.
• 1854 – Nashville & Chattanooga Railway in operation.
• 1860 - Population: 2.545.
• 1862 – June: First Battle of Chattanooga.
• 1863
  • September: Occupation by Union forces begins.
  • November 24: Battle of Lookout Mountain.
  • November 25: Battle of Missionary Ridge.
• 1866
  • March: Occupation by Union forces ends.
  • Chartered as a city.
• 1867 – March: The largest flood in the city's recorded history.
• 1869 – Chattanooga Times newspaper begins publication.
• 1870 - Population: 6,093.
• 1880 - Population: 12,892.
• 1882 – Walnut Street Temple dedicated.
• 1886 - University of Tennessee at Chattanooga established.
• 1890
  • Walnut Street Bridge built.
  • Population: 29,100.
• 1900 - Population: 30,154.

20th century

• 1905 – Chattanooga Public Library opens.
• 1906 - Lynching of Ed Johnson
• 1909 – Hixson High School founded.
• 1910 - Population: 44,604.
• 1917 – Market Street Bridge built.
• 1921 – Tivoli Theatre opens.
• 1923 – Chattanooga Theatre Centre founded.
• 1924 – Memorial Auditorium built.
• 1925 – WDOD radio begins broadcasting.
• 1930 – Population: 119,798.
• 1933 – Chattanooga Free Press newspaper begins publication.
• 1935 – Electric Power Board of Chattanooga established.
• 1937 – Chattanooga Zoo at Warner Park established.
• 1940 – Population: 128,163.
• 1950 – Population: 131,041.
• 1953 – WROM-TV - now WTVC (television) begins broadcasting.
• 1954 – WDEF-TV (television) begins broadcasting.
• 1956 – WRGP-TV - now WRCB (television) begins broadcasting.
• 1959 – Olgiati Bridge built.
• 1960 – Population: 130,009.
• 1961 – Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum founded.
• 1965 - Chattanooga State Community College established.
• 1972 – Twelve Tribes (religious group) and National Knife Museum founded.
• 1975 – Marilyn Lloyd becomes U.S. representative for Tennessee's 3rd congressional district.
• 1980 – Population: 169,565.
• 1983 – Chattanooga African-American Museum established.
• 1983-97 – Gene Roberts began city's longest term as mayor.
• 1984 – Veterans Memorial Bridge built.
• 1986 - Chattanooga School for the Arts & Sciences established.
• 1987 – Fellowship of Southern Writers headquartered in Chattanooga.
• 1989 – Federal judge ordered change in city governance to city council system to allow for more demographically correct African-American political representation in City Council (Brown vs. Board of Commissioners of the City of Chattanooga)
• 1992 – Tennessee Aquarium opened.
• 1995 – International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum established.
• 1997
  • City website online (approximate date).
  • Jon Kinsey elected mayor.
• 1999 – Chattanooga Times Free Press newspaper in publication.

21st century

• 2001 – Bob Corker elected mayor.
• 2005
  • Hunter Museum of American Art building expanded.
  • Ron Littlefield elected mayor.
• 2009 - Ron Littlefield re-elected mayor.
• 2010
  • Electric Power Board's one gigabit per second Internet service began.
  • Population: 167,674.
• 2011
  • Volkswagen Chattanooga Assembly Plant began operating.
  • Chuck Fleischmann elected U.S. representative for Tennessee's 3rd congressional district.
• 2013 – Andy Berke elected mayor.
• 2015 – Lone-wolf terrorist shooting, killed five military members and injuring three others.
• 2017 – Andy Berke re-elected mayor.
• 2021 – Tim Kelly becomes mayor.

See also

• Chattanooga history
• List of mayors of Chattanooga, Tennessee
• Timelines of other cities in Tennessee: Clarksville, Knoxville, Memphis, Murfreesboro, Nashville

Bibliography

Published in the 19th century

Published in the 20th century

• . 1911-
• Govan, Gilbert E. and James W. Livingood. The Chattanooga Country 1540-1951, From Tomahawks to TVA (1952). Pp. 509. in-depth local history online
• Free access icon (Includes information about Chattanooga)

Published in the 21st century

External links

• Chattanooga Public Library. Local History
• Items related to Chattanooga, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America).