Whiteside, Tennessee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Whiteside, Tennessee
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Whiteside Baptist Church
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 Whiteside, Tennessee
Location in Tennessee
Whiteside, Tennessee
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Tennessee |
| County | Marion |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.96 sq mi (10.25 km2) |
| • Land | 3.96 sq mi (10.25 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 797 ft (243 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 274 |
| • Density | 69.26/sq mi (26.74/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
37396
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| Area code(s) | 423 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1314101 |
Whiteside is a small community in Marion County, Tennessee. It used to be called Aetna, Etna, and Running Water. This area was first settled by the Cherokee people in the late 1700s.
Later, American settlers moved in. They named the community after James Anderson Whiteside, who was important in building railroads and investing in land. Whiteside is about 807 feet (246 meters) above sea level. You can find it between Chattanooga and Haletown, close to the border between Tennessee and Georgia. Major roads like Tennessee State Route 134 and Interstate 24 pass through the community.
Contents
Whiteside's Population
Whiteside is a small place. In 2020, about 274 people lived there.
A Look Back: Whiteside's History
For about ten years before he passed away in 1792, a Cherokee war chief named Dragging Canoe lived in a town called Running Water. This town was a home for the Chickamauga Cherokee, who did not want American settlers moving onto their lands. They moved to more distant areas to avoid conflict.
The community of Whiteside grew up later in this same spot. It was named after James Whiteside, who was a big investor in the railway system.
Building the Railroad
Before the American Civil War, a railway was built through this area. The land was tricky, so workers had to build a tunnel and a bridge. Colonel James Whiteside was a major owner in the East Tennessee and Georgia Railroad. In 1858, his company took over building the Whiteside Tunnel. This happened after another railroad company went out of business.
The tunnel is about 986 feet (300 meters) long. It goes through a place called Missionary Ridge near Chattanooga. This railroad later became part of the Southern Railway, which is now called Norfolk-Southern. It was a key route connecting Knoxville to Birmingham.
The Whiteside Bridge
Another important part of the railway was the Whiteside bridge. During the Civil War, soldiers from the Confederate side destroyed it. But in 1863, Union forces rebuilt the Whiteside trestle. At that time, the railway was known as the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad.
However, this bridge was washed away by a flood in 1867. The next bridge, which had a single span, lasted until 1924. After that, a new bridge with two spans was added to the area.
Importance of the Structures
Both the Whiteside Tunnel and the Whiteside Bridge were very important for moving goods and people. They were considered strategic structures. The tunnel was eventually no longer used because train standards changed. In 1968, it was given to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum.
The Whiteside Tunnel was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. These structures were vital for travel through the Tennessee River valley, connecting Chattanooga to places further west.
The Tennessee River itself became easier to travel by boat west of Chattanooga after the Hales Bar Dam and its locks were built. This dam opened in 1913.
