(Editor’s note: First in a series)
Whether one is scanning a document about Hamilton County history or a dedication plaque on a local architectural treasure, a name may appear that sounds familiar but be just outside immediate recall. That may be true for a series of Chattanooga mayors. Beyond that quick moment of recognition, why might each one be remembered?
The name of one of Chattanooga’s early mayors is quickly recognized from his military service with the Union Army. Gen. John T. Wilder returned to Chattanooga shortly after the war’s conclusion. While local citizens remembered him shelling the city from a prominent position on Stringers Ridge, they welcomed his investment in revitalizing East Tennessee industry. Wilder founded the Roan Iron Works, which became the largest employer in the region and an owner of vast tracts of land across the eastern part of the state.
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