Alcoa, Tennessee
| Alcoa, Tennessee | |
|---|---|
| City | |
CCM tower at ALCOA's North Plant in Alcoa, Tennessee
|
|
 Location of Alcoa, Tennessee |
|
| Coordinates: 35°48′14″N 83°58′39″W / 35.80389°N 83.97750°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Tennessee |
| County | Blount |
| Incorporated | 1919 |
| Named for | Aluminum Company of America |
| Area | |
| • Total | 15.6 sq mi (40.5 km2) |
| • Land | 14.7 sq mi (38.2 km2) |
| • Water | 0.9 sq mi (2.4 km2) |
| Elevation | 843 ft (257 m) |
| Population (2012 est.) | |
| • Total | 8,570 |
| • Density | 582/sq mi (224.6/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 37701, 37777, 37801 & 37804 |
| Area code(s) | 865 |
| FIPS code | 47-00540 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1304784 |
| Website | www |
Alcoa is a city in Blount County, Tennessee, United States, south of Knoxville. Its population was 8,449 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Knoxville, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area.
As its name suggests, Alcoa is the site of a large aluminum smelting plant owned and operated by the Alcoa corporation. Formerly known as North Maryville, the town was incorporated under its present name in 1919.
Shortly after the Pittsburgh Reduction Company changed its name to the Aluminum Company of America in 1907, the company began investigating the possibility of establishing a large smelting operation in East Tennessee. The hydroelectric potential of the Little Tennessee River, which exits the mountains about 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Alcoa, was one of the primary incentives, as the company's aluminum smelting operation would require massive amounts of electricity. In 1910, the company established a base camp at what is now known as Calderwood, but was initially known as "Alcoa", and would be known as such until the name was reapplied to the company's operations in North Maryville a few years later.
The company considered several potential plant sites in Knoxville, Etowah, and Monroe County, but chose North Maryville due in part to the influence of Maryville mayor Samuel Everett (1864−1941). By 1914, the company had completed the initial purchase of 700 acres (280 ha) in North Maryville, and had initiated construction of the smelting plant and 150 houses for company employees. ALCOA's chief engineer Edwin Fickes and hydraulic engineer Robert Ewald drew up plans for the town to house the plant's workers. The town design initially called for the acquisition of 7,500 acres (3,000 ha), and included four sections— Vose and Springbrook in the north (around what is now Springbrook Park) and Bassel and Hall in the south (around what is now the South Plant). Hall, named for the inventor of the aluminum electrolytic process, was originally a segregated community for the plant's African-American workers. Oldfield, a small community between the planned town and Maryville, would later be annexed by the city of Alcoa.
...
Wikipedia