Rockwood
Tennessee
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City of Rockwood
Rockwood was built on the land of the Cherokee. The village of Chief Tallentuskie was located in what is now the corporate city limits of Rockwood.
The city was named Rockwood after William O. Rockwood, who was a major stockholder and first president of the Roane Iron Company. Rockwood was to become one of the first major industrial developments in the South following the Civil War.
During the Civil War, General John Thomas Wilder, who would later play a pivotal role in Rockwood's development, was the leader of the Lightening Brigade of Indiana and hero of the battle of Chickamauga in Sept. 1863.
As a Colonel, Wilder opposed the Confederate Army in a large number of skirmishes and was often the victor. Having armed his infantry troops with seven-shot Spencer repeating rifles, his troops became known as the "Lightning Brigade" because of their rapid firepower and mobility. In the battle of Chickamauga, Wilder's brigade was the only part of the Union army that was not forced to give way at any time. Wilder then fought in Georgia, near Atlanta. After these campaigns Wilder was sent to Nashville, Tennessee, which became his last important battle of the Civil War. It was during this time he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General. During the war, General Wilder participated in 219 battles, in which he was never severely wounded.
In 1868, just after the Civil War ended, Union General Wilder's Lightening Brigade made an encampment on Walden's Ridge which is the mountainous region that creates the western edge of the Tennessee Valley.
Before the war, General Wilder was in the iron business and ran iron works in both Indiana and Ohio. He was also a self taught geologist. He had read a book on the geology of Tennessee and when his tour of duty brought him to Nashville, this book piqued his interest in the iron and coal deposits of Tennessee. In the book Wilder read that Walden's Ridge had an abundance of coal and iron deposits. This idea sparked the imagination of this "citizen soldier" and an idea that would lead to the development of the City of Rockwood.
It was during the encampment of Wilder's Brigade that he saw first hand evidence of an abundance of iron and coal in the Walden Ridge area. This fact was magnified after soldiers complained that after washing their white garments in the water, they all turned a rusty color. Wilder perceived this as further evidence of the rich iron deposits and in his mind confirmed that this was indeed a land of opportunity. Wilder had other chances to survey the area for his future business enterprises as his brigade was designated to chase after two famous Confederate raiders - Generals Thomas Hunt Morgan and Nathan Bedford Forrest.
He was one of the 20,000 Union veterans who immigrated to the South by 1866, attracted by the possibilities of places that they had seen during their military campaigns. In September 1865, he and his friend Capt. Hiram S. Chamberlain of Knox County purchased 728 acres of land in Roane County along the Tennessee River. They founded the town of Rockwood with its Roane Iron Company, one of the first post-war industrial establishments in the South. This enterprise was further strengthened by the rich coal deposits available and the nearby Tennessee River which provided transportation means for the business. The Roane Iron Company prospered under Wilder's leadership and that of the major company stockholder William O. Rockwood of Indianapolis. The company grew, as did the settlement of works that made up the company town. The company town needed a name and was called Rockwood after William O. Rockwood, the first president of the Roane Iron Company, per Wilder's suggestion.
Because of his benevolent attitude towards ex-Confederate soldiers and their families, General Wilder became know as the "Friendly Carpetbagger" and was not resented by the indigenous population.
Wilder lived in the new town of Rockwood for several years with his growing family. The house he built for himself is called the Superintendent's House; it still stands and looks pretty much as it did back in 1868 when it was built. This founder of Rockwood went on to other business enterprises in East Tennessee extending from Chattanooga to Johnson City. He died on October 20, l917 and is buried in Chattanooga.
The city was named Rockwood after William O. Rockwood, who was a major stockholder and first president of the Roane Iron Company. Rockwood was to become one of the first major industrial developments in the South following the Civil War.
During the Civil War, General John Thomas Wilder, who would later play a pivotal role in Rockwood's development, was the leader of the Lightening Brigade of Indiana and hero of the battle of Chickamauga in Sept. 1863.
As a Colonel, Wilder opposed the Confederate Army in a large number of skirmishes and was often the victor. Having armed his infantry troops with seven-shot Spencer repeating rifles, his troops became known as the "Lightning Brigade" because of their rapid firepower and mobility. In the battle of Chickamauga, Wilder's brigade was the only part of the Union army that was not forced to give way at any time. Wilder then fought in Georgia, near Atlanta. After these campaigns Wilder was sent to Nashville, Tennessee, which became his last important battle of the Civil War. It was during this time he was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General. During the war, General Wilder participated in 219 battles, in which he was never severely wounded.
In 1868, just after the Civil War ended, Union General Wilder's Lightening Brigade made an encampment on Walden's Ridge which is the mountainous region that creates the western edge of the Tennessee Valley.
Before the war, General Wilder was in the iron business and ran iron works in both Indiana and Ohio. He was also a self taught geologist. He had read a book on the geology of Tennessee and when his tour of duty brought him to Nashville, this book piqued his interest in the iron and coal deposits of Tennessee. In the book Wilder read that Walden's Ridge had an abundance of coal and iron deposits. This idea sparked the imagination of this "citizen soldier" and an idea that would lead to the development of the City of Rockwood.
It was during the encampment of Wilder's Brigade that he saw first hand evidence of an abundance of iron and coal in the Walden Ridge area. This fact was magnified after soldiers complained that after washing their white garments in the water, they all turned a rusty color. Wilder perceived this as further evidence of the rich iron deposits and in his mind confirmed that this was indeed a land of opportunity. Wilder had other chances to survey the area for his future business enterprises as his brigade was designated to chase after two famous Confederate raiders - Generals Thomas Hunt Morgan and Nathan Bedford Forrest.
He was one of the 20,000 Union veterans who immigrated to the South by 1866, attracted by the possibilities of places that they had seen during their military campaigns. In September 1865, he and his friend Capt. Hiram S. Chamberlain of Knox County purchased 728 acres of land in Roane County along the Tennessee River. They founded the town of Rockwood with its Roane Iron Company, one of the first post-war industrial establishments in the South. This enterprise was further strengthened by the rich coal deposits available and the nearby Tennessee River which provided transportation means for the business. The Roane Iron Company prospered under Wilder's leadership and that of the major company stockholder William O. Rockwood of Indianapolis. The company grew, as did the settlement of works that made up the company town. The company town needed a name and was called Rockwood after William O. Rockwood, the first president of the Roane Iron Company, per Wilder's suggestion.
Because of his benevolent attitude towards ex-Confederate soldiers and their families, General Wilder became know as the "Friendly Carpetbagger" and was not resented by the indigenous population.
Wilder lived in the new town of Rockwood for several years with his growing family. The house he built for himself is called the Superintendent's House; it still stands and looks pretty much as it did back in 1868 when it was built. This founder of Rockwood went on to other business enterprises in East Tennessee extending from Chattanooga to Johnson City. He died on October 20, l917 and is buried in Chattanooga.