TRAARVTEL
THE SCENIC CITY
Chattanooga, Tennessee
By Margaret Word Burnside and Aaron R. Fodiman
Photography by Gram and Noraa
The Tennessee Aquarium draws more than ¾ million visitors each year with its displays and exhibits.
Chattanooga, a Native American word meaning “rock coming to a point,” was selected over Ross’ Landing and
Lookout City as this Tennessee city’s official name when it was dedicated in 1838. Ross’ Landing referred to Ross,
the chief of the Cherokee Nation, who was forced to leave his property that year and move to Oklahoma in what is
now called the Trail of Tears, as the U.S. government moved Native Americans westward. Lookout City referred
to Lookout Mountain, which overlooks this city along the twisting path of the Tennessee River.
150 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE | JULY/AUGUST 2018