History of Chattanooga Tennessee begins with Indigenous settlement, Cherokee leadership, Ross’s Landing, river trade, railroads, and Civil War campaigns. Its Hamilton County location beside the Tennessee River shaped transportation, industry, and regional growth.
People lived throughout the Tennessee River valley for thousands of years. Later, Cherokee communities developed important political, cultural, and trading connections across the region.
Cherokee leader John Ross operated a trading post near the river during the early nineteenth century. The surrounding settlement became known as Ross’s Landing.
Federal removal policies forced Cherokee people from southeastern homelands during the 1830s. Ross’s Landing became one departure point connected with the Trail of Tears.