[5] In the mid-1870s, several British investors formed the Southern States Coal, Iron and Land Company, in hopes of establishing a major industrial operation in the Sequatchie Valley.

The company dispatched James Bowron to investigate the area for potential town and manufacturing sites.

Bowron chose the Whitwell and Victoria areas in northwestern Marion County for the company's coal mining and coke production operations, and the Battle Creek Mines area as the company's iron production center and commercial hub.

On May 23, 1876, the name of the Battle Creek Mines post office was changed to "South Pittsburg" in hopes that the city would one day grow to become a great iron manufacturing center like Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

[5] The death of Bowron in 1877, along with several other key company officials within a short period of time, halted the Southern States operation.

This revival of the city's development roughly coincided with the completion of two large blast furnaces and a foundry, allowing large-scale iron production to begin.

[8] The city is situated in the southwestern Sequatchie Valley between the Cumberland Plateau on the west and the Tennessee River (Guntersville Lake) on the east.

At an elevation of approximately 630 ft (190 m), South Pittsburg is the lowest incorporated city in the East Tennessee Grand Division.

Kimball borders South Pittsburg to the north, and New Hope lies across the river to the east.

Tennessee State Route 156, which crosses the river via the Shelby Reinhart Bridge, connects the city with New Hope and Haletown to the east, and the Sewanee and Monteagle areas atop the Plateau to the west.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.9 square miles (15 km2), all land.