During the years following the Civil War, the surviving soldiers returned home to carry on with their civilian lives. However, the memories of the bitter conflict remained. They remembered the places where battles had occurred and comrades had been killed. The messages of some early postcards of Chattanooga recalled the battles fought here. Some were from veterans themselves; others were from widows of soldiers who died here.

As the years passed, some longed to return to those sites and to reunite with others from their units. The continued interest in the Civil War led to an 1899 reunion of the Society of the Army of the Cumberland in Chattanooga. In 1890, the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park was created, making Chattanooga became a popular destination for Civil War veterans and their families.

To give visitors a birds-eye’s view of where the battles for Chattanooga occurred, the government erected two observation towers on the crest of Missionary Ridge. One tower was at DeLong’s Point. The other was at the site of Gen. Braxton Bragg’s headquarters. The Bragg tower also marked the spot where Sheridan’s division took the crest of the ridge on Nov. 25, 1863. Three other towers were built at Chickamauga Park, including one on Snodgrass Hill.

There were numerous guide books published during the first years of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park. The observation towers were usually mentioned as must-see destinations. One booklet was the 1897 “Hardie’s Historical Guide to Chattanooga, Lookout Mountain, and Chickamauga Military Park.” It described Missionary Ridge as rising “500 feet above the valley, three miles east of Chattanooga.” At that time, the eastern boundary of Chattanooga was Central Avenue. The guide book also noted that “The Government has built along its crest one of the most beautiful driveways in the country, and also erected two observation towers… From these towers, you can obtain a splendid view of the city.” An advertisement in the back of the Hardie’s publication was from jeweler W. F. Fischer, who sold Civil War commemorative spoons that showed the troops taking Point Lookout and Snodgrass Hill.

The Missionary Ridge observation towers became a popular spot for celebrities to visit when passing through Chattanooga. Crest Road was the fashionable address of many new homes. Residents of Missionary Ridge loved to take a Sunday stroll through the grounds around the towers. Given their open design, I imagine that the towers were not a place to be on a windy or stormy day!

However, by 1923, the steel towers were beginning to show their age. The government initially favored demolition of the towers, but then decided to strengthen them through some remodeling. For a while, signs were posted to instruct visitors to “climb at your own risk.” In 1941, after 45 years of service, the rusty towers were dismantled by young men from the Civilian Conservation Corps. Some of the steel that was still in good shape was used to build fire towers at Otter Creek State Park and Fall Creek Falls.

If you have memories of the Missionary Ridge observation towers, please send me an e-mail at jolleyh@signaldata.net.

Towers were popular spots