Local History

Rich Local History

Tracy City - Birthplace of the New South

This sleepy little town was once the South’s industrial hub. Coal was discovered, railroads were built and steel mills were developed here. These assets made Tracy City an area of strategic military importance during the civil war.  It was fought over and occupied by the North. 

After the war, the agrarian South lay In ruins. it was rebuilt into an industrial powerhouse, beginning in Tracy City.



Today, the coal mines are played out and the historic railroad bed has been converted into a paved bicycle trail that links the mountain communities through breathtaking natural countryside. Read the story of the Mountain Goat Trail and the history it celebrates here.

Mountain Goat Trail History

Highlander Folk School

Birthplace of Southern Organized Labor and the 60’s Civil Rights Movement.

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University of the South - Sewanee

Appalachian Ivy League.

The Appalachian League is a summer collegiate baseball league that is part of the MLB and USA Baseball Prospect Development Pipeline, a pathway for amateur baseball players in the United States, and will also be an integral part of the identification and development process for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team and other future national teams.

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Grundy Historical Society

This is where you can explore the rich history of the region. Civil War battles, Cherokee Indian Heritage, the trail of tears, local genealogy, local industry and more.

Historical Society
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