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| New Walnut Grove (later East Brainerd) School, 1926 |
(Major revisions 6 July 2025)
Hamilton County Schools
The Hamilton County Schools system was established in 1867. Its first superintendent was Ewing O. Tade, head of the local Freedmen’s Bureau, first principal of Howard Free School (beginning in 1866), and pastor of the integrated First Congregationalist Church. In July 1868, Tade reported to the county that 82 schools had been established in the county, 28 of those for black children.
At the end of the first school year in 1869, Superintendent Tade reported sixty-five schools in the county, forty-one for white children and twenty-four for black children, with twelve more white schools and four more black schools expected by the beginning of the next school year.
In 1881, there were fifty-five public schools in the county system (the reduced number due to consolidation); by fall 1893, there number had increased to seventy-two.
Younger students were divided into primary schools, children 5-9 years old, and grammar schools, 10-14 years old, usually in the same building. By the turn of the century, primary and grammar schools were combined into elementary schools, though in some cases the old nomenclature remained (for instance, Highland Park Grammar School).
Between 1883 (when the State of Tennessee first authorized them) and 1902, the county added high school grades (as opposed to physically separate high school buildings) to existing schools, but no separate high school buildings or separate administrations for high school grades in the schools which had them.
In the 19th century, high schools were three-year institutions, with students progressing through Junior, Middle, and Senior levels. In the early decades, high schools were classed by how many levels they contained. Those with three years (grades 10-12) were called first-class high schools; those with four years (grades 9-12) were called second-class high schools; those with six years (grades 7-12) were called third-class high schools.
Schools in Hamilton County were at first organized by civil district, but this diverged in the 1890s with the exponential growth of the system. The two systems of districts were synched in 1903, reducing the number of school districts to twenty, but this diverged with the reduction of civil districts in the county from twenty to six in 1906. This remained the case until the two were resynched in 1911.
School directors over all the schools in each civil district were elected yearly, as were originally teachers and principals (in schools with more than one teacher). Failing reelection would result in dismissal or relocation.
The Welsh School
In the 1880s and possibly into the 1890s, there was a Welsh School in the north of the county, School No. 3 of District 12, so-called because the majority of its pupils were Welsh or of Welsh descent and classes were in Welsh. Not only was it the largest of the three public schools in that district, but with 145 pupils in 1881, the largest in the county, the next in size then being Wauhatchie School, School No. 1 in Civil District 3, at 130 pupils.
This school served the children of the huge population of Welsh immigrants attracted to the region of northern Hamilton County because of the large number of coal mines there. In addition to the school, well into the 1930s, there were a Welsh Presbyterian Church and a Welsh Union Church in Sale Creek and a Welsh Congregational Church in Soddy which later renamed itself Congregational Church of Soddy.
Chattanooga City Schools
In 1869, the then Repubican-dominated government of the City of Chattanooga adopted Howard School as its own. The Chattanooga City Schools system was established in 1873, along with three schools for white children. Its first superintendent was Professor Henry D. Wyatt, for whom the central building of what is now Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences is named. The Howard School, in the former Bragg Hospital at the corner of Sixth Street and Pine, was transferred to its jurisdiction.
Howard School is the oldest continuing public school in the city, as well as the county, founded 1866 as Howard Free School and meeting initially in the former Bragg Hospital at Sixth and Pine Streets. In 1871, it moved into its own new building near the intersection Branham (East 9th) Street and A (Lindsay) Street, on the outskirts of the Irish Hill community, next to First Congregationalist on the corner. When it later grew a high school, that became Howard School, and the elementary grades became known as Ninth Street School, both continuing to meet in the same building.
Howard School later moved, and Ninth Street School closed at the end of the 1887-1888 school year. Its former building was remodeled to become the city’s Manual Training School (for white children), but that only lasted two years. After the Steele Home for Colored Orphans burned, it used the vacant Ninth Street School for a little while. Next, the building was used as an overflow facility for white schools, then reopened as a school for black children at the turn of the century, or at least by 1902 and thru 1907.
In 1873, First Ward (soon renamed First District) School began in a small schoolhouse on Georgia Avenue; Third Ward (later Second District) School opened in a rented space on Sixth Street just west of Market; and Fifth Ward (later Third District) School began in two rooms rented from a Methodist Episcopal church on Cowart Street.
Chattanooga High School was organized in December 1874, known until 1904 as Central High School. It first met in the two rooms on top floor of the three-floor Masonic Academy, also a former Civil War hospital, located at what were Gillespie (West 11th) and Early (Cedar) Streets before the Golden Gateway project obliterated them.
By the
1875-1876 school year, the city’s Third District Colored School (later called
Fifth Ward School) had begun operation, as had the Second District School,
Masonic Institute (on Academy Hill) and the Walnut Street School, both for
white children.
In 1880, First District School moved into a new, more spacious building on the
corner of McCallie and D (Douglas) Streets, with Central High occupying rooms
on its top floor. Because of that, late
19th century maps of Chattanooga often depict the place as “Central High
School”. Meanwhile, Second District (formerly
Third Ward) moved into the Masonic Academy where the high school had been
meeting.
By 1883, Howard High School was holding classes in the top floors of its new
building at Gilmer (East 8th) and D (Douglas) Streets, next to Shiloh (First)
Baptist Church, the first black church in the city, where it continued as the
20th century opened. A primary-grammar school named Gilmer Street School
operated in the lower floors of the building and another in Howard’s former
building on East 9th Street called Ninth Street School.
Tadetown School operated near Fort Wood for at least the 1887-1888 school year. Tadetown was a black community bound on the east and north by the East Tennesee, Virginia, and Georgia Railway, on the west by Hampton Street, and on the south by East 5th Street.
Montgomery Avenue School (formerly Fifth Ward School) opened its doors on Montgomery Avenue (Main Street) and College Street in 1888.
In
1891, Chattanooga Lodge No. 199, F&AM moved into their new Temple on Cherry
and Seventh Streets (the former Mountain City Club), and Second District School
moved down to the lower floors of the Old Academy. With the First
District facility now overcrowded, Central High also moved into thus vacated
upper spaces of the Old Academy.
