Chickamauga and Chattanooga Administrative History

CHAPTER II:
WAR DEPARTMENT ADMINISTRATION (continued)

E. Roads

Closely connected with land acquisition and the marking of boundaries in early park development was the construction and maintenance of its roads. The enabling legislation called for Government ownership of approaches from all directions upon cession by the States of Georgia and Tennessee. Most significant was the Crest Road along Missionary Ridge, which led through scenes of some of the most violent action around Chattanooga and was meaningful from both access and interpretive standpoints. Crest Road provided a panoramic view of Chattanooga, from its northern point south to Chickamauga Park. Three other important avenues into the park from the south were the old Georgia State Road (Lafayette Road), the Dry Valley and Crawfish Springs Road, and the Dry Valley Road. Still another approach was the road between Lookout Mountain and Rossville, over which General Hooker had passed during the Battle of Chattanooga. [98] Plans called for the construction of a "great Military Road," to embrace the existing Crest and Lafayette roads stretching from the north extremity of Missionary Ridge through Rossville Gap and south to Lee and Gordon's Mills below the park. Construction was underway by 1892.

There is not another road its equal in what it presents to visitors coming either for pleasure or historical study. Hardly twenty-five miles in length, it holds in its left hand the battlefield of Chickamauga in one state; in its right the battlefield of Missionary Ridge in another state; it connects the States of Georgia and Tennessee. [99]

Under direction of the Commission, particularly Alexander P. Stewart, the road construction proceeded. Stewart negotiated agreements for labor, equipment, and supplies, most of which were locally available. Atwell Thompson was engineer in charge of road construction. Their task was to reopen, restore, and, if necessary, reconstruct all roadways present at the time of the 1863 engagements. Some 300 members of the road work force employed under contract lived in shanties and cabins around the park. Between March and October, 1892, about six miles of sixteen-foot-wide gravel road and four miles of thirty-two-foot-wide macadam were graded and completed with drains and stone culverts where required. Some forty additional miles of road were planned for construction in accordance with the act establishing the park. [100] In 1893 work continued on the road from Rossville to Lookout Mountain and surveys were completed of the Crest Road preparatory to beginning construction there. The Lafayette Road running through the park was finished to Rossville and to a junction with a highway leading from Chattanooga, so by the end of the year approximately twenty-five miles of road construction was complete. [101] In 1894 sixteen additional miles of roadway were built. [102] Within five years, however, construction was geared to widening existing roads, a procedure necessitating acquisition of rights-of-way from numerous private landholders. Many affected citizens, notably those along the Crest and Lafayette roads, generously donated strips of their property. [103] Also, in 1898 and 1899 approval was granted the Chattanooga Rapid Transit Company to lay its tracks across the Dry Valley Road through Rossville Gap to the northern boundary of the park. [104]

Most of the park roads were finished before 1900, and in that year less than five miles were added. Total improved road distance in the park, to include approaches, was sixty-seven miles, with average cost at $2,902.92 per mile. [105] During the next year the Lafayette Road was extended to reach the corporate limits of the town of Lafayette below the park. Improvements were needed for the roads from Rossville to McFarland's Gap, from Ringgold to Ringgold Gap, and from Crawfish Spring to Glass's Mill. "Their construction will finish the road building of the Park," reported Boynton. [106] He adeptly described the completed roadwork in the park, placing it in the context of its historical setting:

The central driveway of the park, which passes through or overlooks six of the seven battlefields embraced in the park project, is, by the finishing of the Lafayette road extension, now complete. It is 30 miles long and reaches from General Sherman's battlefield at the north end of Missionary Ridge, along the 8 miles of General Bragg's line of battle on that ridge, through the center of the Chickamauga field, and the 13 miles beyond it over the theater of General Bragg's movements between his withdrawal from Chattanooga and his subsequent movements previous to the battle of Chickamauga. Another driveway has been completed, constructed like the central one, on a 50-foot right of way. It leaves the former at the Chickamauga field and extends 9 miles to the Ringgold field, the final battle of the Union campaign for Chattanooga. [107]

Also during 1901 a number of permanent trails were established on Lookout Mountain. These were built four feet wide with low grade and steps where necessary. Resting areas were constructed along the paths. [108]

With increased visitation after 1900, road maintenance in the park became of utmost importance and annual appropriations reflected this need. That of 1903 allotted funds to improve a road running twelve miles from Crawfish Springs to Stevens Gap. And the advent of military maneuvers required continued maintenance of both macadamized and gravel roads. Moreover, the local population was rapidly increasing, causing further upsurge in road use in and around the park. "These roads," wrote Commission Chairman Carmen, "are the great thoroughfares from Chattanooga to Northwestern Georgia." [109] In 1905, Carmen advised the War Department that funds were needed to complete on-going stone guttering on principal park thoroughfares at a cost of $950 per mile. When fully completed, this measure was expected to reduce overall future road maintenance cost. [110] Another economy measure was the Commission's decision not to build a road from Lookout Creek across Lookout Mountain to Rossville, although such construction had been provided for in the 1890 act establishing the park. [111] Instead, Chairman Carman urged that funds be appropriated to replace a dilapidated wooden bridge with a concrete one over Pea Vine Creek, on the road between Reed"s Bridge and Ringgold, and to similarly replace the Alexander Bridge over Chickamauga Creek. Another bridge, this one of steel, was required on Lafayette Road at Lee and Gordon's Mill. When these were built, the bridge system of the park would be complete. [112]

