Lupton City, Chattanooga facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lupton City, Tennessee
Neighborhood
Lupton City, Chattanooga Location in Tennessee
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
County	Hamilton
Elevation	794 ft (242 m)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	37351
Area code(s)	423
GNIS feature ID	1292293

Lupton City is a neighborhood located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in the United States. It started in the 1920s as a special kind of town called a "mill town." This means it was a planned community built around a factory. Lupton City had the Dixie Spinning Mills, which made thread, and homes for all the people who worked there.

Discovering Lupton City's Past

Lupton City has an interesting history, especially how it grew around a big thread factory. Let's explore how this unique community came to be.

How the Mill Town Began

Around 1920, a businessman from Chattanooga named John T. Lupton started a company called Dixie Mercerizing. This company made thread using a special method called "mercerizing." This process made the thread stronger and shinier.

The company built its large thread-making factory and homes for workers. This area was about 1,000 acres big. It was located north of the Tennessee River, just outside the main city of Chattanooga.

Growing the Thread Business

Production at the thread factory began in 1923. At first, the mill had 12,000 "spindles." Spindles are parts of machines that twist fibers into thread. Just two years later, by 1925, the factory had grown a lot. It was using 30,000 spindles to make even more thread!

Life in Lupton City

Lupton City was designed to be a modern place for the factory workers to live. It was very convenient because their homes were right near the mill. The community offered many services and fun things to do.

For example, Lupton City had its own school, a post office, and a church. The streets had concrete sidewalks. There was also a gym, a movie theater, and even a swimming pool for everyone to enjoy. The company also made sure workers could see a doctor and a dentist. By 1929, there were 200 homes in Lupton City.

The Story of the Post Office

For many years, Lupton City had its own post office. People living there did not have mailboxes at their homes. Instead, they would go to the post office to pick up their mail. The post office used the ZIP code 37351.

In 2006, the post office had to close for a short time. There were problems with the building it was in. Residents then had to go to the Hixson post office to get their mail. The U.S. Postal Service and the building owner helped the city of Chattanooga buy mailboxes for Lupton City residents. The post office then closed for good on July 18, 2009.

Lupton City Today

Today, Lupton City is officially part of the larger city of Chattanooga. The old yarn mill, which was once called Dixie Yarns, is no longer there. The factory building was torn down. All that remains are some of the bricks from the original mill.