John Shearer: Exploring And Searching For Greenways, Part 14 -- Visiting Mowbray Park, Soddy Daisy’s Veteran’s Park, Poe’s Tavern, and Expansive S.D. Middle School Fields

Politicians, national news reporters and others who travel the country talk about how diverse it is geographically and culturally.

 

After searching for different park-like spaces since the first of the year, I am beginning to think the same could be said for just Hamilton County, too. 

 

As an example, I went up on Mowbray Mountain Saturday for the first time and found an isolated park on top of the mountain.

I quickly realized it was a far different setting and atmosphere from some of the trendy and not-so-trendy urban and riverfront parks I previously visited -- even though they all have grass and trees and sidewalks.

 

I also visited three other places in adjacent Soddy Daisy where plenty of grass for jogging exists, and I enjoyed them as well. I particularly enjoyed getting to see yet-another mid-century school and surrounding grounds I had never seen before.

 

As I have said before, this series has helped me get out and see new places, even in my hometown’s backyard. And getting to enjoy such experiences is one of the joys I have found over the years of writing newspaper stories. It is neat to see up close people and places that are not like you and your abode.

 

I left my home in the Northgate Mall area a little after 9 a.m., and after a quick stop, had soon gone down Highway 153 and north on U.S. 27 – the old highway, not Corridor J.

 

I knew the last three places I was going were all located along or near old Dayton Pike, but it seemed like I had seen a sign for a park on the left before I got to Veteran’s Park when previously driving north on that road.

 

I did see a sign that pointed to the left by Montlake Road for Mowbray Park, so I turned there. I thought the park might be a few hundred yards down the road, but I was wrong. 

 

After not seeing any park and realizing I was starting to go up Mowbray Mountain, I turned into a road for North Chickamauga Creek Gorge State Natural Area – a place I hope to later visit and chronicle.

 

I Googled Mowbray Park, and realized it was on top of the mountain at 1705 Mowbray Pike. So I headed back up this mountain that, like Signal Mountain, is part of Waldens Ridge, although it is broken by the creek gorge.

 

I reached the top of this mountain surprisingly full of plenty of houses of various shapes and sizes and did finally find Mowbray Pike. Unfortunately, I took the wrong turn but soon went back in the right direction. However, I drove past 1705 without seeing anything.

 

After pulling off, I checked my GPS, and this time was able to get to the park. I realized it was sort of hidden behind the Mowbray Volunteer Fire Department facility made of modest metal siding.

 

I did not see a sign for the park along this stretch that did not seem as if it could still be in Hamilton County, and I had not seen any sign since the one way back at Dayton Pike.

 

I saw a building under construction, and later learned from a lone walker on the small circular walking path that it was a combination fire department/community center structure. It looked nice, particularly for this rural setting.

 

The park, on the other hand, looked a little neglected. It might just be because of all the construction, though. 

 

It had a nice picnic pavilion, a playground, a small and tranquil grassy area, a batting cage, and the .2-mile walking trail. 

 

However, the old baseball field appeared to have been partially dug up and was overgrown, although an electronic scoreboard was still there. The two-court tennis area had become overgrown and looked as if it had not been used in years, with only one net remaining.

 

The basketball court was also missing one goal on one end.

 

The focus right now is probably all on the new building, but the park was obviously calling for a little tender loving care, A good mow job might have been a good place to start, although I might have just been there a couple of days before that was going to happen.

 

However, I still actually enjoyed the look and setting of the park. It had a few nice trees, and I became curious about the undeveloped and wooded areas around the open parkland. Some neat rock and moss formations could be found in these outer areas, and it looked like some trails could be linked through those places and make this park into a real gem.

 

There was one wide path going into the woods and it said, “no dumping.” Well, guess what I found? That’s right, a couple of tires and a porcelain commode, those most favorite of items for dumpers.

 

I enjoyed my stop overall, realizing this park had the potential to be made really nice. Maybe a Friends of Mowbray Park group needs to be formed, if it does not exist. And maybe their first step can be to put a nice big “Welcome to Mowbray Park” or just “Mowbray Park” sign for people like me who don’t depend so much on GPS.

 

Or maybe I should have put up a homemade sign Saturday that said, “Mow Mowbray!”

 

After this stop, I headed back down the mountain, once again getting the sensation that the trip down a new place did not seem nearly as long as the trip up. I turned left on Dayton Pike and went a short distance up to the Soddy Daisy Veteran’s Park in the 9000 block.

 

The park is quite eclectic, but not necessarily overly inspiring in the way it is laid out, even if it is militarily to those who appreciate veterans. The latter effect is achieved through the various markers, including a very old World War I obelisk that had probably been somewhere else, and such military equipment as a Huey helicopter. 

 

The park is laid out in a simple manner, but what makes it even nicer is the fact that it gives users a nice view toward Mowbray Mountain/Waldens Ridge. Getting to enjoy a nearby ridge-shaped mountain is like a landscape elixir for those who set foot in Hamilton County.

