Sunday, January 1, 1905
"To me, one of the most comfortable aspects of life in 'Happy Valley' is running into someone I know every day, nearly everywhere I go."
- Ray Minner, retired Collegedale Academy high school teacher
Location: Right off Interstate 75's exit 9, Collegedale is in Hamilton County's southeastern quadrant.
Size: About eight square miles, all land.
Founded: 1968
Population: 8,282
Government: John Turner is mayor. Residents elect five commissioners. Commissioners elect one of themselves to be mayor. Commissioners choose a city manager, who serves at the commission's discretion.
Schools: A.W. Spalding Elementary School, Collegedale Academy, Southern Adventist University
Attraction: Home to McKee Foods, producer of Little Debbie snack cakes. McKee is one of Hamilton County's largest employers. Wolftever Greenway is a wonderful place to take a walk.
Fun fact: Little Debbie makes 160 products.
Famous residents: O.D. McKee, one of several pivotal individuals who decided to move the family snack-making business to Collegedale. In May 2010, McKee Foods celebrated its fifth decade of using the Little Debbie name. The company prepared a 75-pound Oatmeal Creme Pie, which hundreds devoured in celebration.