Meanwhile, Third District School moved into its newly built facility at Long
and John (W. 21st) Streets in 1891, and the Manual Training School opened
its doors in the former Ninth Street School. Unfortunately, the school
board was forced to close the latter at the end of the 1892-1893 school year
due to lack of funds.
In 1896, the Old Academy burned to the ground. A new building for Second
District School opened at the same spot in the fall of 1897, as Central High
School moved into the D.C. McMillan House at 111 Gilmer (East 8th) Street,
in which it met when the new century began.
Meanwhile, Park Place School opened its doors the same year, initially as
an overflow facility to relieve overcrowding in nearby First District School.
This is the growth of schools in Hamilton County and the City of Chattanooga from the earliest date for which the Chattanooga Public Library has record to the current year (2019). Not every year is represented, of course, but enough to get a general idea of their development and change over the past one hundred fourteen years.
Hamilton County Schools (HCS), 1900-1901
White
At the opening of the century, high school grades were taught at the follow schools: Avondale, Gold Point, Highland Park, Hixson, Ridgedale, Red Bank, St. Elmo, Sale Creek, Sherman Heights, Soddy, Tyner, and Walnut Grove.
Alton Park
School
Avondale
School; Dodson and Camden
Brown’s
Chapel School
Chickamauga
School; at the later Lovell Field
Citico
School; Johnson (Scruggs) St., Wm. Gillespie Tract
Coulterville
School
Daisy
School; previously absorbed Melville School
East End
School; E. 37th and Clio Ave.
*East Lake
School; E. 37th and 14th Ave.
East Side
School; in the later East Ridge
Fairmount
School
Fairview
School; Fairview Rd., a mile north of Hamill Rd.
Falling
Water School
Flat Top
School; Jones Gap Rd. & Perkins Point Rd.
Fox’s
School; vicinity of Sale Creek
Gann’s
School; Gann Rd., a mile west of Middle Valley Pk.
Gold Point
School
Harrison
School
Highland
Park School
Hill City
School, East Side
Hill City
School, West Side
+Hixson School
Hot Water
School; intersection of Hotwater Rd. & Old Hotwater Rd.
Igou’s
Ferry School
Jersey
School
Kings Point
School
Mayflower
School; right angle curve of Mayflower Rd.
McCormick’s
Chapel School
Mission
Ridge School; next to Bragg Reservation
Moccasin
Bend School
Mount Tabor
School; Lee Pike, a mile south of Mt. Tabor Rd.
Mowbray
School
Mountain
Junction School; W. 47th St. and St. Elmo Ave.
Oak Hill
School; Bartlebaugh
Oakdale
School; on May Rd. a mile north of Oakdale Rd.
Oakwood
School; vicinity of Fairmount
Orange
Grove School; Main and Fagan, in the suburb of Orange Grove
Pine Hill
School
Pleasant
Hill School
Red Bank
School
Retro
School; in Bakewell
+Ridgedale
School
Annex to
Ridgedale School
Rossville
School (annex to East Lake)
St. Elmo
School; W. 37th and Broad
Annex to
St. Elmo School
+Sale Creek
School
Sawyers
School
School No.
2, District 4 (commonly called Stringers School)
School No.
3, District 1
School No.
7, District 1; Middle Valley Pk. & Daisy-Harrison Rd.
Shady Grove
School; Hixson Pike near Soddy Creek (formerly Welsh School)
Shallow
Ford School; formerly Hornville Sch., Oak Grove Sch. before that
** Sherman
Heights School; Cushman and Harrison/Dodson Ave.
Silverdale
School
+Soddy
School
Spring
Creek School
Suck School
Sunnyside
School; Germantown Road
+Tyner
School
Union Fork
School; vicinity of Soddy
+Walnut
Grove School (South Gunbarrel Road)
Wauhatchie
School
* Absorbed
East End School by the mid-1890s
** Absorbed
Boyce’s East Chattanooga School in the 1890s
Black
High school grades were taught at the following schools, at least: Churchville, Magby Pond, and St. Elmo (Colored).
Bird’s Mill
School
Chickamauga
School (Colored); at Whispering Pines Mobile Homes
* Churchville
School
Coulterville
School (Colored)
** Fort Cheatham
School; Grant (12th Ave.) and E. 24th
Hill City
School (Colored)
Hixson
School (Colored); Jasper community
Magby Pond
School
Mission
Ridge School (Colored); 237 Shallowford Road
*** Orchard
Knob School; E. 4th and Orchard Knob
Retro
School (Colored); Bakewell
St. Elmo
School (Colored); W. 38th and Church Sts.
School No.
6, District 12; vicinity of Soddy
Sherman
Heights School (Colored); 2410 Dodson Avenue
Soddy
School (Colored)
Suck School
(Colored)
Turkey Foot
School
Tyner
School (Colored); Hawkinsville
Wauhatchie
School (Colored)
* Absorbed
Bushtown School by the end of the 1890s
** Absorbed
End End School (Colored) in the 1890s
*** Absorbed Cedar Grove School by the end of the 1890s
Originally, schools were listed simply by their numerical designations in each district, and only gradually the local names began to take precedence. At the start of the 20th century, schools were usually listed by both number and name, if they had one.
Dist. 1: Ganns (No. 1); Gold Point (No. 2); No. 3 (Gold Point); Daisy (No. 4); No. 7 (Melville)
Dist. 2: Fairview (No. 1); Hixson (No. 2); Falling Water (No. 3); Hixson-Colored (No. 4); Brown’s Chapel
Dist. 3: Pleasant Hill School (No. 1); *Mountain Creek (No. 2); Pine Hill (No. 3); Hill City East Side (No. 4); Hill City, West Side (also No. 4); Hill City-Colored (No. 5);Moccasin Bend School; Suck School; Suck School-Colored (*aka Stringers School)
Dist. 4: Wauhatchie (No. 1); Stringers (No. 2); Wauhatchie-Colored; Shoals School
Dist. 5: Sunnyside (No. 1); Ridgedale (No. 2); Orange Grove (No. 2); Mission Ridge-Colored (No. 3); Fort Cheatham (No. 4); Spring Creek (No. 5); Shallow Ford (No. 6); Mission Ridge (No. 8); Highland Park; Annex to Ridgedale; Bird’s Mill
Dist. 6: Sherman Heights (No. 1); Avondale (No. 2); Kings Point School (No. 3); Sherman Heights-Colored (No. 4)
Dist. 7: Oak Hill (No. 2); Turkey Foot (No. 3); Harrison-Colored (No. 4)
Dist. 8: Mowbray (No. 1)
Dist. 9: East Lake (No. 1); East Side (No. 2); Rossville School (annex to East Lake)
Dist. 10: Churchville (No. 1); Citico (No.
