Etowah

Halfway between Cincinnati and Atlanta, the town of Etowah was created in order to service the great railcars that connected the country. In 1902, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad was looking for a location halfway between Cincinnati and Atlanta to build a rail center; this site would be the home of a rail yard for crew changes and shops to build and repair boxcars. After being turned down for two locations, the third proved to be the lucky number--the area at the foot of Starr Mountain was rich with timber to build the shops and railcars, and several years later, the decision was made to go forward with this site. By 1906, the L&N Railroad built its first planned community, and in one year, over 2,000 people were employed by the rail line. 100 years later, the town that emerged from that original community maintains a rich heritage built around the railroad that made their town.