Tracy City in Grundy County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
Welcome to Tracy City
Much of Tracy City's historic downtown traces its origin to the period of TC&R's most rapid expansion, between 1875 and 1895. At one point, Tracy City was one of the ten largest cities in Tennessee. The town included an impressive school, the Shook School, known locally as "the college." Historic businesses in Tracy City include the Dutch Maid Bakery, which first opened in 1902; the Marugg Company; and Henry Flury & Sons General Store.
Imge caption: >>> A sketch of the Shook School by artist Don Northcutt
The coke ovens at the nearby Grundy Lakes Historic Area are some of the best preserved artifacts from the town's coal mining heyday. Today, the multimodal Mountain Goat Trail traces the path of the former Mountain Goat Railroad, which ran from Cowan to Palmer. A portion of the trail can be accessed at the Tracy City Roundhouse Park. From the Fiery Gizzard North Trailhead in South Cumberland State Park, a short walk takes you to the site of a 1930s-era Civilian Conservation Corps workers' camp, with an informative self-guided tour of the remaining building foundations, telling the story of the 200 young men of CCC Company 1475.
Tracy City is surrounded by the natural attractions found in South Cumberland State Park, including Foster Falls (the park's largest waterfall), world-class rock climbing at Denny Cove and the 12-mile Fiery Gizzard Trail, rated as one of the 25 best hiking trails in the United States.
Adventures in Tracy City
>>>>> Visit the historic Dutch Maid Bakery (top) and the Grundy County Heritage Center and Museum
>>>> Historic coke ovens (top), great fishing and swimming can be found in the Grundy Lakes area of South Cumberland State Park, just south of downtown
>>> Waterfalls like Foster Falls (top) and Blue Hole can be found in the Fiery Gizzard gorge, both west and south of Tracy City
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Places.
Location. 35° 15.602′ N, 85° 44.209′ W. Marker is in Tracy City, Tennessee, in Grundy County. It is at the intersection of Railroad Avenue and Depot St, on the right when traveling east on Railroad Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 366 Railroad Ave, Tracy City TN 37387, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau and in the Highland Rim. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in Appalachia, and specifically in Southern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Mountain Goat Railroad & Trail (within shouting distance of this marker); "Skirmish at Tracy City" (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Fiery Gizzard (about 300 feet away); The Civil War on the Plateau / Troop Movements Across the Plateau Following the Tullahoma Campaign (about 300 feet away); The Tidman Hotel (about 300 feet away); The Chickamauga Story (about 300 feet away); Arthur St. Clair Colyar (about 300 feet away); E.L. Hampton (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tracy City.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 1, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 30, 2025, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 132 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 30, 2025, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.