2); Orchard Knob (No. 3)
(Bushtown,
No. 4, consolidated with Churchville before 1900)
Dist. 11: Fox’s (No.1); No. 2; Mayflower (No. 3); Oakdale (No. 4)
Dist. 12: Soddy (No. 1); Union Fork (No. 2); Shady Grove (No. 3); Hot Water (No. 4); Soddy School-Colored (No. 6); Claysville (No. 7)
Dist. 13: Retro (No. 1); Flat Top (No. 2); Mt. Tabor (No. 3); Retro-Colored (No. 4)
Dist. 14: City of Chattanooga
Dist. 15: Chickamauga-Colored (No. 1); Chickamauga (No. 2); Walnut Grove (No. 3)
Dist. 16: Fairmount (No. 1); Sawyers (No. 2); Oakwood (No. 3)
Dist. 17: St. Elmo, 17th District (No. 1); Alton Park; St. Elmo-Colored
Dist. 18: Tyner (No. 2); Kings Point (No. 3)*;
Jersey (No. 4); Magby Pond (No. 5); Tyner-Colored (No. 6)
(*Kings Point School’s assignment here
was an anomaly, as the bulk of the community it served lay in the Sixth Civil
District.)
Dist. 19: Town of Lookout Mountain
Dist. 20: St. Elmo, 20th District
Dist. 21: Coulterville; Coulterville-Colored
Dist. 22: Igou’s Ferry
Dist. 23: Red Bank
Dist. 24: Sale Creek
Dist. 26: Silverdale
Dist. 27: HarrisonCentral High School; 111 Gilmer (East 8th)
First District School; McCallie and D (Douglas)
Park Place School; Park and Fairview
Second District School; Gillespie (W. 11th) and Early (Cedar)
Third District School; Williams and John (W. 21st)
Park Place School (Annex to First District)
Although often referred to at the time as “the city high school”, its official designation was indeed Central High School, though it was also called Chattanooga High School. This continued into 1906 when the county’s plans to build its own Central High School on Dodds Avenue began to come to fruition. Thereafter it became City High School.
BlackOliver O. Howard High School; Gilmer (East 8th) and D (Douglas)
Montgomery Avenue (Main Street) School; Main and College
Gilmer (East 8th) Street School; became Gillespie Street School
Hamilton County Schools (HCS), 1902-1903
White
Alton Park
School
Avondale
School; Dodson and Camden
Brown’s
Chapel School
Chickamauga
School; at the later Lovell Field
Citico School
Coulterville
School
Daisy
School
East End
School; E. 37th and Clio Ave.
* East Lake
School; E. 37th and 14th Ave.
East Side
School; in the later East Ridge
Fairmount
School
Fairview
School; Fairview Rd., a mile north of Hamill Rd.
Falling
Water School
Flat Top
School; Jones Gap Rd. & Perkins Point Rd.
Fox’s
School; vicinity of Sale Creek
Gann’s
School; Gann Rd., a mile west of Middle Valley Pk.
Gold Point
School
Harrison
School
Highland
Park School
Hill City
School, East Side
Hill City
School, West Side
+Hixson
School
Hot Water
School; intersection of Hotwater Rd. & Old Hotwater Rd.
Igou’s
Ferry School
Jersey
School
* Kings Point School
Mayflower
School; right angle curve of Mayflower Rd.
McCormick’s
Chapel School
Mission
Ridge School; next to Bragg Reservation
Moccasin
Bend School.
Mount Tabor
School; Lee Pike, a mile south of Mt. Tabor Rd.
Mountain
Creek School
** Mountain Junction School
Mowbray
School
Oak Hill
School; Bartlebaugh
Oakdale
School; on May Rd. a mile north of Oakdale Rd.
Oakwood
School; vicinity of Fairmount
Orange
Grove School; Main and Fagan, in the suburb of Orange Grove
Pine Hill
School
Pleasant
Hill School
Red Bank
School
Retro School;
in Bakewell
+Ridgedale
School
Annex to
Ridgedale School
St. Elmo
School; W. 37th and Broad
Annex to
St. Elmo School
** St. Elmo
School, 20th District; W. 47th St. and St. Elmo Ave.
+Sale Creek
School
Sawyers
School
School No.
2, District 4 (commonly called Stringers School)
School No.
3, District 1
School No.
7, District 1; Middle Valley Pk. & Daisy-Harrison Rd.
Shady Grove
School; Hixson Pike near Soddy Creek
Shallow
Ford School; formerly Hornville Sch., Oak Grove Sch. before that
Sherman
Heights School; Cushman and Harrison/Dodson Ave.
Silverdale
School
+Soddy
School
Spring
Creek School
*** Suck
School
Sunnyside
School; Gillespie (North Germantown) Road
+Tyner
School
Union Fork
School; vicinity of Soddy
+Walnut
Grove School (South Gunbarrel Road)
Wauhatchie
School
* Discontinued by the state at the end of the year.
** St. Elmo School, 20th District after this year
*** Discontinued after this year, students ferried to Shoals School across the Tennessee
River in Cash Canyon
Black
High school grades were taught at the following schools, at least: Churchville, Magby Pond, and St. Elmo (Colored).
* Bird’s Mill School
Chickamauga
School (Colored)
Churchville
School
Coulterville
School (Colored)
Fort Cheatham
School; Grant (12th Ave.) and E. 24th
Hill City
School (Colored)
Hixson
School (Colored); Jasper community
Magby Pond
School
Mission
Ridge School (Colored); 237 Shallowford Road
Orchard
Knob School; E. 4th and Orchard Knob
Retro
School (Colored); Bakewell
St. Elmo School (Colored); W. 38th and Church Sts.
