Editing Ringgold, Georgia (section)

==History==
Ringgold was founded in 1846 and incorporated as a city in 1847.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=REtEXQNWq6MC&pg=PA243 | title=Historical Gazetteer of the United States | publisher=Routledge | date=May 13, 2013 | access-date=30 November 2013 | author=Hellmann, Paul T. | pages=243| isbn=978-1135948597 }}</ref> It was named after [[Samuel Ringgold (United States Army officer)|Samuel Ringgold]], a hero of the [[Battle of Palo Alto]] in the [[Mexican–American War]].<ref>{{cite book | url=http://www.kenkrakow.com/gpn/r.pdf| title=Georgia Place-Names: Their History and Origins | publisher=Winship Press | author=Krakow, Kenneth K. | year=1975 | location=Macon, GA | pages=189 | isbn=0-915430-00-2}}</ref>

Ringgold is where [[The General (locomotive)|''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|Civil War]].

The [[Battle of Ringgold Gap]] took place 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 States Army|Confederate]] victory because it allowed Confederate artillery and wagon trains to move safely through the Ringgold Gap unharmed while inflicting high [[Union Army|Union]] casualties.

The Whitman-Anderson House located in Ringgold is listed in the [[National Register of Historic Places]] (NRHP). From their house, the Whitman family watched the Battle of Ringgold Gap, during which William Whitman's [[general store]] was destroyed. After the Confederates evacuated Ringgold, General Grant requisitioned the Whitman's house as his headquarters. After General Grant moved on, General Sherman ordered the burning of the town of Ringgold, but spared the Whitman house, which remained in the Whitman family until 1902.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://forgottengeorgia2.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-whitman-anderson-house-in-ringgold.html |author=Sarge, Andy |title=Forgotten Georgia: The Whitman-Anderson House in Ringgold |date=14 February 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Whitman-Anderson House, Ringgold, Georgia|website=rs.locationshub.com|url=https://rs.locationshub.com/Home/LocationDetail?rsLocationId=042-10001788}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=9061 | title=The Whitman House Historical Marker, Ringgold, Catoosa County, Georgia|postscript=; erected 1955 by Georgia Histocial Commission (Marker Number 023-10)}}</ref>

[[Dolly Parton]] married her husband, Carl Dean, in Ringgold, in May 1966.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-03-03 |title=Carl Dean, Dolly Parton's husband of nearly 60 years, dies at 82 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/03/entertainment/carl-dean-death-dolly-parton-husband/index.html |access-date=2025-03-03 |work=[[CNN]]}}</ref>

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 four people died.<ref>[http://archives.cnn.com/2002/US/03/14/highway.wreck/index.html March 14, 2002 pileup on I-75]</ref>

===Tornado===
[[File:Ringgold tornado damage.jpg|thumb|Houses in Ringgold destroyed by an EF4 tornado]]
{{main|2011 Ringgold–Apison tornado}}
On April 27, 2011, an EF4<ref name="EF4">[http://okcstormwatcher.wordpress.com/2011/04/29/ringgold-ga-tornado-confirmed-as-an-ef-4-tornado/ Ringgold, GA Tornado Confirmed as an EF-4 Tornado], The OKCStormWatcher Weather Blog, April 29, 2011. Retrieved April 30, 2011.</ref> [[tornado]] touched down in Ringgold and Catoosa County, leaving a path of destruction. The tornado killed twenty people along a {{convert|48|mile}} path across [[Catoosa County, Georgia|Catoosa County]] and over the state line in [[Hamilton County, Tennessee|Hamilton]] and [[Bradley County, Tennessee|Bradley]] counties. Eight died in Ringgold, including an entire family of four,<ref name="Ringgold">[http://www.11alive.com/rss/article/188727/3/LIVE-VIDEO-At-least-11-killed-in-GA-deadly-storms Ringgold residents return to 'utter devastation' from tornadoes] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130101183902/http://www.11alive.com/rss/article/188727/3/LIVE-VIDEO-At-least-11-killed-in-GA-deadly-storms |date=2013-01-01 }}, [[WXIA-TV]], April 29, 2011. Retrieved April 30, 2011.</ref> and at least thirty others were injured. Many homes, businesses, and schools were damaged or destroyed.<ref>[http://daltondailycitizen.com/local/x58991204/Ringgold-devastated-after-tornado-touchdown Ringgold devastated after tornado touchdown], ''[[Dalton Daily Citizen]]'', April 29, 2011. Retrieved April 30, 2011.</ref>