Etowah, Tennessee
Encyclopedia
Etowah is a city in McMinn County, Tennessee
, United States
. The population was 3,663 at the 2000 census.
and Cincinnati, Ohio
. How the town received its name is not known for sure, but local folklore states that a train crew brought a sign reading "Etowah" from the Etowah River
, and the name stuck. The word Etowah comes from the Muskogee
/Creek word italwa meaning "town." In 1902 the Louisville and Nashville Railroad announced its plan to build a more direct line from Atlanta to Cincinnati in order to avoid the rugged mountains of North Georgia and East Tennessee bypassing the Great Hiwassee Loop. A point midway between these cities was needed to service cars and change crews, and at the end of 1904, land had been purchased in McMinn County to serve as this site and the city of Etowah was planned. The L & N purchased 1454 acres (5.9 km²) for the main terminus (depot), maintenance and repair facilities (shops), railroad yards and proposed township to support the railroad workforce. This land was purchased at $10 to $20 per acre and the L&N set about building a major rail center and the town of Etowah.
Out of what was referred to then as a wet swampland, a boomtown sprung up in 1906 with the L & N Depot serving as the hub of the new town’s business and social activities. Since then, the City of Etowah has ridden the waves of economic downturns and successes, such as the closing of the L & N shops in the 1930’s and the recruitment of new industries, to evolve into the city that it is today. Etowah has seen positive growth in industry and retail over the past decade and the opportunity of future growth is strong.
of 2000, there were 3,663 people, 1,545 households, and 979 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,321.8 people per square mile (510.6/km²). There were 1,769 housing units at an average density of 638.4 per square mile (246.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.42% White, 3.25% African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 1.09% from other races
, and 1.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.13% of the population.
There were 1,545 households out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.5% were married couples
living together, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.6% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.4% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 23.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 85.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,117, and the median income for a family was $33,034. Males had a median income of $27,824 versus $18,882 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $15,298. About 7.4% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.6% of those under age 18 and 13.7% of those age 65
or over.
The primary law enforcement agency in the city is the City of Etowah Police Department. The city and the rest of the un-incorporated Etowah area are also under the jurisdiction of the McMinn County Sheriff's Office.
An obvious presence in Etowah is the Gem Theater. Located in a building originally built in 1927 and purchased by the city of Etowah in 1993 and now is the location of local plays, concerts, movies and other events.
Waupaca corporation is located in Etowah. The plant makes quality grey and ductile steel components that are used in the automotive and farming markets. The foundry makes parts (such as control arms, differential covers and cases, and brake calipers) for the new Ford F-series
heavy duty trucks, Dodge Caravan
, Hummer H2
, GMC Envoy
, Chrysler 300C
/Dodge Charger
, and the Toyota Camry
. Etowah also has two other plants Johns Manville and Tuber.
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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 3,663 at the 2000 census.
History
Etowah was founded in 1906, primarily as a location for a depot on the Louisville & Nashville Railroad (L&N) line as part of a more direct route between Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
and Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
. How the town received its name is not known for sure, but local folklore states that a train crew brought a sign reading "Etowah" from the Etowah River
Etowah River
The Etowah River is a waterway that rises northwest of Dahlonega, Georgia, north of Atlanta. Its name is the Cherokee version of the original Muskogee word Etalwa, which means a "trail crossing". On Matthew Carey's 1795 map the river was labeled "High Town River"...
, and the name stuck. The word Etowah comes from the Muskogee
Muskogean languages
Muskogean is an indigenous language family of the Southeastern United States. Though there is an ongoing debate concerning their interrelationships, the Muskogean languages are generally divided into two branches, Eastern Muskogean and Western Muskogean...
/Creek word italwa meaning "town." In 1902 the Louisville and Nashville Railroad announced its plan to build a more direct line from Atlanta to Cincinnati in order to avoid the rugged mountains of North Georgia and East Tennessee bypassing the Great Hiwassee Loop. A point midway between these cities was needed to service cars and change crews, and at the end of 1904, land had been purchased in McMinn County to serve as this site and the city of Etowah was planned. The L & N purchased 1454 acres (5.9 km²) for the main terminus (depot), maintenance and repair facilities (shops), railroad yards and proposed township to support the railroad workforce. This land was purchased at $10 to $20 per acre and the L&N set about building a major rail center and the town of Etowah.
Out of what was referred to then as a wet swampland, a boomtown sprung up in 1906 with the L & N Depot serving as the hub of the new town’s business and social activities. Since then, the City of Etowah has ridden the waves of economic downturns and successes, such as the closing of the L & N shops in the 1930’s and the recruitment of new industries, to evolve into the city that it is today. Etowah has seen positive growth in industry and retail over the past decade and the opportunity of future growth is strong.
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 3,663 people, 1,545 households, and 979 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 1,321.8 people per square mile (510.6/km²). There were 1,769 housing units at an average density of 638.4 per square mile (246.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.42% White, 3.25% African American, 0.38% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 1.09% 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 1.67% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.13% of the population.
There were 1,545 households out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.5% 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, 12.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.6% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.4% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 23.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 85.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,117, and the median income for a family was $33,034. Males had a median income of $27,824 versus $18,882 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 $15,298. About 7.4% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 27.6% of those under age 18 and 13.7% of those age 65
or over.
