It's a city celebrated in song and heralded in history. The Cherokees called it Tsatanugi (rock coming to a point), describing Lookout Mountain, which stands like a sentinel over the city. They called the creek here "Chickamauga" (river of blood).

Cherokee Chief John Ross founded the city. One of the starting points of the tragic "Trail of Tears" was from Chattanooga; Native Americans from three states were herded by Federal troops and forced to march in bitter winter to distant Oklahoma. The Battle of Chickamauga in the fall of 1863 was one of the turning points of the Civil War. It ended when Union forces overpowered entrenched Confederate forces on Missionary Ridge; there were more than 34,500 casualties. Sherman's march to the sea began immediately thereafter.

Chattanooga emerged as an important industrial city at the end of the Civil War, when soldiers from both sides returned to stake their futures in this commercially strategic city. Only 1,500 persons lived in Chattanooga at the war's end, but by 1880 the city had 77 industries.

In 1878, Adolph S. Ochs moved to Chattanooga from Knoxville, purchased the Chattanooga Times and made it one of the state's most influential newspapers. Although he later went on to publish the New York Times, Ochs retained control of the Chattanooga journal until his death in 1935.

Sparked by the Tennessee Valley Authority, the city's greatest period of growth began in the 1930s. In the past few years, millions of dollars have been spent along Chattanooga's riverfront, making it a popular visitor destination.