Bridgeport, Alabama
| Bridgeport | |
|---|---|
| City | |
Bridgeport Depot
|
|
 Location in Jackson County and the state of Alabama |
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| Coordinates: 34°56′50″N 85°42′50″W / 34.94722°N 85.71389°WCoordinates: 34°56′50″N 85°42′50″W / 34.94722°N 85.71389°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Alabama |
| County | Jackson |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.2 sq mi (8.4 km2) |
| • Land | 3.1 sq mi (8.1 km2) |
| • Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.3 km2) |
| Elevation | 673 ft (205 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 2,728 |
| • Density | 852.5/sq mi (324.8/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 35740 |
| Area code(s) | 256 |
| FIPS code | 01-09328 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0114905 |
Bridgeport is a city in Jackson County, Alabama, United States. At the time of 2010 census the population was 2,418, down from 2,728 in 2000. Bridgeport is included in the Chattanooga-Cleveland-Dalton, TN-GA-AL Combined Statistical Area.
Bridgeport traces its origins to a riverboat landing established along the Tennessee River in the 1840s. This landing allowed local farmers to trade their crops for other goods. Within a few years, a small hamlet known as "Jonesville" had developed around the landing, and included a trading post, gristmill, warehouses, and several saloons. The Jonesville post office opened in 1852.
Fluctuating river levels made riverboat trade unreliable, and area merchants began campaigning for railroad access in the late 1840s. The first rail line reached Jonesville in 1852. A railroad bridge over the Tennessee River was completed in 1854, connecting the city with Chattanooga, Tennessee, and in recognition of this accomplishment, the name of the city was changed to "Bridgeport." Construction of a second rail line connecting Bridgeport with Jasper, Tennessee, to the north, began in 1860, but was not completed until after the Civil War.
Because of its location on both a rail line and the Tennessee River, Bridgeport was a strategic site during the Civil War. The rail bridge at Bridgeport was among those targeted by the East Tennessee bridge-burning conspiracy in November 1861. Although this attempt failed, the bridge would be burned twice during the course of the war. Bridgeport was the site of a major skirmish on April 29, 1862, when Union General Ormsby Mitchel seized control of the city, and numerous other small actions over the following year as Confederate forces attempted to regain control of the area. The city was burned by Confederate troops under General Braxton Bragg in the Summer of 1863, but afterward reoccupied by Union forces. In the latter part of the war, Bridgeport was the site of a major shipyard building gunboats and transports for the Union Army. The USS Chattanooga was built here and became a vital part of the famous "Cracker Line," which broke the Confederates' siege of Chattanooga in November 1863.
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