Dear Citizens of Red Bank,
I wanted to write to you and thank you for the trust you have put in your Board of Commissioners as elected officials.
I have been a resident of Red Bank for 15 years. I have operated a successful business in Red Bank for the last 20 years. Over that time I have seen the city’s struggles and its triumphs. I have seen personally that the demographics of our city are changing. There are many younger people relocating to Red Bank. These residents will have priority access to parks and recreational opportunities. They will also patronize local businesses-such as going to a pub, getting fresh bread from a local bakery or ordering a delicious cup of coffee from their car. Truly, Red Bank has come a long way!
I have forged and maintained professional and personal relationships with former Mayor John Roberts, Ruth Reno and Tyler Howell. These are fine upstanding people in our community and are trusted advisors. Each and every person in our city government is passionate about our community. I have had time post-election to get to know Hollie Berry and Stephanie Dalton. They are wonderful people with a plethora of great Ideas. They have a passion for their community that is truly refreshing! There’s no doubt in my mind they will be able to perform the charge of the office as mayor and vice mayor.
I have had the pleasure to serve on the Chamber board with Ed Lacompte. Ed is a wonderful asset to the Red Bank Chamber of Commerce as the city representative to our vital business community. In short, each and every of your leaders are passionate about a safe, clean, greener, walkable, and business friendly local community.
In Tim Thornbury, we have a great city manager who runs our city very efficiently. We are fortunate to have him. We have many long term employees in our key positions who are experienced and get the job done. Well done!
As I see it, Red Bank is the gem in Hamilton County. Red Bank offers low taxes, great services, low crime, zoning laws, swimming pool, public tennis courts, and a kids corner. We have a great opportunity to advance our community further with the former school property-and we must get this
decision absolutely right. This project will most likely require studies on the Dayton Boulevard traffic count, design research, market research, which will then lead to finding the best plan and developer. This is where our citizens are needed! We need and want your input! It will be your polish that will make this gem shine!
Please be aware that it will take some time for this to all happen. There will be planning meetings, work meetings, and board meetings. These meetings are our opportunity to hear from you! I encourage you to get involved. Navigate to redbanktn.gov, click on the calendar, and save the dates.
Pete Phillips
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Yes indeed, Red Bank has come a long way.
I like many others, are second generation Red Bank residents. I love listening to those stories of the days of "Dry Valley". Actually Red Bank had several nicknames for the quaint community like "Dry Valley", "Pleasant Hill" and the Greenleaf Street/Berkley area was called "Druid Hills". The name "Red Bank" was second choice after the first was already in use. The name Red Bank came from the Red Clay mud in the soil.
Red Bank use to be rich farmland with an underground river/stream flowing beneath it. The stream comes out at the Quarry property. It pops up at many areas like Reads Lake Road and on Memorial Drive beneath the White Oak Park. The water was cold and fresh. Many use the water for their homes and or a quick drink while walking by the areas of access. The former dump may have contaminated the water so they capped off the "Memorial Drive" access.
As Red Bank progressed, large homes and farms dotted the area. Family names like Crissman, Dr. Reed, Sliger, Cabellero, Paalzo and Farr were significant names in the community. Their beautiful homes were large and well maintained. The Sliger Farm was the site of the former Red Bank High School and Elementary School on Dayton Boulevard.
The first high school/middle school was a little wooden building that sat behind the Red Bank Shoe fix it shop on Dayton Boulevard. The school building was built out of wood and did not hold much. It caught fire when my father was in first grade. The students were to finish out their school year in various Red Bank churches.
In 1939, Red Bank High School was built on the corner of Dayton Boulevard and Leawood Avenue. The very first graduating class was 1940 and the last class was 1982. In 1960, Red Bank Junior High School was built on Morrison Springs Road (just inside the Red Bank city limits). In 1999, The original Red Bank Elementary School was built in 1913 as one of the biggest Elementary School in the local area. It was moved to Morrison Springs Road and opened in 2000. Many Red Bank residents could not understand the placement of the Red Bank Elementary School in the Chattanooga city limits not in Red Bank.
Red Bank was steeped in religious families. The first church (only church) sat on the hill where Red Bank Cumberland Presbyterian Church sits today. It was called "The Church on the Hill". The different faiths had different times of the week to come to worship until Red Bank Methodist Church broke off and started their own adventure. Today, there is the pioneers of Red Bank graveyard just behind Red Bank Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
Red Bank Businesses started to pop up like Hardware Store, Red Bank Pharmacy, Wherther's Drug Store, Redford's 5&10, Bolton's Barber Shop, The Dinner Party Restaurant, Fox Theater, Cox's Appliances, Athletic Shop, McFadden's furniture and many car lots. Red Bank had a miniature golf course called The Gooney Golf in the late 50's until late 1970's. Its location was the site of the trolley car turnabout. The trolley car started down in North Chattanooga and came up through White Oak and ended in Red Bank. When Red Bank High School burned, the higher school students were given tokens to ride the trolley to attend Central High School. The lower high school students attended class in the local churches. Eventually, RBHS was fixed and started to grow.
