Editing Rutledge, Tennessee (section)

==History==
{{expand section|date=September 2020}}
[[File:RutledgeTN1900s.jpg|thumb|left|Downtown Rutledge, circa 1910s]]
Rutledge was established and incorporated in 1797 and named for General George Rutledge, a prominent citizen in nearby [[Sullivan County, Tennessee|Sullivan County]]. At the time of its incorporation, it became the first municipality to have its own police department in Grainger County.<ref name="police">{{cite news |last1=Lakins |first1=Laura |title=Rutledge City Police Department has long history |url=https://www.graingertoday.com/living/rutledge-city-police-department-has-long-history/article_0f9cf4fa-e790-11ea-b97c-4b068acac4df.html |access-date=September 7, 2020 |work=Grainger Today |date=August 26, 2020}}</ref> In 1801, Rutledge became the official county seat of Grainger County, a distinction that had been shared by several communities since the county's formation in 1796.  Rutledge prospered in the early 19th century in part due to its situation along the Federal Road (present day [[U.S. Route 11W|US 11W]]), which connected [[New Orleans, Louisiana|New Orleans]] and [[Virginia]].  The road intersected the [[Wilderness Road]] (present day [[U.S. Route 25E|US 25E]]) at Bean Station, just east of Rutledge.<ref name="tnencyclopedia">{{cite web |last1=Collins |first1=Kevin |title=Grainger County |url=https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/grainger-county/ |website=[[Tennessee Encyclopedia]] |publisher=[[Tennessee Historical Society]] |access-date=September 7, 2020 |date=October 8, 2017 }}</ref>

In the 1820s, President [[Andrew Johnson]], who worked as a tailor in [[Greeneville, Tennessee|Greeneville]], briefly operated a tailor shop in Rutledge.<ref>Tennessee Historical Commission Marker 1B 43 in Rutledge, Tennessee.  Information accessed: February 17, 2008.</ref>  In 1976, a replica of Johnson's tailor shop was erected on the Grainger County Courthouse lawn.<ref name="people">{{cite book |last1=Grainger County Heritage Book Committee |title=Grainger County, Tennessee and Its People 1796-1998 |date=January 1, 1998 |publisher=Walsworth Publishing |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_rHbtgAACAAJ |access-date=August 7, 2020}}</ref>

During the [[U.S. Civil War]], guerilla warfare largely paralyzed Grainger County.  In December 1863, [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] General [[James Longstreet]], who had earlier failed to wrest Knoxville from [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] forces, passed through Rutledge en route to winter quarters at [[Russellville, Tennessee|Russellville]].  On December 14, in what became known as the [[Battle of Bean's Station]], Longstreet attacked a Union detachment that had been pursuing him.  The Confederates failed to exploit the element of surprise, and the Union forces were able to hold out until reinforcements arrived.  While Longstreet was victorious, Union forces were able to retreat to fortifications at Blaine, and Longstreet subsequently abandoned the assault and continued eastward to [[Russellville, Tennessee|Russellville]].<ref name="battle">{{cite web |title=Bean's Station |url=http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/abpp/battles/tn026.htm |website=CWSAC Battle Summaries |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |access-date=September 2, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080223071156/http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/abpp/battles/tn026.htm |archive-date=February 23, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

In May 1955, following efforts from the community's [[Lions Clubs International|Lions Club]], Rutledge would vote to reincorporate into a city in an overwhelming 192 in favor compared to 21 against incorporation.<ref name="reincorporate"/> Following the reincorporation, the city would construct sewage treatment and waterworks systems to promote economic development with funding given from the Eisenhower administration's Rural Development Program.<ref name="farmstudy">{{cite news |title=Grainger Only ET County In US Farm Study Program |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/79226573/grainger-only-et-county-in-us-farm/ |access-date=June 14, 2021 |work=The Knoxville Journal |date=February 12, 1956 |page=7-D}}</ref>