Chickamauga, Georgia
Encyclopedia
Chickamauga is a city in Walker County
, Georgia
, United States
. The population was 2,245 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Chattanooga
, TN
–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area
.
-Cherokee
had settled in the area around Chickamauga Creek, actively farming and hunting the lands. They remained there until their forced exodus during the Trail of Tears
(1838). In the early-to-mid-19th century, the present town of Chickamauga was a large plantation in the rolling hills of north Georgia. The Cherokee Nation
was divided into districts and courts, Crawfish Springs being the capitol of one of the districts. In 1820, a courthouse was built in the town, and the first court in Walker County was held there. The local post office was Crawfish Springs, GA —named for the Indian
chief, Crayfish, of the original Cherokee Nation.
During the War of 1812
, five hundred Cherokee warriors from the area fought along side General Andrew Jackson
—at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. This was against the Creek Indians, who were aligned with England
. The battle was a victory for the Americans.
The Lee and Gordon families greatly influenced Chickamauga's post-Cherokee history. In 1836 Gwinnett County, Georgia
native, James Gordon, established a plantation at Crawfish Springs and built a gristmill
two miles east of town —on Chickamauga Creek. Lee and Gordon's Mill, which contained the area's first general store
, was situated near a blacksmith shop and stagecoach
stop. From 1840 to 1847, Gordon built his Doric-columned brick house (known today as the Gordon-Lee mansion
), which overlooks Crawfish Springs.
The area was settled by many other farm families and life was busy and fruitful in the fertile valleys, until even this remote part of the south was visited by the sounds of cannon and guns during the American Civil War
. The Battle of Chickamauga
, named for nearby Chickamauga Creek, was fought September 19–20, 1863. It involved more than 150,000 soldiers of the Northern
and Southern
Armies. Prior to the battle, Union Gen. William Rosecrans
located his headquarters at the Gordon Lee Mansion. During the battle, wounded and injured soldiers were cared for in the home and its adjacent buildings. Many Union doctors remaining behind to care for their patients after the Southern victory. Parched soldiers of both sides drank from the town's namesake springs.
Crawfish Springs was the site of a 1889 reunion of veteran soldiers, both Northern and Southern, who had fought in the Battle of Chickamauga. Called the "Blue and Gray Barbecue", hundreds of soldiers and their families visited the sites of the bloody battle from over 30 years prior, smoking the pipe of peace, healing the wounds, and helping start the Chickamauga National Park
. The Chickamauga Battlefield, established in 1890, is located just north of the City of Chickamauga, and is a part of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
, the first and largest in the country.
In 1888, a railroad line was built running through Crawfish Springs. A syndicate bought the land and used some of it to develop a summer resort, complete with the Park Hotel, which opened in 1891. Around this same time, the Central of Georgia Railway built a stone depot for visitors to the hotel (both the tracks and depot remain today). After passenger service ceased in the 1950s, the city schools, library system, and recreation department used the depot. It now houses the Walker County Regional Heritage and Model Train Museum. Occasional tourist train excursions stop at the Chickamauga depot. The Durham Iron and Coal Company built coke ovens on Chickamauga's north side, used to transform coal into coke for iron and steel foundries in Chattanooga. Beginning in 1891, coal was transported by train twice daily from Lookout Mountain
to Chickamauga. Production peaked in 1904, at about 700 to 1,000 tons of coal per day, and ended entirely during the Great Depression
. These coke ovens were restored in the 1990s for exhibition.
Since the early 20th century, Chickamauga has been a textile-mill town. New England native Daniel Ashley Jewell, who had moved to middle Georgia prior to the Civil War built a cotton mill. The small community in central Georgia that grew up around his mill is still called Jewell. His sister subsequently married a Colonel W.L.L. Bowen. Jewell and his brother-in-law reorganized the bag company and it became the Bowen-Jewell Bag Company. Soon after, Colonel Bowen's nephew, A. S. Bowen, joined the company as a salesman. The company's best customers were the large grain mills in east Tennessee. For this reason, it was determined to move the company to the Chattanooga area in 1905. D.A. Jewell and business partner Colonel Bowen purchased land in Chickamauga in 1907, from US Senator Gordon Lee. The men had heard that Gordon Lee, the owner of the springs was proud of his sharp business dealings and had sold Crystal Spring several times, only to immediately repossess it as soon as the first payment was missed. Mr. Jewell and Colonel Bowen dressed Themselves in their worst clothes and attempted to look like a less than affluential rural men. They approached Lee and discussed buying the land. When a price had been quoted, they told Lee to have his attorney draw up the papers and they would return to work out the terms of purchase. When they came back, they were wearing their normal clothes and had their attorney with him. Rather than seeking terms, they paid in cash, and Lee had no choice but to give up the property. Mr. Jewell and Colonel W.L.L. Bowen built the Crystal Springs Bleachery
Company (in 1909). The Crystal Springs Bleachery Company was a major employer in the area and a significant player in the development of the town. The mill remains in operation today. In addition other notable manufactures have interests in Chickamauga such as Shaw Industries
.