The city of Red Bank was considered the "Mayberry" of Tennessee. It was quaint and quiet. Families grew up going to church, school, work or another activities with their neighbors. Our beloved community had many wonderful activities for the youth of the day. During football seasons, the youth would gather at Rankin Field at Red Bank High School for many exciting home football games. After the games, there were many meeting places for the youth. Some would gather at the Pizza Inn Restaurant, some who gather at Pizza Hut and some would gather across the street from the high school to get ice cream at Kay's Kastle Ice Cream Parlor. Most would eat at Shoney's before the football games or after softball games.
Red Bank Dixie Youth Baseball was run by the Fairbanks family. The fields sat behind the present Red Bank High School and Middle School. The boys and young men played baseball. The girls and young ladies had the Red Bank G.I.R.L.S Fastpitch Softball League. Their fields were in two places. One field was on Redding Road. It was nicknamed the Gooney Golf Field because it sat behind the Gooney Golf Course. One other field was later taken to build the Red Bank Middle School. Harrold and Mary Jo Clark headed that group and worked very hard with it.
Many families helped out with coaching and maintaining the fields. The field was later called Clark's Field. Some chose to play softball for their respective churches. In 1970, Red Bank/White Oak Church Softball League was formed by the White Oak Lions Club on the corner of James Avenue and Memorial Drive. There were two fields. One larger field for the men's and a smaller field for the ladies. The league was very successful and started out with 15 local churches with a waiting list. Later on, it was voted to close it to just Red Bank/Whit Oak Churches. The league was started by Mrs. Norma Cagle. The fields sat on the former site of the original White Oak Elementary School. The school burned down. In 1999, Mrs. Cagle died unexpectedly. The city of Red Bank honored her by naming the area Norma Cagle Field with a proclamation.
The league folded in 2000. A man took it over and tore everything down. It was a mess. He left the area in shambles. A group from Rivermont Recreational Park helped the Red Bank commissioners. They remodeled the area to four ballfields. It was beautiful. It is now the location of the Red Bank G.I.R.L.S Fastpitch League. It is to this day-Norma Cagle Fields.
Different projects seemed to help Red Bank. Erlanger Hospital built one of their units on Morrison Springs Road. Morrison Springs Road was widened to four lanes and was named for Sam "Newt" Swope. He was a decorated war veteran from Red Bank. A freeway was planned to be built to connect Chattanooga to northern communities like Soddy-Daisy, Dayton and others. It was named Corridor J. It was planned to relieve the traffic jams on Dayton Boulevard. Later, it took potential customers away from Red Bank businesses. Some blame the traffic cameras that Red Bank Commission voted to place in various areas in Red Bank. It was supposed to help with the deadly intersections. Some were offended by those cameras and took their business elsewhere. They used to jokingly call Red Bank "Dead Bank". The faithful residents stayed put. Some blame Corridor J for the decline of Red Bank.
Red Bank started a turn about and began a new start. New tennis courts complex and Kids Corner playground came. Restaurants like Shoney's, Captain D's, Sonic, The Country Place, Lilli Mae's, Dub's and many other restaurants started to pop up. Red Bank seemed on the upward swing. The Food City shopping center came in the old Elementary School property. In 1982, Red Bank High School was in its last year of its Dayton Boulevard site. The schools were swapped so the High School needed room to grow and a new Red Bank Community Stadium. The Middle School came in to the building until 2012. In 2012-13 the RBHS alumni gathered money together to save the iconic brick students. They were moved to their recent location at Red Bank High School on Morrison Springs Road. The Dayton Boulevard site was torn down. Its bricks were gathered by alumni and teachers. The Middle School got a beautiful new building behind the High School. It took the softball fields. The big "land deal" is still coming up.
Yes, Red Bank has come a very long way. From "Dry Valley"-"Pleasant Hill" or whatever name you grew up with, our beloved community has a piece of history in every turn and block. From Sherman's Army Camp (Duck Pond) to the underground stream to Corridor J, Red Bank will flourish.
Houses in Red Bank go fast on the market. People have started to find out about Red Bank or not listen to the Bah Humbugers (Red Bank mockers). Those who have paved the way through the decades of Red Bank are the commissioners and mayors of the past. Some state that history has no business in Red Bank or its future. I say otherwise. I love to sit down with those who grew up and knew Red Bank in the days of farms, dirt roads and the beginning of our community. Their stories are like walking through a history book.
Thank you Peter for the subject.
Laura Crane