Written by: Hayden Kobza
The City of Collegedale, which has experienced rapid growth in recent years, had a storied past even before its founding in 1968.
According to a brochure from the National Parks Service (NPS) and an NPS map from approximately 1838, the Trail of Tears—the forced removal and relocation of Native American tribes by the United States government—intersected present-day Lee Highway and Main Street in Collegedale. And, in 1863, two Civil War generals moved their troops through Ooltewah, according to a note in Union General William T. Sherman’s memoir.
Although the area has a rich history, the community does not have a museum preserving documents and artifacts memorializing such historical events and figures. Since there isn’t a place for the public to view the history of Collegedale, some community leaders are talking about the need for one.
Mills McArthur, an assistant professor of history and political studies at Southern Adventist University, explained in an interview that the closest the area has had to a museum about the area was the Heritage Museum, once located at Southern’s Lynn Wood Hall.
According to McArthur, the collection that made up the Heritage Museum was primarily about the history of Southern, with a few items being from Collegedale/Ooltewah. He said an official museum in the City of Collegedale has never been established. And, according to Jason Allin, the city’s staff planner for planning and community development, no one has ever applied for a permit to build a museum specifically about the history of Collegedale/Ooltewah — at least not in recent memory.
Yet, community leaders have had many discussions about the possibility over the years. According to McArthur, James County Courthouse was under consideration as a museum site many decades ago. However, that didn’t happen.
One major obstacle preventing the building of a local museum is funding.
David Barto, director of the Collegedale Tomorrow Foundation, said in a phone interview that he had spoken about a museum to Evonne Crook, former director of Alumni Relations at Southern. He also talked with William J. “Bill” Hulsey, former mayor and city commissioner, about a museum before Hulsey’s death in 2016.
One major obstacle preventing the building of a local museum is funding, according to Barto.
“It’s something that we all talked about,” he said. “[However,] it’s probably about a $4 million project. We looked at it, but I’ve never really found anyone that wanted to [pay for it].”
Barto believes a museum for Collegedale should be built in the field behind the Brock Hall parking lot, where the old Thatcher Mansion used to be. He said the museum should look like the mansion.
Lisa Diller, a professor of Early Modern History at Southern, said there used to be a museum about the local history of Chattanooga, which was sold many years ago so a better one could be built. However, according to Diller, that museum project did not get enough funding.
“It’s not just that this is the space [where] we save stuff. It’s also the space that we gather to commemorate, to remember.”
“They spent about eight years fundraising and doing historical walks and developing exhibits and collecting things, and then realized they couldn’t open it,” she said.
For Diller, the sustainability of a museum is just as important as the building and collections it holds.
Along with funding, Diller emphasized the importance of museums being able to tell complicated stories that include both sides of history, whether good or bad. She said the importance of museums being able to show both sides of a community’s history can help not only patrons of the museum, but also the community as a whole to understand where they came from and how they can learn from the past.
Even with the challenges that come with building a physical space dedicated to local history, many people believe museums are important.
Deyse Bravo-Rivera, director of McKee Library on Southern’s campus, stated in an email that community archives are “incredibly important” because archiving “ensures that all the happenings that shaped the town (inception, challenges, achievements, interesting stories, etc. …) are remembered, providing a foundation for present and future generations.”
Bravo-Rivera explained further that “historical archives also offer educational resources for researchers who want to understand a town’s beginnings and changes throughout time.”
Lack of easily accessible archives has led McArthur, who is currently writing a book about the history of Ooltewah, to travel as far away as New York to find certain documents for his research.
According to McArthur, the preservation of local history “really matters a lot … and it’s something people value.” He said it is “the community telling their own story. It would be a real shame not to know that story at all.”
Diller believes museums are a place where local community members can connect with their identity as a people.
“It’s not just that this is the space [where] we save stuff,” she said. “It’s also the space that we gather to commemorate, to remember.”
A brief summary of Collegedale/Ooltewah history
On the morning of Nov. 29, 1863, two Union generals, Jefferson C. Davis and Francis Preston Blair Jr., moved their soldiers close to Ooltewah as the troops made their way to Cleveland, Tenn., according to a note in Union General William T. Sherman’s memoir.
General Davis went through McDaniel’s Gap, the document stated. Mills McArthur, an assistant professor of history and political studies at Southern Adventist University, said the location is where Apison Pike cuts through White Oak Mountain close to campus.
General Sheman’s memoir goes on to state that General Blair, who was in charge of two divisions of the Fifteenth Corps, made his way through Julien’s Gap, which McArthur identified as “where Lee Highway cuts through White Oak Mountain” in Ooltewah.
After the war, in 1871, “Ooltewah became the County Seat … carved out of Hamilton [and Bradley counties],” said McArthur. “Collegedale, this land we’re sitting on, was part of James County back in the day.”
However, James County did not last long. According to the website for Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett, “It was abolished in 1919 and incorporated into Hamilton County where its records are held.”
In 1916, Southern Junior College, now called Southern Adventist University, moved from its original location in Graysville to right outside of Ooltewah, according to the university’s website. In 1968, the area where Southern was located became the newly incorporated City of Collegedale.
According to the City of Collegedale’s website, “The City of Collegedale … has experienced steady growth over its history and enjoys a rich and diverse culture anchored by Southern Adventist University and being a suburban community of Chattanooga and the Tri-State region.”