School No.
6, District 12; vicinity of Soddy
Sherman
Heights School (Colored); 2410 Dodson Avenue
Soddy
School (Colored)
** Suck School (Colored)
Turkey Foot
School
Tyner
School (Colored); Hawkinsville
Wauhatchie
School (Colored)
*
Discontinued after the next year.
**
Discontinued after this year; students to Hill City (Colored)
Dist. 1: Ganns (No. 1); Gold Point (No. 2); No. 3 (Gold Point); Daisy (No. 4); No. 7 (Melville)
Dist. 2: Fairview (No. 1); Hixson (No. 2); Falling Water (No. 3); Hixson-Colored (No. 4); Brown’s Chapel
Dist. 3: Mountain Creek (No. 2); Pine Hill (No. 3); Hill City East Side (No. 4); Hill City, West Side (also No. 4); Hill City-Colored (No. 5); Suck School
Dist. 4: Wauhatchie (No. 1); Stringers (No. 2); Wauhatchie-Colored; Shoals School
Dist. 5: Sunnyside (No. 1); Ridgedale (No. 2); Orange Grove (No. 2); Mission Ridge-Colored (No. 3); Fort Cheatham (No. 4); Spring Creek (No. 5); Shallow Ford (No. 6); Mission Ridge (No. 8); Highland Park; Annex to Ridgedale; Bird’s Mill
Dist. 6: Sherman Heights (No. 1); Avondale (No. 2); Kings Point School (No. 3); Sherman Heights-Colored (No. 4)
Dist. 7: Oak Hill (No. 2); Turkey Foot (No. 3); Harrison-Colored (No. 4)
Dist. 8: Mowbray (No. 1)
Dist. 9: East Lake (No. 1); East Side (No. 2); Rossville School
Dist. 10: Orchard Knob (No. 1); Citico (No. 2); Churchville (No. 3)
Dist. 11: Fox’s (No.1); No. 2; Mayflower (No. 3); Oakdale (No. 4)
Dist. 12: Soddy (No. 1); Union Fork (No. 2); Shady Grove (No. 3); Hot Water (No. 4); Soddy School-Colored (No. 6); Claysville (No. 7)
Dist. 13: Retro (No. 1); Flat Top (No. 2); Mt. Tabor (No. 3); Retro-Colored (No. 4)
Dist. 14: City of Chattanooga
Dist. 15: Chickamauga-Colored (No. 1); Chickamauga (No. 2); Walnut Grove (No. 3)
Dist. 16: Fairmount (No. 1); Sawyers (No. 2); Oakwood (No. 3)
Dist. 17: St. Elmo, 17th District (No. 1); Alton Park; St. Elmo-Colored
Dist. 18: Tyner (No. 2); Kings Point (No.
3); Jersey (No. 4); Magby Pond (No. 5); Tyner-Colored (No. 6)
Dist. 19: Town of Lookout Mountain
Dist. 20: St. Elmo, 20th District
Dist. 21: Coulterville; Coulterville-Colored
Dist. 22: Igou’s Ferry
Dist. 23: Red Bank
Dist. 24: Sale Creek
Dist. 26: Silverdale
Dist. 27: Harrison
At the end of the 1902-1903 schools year, the Hamilton County court voted to resynchronize school districts with the county’s civil districts, then numbering twenty. Hence, the 21st school district was merged into the 11th school district; the 22nd was merged into the 12th with part of its student reassigned to the 1st; the 23rd was merged into the 3rd, with part of its students reassigned to the 2nd; the 24th was merged into the 11th; the 25th did not exist; the 26th was merged into 18th, with some of its students transferred to the 7th; and the 27th was merged into the 7th. Two years later, however, there were twenty-one school districts.
All schools but one were kept; students of the small Suck School on Moccasin Bend were ferried across the Tennessee River to the Shoals School in Cash Canyon community, then in the Fourth Civil District. The latter was named for the Tumbling Shoals just below William Island later erased by the building of Hales Bar Dam. This resulted in that part of the left bank of the river being detached and reassigned to the Third Civil District.Hamilton County Schools (HCS), 1904-1905
White
Alton Park
School
Avondale
School
*Brown’s
Chapel School
Chickamauga
School
Citico School
Coulterville
School
Daisy School
East End
School
East Lake
School
East Side
School
Fairmount
School
Fairview
School
*Falling
Water School
Flat Top
School
Fox’s
School
Gann’s
School
Gold Point
School
Harrison
School
Highland
Park School (annexed to the city as 4th District School)
Hill City
School, East Side
Hill City
School, West Side
+Hixson
School
Hot Water
School
Igou’s
Ferry School
Jersey
School
Mayflower
School
McCormick’s
Chapel School
Mission
Ridge School
Moccasin
Bend School (opened year
before)
Mount Tabor
School
Mountain
Creek School
Mowbray
School
Oak Hill
School
Oakdale
School
Oakwood
School
Orange
Grove School
Pine Hill
School
Pleasant
Hill School
Red Bank
School
Retro
School
+Ridgedale
School
Annex to
Ridgedale School
Rossville School (Annex to East Lake)
St. Elmo
School
Annex to
St. Elmo School
St. Elmo
School, 20th District
+Sale Creek
School
Sawyers
School
School No.
3, District 1
School No.
7, District 1
Shady Grove
School
Shallow
Ford School
Sherman
Heights School
Silverdale
School
+Soddy
School
Spring
Creek School
Stringers School
Sunnyside
School
+Tyner
School
Union Fork
School; vicinity of Soddy
+Walnut
Grove School
Wauhatchie
School
*Brown’s Chapel and Falling Water were consolidated as Central Grove
Black
Chickamauga
School (Colored)
Churchville
School
Coulterville
School (Colored)
Fort
Cheatham School
Hill City
School (Colored)
Hixson
School (Colored)
Magby Pond
School
Mission
Ridge School (Colored)
Orchard
Knob School
Retro
School (Colored)
School No.
