Preserving The Past: Trolley To And From The Fort

Understanding Fort Oglethorpe history requires understanding the relationship between the fort, the Chickamauga Park, and the City of Chattanooga. Especially important was the ability to travel between these places. Chattanoogans considered Fort Oglethorpe to be their military post. Despite the Tennessee/Georgia state line between the two, the fort was connected more to Chattanooga than to Georgia.

The soldiers considered Chattanooga to be their recreation and social connection to non-military life, as well as their military supply line because it was a major railroad hub. They shopped in Chattanooga stores and met their girlfriends and future wives in the city. Local stories of someone's grandmother having married a soldier from the fort still persist today.

So how did people move back and forth between the fort and the city? First, we need to mention that the park was created in 1890 for the purpose of memorializing the famous Civil War battle. Chattanoogans knew it would draw tourism, and tourists had to come and go through Chattanooga to the park. Fort Oglethorpe was not built until 1904.

For the first ten years of the park's life, 1890 to 1900, there were only two routes between Chattanooga and the park: the Lafayette Road by horse or wagon, and the Central of Georgia railroad, which called on a tiny station on the west side of the park called Lytle.

In 1900, the Rapid Transit Company built the first electric trolley line to the park. This trolley line went from Chattanooga, through Rossville, beside the small lake near what is now the John Ross Cabin, thence through the Rossville Gap of Missionary Ridge (across the street from the Iowa monument). The line turned and followed Hogan Road, then followed what is now called Park City Road south to its intersection with McFarland Avenue. The 1900 line terminated in what was called Dodge, Georgia. The trip took about a half an hour from Chattanooga. This single-track trolley was active until 1923. Parts of the rail grade can be seen today behind the houses along Hogan Road. All of the modern Park City Road is built on this original grade. This was split into two with the creation of GA Highway 2.

In 1917, the Army used the Chickamauga Park to build up and train its forces for World War 1. The Army asked Chattanooga to help with this endeavor by building two things: a reliable water supply and a second trolley line. The original 1900 line had become insufficient for the tens of thousands of troops training at the battlefield and fort.

The Chattanooga Railway and Light Company had begun a line to Fort Oglethorpe several years before but never finished. The call to action by the Army spurred the company to restart their efforts. This resulted in a trolley line that also went through the Rossville Gap of the ridge (this time right behind the Iowa monument). So, from 1917 to 1923, there were two trolley lines through the Rossville Gap, one on each side of the Lafayette Road. The 1900 line was single-track, the 1917 line was double-track.