D.A. Jewell and his descendants have played a key role in the city of Chickamauga's development as well as the local area. Creating not only jobs for the town's citizens but homes for its workers, and establishing the town's local government. D.A. Jewell's son Robert Houston Jewell I (died 1967), who was at one time mayor of Chickamauga and President of The Crystal Springs Bleachery, was also Chairman of the Board for Hutcheson Hospital and helped to develop the Tri-County Hutcheson Hospital, today more recently renamed Hutcheson-Memorial Hospital after merging with Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga, Tn. The Jewell family later sold the mill to Dan Rivers Mills in 1968, and was resold later to former town Mayor Frank Peirce. Since the sale of the Crystal Springs Bleachery the Jewell family has remained important contributors to the city and its local school system.
Over the last century, the city has changed and grown, from a population of 95 (in 1900) to 2,245 (in the 2000 official census). The city is surrounded by the north Georgia mountains and valleys, and the history of the area has been rediscovered and restored wherever possible.
When the city was incorporated in 1891, the city's north-south avenues were named for Union and Confederate Generals. Today, avenues named for Longstreet, Hood, Crittenden, Stewart, and more, are clearly marked by large, wood framed signs displaying a description of the General's accomplishments, his picture, and flags of the period.
Randal Dalton - Mayor Pro Tem & Police Department
Robert Robertson - Office & Finance & Recreation
Evitte Parrish - Electric Department
James Staub - Planning & Development & Streets & Grounds
Daymon Garrett - Water & Sewer
Juanita Crowder - Recorder
Board Members:
D. A. Jewell V, Chairman
Grant Parrish, Vice Chairman
David Askew
Billy N. Ellis
Janet Landers
holds grades pre-school to grade twelve, that consists of nine elementary schools, three middle schools, and two high schools. The district has 577 full-time teachers and over 8,844 students.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²), of which, 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²) of it is land and 0.55% is water.
of 2000, there were 2,245 people, 899 households, and 644 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,238.8 people per square mile (478.9/km²). There were 951 housing units at an average density of 524.8 per square mile (202.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.35% White, 0.58% African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.22% from other races
, and 0.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.40% of the population.
There were 899 households out of which 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.2% were married couples
living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.3% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,110, and the median income for a family was $46,037. Males had a median income of $31,447 versus $21,776 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $17,716. About 5.6% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.
Walker County, Georgia
Walker County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 18, 1833 from land formerly belonging to the Cherokee Indian Nation. As of 2000, the population was 61,053. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 64,554...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 2,245 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Chattanooga
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
, TN
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area
Chattanooga metropolitan area
The Chattanooga Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of six counties – three in southeast Tennessee and three in northwest Georgia – anchored by the city of Chattanooga...
.
History
Prior to the 1800s, the ChickamaugaChickamauga Indian
The Chickamauga or Lower Cherokee, were a band of Cherokee who supported Great Britain at the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War. They were followers of the Cherokee chief Dragging Canoe...
-Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
had settled in the area around Chickamauga Creek, actively farming and hunting the lands. They remained there until their forced exodus during the Trail of Tears
Trail of Tears
The Trail of Tears is a name given to the forced relocation and movement of Native American nations from southeastern parts of the United States following the Indian Removal Act of 1830...
(1838). In the early-to-mid-19th century, the present town of Chickamauga was a large plantation in the rolling hills of north Georgia. The Cherokee Nation
Cherokee Nation (19th century)
The Cherokee Nation of the 19th century —an historic entity —was a legal, autonomous, tribal government in North America existing from 1794–1906. Often referred to simply as The Nation by its inhabitants, it should not be confused with what is known today as the "modern" Cherokee Nation...
was divided into districts and courts, Crawfish Springs being the capitol of one of the districts. In 1820, a courthouse was built in the town, and the first court in Walker County was held there. The local post office was Crawfish Springs, GA —named for the Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
chief, Crayfish, of the original Cherokee Nation.
