South Pittsburg is a city in Marion County, Tennessee, United States. It is part of the Chattanooga, TN–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,106 at the 2020 census. South Pittsburg is home to the National Cornbread Festival.

History

What is now South Pittsburg remained a primarily agrarian area until the construction of a branch line of the Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad (later the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis Railway) into the Sequatchie Valley in the late 1860s. Small-scale mining operations began during this period. When a post office was opened in 1869, the community was called Battle Creek Mines.

In the mid-1870s, several British investors formed the Southern States Coal, Iron and Land Company, in hopes of establishing a major industrial operation in the Sequatchie Valley. The company dispatched James Bowron to investigate the area for potential town and manufacturing sites. Bowron chose the Whitwell and Victoria areas in northwestern Marion County for the company's coal mining and coke production operations, and the Battle Creek Mines area as the company's iron production center and commercial hub. The latter site was chosen primarily for its immediate access to both the railroad and the Tennessee River. On May 23, 1876, the name of the Battle Creek Mines post office was changed to "South Pittsburg" in hopes that the city would one day grow to become a great iron manufacturing center like Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Richard City was annexed by South Pittsburg in 1985.

Geography

South Pittsburg is located at (35.008342, -85.710645). The city is situated in the southwestern Sequatchie Valley between the Cumberland Plateau on the west and the Tennessee River (Guntersville Lake) on the east. Two steep ridges— Whitacre Point on the north and Lodge Point on the south— extend outward from the Plateau to "wall in" the main portion of the city on the north, west, and south. The Richard City area lies opposite Lodge Point to the south, and the Battle Creek area lies opposite Whitacre Point to the north. At an elevation of approximately , South Pittsburg is the lowest incorporated city in the East Tennessee Grand Division.

left|thumb|Cedar Avenue (US-72) in South Pittsburg

The city's municipal boundaries stretch southward to the Tennessee-Alabama state line. Kimball borders South Pittsburg to the north, and New Hope lies across the river to the east. Chattanooga is located approximately to the east.

U.S. Route 72 passes north-to-south through South Pittsburg, connecting the city with Jasper to the north and Bridgeport, Alabama, to the south. Tennessee State Route 156, which crosses the river via the Shelby Reinhart Bridge, connects the city with New Hope and Haletown to the east, and the Sewanee and Monteagle areas atop the Plateau to the west. Interstate 24 passes through Kimball, just north of South Pittsburg.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 3,106 people, 1,257 households, and 734 families residing in South Pittsburg. The median age was 41.9 years, with 23.9% of residents under the age of 18 and 19.9% aged 65 or older. For every 100 females there were 84.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 77.8 males.

Of the 1,257 households, 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 34.0% were married-couple households, 17.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 40.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

{| class="wikitable"

|+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census

! Race !! Number !! Percent

|-

| White || 2,263 || 72.9%

|-

| Black or African American || 574 || 18.5%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 10 || 0.3%

|-

| Asian || 37 || 1.2%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0 || 0.0%

|-

| Some other race || 31 || 1.0%

|-

| Two or more races || 191 || 6.1%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 67 || 2.2%

|}

2000 census

As of the census

Notable people

  • Chris Jones - Former Head Coach, Edmonton Elks, Canadian Football League
  • James M. Lewis - pharmacist and Tennessee state senator
  • Eddie Moore - NFL linebacker
  • Jobyna Ralston - silent film actress

See also

  • Lodge (company)

References

  • Official site
  • South Pittsburg Historic Preservation Society
  • City charter