The name of the public high school in Dayton, Rhea County Central High School, is where the alleged teaching of the theory of evolution led to the misdemeanor (no sentence of incarceration) conviction of John T. Scopes took place. A potential violation of the March 1925 statute could have also taken place at Chattanooga Central High School (1907-1968) on Dodd’s Avenue at the base of historic Missionary Ridge.
The best chronological history of many subjects that have become woven in the fabric of the eternal battles between science and religion involved with the Scopes “Monkey Trial” in July 1925, is still ongoing in 2025.
In “Causes Go On Forever, A Chronology of the Scopes Trial”, authors Randy Moore and Tom Davis (2024- Rhea County Historical and Genealogical Society, PO Box 31, Dayton, Tennessee 37321), include many previously non-mentioned facts not covered in news sources are revealed.
When the newly established American Civil Liberties Union ( 1920) was trying to find a Tennessee citizen that would be the individual who would contest the Butler Act (Anti-Evolution) passed by the Tennessee legislature an attempt was made to pre-empt the already filed Rhea County criminal case against John T. Scopes and get the case re-set in Chattanooga.
On May 18, 1925, the local newspaper, The Chattanooga Daily Times, started a campaign to get the historical battle moved to Chattanooga’s War Memorial Auditorium and reserved said facility for the entire month of August but there was no public outcry for such action in Hamilton County.
A second tactic employed by the paper (and others) was to claim that evolution was being taught at Chattanooga Central High School by biology teacher Steger Hunt.
When Hunt refused to participate in Chattanooga's attempt to preempt Dayton's trial, the Daily Times's headline the following day was "Drop Evolution Charge Against Central High, Dayton Turns Table," The Times then claimed it had a verbal agreement with J.E. Walker, superintendent of Hamilton County Schools, to stage a test case. Chattanooga's Central High principal Stacey Nelson was encouraged to have himself arrested for teaching evolution, but Nelson refused, and Chattanooga gave up on hosting the trial.
Another part of the story is that Dayton officials threatened to send all of their projected food and mercantile purchase requests by train to Knoxville rather than to Chattanooga if any further efforts should be made to move the trial.
(Nevertheless,the rich history of the Purple Pounder nation prior to re-location to Highway 58 would not include the designation of Chattanooga as “Monkey City”!)
If you have additional information about one of Mr. Summers' articles or have suggestions or ideas about a future Chattanooga area historical piece, please contact him at jsummers@summersfirm.com)