Rockwood was founded in 1868 as the property of the Roane Iron Company. Prior to the Civil War, little iron was produced in Roane County. The aftermath of the war left Tennessee in a state of desolation, and local capital for the development of
industry did not exist.

It would be left to Union soldiers like General John Wilder, Captain Hiram S. Chamberlain, General Joshua Chamberlain, and Major William O. Rockwood, who had passed through the ore rich hills and valleys of Roane County during the War, to return and invest their capital in the fledgling iron industry of Roane County.

The Roane Iron Company of Rockwood is one of the earliest and most notable of these ventures. Founded under the guidance of General Wilder in 1867, Roane Iron continued to operate until January 30,1930. Other ventures such as the East Tennessee Land Company, Cardiff Iron & Coal Company, and Oakdale Iron Works,are similar in nature but were defunct within three years. The success of Roane Iron is probably due to some very smart economic moves. For example in the 1880's the company encouraged the development of private enterprise in Rockwood.

Up to this point, the whole town was owned and operated by Roane Iron. Workers were paid in Company currency locally known as "paoli" which was redeemable at company owned businesses. But Company management realized that the economic
base needed to be diversified.

In a move to do that, new industry was encouraged and some, such as Rockwood Stove Works and Rockwood Knitting Mills, were established. Privately owned stores opened up to compete with the Company Store. And in 1890, Roane Iron sold lots to would be homeowners. The Victorian homes still standing along Kingston Avenue are a result of that decision.

The company system flourished until mine disasters and market situations in the late twenties took their toil. Pig iron was still produced in Rockwood until the advent of plastic PVC plumbing pipe which replaced the old cast iron pipes made from pig iron.

One has only to visit Rockwood Tennessee and take a look around to know its history is that of the Pig Iron industry of the Reconstruction South. Cities like Birmingham and Fort Payne, Alabama, Chattanooga and Harriman, Tennessee all share a similar heritage. The streets of this and surrounding towns are paved with asphalt made from slag, the by-product of the industry. The old company store still stands in a state of decay at the end of Rockwood Street. The houses on West Rockwood Street stand as a symbol of the social strata of the Company Town. There is the large and comfortable superintendent house and the more modest homes built to house upper management and skilled workers. Miners' row, houses built to accomodate the Welsh miners who were brought to Rockwood to mine the ore and coal which are the raw products of pig iron, still stand along Spring and Furnace Streets. And behind it all is the mighty Waldens Ridge, that stretches from Alabama to Ohio, riddled with the remains of coal and ore mines, and coke ovens.

The city was named Rockwood after William O. Rockwood, who was a major stockholder and first president of the Roane Iron Company. Rockwood was to become one of the first major industrial developments in the South following the war.

The same spirit of promoting growth through industry and business is still alive in Rockwood, where the city seeks a bright future while preserving its heritage.

Downtown Rockwood

The Service once operated with 5 chairs and two shoe shiners at the same site where Zac's Barber Shop is located.
In this picture, from left, are Bobby Robertson,Happy Wammick, Johnny Martin, John Jr, an unknown barber, Tonk Ball, Luke Brandon, Hoss Bowman, Rosco Leffew, David Green and Claud Miller.
ZAC'S BARBER SHOP

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Rockwood Iron Furnace

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Rockwood Iron Furnace

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Rockwood Iron Furnace

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Peggy Ann Bus Stop

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