Government
The City of Etowah has a council-manager government. The Mayor sits as a Council member-at-large and presides over City Council meetings. In the event that the Mayor cannot preside over a City Council meeting, the Vice-Mayor is the presiding officer of the meeting until such time as the Mayor returns to his/her seat. The City Manager is responsible for the administration and the day-to-day operation of all of the municipal services and city departments. The City Manager also maintains intergovernmental relationships with federal, state, county and other local governments.The primary law enforcement agency in the city is the City of Etowah Police Department. The city and the rest of the un-incorporated Etowah area are also under the jurisdiction of the McMinn County Sheriff's Office.
City Council
- Burke Garwood – Mayor (Term Expires in 2014)
- Charles Slack – Vice-Mayor (Term Expires in 2012)
- Ann Abbott – Commissioner (Term Expires in 2012)
- Matt Goodin – Commissioner (Term Expires in 2014)
- Dennis Morgan – Commissioner (Term Expires in 2014)
City Administration
- Matthew Gravley- City Manager
- Jamie Davis- Human Resources Director
- Melissa Henderson- Finance Director
- Leah Tavernese- City Court Clerk
City Services
- City of Etowah Police Department- Chief Eric Armstrong
- City of Etowah Fire Department- Chief Dale Ammons
- City of Etowah Public Works Department- Director Billy Ingram
- City of Etowah Parks and Recreation Department- Director Brian Silber
- City of Etowah Code Enforcement/Building Inspector- Dave Mason
Education
The city includes two K-8 elementary schools located within blocks of each other. Which now also include a Headstart and Pre-K. Mountain View Elementary is part of the McMinn County School System. The other, Etowah City School, is administered by the city of Etowah. The Etowah area high school students are able to attend one of the finest high schools in the state. McMinn Central High School offers countless academic and social opportunities to help young men and women become the leaders of our community tomorrow.Landmarks
The Historic L&N Depot museum in downtown Etowah is considered by many to be the main attraction in this small town.An obvious presence in Etowah is the Gem Theater. Located in a building originally built in 1927 and purchased by the city of Etowah in 1993 and now is the location of local plays, concerts, movies and other events.
Industry
The newest plant (Plant number 6) of the ThyssenKruppThyssenKrupp
ThyssenKrupp AG is a German multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Duisburg Essen, Germany. The corporation consists of 670 companies worldwide. While ThyssenKrupp is one of the world's largest steel producers, the company also provides components and systems for the automotive...
Waupaca corporation is located in Etowah. The plant makes quality grey and ductile steel components that are used in the automotive and farming markets. The foundry makes parts (such as control arms, differential covers and cases, and brake calipers) for the new Ford F-series
Ford F-Series
The F-Series is a series of full-size pickup trucks from Ford Motor Company which has been sold continuously for over six decades. The most popular variant of the F-Series is the F-150...
heavy duty trucks, Dodge Caravan
Dodge Caravan
The Dodge Caravan is a family minivan manufactured by Chrysler Group LLC and sold under its Dodge brand. Along with its nameplate variant, the Plymouth Voyager, the Caravan was introduced for the 1984 model year. In 1987, the Dodge Grand Caravan long-wheelbase model was introduced and sold...
, Hummer H2
Hummer H2
The Hummer H2 is an SUV and SUT that was marketed by General Motors under the Hummer brand. It is a large truck , while longer, heavier , and taller with room for six passengers , seven passengers in some models. The rearmost part of the H2 SUV was modified to a pickup truck bed for the 2005 H2 SUT...
, GMC Envoy
GMC Envoy
The GMC Envoy is an SUV from the GMC marque of General Motors. It was introduced as a high-end version of the Jimmy for the 1998 model year, the same year the Jimmy was restyled...
, Chrysler 300C
Chrysler 300C
The Chrysler Corporation has used the designation Chrysler 300C to refer to two different vehicles, which are described in separate articles.* The 1957 Chrysler 300C, that year's version of the Chrysler 300 "letter series"; a large, high-performance luxury coupe sold in very limited numbers.* The...
/Dodge Charger
Dodge Charger
The Dodge Charger is an American automobile manufactured by the Dodge division of Chrysler. There have been several different Dodge vehicles, built on three different platforms and sizes, all bearing the Charger nameplate...
, and the Toyota Camry
Toyota Camry
The Toyota Camry is a series of mid-size automobiles manufactured by Toyota since 1982, and sold in the majority of automotive markets throughout the world...
. Etowah also has two other plants Johns Manville and Tuber.
Famous residents
- Tom SaffellTom SaffellThomas Judson Saffell is a former major league outfielder from Etowah, Tennessee-Early life:Saffell grew up playing sports, especially fast-pitch softball. His team won the state tournament and played in a national tournament in Detroit, Michigan. After completing high school in 1940, Saffell...
, Former major league outfielder. - Jake Tullock, member of Flatt & Scruggs' Foggy Mountain BoysFoggy Mountain BoysThe Foggy Mountain Boys were an influential bluegrass band founded by Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs in 1948, shortly after leaving Bill Monroe’s band. They recorded and performed together up until 1969.-Biography:...
.