Ringgold, Georgia
Encyclopedia
Ringgold is a city in Catoosa County
, Georgia
, United States
. The population was 2,422 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat
of Catoosa County
. Ringgold is part of the Chattanooga
, TN
–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area
.
, a hero of the Battle of Palo Alto
in the U.S.-Mexican War.
Ringgold is where the The General
locomotive stopped during the Great Locomotive Chase
on April 12, 1862. Ringgold is also home to the historic Ringgold Depot which still contains bullet marks from the American Civil War
.
The Battle of Ringgold Gap
took place here on November 27, 1863. Confederate Major General Patrick Cleburne
with 4,100 men used the mountain pass known as the Ringgold Gap to stall the advance of Union Major General Joseph Hooker
and his troops. Hooker's troops were over 12,000 strong. It was a Confederate
victory because it allowed Confederate artillery and wagon trains to move safely through the Ringgold Gap unharmed while inflicting high Union
casualties.
On March 14, 2002, a sudden heavy fog played havoc with morning traffic and contributed to one of the worst traffic pileups in history; 125 vehicles crashed on Interstate 75 North and 4 people died.
The city also gained some notoriety for erecting a display that included the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, and a third blank frame. The stated purpose of the third frame was to include alternate beliefs, but the city agreed to remove the display as part of a settlement of complaints.
Entertainer Dolly Parton
's husband Carl Dean, is from Ringgold, and the couple married at the Ringgold Courthouse in 1966. George Jones
and Tammy Wynette
were also married in Ringgold. The city has traditionally been a "marriage center" because of the short waiting time after blood tests and close proximity to the Tennessee state line; one testing laboratory in the community offers a combination test/wedding package and sells clocks with the inscription, "I got married in Ringgold, Ga."
touched down in Ringgold and Catoosa County, leaving a path of destruction. The tornado killed twenty people along a 48 miles (77.2 km) path across Catoosa County, Georgia, then Hamilton County, Tennessee
and Bradley County, Tennessee. Eight died in Ringgold including an entire family of four and at least thirty others were injured. Many homes, businesses and schools were damaged or destroyed.
, the city has a total area of 3.9 square miles (10.1 km²), of which, 3.9 square miles (10.1 km²) of it is land and 0.25% is water.
Ringgold is situated in the Valley and Ridge geologic province, characterized by long north-northeasterly trending ridges separated by valleys. The topography was formed by the erosion of alternating layers of hard and soft sedimentary rock that were folded and faulted during the building of the Appalachians. Taylor Ridge (Georgia)
runs through Ringgold; a gap in the ridge is located near Ringgold, with the part of the ridge running to the south called Taylors Ridge and to the north called White Oak Mountain. Chickamauga Creek, a tributary of the Tennessee River
, runs through Ringgold.
of 2000, there were 2,422 people, 1,033 households, and 644 families residing in the city. The population density
was 617.0 people per square mile (237.9/km²). There were 1,116 housing units at an average density of 284.3 per square mile (109.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.33% White, 6.32% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 0.58% from other races
, and 1.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.82% of the population.
There were 1,033 households out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.6% were married couples
living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.6% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.85.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 11.6% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,834, and the median income for a family was $35,132. Males had a median income of $26,943 versus $21,074 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $15,612. About 14.5% of families and 16.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.1% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.
holds grades pre-school to grade twelve, that consists of ten elementary schools, three middle schools, and three high schools. The district has 606 full-time teachers and over 9,809 students.
Catoosa County, Georgia
Catoosa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 5, 1853. As of 2000, the population was 53,282. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 62,241...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 2,422 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Catoosa County
Catoosa County, Georgia
Catoosa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. It was created on December 5, 1853. As of 2000, the population was 53,282. The 2007 Census Estimate shows a population of 62,241...
. Ringgold is part of the Chattanooga
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
, TN
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...
–GA Metropolitan Statistical Area
Chattanooga metropolitan area
The Chattanooga Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of six counties – three in southeast Tennessee and three in northwest Georgia – anchored by the city of Chattanooga...
.
History
The city was incorporated on December 18, 1847 and was named after Samuel RinggoldSamuel Ringgold (soldier)
Samuel B. Ringgold was an artillery officer in the United States Army who was noted for several military innovations which caused him to be called the "Father of Modern Artillery." He was also, according to some records, the first U.S...
, a hero of the Battle of Palo Alto
Battle of Palo Alto
The Battle of Palo Alto was the first major battle of the Mexican-American War and was fought on May 8, 1846, on disputed ground five miles from the modern-day city of Brownsville, Texas...
in the U.S.-Mexican War.