6, District 12
Sherman
Heights School (Colored)
Soddy
School (Colored)
St. Elmo
School (Colored)
Turkey Foot
School
Tyner
School (Colored)
Wauhatchie
School (Colored)
Dist. 1:
Ganns (No. 1); Gold Point (No. 2); No. 3 (Gold Point); Daisy (No. 4);
No. 7 (Melville)
Dist. 2:
Fairview (No. 1); Hixson (No. 2); Falling Water (No. 3); Hixson-Colored
(No. 4); Brown’s Chapel
Dist. 3: Pleasant Hill School (No. 1); Red Bank (No. 1); Moccasin Bend School (No. 2); Mountain Creek (No. 2); Pine Hill (No. 3); Hill City East Side (No. 4); Hill City, West Side (also No. 4); Hill City-Colored (No. 5)
Dist. 4: Wauhatchie (No. 1); Stringers (No. 2); Wauhatchie-Colored
Dist. 5: Sunnyside (No. 1); Ridgedale (No. 2); Orange Grove (No. 2); Mission Ridge-Colored (No. 3); Fort Cheatham (No. 4); Spring Creek (No. 5); Shallow Ford (No. 6); Mission Ridge (No. 8); Highland Park School; Annex to Ridgedale
Dist. 6:
Sherman Heights (No. 1); Avondale (No. 2); Sherman Heights-Colored (No.
4)
Dist. 7:
Harrison (No. 1); Oak Hill (No. 2); Turkey Foot (No. 3);
Harrison-Colored (No. 4)
Dist. 8: Mowbray (No. 1)
Dist. 9:
East Lake (No. 1)
Dist. 10:
Orchard Knob (No. 1); Churchville (No. 3)
Dist. 11:
Fox’s (No.1); No. 2; Mayflower (No. 3); Oakdale (No. 4); Sale Creek (No.
5); Coulterville (No. 6); Coulterville-Colored (No. 7)
Dist. 12: Soddy (No. 1); Union Fork (No. 2); Hot Water
(No. 4); Shady Grove (No. 5); Soddy School-Colored) (No. 6); Igou’s Ferry (No.
7); Claysville (No. 7)
Dist. 13: Retro (No. 1); Flat Top (No. 2);
Mt. Tabor (No. 3); Retro-Colored (No. 4)
Dist. 14:
City of Chattanooga
Dist. 15: Chickamauga-Colored (No. 1);
Chickamauga (No. 2); Walnut Grove (No. 3)
Dist. 16: Fairmount (No. 1); Sawyers (No.
2); Oakwood (No. 3)
Dist. 17: St. Elmo, 17th District (No. 1);
Alton Park
Dist. 18: Silverdale (No. 1); Tyner (No. 2); Jersey (No. 4); Magby Pond (No. 5); Tyner-Colored (No. 6)
Dist. 19:
Town of Lookout Mountain
Dist. 20: St. Elmo, 20th District (No. 1)
** Citico School
School No. 3, District 12
School No. 7, District 1
Stringers School
Dist. 1: Ganns (No.1); Gold Point (No. 2); No. 3 (Gold Point
also); Daisy (No. 4); No. 7 (Melville)
Dist. 2: Fairview (No. 1); Hixson (2); Central Grove (Nos.
3&5); Hixson-Colored (No. 4)
Dist. 3: Pleasant Hill (No. 1); Moccasin Bend School (No. 2); Pine
Hill (No. 3); Hill City East Side (No. 4); Hill City, West Side (also No. 4);
Hill City-Colored (No. 5)
Dist. 4: Wauhatchie (No. 1); Shoals School (No. 2); Wauhatchie-Colored (No. 3)
Dist.
5: Sunnyside (No. 1); Ridgedale (No. 2); Orange Grove
(No. 2); Mission Ridge-Colored (No. 3); Fort Cheatham (No. 4); Spring Creek
(No. 5); Shallow Ford (No. 6); Mission Ridge (No. 8); Annex to Ridgedale
Dist.
6: Sherman Heights (No. 1); Avondale (No. 2); Sherman
Heights-Colored (No. 4)
Dist.
7: Harrison (No. 1); Oak Hill (No. 2); Turkey Foot (No.
3); Harrison-Colored (No. 4)
Dist.
8: Mowbray (No. 1)
Dist.
9: East Lake (No. 1); East Side (No. 2); Rossville
Dist.
10: Orchard Knob (No. 1); Churchville (No. 3)
Dist.
11: Fox’s (No. 1); No. 2; Mayflower (No. 3); Oakdale (No.
4); Sale Creek (No. 5); Coulterville (No. 6); Coulterville-Colored (No. 7)
Dist.
12: Soddy (No. 1); Union Fork (No. 2); Shady Grove (No.
3); Hot Water (No. 4); Soddy-Colored (No. 5); No. 6; Igou’s Ferry (No. 7)
Dist. 13: Retro (No. 1); Flat Top (No. 2); Mt. Tabor (No. 3); Retro-Colored
(No. 4)
Dist. 15: Chickamauga-Colored (No. 1); Chickamauga (No. 2);
Walnut Grove (No. 3)
Dist.
16: Fairmount (No. 1); Sawyers (No. 2); Oakwood (No. 3)
Dist.
17: St. Elmo, 17th District (No. 1); Alton Park; St.
Elmo-Colored; Annex to St. Elmo
Dist.
18: Silverdale (No. 1); Tyner (No. 2); Jersey (No. 4);
Magby Pond (No. 5); Tyner-Colored (No. 6)
Dist.
19: Town of
Lookout Mountain
Dist. 20: St. Elmo, 20th District (No. 1)
Dist.
21: Mountain Creek; Red Bank
Chattanooga City Schools (CCS), 1905-1906
Chattanooga High School’s new home of 1905 at 413 East 8th Street between Houston and Mabel Streets a few blocks further down from its previous location on East 8th Street was named the Dickinson Building.