 

The park is also aided by some rose bushes dedicated to the late Soddy Daisy native Ted Mills and his wife, Alice, who grew roses from their North Chattanooga home. 

 

Other features include a couple of ballfields in the back with vintage concrete bleachers, some nice bridges over a small brook, a giant and beautiful old tree near the pavilion, a basketball area and some tennis courts. 

 

And guess what kind of condition the tennis courts were in? Yes, about the same as those at Mowbray Park. 

 

I deduced that maybe tennis is not super popular in this part of the county. Maybe they should convert them into courts for pickleball, a growing sport that is fun and less strenuous than tennis.

 

As one who always says I judge a park by whether it has enough space for me to jog around it on the grassy areas for 30 minutes with ease and with enough interesting scenery to engage me, I would say both this one and a mowed Mowbray Park would pass the test.      

 

I have actually jogged around the Veteran’s Park before and enjoyed it and also attended a rose society event with my wife, Laura, at the pavilion there.

 

The only suggestion I would make for Veteran’s Park is that they should allow dogs on leashes there. Man’s best friend would enjoy the setting and experience -- even without noticing the mountain – and would not be a nuisance to others.

 

I then drove a little farther north on Dayton Pike to Poe’s Tavern historical site next to the Soddy Daisy municipal building. Since I don’t frequent Soddy Daisy a whole lot, I was unaware of this site until I started going to a dentist in that area, but I understand the new structure was built in 2012 using old tools, materials and construction methods.

 

The original Poe’s Tavern was located a short distance south and across the street, but it was torn down in the 1910s. Hasten Poe owned the tavern and farmed a large area there in the 1800s and was said to be the largest slave owner in Hamilton County.

 

Despite this dark past that the Soddy Daisy community might have to deal with as other places currently are, the rebuilt inn does give a nice historical insight into how people lived then. And it is a handsome little structure, so I would give it an A for architectural insight and look, too.

 

The area around it is also laid out really nice with private picnic pavilions at various places. And the small and slightly sloping park has lush grass that I would enjoy jogging on, although rugby, touch football or even – yes – lawn tennis might be frowned upon by the town leaders.

 

And while I generally do not pay attention to the plastic playground equipment most parks have, in part because I do not have young children, I love the unique-looking Scramble Alley playground in the back. With its wooden construction, it complements the log Poe’s Tavern nicely.

 

After unsuccessfully trying to buy a cantaloupe there – the salesman said they were sold out -- I then got back in my car and traveled a little farther north on Dayton Pike and turned right where the pretty First Presbyterian Church of Soddy Daisy is. I then made my way a hundred or so yards into the entrance of Soddy Daisy Middle School.

 

I had actually decided to go there after seeing the TV news about it being one of the schools affected by positive COVID-19 cases. Noticing it was a mid-century-looking school I had never seen in person before, I wanted to visit it when no school was in session and include it in my Soddy Daisy greenways story, since I figured it probably had plenty of green space around it.

 

I was not disappointed either environmentally or architecturally. Although it has been redone in places, it still has that nice mid-century look featuring plenty of glass panes on the side. It even had a zig-zag roof area typical of mid-century modern buildings in the front, although it appeared to have been redone.

 

The way it featured different wings reminded me of Alpine Crest Elementary in North Red Bank, and the upper windows that wrapped around one big wing reminded me of the old White Oak Elementary in South Red Bank.  Perhaps the same architect was involved with all three.

 

As far as green space, it has plenty. One large area stands on the southeast corner of it, and a large football field and another open area is in the back and northeast side. The field has a neat and vintage electric scoreboard. A baseball/softball field is also on an elevated area on the north end of the school grounds.

 

A wooded area also surrounds the back fields. And on the south end of the fields, I could see some kind of wetland area a few yards away through the trees.

 

The school could create a really neat outdoors and environmental study program, if it does not have one already. And I would encourage them or someone to put in a paved walking path on the edge of the back fields to let the spacious and grassy ground be enjoyed by not only students, but also other members of the local community after hours.

 

I finished my greenway visit on this morning with a 30-minute jog around the school’s grassy area, originally having the expansive place to myself until a weed-eating lawn crew and a retired-age man flying a small drone arrived.

 

Well over two hours had passed since I began heading up Mowbray Mountain, and I was ready to do my own eating of greens and maybe a little taco meat as well after a vigorous jog and with lunchtime approaching.

 

But I was already full of the pleasure of having once again discovered some new green spaces I did not know existed in my own proverbial backyard.

 

I hope I don’t quit discovering such places anytime soon.

 

* * * * *

 

To see the previous entry in this series, read here:

https://www.chattanoogan.com/2020/8/10/413320/John-Shearer-Exploring-and-Searching.aspx

 

* * * * *

 

Jcshearer2@comcast.net