During the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
, five hundred Cherokee warriors from the area fought along side General Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
—at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. This was against the Creek Indians, who were aligned with England
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
. The battle was a victory for the Americans.
The Lee and Gordon families greatly influenced Chickamauga's post-Cherokee history. In 1836 Gwinnett County, Georgia
Gwinnett County, Georgia
, Gwinnett County had a population of 805,321. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 53.3% white , 23.6% black , 2.7% Korean, 2.6% Asian Indian, 2.0% Vietnamese, 3.3% other Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 8.8% some other race and 3.1% from two or more races...
native, James Gordon, established a plantation at Crawfish Springs and built a gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
two miles east of town —on Chickamauga Creek. Lee and Gordon's Mill, which contained the area's first general store
General store
A general store, general merchandise store, or village shop is a rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, sometimes in a small space, where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general...
, was situated near a blacksmith shop and stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
stop. From 1840 to 1847, Gordon built his Doric-columned brick house (known today as the Gordon-Lee mansion
Gordon-Lee Mansion
The Gordon-Lee Mansion is located in Chickamauga, Georgia and was originally referred to as the Gordon residence. The house’s construction began in 1840 and wasn’t completed until 1847 due to labor and financial issues....
), which overlooks Crawfish Springs.
The area was settled by many other farm families and life was busy and fruitful in the fertile valleys, until even this remote part of the south was visited by the sounds of cannon and guns during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The Battle of Chickamauga
Battle of Chickamauga
The Battle of Chickamauga, fought September 19–20, 1863, marked the end of a Union offensive in southeastern Tennessee and northwestern Georgia called the Chickamauga Campaign...
, named for nearby Chickamauga Creek, was fought September 19–20, 1863. It involved more than 150,000 soldiers of the Northern
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
and Southern
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
Armies. Prior to the battle, Union Gen. William Rosecrans
William Rosecrans
William Starke Rosecrans was an inventor, coal-oil company executive, diplomat, politician, and United States Army officer. He gained fame for his role as a Union general during the American Civil War...
located his headquarters at the Gordon Lee Mansion. During the battle, wounded and injured soldiers were cared for in the home and its adjacent buildings. Many Union doctors remaining behind to care for their patients after the Southern victory. Parched soldiers of both sides drank from the town's namesake springs.
Crawfish Springs was the site of a 1889 reunion of veteran soldiers, both Northern and Southern, who had fought in the Battle of Chickamauga. Called the "Blue and Gray Barbecue", hundreds of soldiers and their families visited the sites of the bloody battle from over 30 years prior, smoking the pipe of peace, healing the wounds, and helping start the Chickamauga National Park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
. The Chickamauga Battlefield, established in 1890, is located just north of the City of Chickamauga, and is a part of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park
Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, located in northern Georgia and eastern Tennessee, preserves the sites of two major battles of the American Civil War: the Battle of Chickamauga and the Chattanooga Campaign.-History:...
, the first and largest in the country.
In 1888, a railroad line was built running through Crawfish Springs. A syndicate bought the land and used some of it to develop a summer resort, complete with the Park Hotel, which opened in 1891. Around this same time, the Central of Georgia Railway built a stone depot for visitors to the hotel (both the tracks and depot remain today). After passenger service ceased in the 1950s, the city schools, library system, and recreation department used the depot. It now houses the Walker County Regional Heritage and Model Train Museum. Occasional tourist train excursions stop at the Chickamauga depot. The Durham Iron and Coal Company built coke ovens on Chickamauga's north side, used to transform coal into coke for iron and steel foundries in Chattanooga. Beginning in 1891, coal was transported by train twice daily from Lookout Mountain
Lookout Mountain
thumb|right|See seven statesLookout Mountain is located at the northwest corner of the U.S. state of Georgia, the northeast corner of Alabama, and along the southern border of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Lookout Mountain, along with Sand Mountain to the northwest, makes up a large portion of the...
to Chickamauga. Production peaked in 1904, at about 700 to 1,000 tons of coal per day, and ended entirely during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. These coke ovens were restored in the 1990s for exhibition.
