In 1902, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad was looking for a place halfway between Cincinnati and Atlanta to build a rail center. This site would be the home of a rail yard for crew changes and shops to build and repair boxcars. After being turned down for two locations, the railroad looked to an area at the foot of Starr Mountain rich with timber to build the shops and railcars. Several years later, a decision was made to go forward with this site, and in 1906 the L&N Railroad built its first planned community. In one year, over 2,000 people were employed by the line, and a town emerged. One hundred years later, the town maintains a rich heritage built around the rail.