Ringgold is where the The General
The General (locomotive)
The General is a type 4-4-0 steam locomotive that was the subject of the Great Locomotive Chase of the American Civil War. The locomotive is preserved at the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History in Kennesaw, Georgia, and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.-...
locomotive stopped during the Great Locomotive Chase
Great Locomotive Chase
The Great Locomotive Chase or Andrews' Raid was a military raid that occurred April 12, 1862, in northern Georgia during the American Civil War. Volunteers from the Union Army, led by civilian scout James J...
on April 12, 1862. Ringgold is also home to the historic Ringgold Depot which still contains bullet marks from the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
The Battle of Ringgold Gap
Battle of Ringgold Gap
The Battle of Ringgold Gap was fought November 27, 1863, in northwest Georgia during the American Civil War. The Confederate victory by Maj. Gen...
took place here on November 27, 1863. Confederate Major General Patrick Cleburne
Patrick Cleburne
Patrick Ronayne Cleburne was an Irish American soldier, best known for his service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, where he rose to the rank of major general....
with 4,100 men used the mountain pass known as the Ringgold Gap to stall the advance of Union Major General Joseph Hooker
Joseph Hooker
Joseph Hooker was a career United States Army officer, achieving the rank of major general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Although he served throughout the war, usually with distinction, Hooker is best remembered for his stunning defeat by Confederate General Robert E...
and his troops. Hooker's troops were over 12,000 strong. It was a Confederate
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
victory because it allowed Confederate artillery and wagon trains to move safely through the Ringgold Gap unharmed while inflicting high Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
casualties.
On March 14, 2002, a sudden heavy fog played havoc with morning traffic and contributed to one of the worst traffic pileups in history; 125 vehicles crashed on Interstate 75 North and 4 people died.
The city also gained some notoriety for erecting a display that included the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, and a third blank frame. The stated purpose of the third frame was to include alternate beliefs, but the city agreed to remove the display as part of a settlement of complaints.
Entertainer Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
's husband Carl Dean, is from Ringgold, and the couple married at the Ringgold Courthouse in 1966. George Jones
George Jones
George Glenn Jones is an American country music singer known for his long list of hit records, his distinctive voice and phrasing, and his marriage to Tammy Wynette....
and Tammy Wynette
Tammy Wynette
Virginia Wynette Pugh, known professionally as Tammy Wynette , was an American country music singer-songwriter and one of the genre's best-known artists and biggest-selling female vocalists....
were also married in Ringgold. The city has traditionally been a "marriage center" because of the short waiting time after blood tests and close proximity to the Tennessee state line; one testing laboratory in the community offers a combination test/wedding package and sells clocks with the inscription, "I got married in Ringgold, Ga."
Tornado
On April 27, 2011 an EF4 tornadoTornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
touched down in Ringgold and Catoosa County, leaving a path of destruction. The tornado killed twenty people along a 48 miles (77.2 km) path across Catoosa County, Georgia, then Hamilton County, Tennessee
Hamilton County, Tennessee
Hamilton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It was named for Alexander Hamilton, the first Secretary of the Treasury. The 2005 Census Estimate placed the population at 310,935 . Its county seat is Chattanooga....
and Bradley County, Tennessee. Eight died in Ringgold including an entire family of four and at least thirty others were injured. Many homes, businesses and schools were damaged or destroyed.
Geography
Ringgold is located at 34°55′2"N 85°6′57"W (34.917170, -85.115698).Topography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 3.9 square miles (10.1 km²), of which, 3.9 square miles (10.1 km²) of it is land and 0.25% is water.
Ringgold is situated in the Valley and Ridge geologic province, characterized by long north-northeasterly trending ridges separated by valleys. The topography was formed by the erosion of alternating layers of hard and soft sedimentary rock that were folded and faulted during the building of the Appalachians. Taylor Ridge (Georgia)
Taylor Ridge (Georgia)
Taylor Ridge is the most northwestern ridge in the state of Georgia within the Ridge and Valley physiographic region and is approximately 40 miles in length. To the west the ridge is bordered by the Cumberland Plateau region and the to north Taylor Ridge becomes White Oak Mountain at Ringgold Gap...
runs through Ringgold; a gap in the ridge is located near Ringgold, with the part of the ridge running to the south called Taylors Ridge and to the north called White Oak Mountain. Chickamauga Creek, a tributary of the Tennessee River
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
, runs through Ringgold.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 2,422 people, 1,033 households, and 644 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 617.0 people per square mile (237.9/km²). There were 1,116 housing units at an average density of 284.3 per square mile (109.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.33% White, 6.32% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 0.58% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.82% of the population.
There were 1,033 households out of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.6% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.6% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.85.
In the city the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 11.6% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $26,834, and the median income for a family was $35,132. Males had a median income of $26,943 versus $21,074 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $15,612. About 14.5% of families and 16.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.1% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.
Catoosa County School District
The Catoosa County School DistrictCatoosa County School District
The Catoosa County School District is a public school district in Catoosa County, Georgia, USA, based in Ringgold, Georgia. It serves the communities of Fort Oglethorpe, Indian Springs, Lakeview, and Ringgold, Georgia.-Schools:...
holds grades pre-school to grade twelve, that consists of ten elementary schools, three middle schools, and three high schools. The district has 606 full-time teachers and over 9,809 students.