During subsequent years funds were expended on shortened segments of the approaches deemed necessary by the Commission. In 1908, 1909, and 1910 work was completed on a brief length of road between St. Elmo, near the foot of Lookout Mountain, and Rossville, and on a loop around the Sherman Reservation on Crest Road. [113] The requisite bridges were also completed in 1910, and a contract was awarded for another over Chattanooga Creek. [114] Construction proceeded on about five miles of road between Stevens Gap and Crawfish Springs, called the McLemore Cove Road, while many of the gravel roads now becoming worn because of increased traffic had to be resurfaced. [115] Along Crest Road encroachment became a problem as landholders abutting on the Government property either intentionally or not appropriated parts of the fifty-foot-wide right-of-way for building sidewalks. The Commission promptly posted notices against trespass on the property, but eventually the sidewalks were permitted if built under the supervision of the park engineer. [116] In 1912 experiments in oiling road surfaces to keep down the dust began. Further funds were allocated for finishing the McLemore Cove Road, and the Commission turned down a request by Hamilton County, Tennessee, to annex a newly completed boulevard leading into Chattanooga. [117]

In 1915 Commission Chairman Charles H. Grosvenor summed up the past year's road and bridge maintenance in the park thusly:

There are 102.14 miles of improved roads in the park system, 96.33 miles of which were repaired during the year, at a cost of $22,222.54. This expenditure includes the cost of material, the hire of labor, and all expenses incident to the hauling and spreading of 16,826 cubic yards of gravel and the cleaning of 286,324 linear feet of ditches. It also includes the repair of bridges and the cost of resurfacing 25.98 miles of roads. The total average cost of maintenance during the year was $230.69 per mile, while the average cost of resurfacing amounted to $255.86 per mile. The average cost of maintenance, less the cost of resurfacing amounted to $255.86 per mile. The average cost of maintenance, less the cost of resurfacing and repair of bridges, was $152.40 per mile. The expenditure for the repair and general maintenance of bridges amounted to $893.05. [118]

This was a typical assessment for roadwork during the period preceding World War I. In the autumn of 1916, however, floods struck the area causing destruction of the approaches to the Alexander and Davis bridges and inundating a two-mile length of the road leading from Lookout Mountain. That damage, plus increased travel in the park brought on by the erection of military cantonments there, produced unforeseen maintenance expenses so that the average cost per mile stood at $276.70.[119] So great was the wear by 1918 that the quartermaster of Camp Forrest, established in the park, had to restore those leading to the principal cantonments using tarvia, macadam, and concrete. [120] A new bridge was shortly erected on the Lafayette Road near Rock Springs, Georgia, [121] and in 1921 the War Department approved examination of Crest Road, looking to its more permanent restoration. The old gravel and dirt surface by this time was rapidly succumbing to ravages brought on by increased automobile traffic. [122] During 1921 the sum of $8,000 was appropriated for restoring Bonds' Bridge on the McLemore Cove Road which had collapsed the previous year. The Converse Bridge and Steel Company of Chattanooga received the contract for doing this work. [123]

In 1925 a significant measure passed Congress authorizing the Secretary of War "to convey to the States in which located Government owned or controlled approach roads to national cemeteries and national military parks. . . ." [124] At Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park the roads' maintenance situation had grown increasingly burdensome because the approaches had become "more important as general highways than as approaches to the park. . . . " [125] The change in jurisdiction, however, was contingent on state, county, or city agreement to accept and maintain any such transferred roads. [126] In 1928 and 1929, in accordance with this legislation, Congress appropriated $370,500 for paving the Dry Valley, Ringgold, and Lafayette Extension roads, to place them in such condition as to induce the State of Georgia to accept their return. [127] Georgia soon after took over the Dry Valley Road, but could not financially afford to meet terms of the federal legislation regarding the others. A similar arrangement was reached with Tennessee, and in 1929 that state assumed ownership of Hooker Road leading from Lookout Mountain towards the park. [128] Two years later, action was taken concerning Crest Road along Missionary Ridge, turning it and its subsidiary roads over to local interests. In addition, all approaches south of the park, including McLemore Cove Road, Lee and Gordon's Mill Road, Glass Mill Road, and an extension of Lafayette Road, were decreed "no longer useful . . . as historical features of the park" and slated for future transfer to Georgia. In 1932 the Stevens Gap Road was added to this list. [129]

Maintenance of these latter roads continued as a War Department responsibility until their ultimate disposition could be made. Within the park, road care and repair proceeded as usual. In 1931 plans were prepared for concreting all primary roads. These consisted of Lafayette Road, Mullis-McFarland Gap Road, Ringgold Road, Glenn-Kelly Road, and Vittetoe-Chickamauga Road. Secondary routes, such as Mullis and Snodgrass-Savannah roads, were to be oiled, while those less traveled would be retained with gravel surfaces. [130] In 1932 the Lafayette Extension Road was turned over to Georgia, and the Missionary Ridge roads to Tennessee, leaving the federal government in control of 72.43 miles of roadway in the park. [131] Only the Ringgold Road of those initially proposed for transfer had not been taken over by Georgia, and during 1932 local residents petitioned park authorities to oil this approach road. "The dust is so bad in dry weather that it makes living along the roads very disagreeable." [132] Superintendent Randolph agreed with the complaints, pointing out to army officials that the gravel road was "subjected to very heavy travel by trucks, busses, automobiles and horse-drawn transportation. The road is also extensively used by the troops at Fort Oglethorpe. . ." Randolph urged that the approach be returned to Georgia soon "to relieve the Government of further responsibility and expense in connection with its upkeep." [133] The War Department agreed to recommend to Congress an extension of the Ringgold Road appropriation of $117,000, which had previously reverted to the Treasury after Georgia had failed to match the sum for improving the road. [134] Finally, in 1934, after the park's transfer to the Department of the Interior, Ringgold Road was delivered over to the ownership and maintenance of Catoosa County, Georgia. [135]