Eva, A Community of the Western Banks of the Tennessee River

Eva, A Community of the Western Banks of the Tennessee River. .

"The river, a small rivercraft landing, its proximity to the N. B. Forrest State Park, and the Methodist assembly ground…make it attractive to visitors." , - Tennessee County History Series

, The town of Eva began its life as Bartlett's Switch in 1868. After the expansion of a rail line from Johnsonville in 1871, the town reorganized. Soon after, it adopted the name of Eva., The development of the railway from Nashville spurred the development of the community. It brought in people from the region. These visitors in turn spent money in the town. At the same time, railroad employees became residents. At its peak, the town was home to a railway depot and tomato cannery. Also, the town boasted blacksmith shops, several stores, and saloons along its streets., The Tennessee Valley Authority completed the Gilbertsville Dam in 1944. As a result, the Louisville Nashville Railroad relocated its tracks. The new location ran through the town of New Johnsonville a couple of miles upstream. This rerouted line bypassed Eva and rail traffic no longer passed through the town. As a result, the town began to decline. Within a few years many of the towns businesses dried up. The only evidence of the thriving community were the abandoned trestles and tracks. You can see the remains of the Tennessee River bridge here stretching across the lake., [Captions:] , Right The Railroad Depot at Eva, pictured in the early 1900s, Below The remains of the railroad bridge abutments now in the center of Kentucky Lake, Right The Methodist Church in Eva, some time in the early 1900s, Below: A Map showing the original and current rail lines around Eva, Right: School children at Eva school sometime in the early 1900s . This historical marker was erected by Tennessee State Parks. It is in Eva in Benton County Tennessee