News Release

William T. “Bill” Lewis: Chattanooga’s Blacksmith

Date: March 19, 2021
Contact: Kim coons, 706-866-9241 ext. 139

On Saturday, April 10, at 2 pm, Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park invites you to participate in a virtual program exploring the life and legacy of Bill Lewis, a well-known African American blacksmith who lived and worked in 19th Century Chattanooga. This program will be accessible on the park’s Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/chickamauganps) and YouTube Channel (www.youtube.com/chchnps). Instructions on accessing an audio described version of the program will be provided on the park’s social media platforms as well.

Who was William T. “Bill” Lewis? According to his obituary in the Chattanooga Daily Times, published on September 3, 1896, he “came to Chattanooga when it was known as Ross’ Landing, in 1837,” thus making him one of the city’s oldest residents. He plied his trade as a blacksmith so diligently that he purchased his own freedom and that of his mother, brother, and sister by 1851. By 1862, as the Civil War crept ever closer to the “Gateway City,” Lewis’ blacksmith shop forged the shackles for James Andrews and his famed raiders, temporarily jailed in the city. We hope you can join us as we delve deeper into these and other stories associated with one of Chattanooga’s most well-known African American residents and blacksmiths.  

For more information about programs at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, contact the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center at 706-866-9241, the Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center at 423-821-7786, or visit the park website at www.nps.gov/chch.