Loudon

 

Loudon County was not created until May 27, 1870, so the history of many places in the county trace back to the parent counties: Blount, Monroe and Roane. Loudon is the county seat.

The town of Loudon began as a ferry and later steamboat stop known as Blair's Ferry, established by James Blair and his brother-in-law, John Hudson Carmichael, in the 1810s. The town changed its name to "Loudon" during the early 1850s, when it expanded following the arrival of the railroad. The railroad bridge at Loudon was one of eight bridges targeted for destruction by Union guerillas as part of the East Tennessee bridge-burning conspiracy in November 1861, at the outset of the Civil War. The bridge was too well-guarded by Confederate sentries, however, and the guerillas abandoned the effort.

 

Loudon is situated on the Tennessee River at the crossing of the East Tennessee Virginia and Georgia Railroad, and twenty nine miles from the city of Knoxville. It occupies a central position in a rich and prosperous country. It is surrounded by thrifty and energetic farmers and stock raisers who for the most part cultivate fine lands, and do it well. It also affords one of the principal shipping and trading points in East Tennessee. As a shipping point, it is supported by the East Tennessee, Virginia, and Georgia Railroad, the Tennessee, the Holston, and the Tellico rivers. Indeed it is at the head of steamboat navigation for steamers plying the Tennessee River above Chattanooga. The shipments of grain alone from Loudon county annually amount to the round sum of 175,000 bushels. Besides this, there are heavy shipments of hogs, cattle, horses, mules, and sheep. Add to all this the beauty and heathfulness of the place, and it will readily appear that Loudon is one of the most desirable places in East Tennessee for trade and the pleasures of life. Its social and educational features are equal to any town of its size in the whole country, while its citizens are highly moral and intelligent. The Loudon High School is an excellent one.

Loudon County Courthouse