Brabson House

Before I moved to the South, I imagined everyone lived in a house like this. I have lived in Tennessee, Alabama, and South Carolina and have never met anyone who lives in a house like this. Most of the antebellum houses that are still standing serve as businesses, or in this case as a church. This is currently the site of the Church of Latter Day Saints. There is a placard in front that states that it served as General Bragg's headquarters in July 1862.
I did a little research and found an old picture of this home. It looked a lot different when it was built in 1858 by Reese Bowen Brabson. The columns were added in the 30's by David Loveman, who owned D.B Loveman's department store in downtown Chattanooga.

Historic Relief

...on the side of the Aquarium. There are several of these squares depicting the history of this area.

We Are Still Here

I saw this sign a couple of weeks ago. It is just a simple yard sign, like the kind people put out advertising their politics or yard sales. But the message really struck me. The Cherokees were forced to leave this area in the 1800s and march west to Oklahoma along what is now known as the Trail of Tears. This sign must have been posted by a descendent of one of the few who escaped the harsh removal.
Here is a lengthy article about the Trail of Tears if you're interested.

Amnicola Marsh

I walked along a new section (new to me) of the Riverwalk this weekend and discovered this marsh area. I couldn't get close enough to take very good pictures of all the yellow lilies. There were information signs that tell the history of Thomas Crutchfield's antebellum estate which was located here. Amnicola is Latin for "dwelling by the river". You can read more about it here.

Bluff Furnace

This is an art display depicting the history of the Bluff Furnace, which used to sit on this site on the Tennessee River. From what I can recall, the furnace produced pig iron with charcoal and then switched over to coke for fuel. The furnace was relatively short-lived and all but forgotten until its remains were discovered and excavated.  Click here for the story behind this installation.

Stone Path

This path lies below the Hunter Museum and leads to a few plaques that describe the Bluff Furnace, which used to sit on this site. More tomorrow on the furnace.

Clock

I thought this post looked interesting, so stooped to take a photo. The plaque on it says it was dedicated to the people of Chattanooga by the Fischers in 1883. It stands in front of Fischer-Evans Jewelers. I wasn't sure what had originally been on top of the post. My first guess was a lamp.

 As I continued down the street, an older gentleman approached me and wanted to tell me about the clock, pointing at the post. He said that the jewelery store had moved it out by the mall when they opened a new store. I drove around the mall looking for the store and then did some digging on the internet. This is the news story I came across. I'm not sure if the man who talked to me knew what had happened to the clock. But at least he knew it was a clock, which helped me to track down the history.

*If you don't feel like clicking on the link here's the story: A truck ran over the clock and the jewelry store is worried about liability issues if it ever fell off again and hurt someone. So the post remains topless.

Stick Ball on Ross's Landing

Ross's Landing was the original name of Chattanooga, when it was a Cherokee trading post. Now Ross's Landing is a park along the riverfront downtown. This metal mural depicts the Native Americans playing stickball. You can enlarge the plaque below to read about how serious these games were.

More Medallions

This is a shot of the ceramic medallions I shared yesterday, taken from the top of the steps. I took this in the morning and you can tell the shadows are already moving in. Because this installation is between two walls it is often in the shade.

The Passage

This is a part of the Trail of Tears. There are seven ceramic discs on the wall, reflecting in the water, which represent (from bottom to top):  Weeping Eye Mask, Coiled Serpent, Strength of Life, Connections, Warrior Birds, Four Journey Directions, and Sun Circle. There is usually water running down the steps, symbolizing the tears of the Cherokee nation, but it is turned off right now.
To read more about this project and its dedication in 2005, click here.

Veteran's Memorial Park

This statue is next to a plaque commemorating conscientious objectors who have served in the military without arms. The bench reads "Greater love hath no man than this/ That a man lay down his life for his country." You can read more about Veteran's Memorial Park here.

Illinois Monument

This is the top of the monument honoring the Illinois troops. The monument sits on Missionary Ridge where General Bragg had his headquarters during the Civil War. I don't know who this lady is, but my guess would be a Greek or Roman goddess.

Colorful Train

behind the Choo Choo Hotel. You can climb inside and look around.

Choo Choo

The Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel is located in the old Terminal Station. You can book a room in an actual train car, if you want. I read up on the history and found that it was designed by Don Barber of New York. He had won a contest sponsored by the Beaux Arts Institute in Paris to design the best plan for a railway station for a large city. The terminal, completed in 1909, represents his winning entry, with some changes to the interior.

Cannon at Craven's House

The cannons that were left behind when the Confederates retreated during the Battle Above the Clouds, point north. When we visited Savannah a couple of years ago we learned that statues of soldiers face the direction of their enemy. So Confederate statues face north, Union statues face south, and Revolutionary statues face east. I wonder if the same is true with the artillery and that is why these cannons face north.

New York Monument

There are various monuments set up around town to honor the troops who served in the Civil War. This one sits atop Lookout Mountain in Point Park. It is dedicated to the New York soldiers. A plaque at the bottom has this quote: "Reunited--one country again and one country forever." President McKinley, Atlanta, Dec. 15, 1898.

Point Park

On a sunny fall day it is difficult to imagine the conditions of the battle that was fought here in November of 1863. Over 12,000 men were killed, wounded, or missing at that time.

Civil War Cemetery

The Silverdale Confederate Cemetery contains 155 unmarked graves. The graves were originally marked with wooden boards, which deteriorated. In the 1920s the stone fence was built to mark the area. Today it is a quiet, grassy spot which sits between I-75 and Lee Highway.