Since the early 20th century, Chickamauga has been a textile-mill town. New England native Daniel Ashley Jewell, who had moved to middle Georgia prior to the Civil War built a cotton mill. The small community in central Georgia that grew up around his mill is still called Jewell. His sister subsequently married a Colonel W.L.L. Bowen. Jewell and his brother-in-law reorganized the bag company and it became the Bowen-Jewell Bag Company. Soon after, Colonel Bowen's nephew, A. S. Bowen, joined the company as a salesman. The company's best customers were the large grain mills in east Tennessee. For this reason, it was determined to move the company to the Chattanooga area in 1905. D.A. Jewell and business partner Colonel Bowen purchased land in Chickamauga in 1907, from US Senator Gordon Lee. The men had heard that Gordon Lee, the owner of the springs was proud of his sharp business dealings and had sold Crystal Spring several times, only to immediately repossess it as soon as the first payment was missed. Mr. Jewell and Colonel Bowen dressed Themselves in their worst clothes and attempted to look like a less than affluential rural men. They approached Lee and discussed buying the land. When a price had been quoted, they told Lee to have his attorney draw up the papers and they would return to work out the terms of purchase. When they came back, they were wearing their normal clothes and had their attorney with him. Rather than seeking terms, they paid in cash, and Lee had no choice but to give up the property. Mr. Jewell and Colonel W.L.L. Bowen built the Crystal Springs Bleachery
Textile manufacturing
Textile manufacturing is a major industry. It is based in the conversion of three types of fibre into yarn, then fabric, then textiles. These are then fabricated into clothes or other artifacts. Cotton remains the most important natural fibre, so is treated in depth...
Company (in 1909). The Crystal Springs Bleachery Company was a major employer in the area and a significant player in the development of the town. The mill remains in operation today. In addition other notable manufactures have interests in Chickamauga such as Shaw Industries
Shaw Industries
Shaw Industries Group, Inc., a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., is the world's largest carpet manufacturer with more than $4 billion in annual sales and approximately 25,000 associates worldwide...
.
D.A. Jewell and his descendants have played a key role in the city of Chickamauga's development as well as the local area. Creating not only jobs for the town's citizens but homes for its workers, and establishing the town's local government. D.A. Jewell's son Robert Houston Jewell I (died 1967), who was at one time mayor of Chickamauga and President of The Crystal Springs Bleachery, was also Chairman of the Board for Hutcheson Hospital and helped to develop the Tri-County Hutcheson Hospital, today more recently renamed Hutcheson-Memorial Hospital after merging with Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga, Tn. The Jewell family later sold the mill to Dan Rivers Mills in 1968, and was resold later to former town Mayor Frank Peirce. Since the sale of the Crystal Springs Bleachery the Jewell family has remained important contributors to the city and its local school system.
Over the last century, the city has changed and grown, from a population of 95 (in 1900) to 2,245 (in the 2000 official census). The city is surrounded by the north Georgia mountains and valleys, and the history of the area has been rediscovered and restored wherever possible.
When the city was incorporated in 1891, the city's north-south avenues were named for Union and Confederate Generals. Today, avenues named for Longstreet, Hood, Crittenden, Stewart, and more, are clearly marked by large, wood framed signs displaying a description of the General's accomplishments, his picture, and flags of the period.
Politics, government, and law
Ray Crowder- MayorRandal Dalton - Mayor Pro Tem & Police Department
Robert Robertson - Office & Finance & Recreation
Evitte Parrish - Electric Department
James Staub - Planning & Development & Streets & Grounds
Daymon Garrett - Water & Sewer
Juanita Crowder - Recorder
Chickamauga City Schools
The Chickamauga City School System is a public, tax-funded institution that is open to all students that live within the city limits. Students that live outside the city may also attend but must pay tuition since they do not contribute tax dollars for the school. The school district holds grades pre-school to grade twelve, that consists of one elementary school, a middle school, and a high school. The district has 68 full-time teachers and over 1,293 students.- Chickamauga Elementary School
- Gordon Lee Middle School
- Gordon Lee High SchoolGordon Lee High SchoolGordon Lee High School is a public high school located in Chickamauga, Georgia, USA. The school is part of the Chickamauga City School District which serves Walker County, Georgia. Gordon Lee High School was founded by a grant left by the late Gordon Lee of Chickamauga...
