According to fashionissupreme, Alcoa, Tennessee is a small city in Blount County, located in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. With a population of 8,449 (as of 2019), Alcoa is a small but vibrant town with plenty of things to do and experience. The town has been around since 1919 when it was incorporated and named after the Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa).
The city is known for its charming downtown area which boasts many historic buildings that have been preserved over time. There are numerous restaurants, shops, galleries, and other businesses that line the streets, as well as a farmers market every Saturday morning where locals can purchase locally grown produce. Alcoa also plays host to several events throughout the year such as their annual Christmas parade and Fourth of July fireworks show.
Alcoa offers plenty for outdoor enthusiasts too. The nearby Alcoa Trail System consists of more than 10 miles of trails that wind through forests and meadows and offer great views of the Smoky Mountains. There’s also Maryville-Alcoa Greenway which stretches 13 miles along the Little River and provides access to greenways, parks, fishing spots, swimming areas, trails for biking or walking and more.
The city features some beautiful parks including Springbrook Park which has two playgrounds as well as a skate park; Friendship Park which includes picnic tables, grills and a large pavilion; Veterans Memorial Park with its memorials to local veterans; Rotary Park with its basketball courts; and Lions Club Park which features ball fields for baseball or softball games. These parks provide plenty of opportunities for families to spend quality time together outdoors while enjoying nature or playing sports together.
For those looking for some educational experiences, there are several museums located in Alcoa such as The Blount County Historical Museum which showcases artifacts from early settlers to modern times. The William Hastie Natural Area contains over 200 acres of woodlands where visitors can hike or enjoy bird watching or wildlife viewing opportunities. And the Museum at Willow Grove offers interactive exhibits about local history from Native Americans to Civil War soldiers who lived in the area.
Overall, Alcoa is a great place to visit if you’re looking for an enjoyable small-town experience with plenty of things to do both indoors and outdoors. From shopping in downtown stores to taking hikes around nearby trails there’s something here for everyone! With its friendly people, beautiful scenery and abundance of activities it’s no wonder why this charming town is so popular with travelers from all over.
History of Alcoa, Tennessee
Alcoa, Tennessee is a small city located just south of Knoxville in Blount County. It has a population of 8,449 as of the 2020 census and is part of the Knoxville Metropolitan Statistical Area. Alcoa was first established in 1919 and was named after the Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa), which had recently opened an aluminum processing plant nearby that same year. The city was incorporated in 1920, becoming the first city to be incorporated in Blount County.
The aluminum plant was an important part of Alcoa’s economy and provided hundreds of jobs to local residents. The plant also brought new amenities to the city such as electricity, modernized streets, sewer systems, and telephone lines. In 1924, Alcoa opened its own bank and post office and by 1926 had its own newspaper called The Alcoan. This paper would eventually become The Daily Times newspaper which still exists today.
In 1927, Alcoa became home to one of the nation’s first public airports when it opened McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS). It quickly became a major hub for air traffic throughout East Tennessee and supported both commercial airlines as well as private airfields around the area. By 1941 TYS was considered one of the largest airports in the nation with over 3 million passengers traveling through it each year.
The 1950s saw many changes for Alcoa with new housing developments being built throughout the city and new businesses popping up along main street such as restaurants, movie theaters, clothing stores, and more. During this time period many industries began to move into Blount County including Proctor & Gamble who opened their very first manufacturing facility in Maryville just outside Alcoa’s borders in 1958.
In 1960s, a major highway expansion project added Interstate 40 which ran through Alcoa connecting it directly to Knoxville and other cities further east such as Asheville North Carolina or Chattanooga Tennessee; this made it easier for people to travel between these cities without having to go through downtown Maryville or pass by McGhee Tyson Airport each time they wanted to get somewhere else.
Today, Alcoa continues to be a thriving community with many businesses located on main street including restaurants & shops as well as industrial parks that house some larger employers like Denso Manufacturing TN Inc., Wartburg Automotive Parts Inc., Tate & Lyle Ingredients America Inc., American Tire Distributors Inc., and more; all contributing significantly to both employment opportunities and economic growth within Blount County overall. Additionally McGhee Tyson Airport continues to serve both commercial airlines & private aircraft making it one of East Tennessee’s premier airports even today while Interstate 40 remains a major artery connecting travelers from all points east & west alike directly through downtown Alcoa itself.