White
Central
High School; 111 East 8th (Gilmer)
First District School; McCallie and Douglas)
* Park
Place School; Park and Fairview
Second District School; Gillespie (W. 11th) and Early (Cedar)
Third District School; Williams and John (W. 21st)
* Opened as a separate school 1903-1904
Black
In 1904, Howard High School moved into
a new building on East 11th Street between Foster and Clift (Douglas) Streets (the section of Douglas south of Gillespie or
East 11th was then named Clift Street).
Its building mate, Gilmer Street School, moved with it and became
Eleventh Street School.
Oliver O.
Howard High School; East 11th and Douglas
* Montgomery Avenue School; Main and College
** Fifth Street School; East 5th and Southern Railway
** Eleventh
Street School; East 11th and Foster
*** East
Ninth Street School; East 9th and Lindsay
* Name
changed to Main Street School in April 1908.
** Fifth
Street School opened the year before; Eleventh Street School opened this school
year. At three stories, the latter was
the larger of the two.
Central
High School; absorbed programs at Ridgedale and Sherman Heights
*Hixson
High School; absorbed program at Gold Point
Soddy High
School; absorbed program at Red Bank
Tyner High
School; absorbed program at Walnut Grove
*Classes did not begin until the 1908-1909 school year
The districts for this school year:
Dist. 1: Daisy; Daisy (Colored); Ganns; Gold Point;
No. 3
Dist. 2: Central Grove**; Fairview; Hixson; Hixson
(Colored)
Dist. 3: Hill City (Colored); Hill City, South Side;
Hill City, North Side;
Pine Hill; Shoals*
Dist. 4: No. 2; Wauhatchie
Dist.
5: Fort Cheatham; Mission Ridge; Mission
Ridge (Colored); Orange Grove; Ridgedale; Shallow Ford; Spring Creek; Sunnyside
Dist.
6: Avondale; East Chattanooga; King’s
Point; Sherman Heights (Colored)
Dist.
7: Harrison; Harrison (Colored); Oak
Hill; Turkey Foot
Dist.
8: Montlake; Mowbray
Dist.
9: East Lake; East Side
Dist.
10: Orchard Knob
Dist.
11: Central Grove**; Coulterville; Coulterville
(Colored); Mayflower; Oakdale; Sale Creek
Dist.
12: Igou’s Ferry; No. 6; Shady Grove; Soddy;
Union Fork
Dist. 13: Flat Top; Mt. Tabor; Retro; Retro (Colored); Waldron
Dist. 15: Chickamauga (Colored); Chickamauga; Walnut Grove
Dist.
16: Fairmount; Oakwood; Sawyers
Dist.
17: Alton Park; St. Elmo
Dist.
18: Jersey; Magby Pond; Silverdale;
Tyner; Tyner (Colored)
Dist. 20: St. Elmo, 20th District
Dist.
21: Mountain Creek; Red Bank
*While it may seem odd that Shoals School on the left
bank of the Tennessee River was in the same district as the other schools which
were all on the right bank, rural roads in the early 20th century were often in
such poor condition that Shoals School was more accessible to Pine Hill and the
three Hill City schools via the Williams Ferry, even with the still present and
active Tumbling Shoals (Hales Bar Dam wasn’t closed till 1913).
**According to the directory for Hamilton County Schools for this year, there were indeed two separate schools named Central Grove.
The districts for this school year (the county was redistricted in 1905):
District 1: Chattanooga City (see below); included Central High
District 2: Brown’s Chapel, Central Grove, Fairmount, Fairview, Gann, Gold Point, Hixson, Hixson (Colored), Hixson High, Mountain Creek, Normal Park, North Chattanooga, North Chattanooga (Colored), Pine Hill, Red Bank, Sawyers, Shoal, Roberts Mill, Valdeau
District 3: Coulterville, Coulterville (Colored), Crabtree, Daisy, Daisy (Colored), Flat Top, Igou, McCormick’s Chapel, Mayflower, Miller’s Grove, Montlake, Mt. Tabor, Mowbray, Oakdale, Pankey (Colored), Retro, Retro (Colored), Sale Creek, Shady Grove, Soddy, Soddy (Colored), Soddy High, Union Fork
District 4: Alton Park, North St. Elmo, St. Elmo (Colored), South St. Elmo
District 5: Chickamauga, Chickamauga (Colored), East End (Colored), Mission Ridge, East Lake (Colored), East Side (Colored), Eastdale (Colored), Fort Cheatham (Colored), Rossville, Walnut Grove
District 6: Avondale, East Chattanooga, East Chattanooga (Colored), Jersey, King’s Point, Harrison, Harrison (Colored), Lincoln High (Colored), Magby Pond, Oak Hills, Orchard Knob (Colored), Perry, Silverdale, Tyner, Tyner (Colored), Tyner High
Hamilton County Schools (HCS), 1914-1915
White
Central
High School
Hixson High
School
Soddy High
School
Tyner High
School
Alton Park School
Avondale School
Brown’s
Chapel School
Central
Grove School
Chickamauga School
Coulterville School
Crabtree School
Daisy School
East
Chattanooga School
East Lake School
East Side School
Fairmount School
Fairview School
Flat Top School
Gann School
Gold Point School
Harrison School
Hixson School
Igou School
Jersey School
King’s
Point School
McCormick’s
Chapel School
Mayflower School
Miller’s
Grove School
Mission
Ridge School
Montlake School
Mt. Tabor School
Mountain
Creek School
Mowbray School
Normal Park School
North
Chattanooga School
North St.
Elmo School
Oak Hills School
Oakdale School
Perry School
Pine Hill School
Red Bank School
Retro School
Roberts
Mill School
Rossville School
Sale Creek School
Sawyers School
Shady Grove School
Shoals School
Silverdale School
Soddy School
South St.
Elmo School
Tyner School
Union Fork School
Valdeau School
Walnut
Grove School
Black
Orchard Knob High School moved into Bushtown at the northwest corner of North Holly Street and Citico Avenue and became Abraham Lincoln High School in the 1914-1915 school year. The new institution also included a grammar school of the same name.
