The town, initially known as "Wartrace Depot," was established in the early 1850s as a stop on the newly constructed Nashville and Chattanooga Railroad.

[2] During the Civil War, the town was the winter headquarters of Confederate General William J. Hardee during the aftermath of the Battle of Stones River, and the Old Chockley Tavern in Wartrace was a gathering place for Confederate officers during the Tullahoma Campaign.

[2] With the increase in rail travel in the late 19th century, Wartrace experienced a boom period.

Wartrace is connected to Shelbyville by the Walking Horse and Eastern Railroad, a historic rail line that is still in part-time operation.

Cascade Middle & High School have a varsity football team, drama club (The Black Curtain Players), marching band, men & women's soccer, softball, and baseball teams.

In the fall of 2012, the Cascade High School Marching Band won[12] the Division 1 TN Marching Band State Championship at Riverdale High School (Murfreesboro, Tennessee) under the direction of former drum major and Emory University alumna Sierra Cortner.

[13] According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.7 square miles (1.8 km2), all of it land.