John Shearer: Exploring And Searching For Greenways, Part 37 – The Surprising Wheland Foundry/South Broad Stretch Of The Tennessee Riverwalk

When I saw that a finished stretch of the Tennessee Riverwalk south to the Incline Railway was to be dedicated this past Sunday, I decided to check it out beforehand on Saturday afternoon.

 

As is my custom, I wanted to see if it had not just a paved trail, but also at least a little grass around it.

Since it goes mostly along St. Elmo Avenue, though, almost as much green was found on the Publix sign with its corporate coloring scheme as along the path. 

 

There is a nice little spot of old trees and grass near the Chattem Chemicals building on the way south to the Incline Railway station, but one does have to first cross the busy intersection where Cummings Highway begins. 

 

It is a complicated place to extend the Riverwalk, but it is important in that it does help connect the Riverwalk to St. Elmo and the trails around the foot of Lookout Mountain for pedestrians and bicyclists. Maybe one day they can install a pedestrian 'bridge' crossing!

 

Before correctly assuming that stretch might be mostly concrete, I had first gone north of the Publix on St. Elmo Avenue to see for the first time the part of the Tennessee Riverwalk that goes back toward the heart of downtown.

 

And here in this stretch that was completed a few years ago, I was not disappointed. Although this link does not look like it would offer much to a passing motorist glancing over from South Broad Street and trying to find where the Riverwalk path is, I found it surprisingly nice. 

 

At present, it is about the most unexpected place to put a grass-lined concrete pedestrian path, as it goes past some old foundry sites and abandoned parking lot-type spaces maybe used by some homeless or marginalized people for sleeping. The rust and dulled paint of the currently unused buildings stand a few feet from the now-growing grass and blooming dogwood and redbud trees of the Riverwalk and create quite a contrast.

 

Also, Chattanooga’s industrial past stands starkly next to its present and future as the outdoor city. And visions of what Chattanooga can be at its best with this planned swanky new retail and housing area, including possibly a new minor league baseball park, contrast with the obvious issues like homelessness that permeates sections near downtown.

 

And then there is handsome Lookout Mountain luring in the foreground like the front of a parked giant train and serving as a reminder that the scenic beauty of Chattanooga is the reason for the greenway path. And while the Tennessee River is not visible from here due to the freeway, Chattanooga Creek is, although it is almost like a geographic recluse flowing very low here and mostly hidden behind invasive brush except for one scenic spot. 

 

After leaving my Northgate Mall area home in the middle of the afternoon and reaching the trailhead off St. Elmo Avenue via U.S. 27 and South Broad Street about 15 or 20 minutes later, I was pleased to find a nice parking area by a newer park office. The building even had a restroom attached.

 

It was a handsome site to see, and I was viewing it for the first time as, once again, a longtime resident. What really caught my eyes, though, was all the grass I saw lining the paved trail. As one who likes to jog on grass to prevent pounding on my legs, I like to stay on that and not on concrete or boardwalk materials like is found at many places along the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway. 

 

As I excitedly began jogging north on the grass back toward town after stretching out my 62-year-old legs and back a little, I quickly came up on one of those nice pedestrian bridges that are no doubt built for more than a dollar or two. There below me was Chattanooga Creek. 

 

It was pretty, although narrower than South Chickamauga Creek, and I said hello to my new friend. At least at that aesthetically pleasing spot, it showed no sign of being the creek that in recent decades has been in the news due to past industrial pollution and contamination issues.

 

I continued heading north along grass and then came upon the neat Wheland Foundry Pass that went under a railroad track. 

 

After a left turn a hundred yards or so later, I went past the abandoned and cleared out old U.S. Pipe and Stove Foundry that is very visible from Interstate 24 near the river. It is certainly a fascinating structure to view, and one here can let his or her imagination run wild regarding what the setting might have looked like 100 years ago.

 

I then continued past an old structure that looked like a brick residence or at least small office from the late 1800s and saw another foundry on the right. I apologize for not knowing which abandoned foundry was which, but they were all fascinating to see.

 

Some plaque displays along the way tell the stories of each one, although one marker was covered with graffiti, making it impossible to read. But as mentioned, just a look with the eyes at the frames of the old foundry structures tells quite a history story, too.

 

Plenty of other reminders of the old industrial days in this part of town are also visible, but in more of a mysterious way. That includes something that looks like a pump or pipe vent nearer the Chattanooga Creek bridge, foundations of old buildings, and a small, paved area that looks like a truck scale or ramp of some sort just north of the U.S. Pipe building. And then there are the overgrown spaces and the parking lots.

 

Of course, much of this area will no doubt change with all the planned developments, but right now it looks interesting in a more haunting sort of way, giving the edge of downtown Chattanooga the false look of being in urban decay. 

 

But the setting still works quite well as a greenway path. It is no doubt much different from the more pastoral part of the Tennessee Riverwalk up by the C.B. Robinson Bridge and Amnicola Highway, but it is still enjoyable.

 

Also on this stretch of the Riverwalk here, I saw a great mixture of professional-looking people enjoying a little recreation and several people who could have been marginalized in some way and were riding a bicycle as possibly their main mode of transportation. It was a nice experience of blended Chattanooga cultures to me, and I did not feel unsafe or as if I would be approached in any way on this nice Saturday afternoon.

 

Of course, I try to have a heart for the homeless and wish that complex issue that affects numerous medium and large cities could somehow be more easily solved.

 

Also while jogging north, I did see a security or parks official of some kind drive by in a cart at one point and wave to me as he passed.

 

I turned around at the stretch of the Riverwalk that goes under the Interstate freeway in the area where eastbound vehicle drivers can go to town or Signal Mountain, or off to Atlanta or Knoxville, so I am not sure if I missed any other unusual sights beyond that.

 

Several months ago, I had gone south from the Blue Goose Hollow trailhead near West M.L. King Boulevard in the direction of where I was Saturday, but there is probably a stretch of a few hundred yards that I did not see either time.

 

That made me realize I would love it if some group regularly had a race or even walking or biking event from about the Publix grocery store all the way up to Chickamauga Dam and back. And I am not talking about just during some high-profile event like an Ironman Triathlon.

 

Maybe they could even hand out T-shirts or completion medals.

 

During the mile or slightly shorter jaunt back along the grass and the Riverwalk path back to my car, I felt very emotionally re-energized, as if I had indeed completed a race. Not only was I getting to exercise a little longer than I normally do, but I also felt happy that I was once again seeing a new greenway area in Chattanooga I had never seen before.

 

And to do it on such a mild day when the sun came out from the clouds about the time I arrived and when I was able to see some blooming trees that contrasted so sharply with the rusting old foundry buildings was like icing on the cake.

 

About the only suggestions I would make here are to put in more benches for sitting and to clear out some of the overgrowth along the path so that Chattanooga Creek is more visible at places other than just the pedestrian bridge crossing.

 

I did peer down at one steep place along the creek and across the water from a newer residential complex, and some chunks of old concrete sidewalk lined the side of the creek, perhaps as an erosion deterrent. 

 

Thankfully, however, there are connected sections of a concrete path above the creek, too, for all to enjoy on a stroll, jog or bike ride.

 

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

https://www.chattanoogan.com/2022/2/5/442913/John-Shearer-Exploring-And-Searching.aspx

 

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Jcshearer2@comcast.net