Abraham Lincoln High School
Chickamauga
(Colored) School
Coulterville
(Colored) School
Daisy
(Colored) School
*East
Chattanooga (Colored) School
East End School
Eastdale School
Fort
Cheatham School
Harrison
(Colored) School
Hixson
(Colored) School
Abraham Lincoln Grammar School
Magby Pond School
North Chattanooga
(Colored) School
Orchard
Knob School
Pankey School
Retro
(Colored) School
St. Elmo
(Colored) School
Soddy
(Colored) School
Turkey Foot School
Tyner
(Colored) School
*In 1921, East Chattanooga School (Colored) moved into a new, larger, more centrally located building at 906 Dodson Ave.
White
Chattanooga
High School; 413 Gilmer (East 8th), between Houston and Mabel
First
District School; McCallie and Douglas, became Clara Carpenter
Second
District School
Third District
School
Fourth
District School; formerly Highland Park School
Park Place
School
Chestnut
Street School; Chestnut and W. 4th
Jefferson
Street School; Jefferson and E. 18th
Hemlock
School; Highland Park and E. 12th
Ridgedale
School
Oak Grove
School
Orange
Grove School
Black
Howard
High School; Gillespie between Foster and Clift (Douglas)
Gillespie
Street School; became Eleventh Street
School
Montgomery
Avenue School; Main and College, became Main Street School
Carolina Street
School; became East Fifth Street School
Chattanooga
Avenue School; 28th and Williams
Former James County Schools (JCS), 1920
In 1871, the eastern part of Hamilton County and some western parts of Bradley County were divided off to form James County. In the east, county line ran southwesterly from Harrison, passing east of the George House house in Silverdale and meeting the Georgia stateline at or near Blackwell’s Ford (behind the far end of the driving range at Council Fire).
In 1919, beset by many problems that included two county courthouses burning down, James County folded and returned to Hamilton, taking the parts contributed by Bradley.
In the consolidation of the two counties, Hamilton County reorganized into four, rather than five, civil districts, the former James County making up the bigger county’s District 4.
White
Ooltewah High School; formerly James County High
Apison
School
Birchwood
(formerly Rutherford Graded School)
Cross Roads
School (Mahan Gap & Ooltewah-Georgetown Rds.)
Fairview School,
District 4 (later merged into Ooltewah)
Friendship
School
Howardville
School (orig. Union Shed School; merged into Apison 1925)
Maddux
School
New Union
Ooltewah
School
Prospect
School (later merged into Apison)
Salem
School
Savannah
Grove School
Snow Hill
School
Sylar
School
Tallant
School
West Point
School (became West View in 1924)
White Oak
School (merged into West View in 1924)
Black
Georgetown School
(Colored)
Harrison School (Colored)
Ooltewah School (Colored)
Summit School
James Co. Schools closed before county consolidation
Apison School
(Colored); closed due to lack of pupils
Baker’s
School; merged into Birchwood
Blue
Springs School; consolidated into Friendship
Deer Lick
School; consolidated into Friendship
Honestville
School; merged into Ooltewah
Morris Hill School; became West Point*
Priddy
School; consolidated into Friendship
Providence
School; merged into Snow Hill
Rains
School; consolidated into Friendship
*After moving from Morris Hill location to a point
halfway between Ryall Springs and Westview communities.
*The school officially became Chattanooga High School (City) in fall 1922 and remained thus through the end of the 1962-1963 school year. Prior to that, from the time planning began in 1916 until its first year, the school was known as Wyatt High School and was sometimes still called that into the late 1920s. The central building of CSAS is still named Wyatt Hall. The school’s wings were added by the WPA in 1937, the west wing named for math teacher Anneta Trimble and the east wing for English teacher Lucy Holtzclaw McDonald.
Hamilton County Schools (HCS), 1923-1924
White
Birchwood
High School
Central
High School
Daisy High
School
Hixson High
School
*North Chattanooga Central High School
Ooltewah
High School
Soddy High
School
Sale Creek
High School
Tyner High
School
Apison
School
Bakewell
School
Birchwood
School
Brown’s Chapel
School
Central
Grove School
Chickamauga
School
Coulterville
School; merged into Sale Creek
Cross Roads
School; later merged into Snow Hill
Daisy
School
East Ridge
School; formerly John Ross
Fairmount
School
Fairview
School, District 3
Fairview
School, District 4; merged into Hixson
Flat Top
School
Friendship
School
Gann School
Gold Point
School
Harrison
School
Howardville
School
Jersey
School
King’s
Point School
Maddux
School
McCormick’s
Chapel School; merged into Daisy
Miller’s
Grove School
Mountain
Creek School
Montlake
School
Mowbray
School
New
Providence School; Daughtery Ferry Rd. at the end of Shipley Rd.
New Union
School; later consolidated into Meadowview
*Normal
Park School
*North
Chattanooga School
North St.
Elmo School
Oak Hill
School
Ooltewah
School
Patten’s
Chapel School
Perry
School; became Amnicola
Pine Hill
School
Red Bank
School
Riverside
School; formerly Shoals
Robert’s Mill
School; Roberts Mill Rd. & Falling Water Rd.
Sale Creek
School
Salem
School
Savannah
School; later consolidated into Meadowview
Sawyer
School
Shady Grove
School
Signal
Mountain School
Silverdale
School
Snow Hill
School
Soddy
School
South St. Elmo
School
Sunnyside
School
Sylar
School; later merged into Ooltewah
Tallants
School; later merged into Ooltewah
Tyner
School
Union Fork
School
Walnut
Grove School; now on Bird’s Mill Rd.
White Oak
School
Students of former Shallow Ford School attended Sunnyside this year and part of the next while their school was being rebuilt as Eastdale School.
*During the time of existence of the Town of North Chattanooga 1915-1929, these schools were part of its independent municipal school system.
Black
Lincoln High School
Bakewell
School (Colored)
Chickamauga
School (Colored)
Coulterville
School (Colored); merged into Soddy (Colored)
East
Chattanooga School (Colored); closed by CCS 1925
Georgetown
School (Colored)
Hixson
School (Colored)
Lincoln Grammar School
Magby Pond
School; consolidated into Washington School 1924
Ooltewah
School (Colored)
Pankey
School
St. Elmo School
(Colored)
Soddy School (Colored)
Summit
School
Turkey Foot
School; consolidated into Washington School 1924
Tyner
School (Colored); consolidated into Washington School 1924
Wauhatchie
School
As soon as the annexation of the Twelfth Ward was complete in 1925, Lincoln High was reduced to Lincoln Junior High, with its high school students sent to Howard High. The city shuttered Lincoln Grammar School, cramming its students into Orchard Knob School.
