Editing Tunnel Hill, Georgia

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- Basic info  ---------------->
|official_name            = Tunnel Hill, Georgia
|other_name               = 
|native_name              = <!-- for cities whose native name is not in English -->
|nickname                 = 
|settlement_type          = [[City]]
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|image_skyline            =  Tunnel-Hill-City-Hall-ga.jpg
|imagesize                = 250px
|image_caption            = City hall
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|image_map                = Whitfield_County_Georgia_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Tunnel_Hill_Highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location in [[Whitfield County, Georgia|Whitfield County]] and the state of [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]
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|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Georgia (U.S. state)|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Whitfield County, Georgia|Whitfield]], [[Catoosa County, Georgia|Catoosa]]
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|subdivision_name4        = <!-- Politics ----------------->
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|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = Mayor
|leader_name              = Kenny Gowin
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|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_13.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=December 18, 2021}}</ref>
|area_total_km2           = 5.13
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|area_blank1_sq_mi        = <!-- Population   ----------------------->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
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|population_total         = 963
|population_density_km2   = 188.48
|population_density_sq_mi = 488.09
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|timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
|utc_offset               = -5
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|coordinates              = {{coord|34|50|45|N|85|2|35|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
|elevation_footnotes      = <ref name=gnis/>
|elevation_m              = 256
|elevation_ft             = 840
<!-- Area/postal codes & others -------->
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 30755
|area_code                = [[Area codes 706 and 762|706/762]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 13-77736<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
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|blank1_info              = 0333273<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|333273}}</ref>
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'''Tunnel Hill''' is a city in northwest [[Whitfield County, Georgia|Whitfield County]] and southern [[Catoosa County, Georgia|Catoosa County]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], United States. It is part of the [[Dalton, Georgia|Dalton]] [[Dalton metropolitan area|Metropolitan Statistical Area]]. The population was 963 at the 2020 census.  The city is named for the [[Chetoogeta Mountain Tunnel]], a {{convert|1497|ft|m|adj=on}} railroad tunnel built in the late 1840s.

==History==
The community was first known as Doe Run. It was incorporated on March 4, 1848, as Tunnelsville, and changed its name in 1856 to Tunnel Hill.  Both names refer to the nearby {{convert|1497|ft|m|adj=on}} [[Chetoogeta Mountain Tunnel]] railroad tunnel cut through [[Chetoogeta Mountain]], officially dedicated on October 31, 1849, by [[Canton, Georgia|Etowah]] steel-maker [[Mark A. Cooper]] on behalf of the state-owned [[Western & Atlantic Railroad]].

The [[Georgia General Assembly]] incorporated Tunnel Hill as a town in 1856.<ref>{{cite book|title=Acts and Resolutions of the General Assembly of the State of Georgia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J3WQkWXQ2iAC&pg=PA371|year=1856|publisher=Clark & Hines, State Printers|page=371}}</ref>

Throughout the American Civil War, the homes around Tunnel Hill were used as part of a major hospital system. The Clisby Austin House also served as the headquarters for Union Gen. [[William T. Sherman]] while he made his plans for attacks against nearby Dalton and [[Resaca, Georgia|Resaca]], which became the opening battles of what would later be known as the [[Atlanta Campaign]]. The area hosted many engagements and camps throughout the course of the war. These are remembered through an annual Battle Reenactment held in September.

The dates of the actual military engagements were September 11, 1863; February 23, 24-25 1864; May 5–7, 1864; and March 3, 1865.
<ref>Western & Atlantic Railroad Tunnel historic marker. Georgia Historical Society; Oak Streett, Tunnel Hill, Georgia</ref><ref>Tunnel Hill historic marker. Georgia Historical Society; Oak Streett, Tunnel Hill, Georgia</ref><ref>[http://railga.com/oddend/tunnelold.html] Chetoogeta Mountain Tunnel, RailGa.com</ref><ref>[http://www.whitfieldcountyga.com/History/RailRoad/tunnel_photos.htm] Chetoogeta Mountain Railroad Tunnel Restoration Photos, Whitfield County, Georgia Official Website</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Tunnel-Hill-RR-tracks-ga.jpg|thumb|left|Railroad tracks passing through Tunnel Hill]]
Tunnel Hill is located at {{Coord|34|50|45|N|85|2|35|W|type:city}} (34.845934, -85.042955).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>  The town is situated in a rugged area along the western base of Chetoogeta Mountain (listed as "Tunnel Hill Ridge" on USGS maps). The [[Tennessee Valley Divide]] crosses the top of the ridge, dividing the watersheds of the [[Tennessee River]] and the [[Conasauga River]].  [[U.S. Route 41]] connects Tunnel Hill to [[Ringgold, Georgia|Ringgold]] to the northwest and [[Dalton, Georgia|Dalton]] to the southeast.  [[Georgia State Route 201]] connects the town with [[Varnell, Georgia|Varnell]] to the northeast.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of 1.5&nbsp;square miles (3.9&nbsp;km{{sup|2}}), all land.

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880= 258
|1890= 360
|1900= 302
|1910= 295
|1920= 208
|1930= 211
|1970= 1146
|1980= 936
|1990= 970
|2000= 1209
|2010= 856
|2020= 963
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2015}}</ref>
}}

As of 2010 Tunnel Hill had a population of 856.  The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 93.5% white, 3.7% black or African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 1.5% from some other race and 0.4% from two or more race.  3.5% of the population was Hispanic or Latino, with 2.0% of the population being Mexican.<ref>2010 general profile of population and housing characteristics of Tunnel Hill from the US Census]</ref>

As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 1,209 people, 451 households, and 359 families residing in the city.  The population density was {{convert|794.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  There were 474 housing units at an average density of {{convert|311.6|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}.  The racial makeup of the city was 94.46% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 2.56% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.17% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.17% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.17% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 1.57% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.91% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 3.97% of the population.

There were 451 households, out of which 35.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.0% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.2% were non-families. 18.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.00.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 24.8% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.8 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $43,438, and the median income for a family was $49,531. Males had a median income of $31,974 versus $25,078 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $21,382.  About 8.8% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 12.1% of those under age 18 and 12.1% of those age 65 or over.

==Gallery==
{| class="wikitable" 
!width="100"| Image
!width="550"| Description
|-
| [[Image:DCP 0915WofA.JPG|thumb|160px| .]]
| The northwest faces of the historic [[Western and Atlantic Railroad Tunnel at Tunnel Hill|Western and Atlantic Railroad Tunnel]] (right) and modern [[CSX]] (left) railroad tunnels.
|-
|[[Image:DCP 0909WandA.JPG|thumb|160px]]
|The cut stone northwest face of the W&A tunnel, now preserved as a walking trail.
|-
|[[Image:DCP 0912WandA.JPG|thumb|160px]]
|Brick-lined interior of the W&A tunnel, now preserved as a walking trail, looking southeast.
|}

==References==
<references />

==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline|Tunnel Hill, Georgia}}
* [http://tunnelhill.georgia.gov Tunnel Hill at Georgia.gov]
*[http://www.civilwarrailroadtunnel.com/ Tunnel Hill Heritage Center and Museum]
* [http://railfanning.org/trackside/tunnelhill/ Railfanning in Tunnel Hill]

{{Whitfield County, Georgia}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:Cities in Whitfield County, Georgia]]
[[Category:Dalton metropolitan area, Georgia]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1848]]
[[Category:1848 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)]]