Whitwell City Hall

About

Information about the City of Whitwell, it's people, projects and individual departments.

Story

Located in Marion County, Tennessee, a quaint town once called Cheekville, lies in the spectacular Sequatchie Valley between the cities of Jasper and Dunlap, and is bounded on either side by beautiful mountains. Named after a man from Wales, Whitwell was established in 1877 as a mining community, and was the home of the largest mine in Marion county. Many immigrants came here from Great Britain and the surrounding European countries for the opportunity to work in America. The town soon became a thriving community, growing around the coal mining and coke production done during that time. Whitwell was the county seat for many years until the new interstate system was built. The county seat was then moved to Jasper and remains there today. Whitwell was officially established as The City of Whitwell in 1956.

Many settlers came here because of it’s moderate climate, and it was an ideal place to raise crops and livestock. Farming became the up and coming way to make a living in Whitwell. By using the railway system which had been established to aid in hauling coal, you now had a distribution center for crops and a mode of transportation for people. Slowly, many people’s occupations switched from mining to farming as the production of fossil fuels in the Whitwell area decreased in the mid 1900’s.

Still others saw that industries were finding their way into the surrounding towns. South Pittsburg was beginning to produce steel, hoping to become the South’s major producer of steel and become the “Pittsburgh of the South”, thus it’s name. Nearby Chattanooga found itself as a booming industry town. Being perched along the massive berth of the Tennessee River as well as a popular connection for the railway system, Chattanooga was growing in just about every industry of the time.

As the focus of the work force moved into other nearby towns, Whitwell soon became mainly a farming community. But it’s beauty and serenity were still unsurpassed and remains so today. Many people simply could not leave this quaint little community. Today, we find that people feel Whitwell is still a great place to live and raise their families and choose to commute into Chattanooga and nearby towns to make a living. This means that Whitwell has many strong points such as being only 15 minutes from Interstate 24, 35 minutes from Chattanooga, yet in close proximity to hospitals and shopping.

Whitwell is the home of the Children's Holocust Memorial. It can be viewed by contacting :
Whitwell Middle School
1 Butterfly Lane
Whitwell, TN 37397
phone: 423-658-5631
fax: 423-658-6949
email: [email protected]

Home of Whitwell Miner's Museum.

Preserving Our Coal Mining Heritage
Tennessee has a rich and long coal mining history. Coal mining began here in small quantities during the 1840’s in counties such as Anderson, Campbell, Grundy, Hamilton, Marion, and Roane. It became a significant Tennessee industry after the end of the Civil War.

Many mines have been operated in Marion over the last century. Some of those mining towns are now no more than a few streets and houses while others still sustain larger communities. It is our desire to preserve as much of the coal mining heritage of Marion County as possible.

The purpose of our museum is to collect, catalog and display as many of the coal mining artifacts as possible from the mines and miners of our county. We are also in the process of compiling an extensive history of coal mining in Marion County.

The Marion County Coal Miners Museum is a community project led and operated by 7 retired coal miners who’s rich stories and history bring these artifacts to life. The museum’s collection is completely sponsored by the donations of miners and their families and has grown to over 500 pieces which are currently on display. Plans are underway to turn these items into permanent exhibits chronicling the history of coal mining in Marion County.

The museum is open to visits from the public at no charge. Come by and spend some time with these retired miners as they take you back through time with stories of coal mining in our county.

Coal Miners Museum
900 S Main Street
Whitwell, TN
Phone: 423-658-5151



WHAT TO EXPECT
Ketner's Mill Country Arts & Crafts Fair

This festival is held in the Summer at the Ketner's Mill Dam in the Little Sequatchie River.
Ketner's Mill Country Arts & Crafts Fair is two days packed with unique arts & crafts, delicious southern-style foods, live music, and activities for the whole family.

Step back in time to see the old mill churn out freshly ground cornmeal, pet farm animals, and see blacksmiths, woodworkers, and other artisans demonstrate their craft.
For information:
658 Ketner Mill Lane, Whitwell, TN 37397

Mailing Address:
PO Box 4426,
Chattanooga, TN 37405

Whitwell is the Capital of the Paragliders in the Southern Eastern United States. A title given to us by the Tennessee TreeToppers and the Cloudhouse Paragliding Association.
For more information see the link.
https://www.facebook.com/CloudhouseParagliding

Button willow Church Dinner Theater
WHO WE ARE
We are a Christian-based, family show that welcomes everyone really interested in America's history.

We observe the Sabbath, and are closed only on Friday night and Saturdays. We are open the remainder of the week, with shows daily.

Our production is great for the student and the more advanced Civil War enthusiast.

We hold nothing back in our effort to bring to our audiences a great experience back in 1864.

We believe that truth is the key to learning, and we offer a balanced look at both sides in this great and terrible chapter in our history.

"Political Correctness" has no place in history...and, saying that, we challenge you, your family, or your group to examine the cultural time and social differences that brought us to war. You will be amazed at what our books left out...and why.

History, geology, anthropology, and sociology are combined in our work to bring you a most unique perspective about this period.

We have been examined and probed by the best. Our facts are dead-on.

We still astonish our audiences with a moving, humorous approach to The Civil War.

http://www.buttonwillowchurch.com/
PHONE: 423-309-1667

1060 Main Street
P.O. Box 37, Whitwell, TN 37397
FAX: 423-472-4787
[email protected]

Orena Humphreys Public Library
1130 N. Main Street
Whitwell,TN 37397
Phone: 423-658-6134
http://www.orenahumphreyspubliclibrary.com/