Haletown, Tennessee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Haletown, Tennessee
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Haletown
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 Haletown, Tennessee
Location in Tennessee
Haletown, Tennessee
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Tennessee |
| County | Marion |
| Elevation | 640 ft (200 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
37340
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| Area code(s) | 423 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1639803 |
Haletown, also known as Guild, is a small community in Marion County, Tennessee, USA. It is not officially a city or town, but a group of homes and businesses. Haletown is part of the larger Chattanooga area, which includes parts of Tennessee and Georgia.
Haletown is famous for being where the Hales Bar Dam once stood. This big dam was built in 1913 to make electricity. It's also an important spot along the Tennessee River, near Nickajack Lake.
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History of Haletown
Haletown and Guild were built on land that used to belong to Native Americans and later became farms. These communities grew because thousands of workers needed places to live while building the Hales Bar Dam in the early 1900s.
The area around Haletown has a rich history. Native American groups like the Cherokee lived here. A famous Cherokee war chief, Dragging Canoe, lived nearby at a town called Running Water. This area is now known as Whiteside, Tennessee.
Nearby, Nickajack Cave was important for mining saltpeter. This mineral was used to make gunpowder. Mining happened during the War of 1812 and again during the American Civil War. Later, the cave was closed and filled with water when Nickajack Lake was created.
Naming the Communities
The community of Guild was named after Josephus Conn Guild, Sr. He was a skilled engineer who led the building of the dam until he passed away in 1907. The dam's powerhouse, designed by John Bogart, is a beautiful building. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008 because of its historical importance.
Haletown got its name from a sand bar in the river called "Hale's Bar." This sand bar was named after the Hale family, who owned land and lived nearby. The Hales Bar Dam also got its name from this family. Some members of the original Hale family still live in the Sequatchie Valley today.
Life in the Early Days
For many years, Haletown was a busy place. This was especially true during the building of the Hales Bar Dam and in the years that followed. The community had several schools, including one for children of color. There were also two post offices (Guild and Haletown), several churches, and small shops.
The Dam's Changes
In the 1930s, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) bought the Hales Bar Dam. The TVA was created to manage flood control and produce electricity in the Tennessee Valley. The TVA ran the dam until the 1960s. However, the dam had problems with leaks, even after big repairs in the 1940s.
Because of these leaks, the TVA decided to replace Hales Bar Dam. They built a new dam called Nickajack Dam a little further downstream. After the new dam was finished, the TVA partly took down the Hales Bar Dam.
Today, the old powerhouse of Hales Bar Dam is used for private events. You can also take tours there. A marina has also been built nearby, which is a place where boats can dock.
Community Changes Over Time
After the TVA repaired the dam in the 1940s, many workers moved away for other projects. The Guild community became much quieter. The post office from Guild was moved to Haletown.
Guild Elementary School was the last school in the community. It closed in the early 1970s. After that, students were taken by bus to Jasper Elementary School in Jasper, Tennessee.
The Guild post office, which first opened in 1906, is now located in Haletown. Its ZIP code is 37340.
Bridges and Transportation
Being near the Tennessee River meant that a way to cross the river was always needed. A ferry called Rankin's Ferry operated here until the late 1920s. It carried people and goods between Guild and Shellmound, Tennessee.
In the early 1930s, the ferry was replaced by the Marion Memorial Bridge. This bridge carried U.S. Highway 41, U.S. Highway 64, and U.S. Highway 72 over the Tennessee River. The old ferry landing was covered by water when Nickajack Lake was formed.
Later, in the early 1970s, the Interstate 24 bridge opened. This new highway bridge took most of the traffic away from the Marion Memorial Bridge. Even though the old metal truss bridge was historic, it was closed in 2012. A new, wider, and safer steel bridge opened in 2014 right next to it.
The old truss bridge was taken down in 2015. While the new bridge might not look as old and famous, it is much safer. It also helps traffic flow better when I-24 is busy. It is believed the new bridge is also called the "Marion Memorial Bridge."
Tennessee State Route 134 connects the three U.S. Highways to I-24 at Haletown.
Geography of Haletown
Haletown is located at 35°01′42″N 85°32′19″W / 35.02833°N 85.53861°W. It sits in the southeastern part of the Sequatchie Valley. The community is between the Tennessee River (Nickajack Lake) and the Cumberland Plateau to the west. To the east are Aetna Mountain and Raccoon Mountain.
A bend in the Tennessee River and Nickajack Lake is nearby. This area was once known as Bennett Lake and is now part of the Tennessee River Gorge. To the north is a steep slope of Walden Ridge, and to the south is I-24.
South of Haletown is an area called Ladds. This is a residential area at the base of Ladds Mountain. The community of Whiteside, Tennessee is southeast of Haletown, near Aetna Mountain and I-24. The Riverside Community is just east of Haletown in the Tennessee River Gorge.
Haletown Today
A popular small store called 'Anchor Inn Bait & Tackle' used to be in Haletown. It sold fishing supplies and had a restaurant. It closed in late 2021 because the land was bought for new luxury homes on Aetna Mountain. The store moved to a new spot west of Haletown.
Today, Haletown still has a few small, local restaurants. It's also a great place for outdoor activities, especially fishing. Many people enjoy fishing along the riverbanks and using the nearby marina.
While Haletown is not a major tourist spot, Hales Bar Dam has become popular in recent years. It has been shown on several "ghost hunter" TV shows and YouTube videos. People claim the old dam is haunted. These ghost tours bring more visitors to the area, especially around Halloween.
Most of Marion County gets its electricity from a different company. But Haletown and Guild get their power from Chattanooga's Electric Power Board (EPB). Because of this, Haletown has some of the fastest internet speeds in the area. EPB offers fiber-optic network connections for internet, TV, and phone services. This has helped Chattanooga become known as "Gig City" because it was the first city in the U.S. to offer one gigabit-per-second internet speed to many homes and businesses.
Serodino, Inc. is a major business in Haletown. It operates a shipyard that builds and fixes towboats, tour boats, and barges.
The Nickajack Radio Network also operates from Haletown. This company sends out radio programs, news, and entertainment to radio stations and internet stations worldwide. It started in 2010. Locally, it is known for broadcasting high school sports games. These broadcasts include football games for teams like the Marion County High School Warriors and the South Pittsburg High School Pirates. You can hear these games on local radio stations like WEPG and WSDQ.
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