As a historic town that played a pivotal part in the American railroad industry, Etowah once served as a critical piece to the direct railroad route from Atlanta to Chicago (Lambe, 2008, p. 55). L&N Railroad Co. continued to leave a mark on the town of Etowah until they decided to close up shop and expand into other regions. As an industrial and company town, Etowah took a hard hit when L&N decided to pull up its stakes in 1974 (Lambe, 2008, p. 55). At this point, the town had to make a decision, and eventually Etowah moved in to the manufacturing industry. Having their fair share of ups and downs, Etowah has once again risen from near death and is thriving because of the historic railroad asset and other manufacturing industries, which have set up shop …show more content…
222). The Historic Etowah L&N Depot continues to be a popular tourist attraction, with the depot offering excursions such as the Hiwassee River Rail Adventure and Copperhill Special (City of Etowah, 2017). According to an interview with the executive director of Tennessee Overhill Heritage Association at the time, Linda Caldwell stated, “the trip is considered one of the most scenic rail trips in the United States” (Lambe, 2008, p.