Chattanooga history and landmarks

Last checked Oct. 17, 2026. History comes from the Tennessee Historical Society’s Tennessee Encyclopedia entry on Chattanooga; the incorporation date from the University of Tennessee Municipal Technical Advisory Service city profile; National Register listings from the National Park Service’s list of listed properties (file dated May 22, 2026); and visiting details from each site’s own website, linked below.

Chattanooga began as Ross’s Landing, a trading post settled in the early 1830s near the foot of today’s Broad Street on the Tennessee River. Its residents incorporated the town of Chattanooga on Nov. 1, 1839, under a private act of the Tennessee General Assembly; the city has run under a home rule charter since 1972. Today 98 places with a Chattanooga address are on the National Register of Historic Places. For directions to city-run sites such as Coolidge Park and the Walnut Street Bridge, call the city’s 311 line at 423-643-6311.

Plan a visit

• Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park: nps.gov/chch
• Chattanooga National Cemetery: 1200 Bailey Ave., cem.va.gov
• Bessie Smith Cultural Center: bessiesmithcc.org, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Friday
• Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum: Grand Junction Depot off Cromwell Road, tvrail.com

How Chattanooga began

People lived at this bend in the Tennessee River long before the city. The Tennessee Encyclopedia says archaeological digs show Native Americans settled the site more than 8,000 years ago, and that around A.D. 1300 it was a center of Mississippian culture. The Cherokees later called the spot Chado-na-ugsa, “rock that comes to a point,” a reference to Lookout Mountain.

• Early 1830s: permanent white settlers established Ross’s Landing.
• 1839: the settlement of 53 families was incorporated as the town of Chattanooga (Nov. 1, 1839, in the state’s records).
• 1850: the Western and Atlantic, the city’s first railroad, arrived; by 1860 Chattanooga was a vital link in the region’s rail system.
• 1863: the battles of Chickamauga and Chattanooga caused more than 47,000 casualties on both sides. Union forces secured the city that November and turned it into a supply and rail center.
• 1880s: an industrial boom, led in part by Chattanooga Times publisher Adolph S. Ochs, then a collapse in property values and the Panic of 1893.
• 1899: three local men, Ben F. Thomas, Joseph B. Whitehead and John T. Lupton, secured the exclusive rights to bottle Coca-Cola.
• 1933: the Tennessee Valley Authority arrived; projects such as Chickamauga Dam put residents to work.
• Late 1960s: Chattanooga was among the nation’s most polluted cities; strict pollution laws followed.

Historic districts

Ten National Register historic districts lie in the city:

• Fort Wood (listed 1979), Ferger Place (1980) and St. Elmo (1982), three of the four districts where the city’s Historic Zoning Commission also reviews exterior changes
• Martin Luther King Boulevard (1984) and Market Street Warehouse (1984)
• Glenwood (1989), Market and Main Streets (1992) and Missionary Ridge (1996)
• Stone Fort Land Company (1999) and Downtown Chattanooga (2020)

Landmarks to see

• Walnut Street Bridge: built in 1890, 2,376 feet long, now a pedestrian bridge (National Register 1990).
• Terminal Station, 1434 Market St.: now the Chattanooga Choo Choo (National Register 1973).
• Ross’s Landing, on Riverfront Parkway west of Market Street, where the city began (1974).
• Lookout Mountain Incline Railway (1973) and the Market Street Bridge (2010).
• Hamilton County Courthouse, W. Sixth Street and Georgia Avenue (1978).
• Bud Ellis Carousel in Coolidge Park, a restored 1894 Dentzel carousel, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

Museums and cemeteries open to visitors

• Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park: the National Park Service preserves the 1863 battlefields around the city; check the park’s hours page before you go.
• Bessie Smith Cultural Center: open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Friday, closed Saturday to Monday. It is closed Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, for upgrades.
• Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum: train rides and exhibits from Grand Junction Depot; take I-75 to Exit 4 (State Route 153), then the Jersey Pike exit to Cromwell Road. CARTA route 19 stops nearby on weekdays. Its rolling stock was listed on the National Register in 1980.
• Chattanooga National Cemetery, 1200 Bailey Ave.: a national cemetery run by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (National Register 1996).
• Brainerd Mission Cemetery, 5700 Eastgate Loop: marked by the National Park Service as a site on the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail (National Register 1979).

Every National Register listing with a Chattanooga address

From the National Park Service’s list of listed properties, May 22, 2026, sorted by the year each was listed. Archaeological sites have restricted addresses to protect them. Entries marked “additional documentation” had more paperwork filed after the original listing.

What this means for you

• Owners in St. Elmo, Fort Wood and Ferger Place need city historic zoning approval for exterior work; see our permits and zoning guide.
• The National Park Service’s listed properties spreadsheet links many listings to their nomination files in the National Archives catalog.

Related guides: parks and trails, getting around Chattanooga and Chattanooga population.

Frequently asked questions

When was Chattanooga founded?

Settlers established Ross’s Landing, a trading post on the Tennessee River near the foot of today’s Broad Street, in the early 1830s. The settlement was incorporated as the town of Chattanooga on Nov. 1, 1839.

What does the name Chattanooga mean?

The Tennessee Encyclopedia says the Cherokee called the spot Chado-na-ugsa, meaning “rock that comes to a point,” a reference to Lookout Mountain.

How many National Register of Historic Places listings are in Chattanooga?

98 entries in the National Park Service’s list carry a Chattanooga address, from Brown’s Ferry Tavern (listed 1971) to St. Marks United Methodist Church (2026). Moccasin Bend Archeological District is also a National Historic Landmark.

When was the Walnut Street Bridge built?

In 1890. The 2,376-foot bridge, now a pedestrian bridge, was listed on the National Register in 1990.