Tullahoma Points of Interest
Tullahoma is a city in Coffee and Franklin counties in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Tennessee. The population was 17,994 at the 2000 census. It is the principal city of the Tullahoma micropolitan area, which consists of Coffee, Franklin, and Moore counties and is the second largest micropolitan area in Tennessee after the Cookeville micropolitan area.
Tullahoma was founded in 1852 as a work camp along the new Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad. Its name is generally thought to be taken from a local Native American language, and might mean something like “red dirt.” An alternative explanation (see Sam Davis Elliott’s Soldier of Tennessee and sources cited therein) of the name is that Peter Decherd, who donated the land for the railroad right-of-way (and was therefore given the right to name two stations along the line), named one station Decherd, and the other Tulkahoma (later corrupted to Tullahoma). Tulkahoma was the name of Decherd’s favorite horse, which was itself named for an Indian chief his grandfather had captured. Whatever the origin of the name, Tullahoma does not share its name with any other place.
The town became highly significant during the Civil War, and served as the headquarters for the Confederate Army of Tennessee in 1863. The campaign of that year, which ultimately delivered control of Middle Tennessee to the Union and opened the door to Atlanta, is known as the Tullahoma Campaign.
Tullahoma was then still little more than a rough outpost, with no paved streets. 1863 was a wet year, and the place became known to the bedraggled troops of both sides as a place of endless mud. One witty officer on Confederate General William Hardee’s staff is said to have written his own account of the origin of the name: “It is from two Greek words - ‘Tulla’ meaning mud, and ‘Homa,’ meaning more mud.” The selection and use of Tullahoma as a headquarters by Confederate General Braxton Bragg has since been much criticized by military historians. Although the location was strategic with regard to the road and rail network, it had no strong natural defenses and little was done to fortify it during Bragg’s occupation. Eventually the town was evacuated without a battle.
After the war, Tullahoma recovered slowly, but began to prosper from its vital railroad link. During this period, Tullahoma became renowned for its educational facilities, a rarity in the area at the time. At the turn of the 20th century, Tullahoma became a popular health destination, with many spas across town. Manufacturing grew up in the area, notably of shoes, clothing, and sporting goods. In 1924, the General Shoe Corporation was established there, which would eventually grow into Genesco Inc., a diversified apparel firm which is Tennessee’s oldest listed firm on the New York Stock Exchange. In 1939, U.S. Highway 41A was built through town, giving Tullahoma access to Nashville and Chattanooga.
A famous brand of whiskey, George Dickel, has its roots in Tullahoma. Additionally, Jack Daniel’s whiskey is distilled 11 miles southwest of Tullahoma in neighboring Lynchburg.
Other attractions:
- Big Spring Park
- Waggoner Memorial Park
- Tims Ford State Park
- Estill Springs Park
- Manchester Parks & Recreation
- Arnold Center Wildlife Management
- Old Stone Fort State Park
Tullahoma celebrated its 150th (sesquicentennial) anniversary on October 4th, 2002.