With a population of less than 400, all of the citizens of Ridgeside could fit into the orchestra level of the surrounding Chattanooga's Tivoli Theatre — and the theatre would still be three-fifths empty. With a great sense of community, Ridgeside is truly a city that feels like a neighborhood.
Ridgeside’s residents voted in 1931 to incorporate on the east side of Missionary Ridge. At the time, the city of Chattanooga was several miles away on the north side of the ridge. As Chattanooga grew, it completely surrounded the community that was once a rural farm. There are no retail stores in Ridgeside. The little city is strictly a bucolic community of neighbors, and they seem to like it that way.
Late 1800s to early 1900s: Farmer and landowner John T. Shepherd operates the Hill Glen Dairy on the site of what became Ridgeside.
1922: John Shepherd’s son, Paul W. Shepherd begins conversion of the diary farm into a housing subdivision.
2016: Federal Emergency Management Authority (FEMA) report indicates Ridgeside has less than a one-percent chance of catastrophic flooding.