Mentone traces its roots to around 1854, when the area — then called Ellison’s Precinct after a local grist-mill operator — saw its first settler construct a dwelling (now the nucleus of St. Joseph’s-on‑the‑Mountain Episcopal Church).
Before European settlement, the land was home to the Cherokee Nation. In 1782, a skirmish between Chickamauga Cherokee and frontier settlers occurred nearby.
In 1540, Hernando De Soto’s expedition passed through, camping at DeSoto Falls in a futile search for gold.
The town emerged in the late 19th century, when John Mason founded the community. In 1884, his daughter Alice named it “Mentone,” inspired by the French town of Menton — a name meaning “musical mountain spring.” The local mineral springs drew visitors seeking their reputed healing waters, fostering the town’s growth as a summer resort.
During the Civil War, Union troops passed through and camped in the area amid the Chickamauga Campaign, though no major battles took place near Mentone.
Mentone was incorporated in 1935 (sometimes cited as 1936). Over the 20th century, it continued to attract tourists not just for its springs, which dwindled over time (one was lost during highway construction), but for its scenic charm, historic lodgings, and growing tradition of summer camps.
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