Flooding Along the Tennessee River

Flooding Along the Tennessee River. . , In 1816, John Ross selected this spot as the location for a river landing along the Tennessee River. Early on, the fortunes of Chattanooga were connected to the river, which served as the main artery for trade within the region. , , The Tennessee River, however, could be unpredictable. Obstacles downstream, in the "Narrows" of the river gorge, made river travel difficult, and seasonal fluctuations in river levels hindered travel between July and October. Periodic flooding, moreover, led Chattanooga to be considered the "great danger point on the river," and the town suffered disastrous floods almost every decade. , , In 1867, constant rains caused the river to rise at the rate of one foot per hour, burying the town under several feet of muddy water and washing away the Civil War-era Meigs Military Bridge, which stood near this spot. , , During one flood, a steamboat captain piloted his steamer, the Cherokee, up Broad Street to the Road House hotel, where he picked up a group for an "excursion cruise" through the flood waters. , , Frustrated with the destruction caused by the repeated flooding of the city, by the turn of the twentieth century, the people of Chattanooga were searching for a solution that would protect the Dynamo of Dixie from these damaging floods. , , Top left image caption: Chattanooga viewed from Lookout Mountain during the flood of 1867. , Courtesy of Chattanooga Public Library , , Bottom left image caption: Chattanooga Shipyard, c. 1865 , Courtesy of Chattanooga Public Library, Paul A. Hiener Collection , , Top right image caption: The Tennessee River floods the heart of downtown. Corner of Market and Seventh Streets, 1888. , Courtesy of Chattanooga Public Library, Paul A. Hiener Collection , , Bottom right image caption: Crowds gather in front of the Loveman's Department Store at Eighth and Market Streets during the 1886 flood. , Courtesy of Chattanooga Public Library, Paul A. Hiener Collection