A history of Calderwood, Tennessee

This thesis is a history of an ALCOA company town, Calderwood, Tennessee. The town was an important base of operations for ALCOA's development of hydroelectric power during the years 1910-1956. ALCOA'S arrival exposed the rural people of East Tennessee to industrialization, and their working relationship with this company caused a fundamental change in their lifestyles.

During the early 1900's there were many northern companies which invested heavily in the abundant raw materials in the South. ALCOA was very interested in a steady supply of inexpensive hydroelectric power, and they found a good source in the Little Tennessee River watershed. In 1910 they were successful in acquiring a strategic piece of land, the Howard farm, where they established a base of operations in Blount County, Tennessee. The village was first named Alcoa in 1910, then changed to Calderwood in 1919. The company supervisors established a good rapport with the local workers, thus preventing any labor unrest which would have hampered their efforts. In turn, the local mountain people showed a great deal of adaptability, which contributed to good relations between labor and management.

The town of Calderwood was practically self-contained and was equipped with a hospital, eating facilities, adequate housing and necessary support facilities. Blacks and whites worked and lived in Calderwood for several years under the close supervision of ALCOA's engineers.

Calderwood survived the Great Depression and World War II. But the village disintegrated when ALCOA transferred most of its workers to Alcoa in 1956. Today, in the 1980's, the former residents of Calderwood continue to reunite each June in the village. This is a history of that ALCOA company town, Calderwood, and the people who lived there.