Ozone, Tennessee
Encyclopedia
Ozone is an unincorporated community
in Cumberland County, Tennessee
, in the Southeastern
United States
.
Ozone is the location of Ozone Falls State Natural Area
, which was established in 1973 to protect Ozone Falls, a 110-foot (33 m) plunge waterfall
, and its surrounding gorge.
, roughly 5 miles west of the plateau's eastern escarpment
at Walden Ridge
and 5 miles east of the Crab Orchard Mountains
. Fall Creek passes through the western part of Ozone before spilling over Ozone Falls and cutting a gorge that forms the community's southern boundary.
Both Interstate 40
and U.S. Route 70
traverse Ozone, connecting the area with Knoxville
to the east and Nashville
to the west.
route built in the late 18th century between Knoxville and Nashville. Around 1806, the widow of Elijah Haley, an early Cumberland settler, established a tavern
in the Ozone area, and would later be instrumental in the establishment of Crab Orchard Inn a few miles to the west. A small community grew up in the tavern's vicinity, although it consisted of only a few families. In 1880, when a post office
was established, the community adopted the name "Mammy" after a nearby creek. In 1896, the community of Mammy changed its name to "Ozone," which referred to the area's excellent air quality.
Ozone is where Myles Horton
began his practice as a popular educator
in 1927, helping poor people in Ozone talk out their problems and find solutions together. This deeply informed his organizing practice and helped lead to his founding the Highlander School.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Cumberland County, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, in the Southeastern
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Ozone is the location of Ozone Falls State Natural Area
Ozone Falls State Natural Area
Ozone Falls State Natural Area is a state natural area in Cumberland County, Tennessee, located in the Southeastern United States. It consists of centered around Ozone Falls, a plunge waterfall, and its immediate gorge along Fall Creek....
, which was established in 1973 to protect Ozone Falls, a 110-foot (33 m) plunge waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
, and its surrounding gorge.
Geography
Ozone is located at 35°52′55"N 84°48′33"W (35.88194, -84.80917). The community is situated atop the Cumberland PlateauCumberland Plateau
The Cumberland Plateau is the southern part of the Appalachian Plateau. It includes much of eastern Kentucky and western West Virginia, part of Tennessee, and a small portion of northern Alabama and northwest Georgia . The terms "Allegheny Plateau" and the "Cumberland Plateau" both refer to the...
, roughly 5 miles west of the plateau's eastern escarpment
Escarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...
at Walden Ridge
Walden Ridge
Walden Ridge is a mountain ridge and escarpment located in Tennessee, in the United States. It marks the eastern edge of the Cumberland Plateau and is generally considered part of it. Walden Ridge is about long, running generally north-south...
and 5 miles east of the Crab Orchard Mountains
Crab Orchard Mountains
The Crab Orchard Mountains are a rugged, detached range of the southern Cumberland Mountains. They are situated in East Tennessee atop the Cumberland Plateau just west of the plateau's eastern escarpment, and comprise parts of Morgan, Anderson, and Cumberland counties. The Crab Orchard Mountains...
. Fall Creek passes through the western part of Ozone before spilling over Ozone Falls and cutting a gorge that forms the community's southern boundary.
Both Interstate 40
Interstate 40
Interstate 40 is the third-longest major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90 and I-80. Its western end is at Interstate 15 in Barstow, California; its eastern end is at a concurrency of U.S. Route 117 and North Carolina Highway 132 in Wilmington, North Carolina...
and U.S. Route 70
U.S. Route 70
U.S. Route 70 is an east–west United States highway that runs for 2,385 miles from eastern North Carolina to east-central Arizona. As can be derived from its number, it is a major east–west highway of the Southern and Southwestern United States...
traverse Ozone, connecting the area with Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
to the east and Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
to the west.
History
What is now Ozone was once situated along the stageStagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
route built in the late 18th century between Knoxville and Nashville. Around 1806, the widow of Elijah Haley, an early Cumberland settler, established a tavern
Tavern
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, and in some cases, where travelers receive lodging....
in the Ozone area, and would later be instrumental in the establishment of Crab Orchard Inn a few miles to the west. A small community grew up in the tavern's vicinity, although it consisted of only a few families. In 1880, when a post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
was established, the community adopted the name "Mammy" after a nearby creek. In 1896, the community of Mammy changed its name to "Ozone," which referred to the area's excellent air quality.
Ozone is where Myles Horton
Myles Horton
Myles Horton was an American educator, socialist and cofounder of the Highlander Folk School, famous for its role in the Civil Rights Movement . Horton taught and heavily influenced most of the era's leaders. They included Dr...
began his practice as a popular educator
Popular education
Popular education is a concept grounded in notions of class, political struggle, and social transformation. The term is a translation from the Spanish educación popular or the Portuguese educação popular and rather than the English usage as when describing a 'popular television program,' popular...
in 1927, helping poor people in Ozone talk out their problems and find solutions together. This deeply informed his organizing practice and helped lead to his founding the Highlander School.