Board Members:
D. A. Jewell V, Chairman
Grant Parrish, Vice Chairman
David Askew
Billy N. Ellis
Janet Landers
Walker County School District
The Walker County School DistrictWalker County School District
The Walker County School District is a public school district in Walker County, Georgia, USA, based in La Fayette, Georgia. It serves the communities of Chattanooga Valley, Chickamauga, Fairview, Flintstone, Fort Oglethorpe, La Fayette, Lakeview, Lookout Mountain, and Rossville, Georgia.-...
holds grades pre-school to grade twelve, that consists of nine elementary schools, three middle schools, and two high schools. The district has 577 full-time teachers and over 8,844 students.
- Chattanooga Valley Elementary School
- Cherokee Ridge Elementary
- Fairyland Elementary School
- Gilbert Elementary School
- Naomi Elementary School
- North LaFayette Elementary School
- Rock Spring Elementary School
- Rossville Elementary School
- Stone Creek Elementary School
- Chattanooga Valley Middle School
- LaFayette Middle School
- Rossville Middle School
- LaFayette High School
- Ridgeland High School
Walker County Alternative Education Center
The Alternative Education Center in Walker County is located in the former Osburn Elementary School. When Cherokee Ridge Elementary was built the students from Osburn were transferred to the new facility and the Alternative Education program was moved into the still usable Osburn.Oakwood Christian Academy
The Oakwood Baptist Church founded a private Christian-based academy in 1992. Currently the school offers grades Pre-K through 8th with over 275 students enrolled. It sponsors sports teams such as cheerleading and basketball. It was announced in December 2008 that by 2012 Oakwood Academy will grow to include a high school.Tourist Attractions
Historic Chickamauga has a variety of tourist attractions in and around the city. Lee and Gordon's Mills, one of the oldest mills in the state of Georgia, is located about two miles east of the center of town on the west bank of the Chickamauga Creek. The Walker County Regional Heritage and Model Train Museum is housed in the stone train depot building. The museum exhibits Civil War collectibles, Indian artifacts and Cherokee arrowheads, WWI artifacts, antique guns and furniture and a complete working display of Lionel Old Gauge model trains that date back to 1947. The Chickamauga coke ovens are located just north of downtown Chickamauga on Highway 341. The beehive ovens of the Durham Iron and Coal Company were designed to turn coal into coke for use in the Iron and Steel Foundries in nearby Chattanooga Tennessee. The Gordon Lee Mansion was originally the Gordon residence built by Mr. James Gordon who began construction in 1840 and completed in 1847. The mansion and surrounding buildings are now used as a bed and breakfast as well as a restaurant and banquet center. Crawfish Spring, the main water supply for the early settlements, and later the City of Chickamauga in the early-to-mid-20th century, is located on Cove Road just south of the main town and across the road from the Gordon Lee Mansion. The spring is no longer used as a water supply and has been converted into a park setting with picnic tables, a swing, and a gazebo. The Holland-Watson Veteran's Park was dedicated on May 27, 2002. This park is named after two Chickamauga soldiers, Sgt. Eddie H. Holland and Cpl. Thomas A. "Tommy" Watson, who lost their lives during Vietnam. A Huey Helicopter is mounted on a pedestal in the center of the walking track as a symbol of the Vietnam War and those who fought and died for their country.Festivals
Chickamauga has a number of annual events that bring the citizens together in celebration. Generally, the most anticipated event is Down Home Days. This celebration is held the first weekend in May and features Concerts, Food, Dance, Parades, and Arts and Crafts Vendors. "War Between the States Day" is held the third weekend in September and features living history demonstrations, parades and Arts and Crafts. Activities during the day include reenactors demonstrating soldier camp life, food from the period and artillery firing. Also, demonstrations of refugee camp life will represent life for area farm families affected by the battle. A final celebration in the year is scheduled during the month of December. Christmas in the Streets is a festival celebrating the holiday season including many Holiday activities such as Parades, Christmas Shopping, Tree Lighting, Choirs, Hand Bells, Live Bands, and Pictures with Santa Claus.Geography
Chickamauga is located at 34°52′29"N 85°17′34"W (34.874696, -85.292751).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²), of which, 1.8 square miles (4.7 km²) of it is land and 0.55% is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 2,245 people, 899 households, and 644 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,238.8 people per square mile (478.9/km²). There were 951 housing units at an average density of 524.8 per square mile (202.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.35% White, 0.58% African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.22% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.40% of the population.
There were 899 households out of which 34.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.3% were non-families. 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the city the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 9.3% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.8 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $40,110, and the median income for a family was $46,037. Males had a median income of $31,447 versus $21,776 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $17,716. About 5.6% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.