Cumberland Mountain Tunnel

Cowan, Tennessee's Cumberland Mountain Tunnel was constructed from 1849 to 1852. The construction crew was made up of English and Irish immigrant laborers, African-American Slaves, and local residents. The tunnel is part of a 150 mile route from Nashville to Chattanooga. Once completed, the result was a 2,228 foot long tunnel through the Cumberland Mountain. The Cumberland Mountain Tunnel has the distinction as Middle Tennessee's oldest and longest tunnel. It is interesting to note that the tunnel was completed in only three years, without the use of any heavy machinery, in an extremely difficult area to work. By 1853, tracks were laid and the tunnel was placed into service. During the Civil War, the tunnel became a major landmark, that both sides wanted control of. In 1863, Confederate troops led by General Joe Wheeler, attacked a Union garrison that had been protecting the tunnel. Wheeler's Confederates were able to rout the Union stronghold. Later that same year, a Union supply train was blown up just outside the entrance of the tunnel. There are no accounts of damage to the tunnel during the Civil War. In 1915 a freight train and a railroad crew train collided head on at the Cumberland Mountain Tunnel killing eleven people. In 1918, one crewman was killed and several others injured when the boiler of a locomotive exploded just outside the tunnel. In 1977 the Cumberland Mountain Tunnel was listed in the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A for its historical significance. Today the tunnel remains in service as part of a freight line owned by CSX Transportation.

At Moore Historical Consulting my #1 priority is historic preservation. Do you own a historic home, commercial building, or farm? If so contact me today to learn more about the historic preservation strategies I offer. These include nominations to the National Register of Historic Places, nominations for a Permanent Conservation Easement, nominations to the Century Farms program, and writing text for historic makers. At Moore Historical Consulting I make exploring and preserving your past fun and easy.