Saltillo, TN

Saltillo is a Hardin County town on the west bank of the Tennessee River, about twelve miles north of Savannah. Its location made the river the first road into town and the main reason the place mattered. Thomas Shannon founded Saltillo in October 1822 after arriving by keelboat, and the settlement later passed through the name Davy's Landing before returning to Saltillo. By the mid-nineteenth century, barges and river landings moved cotton, staves, and other goods, while mills, stores, tanneries, and a Methodist church served the surrounding farms.

The town still carries that river-era shape in its old houses and landing points. The Parker House, built around 1906 by local doctor Luther Parker, now operates as a bed-and-breakfast, and Greek Revival and Italianate homes add to the architectural record. Saltillo Landing and Wilkinson Ferry Landing provide access to the river, while the annual Saltillo River Day and Tennessee River History Festival bring the town's past into the present calendar. People also work in larger nearby communities such as Lexington, Savannah, and Counce, but Saltillo's defining geography has not changed: a small town on the river, with the water still setting the pace.