*After the annexation of the remainder of Hill City into the Town of North Chattanooga in 1922, this school was part of its independent municipal school system.
Central High School
Daisy High School
Hixson High School
Ooltewah High School
Soddy High School
Sale Creek High School
Tyner High School
Lookout Junior High School
*Central Grove School and Robert’s Mill School were merged into Red Bank School after this year. Brown’s Chapel School was planned to follow likewise, but plans changed.
** Formerly for white students
*** Opened fall 1927Lookout Junior High School
Frank H. Trotter Elementary School; 4700 Kirkland Ave.
Hamilton County Schools, present
These are the Hamilton County Schools at the present time.
High Schools
Brainerd
High School
Central
High School
Chattanooga
Charter School of Excellence, High
(in
former Alton Park Junior High/John P. Franklin Middle)
East Ridge
High School
Hixson High
School
Hamilton
County Collegiate High School
Harrison
Bay Center
The Howard
School
Middle
College High School
Ooltewah
High School
Red Bank
High School
Sequoyah
High School
Soddy-Daisy
High School
STEM School
Tyner
Academy
Middle-High Schools
Chatt Academy Community School
(901
Woodmore Lane; 6-7 this year, eventually will be 6-12)
Chattanooga
Girls Leadership Academy
(1802
Bailey Avenue)
Chattanooga
High School Center for Creative Arts
Chattanooga
Preparatory Academy (boys only)
(1849
Union Avenue)
Chattanooga
School for the Arts and Sciences, Upper School
East
Hamilton Middle-High School
(former
Gibson Dairy Farm, Westview)
Ivy
Environmental Academy
(8520
Dayton Pike, Soddy-Daisy)
Lookout
Valley Middle-High School
Sale Creek
Middle-High School
Signal
Mountain Middle-High School
Washington
Alternative Learning Center
(in former Hillcrest Elementary)
Middle Schools
Brown
Middle School
Chattanooga
Charter School of Excellence, Middle
(in
former Oak Grove Elementary)
Dalewood
Middle School
East Lake
Academy of Fine Arts
East Ridge
Middle School
Hixson
Middle School
Howard
Connect Academy
Hunter Middle
School
Loftis
Middle School
Ooltewah
Middle School
Orchard
Knob Middle School
Red Bank
Middle School
Soddy-Daisy
Middle School
Tyner
Middle Academy
Elementary Schools
Allen
Elementary School
Alpine
Crest Elementary School
Apison
Elementary School
Barger
Academy of Fine Arts
Battle
Academy for Teaching and Learning
Bess T.
Shepherd Elementary School
Big Ridge
Elementary School
Calvin
Donaldson Environmental Science Academy
Chattanooga
Charter School of Excellence
(in
former US Army Reserve Center, East 23rd Street)
Chattanooga
School for the Arts and Sciences, Lower School
Chattanooga
School for the Liberal Arts (K-8)
(in
former Lakeside Academy)
Clifton
Hills Elementary School
Daisy
Elementary School
DuPont
Elementary School
East
Brainerd Elementary School
East Lake
Elementary School
East Ridge
Elementary School
East Side
Elementary School
Hardy
Elementary School
Harrison
Elementary School
Hillcrest
Elementary School (closed 2021)
Hixson
Elementary School
Ivy Academy’s
Skillern Elementary
(8520 Dayton
Pike, Soddy-Daisy)
Lakeside
Academy of Math, Science, and Technology (closed 2021)
Lookout
Mountain Elementary School
Lookout
Valley Elementary School
McConnell
Elementary School
Middle
Valley Elementary School
Montessori
Elementary at Highland Park
(on
former site of Highland Park Grammar School)
Nolan
Elementary School
Normal Park
Museum Magnet School (K-6)
North
Hamilton County Elementary School
Ooltewah
Elementary School
Orchard
Knob Elementary School
Red Bank
Elementary School
Rivermont
Elementary School
Snow Hill
Elementary School
Soddy
Elementary School
Spring
Creek Elementary School
Thrasher
Elementary School
Tommie F.
Brown International Academy
Wallace A.
Smith Elementary School
Westview
Elementary School
Wolftever
Creek Elementary School
Woodmore
Elementary School
Special Schools
Dawn School
Hamilton
County Virtual School
14 comments:
Frank H. Trotter Elementary School; 4700 Kirkland Ave. was an African American Elementary Sc in 1960 - 1961
Not according the the school directory for that year. Of course, according to that, none of the schools were officially segregated that year. I'll look into that, though it may be a while due to the pandemic.
Hello Chuck. I'm researching recent history of Hamilton County Schools and Chattanooga City Schools. Particularly from desegregation until now. Do you have a go-to source for demographic and student achievement data?
Thanks in advance!
No, I'm sorry, I don't, but the first place I'd check is the Chattanooga Public Library.
Cool, thanks Chuck!
Hello Chuck
I am trying to find any info on the old Central Elementary School located at 410 Colville St in north Chattanooga 1940/1941. A photo would be great.
Hello Chuck
I am trying to find any info on the old Central Elementary School located at 410 Colville St in north Chattanooga 1940/1941. A photo would be great.
Ron B.:
As near as I can tell, what is designated North Chattanooga Central Public School on Chadwick's plat map book in 1928 was previously South Side, North Chattanooga School, which appeared around the same time as Normal Park Public School. Prior to that, there were Hill City School, East Side and Hill City School, West Side as well as Hill City School, Colored.
North Chattanooga School was renamed G. Russell Brown School and later moved to the its location west of North Market Street, which became CADAS sometime after the school was closed in 1989. The school for Afro-American children in the segregated system retained the name North Chattanooga School (Colored) until desegregation, but it was on Spears Avenue and was renamed Spears Avenue School after annexation into the city.
In 1940/41, there was no school named North Chattanooga Central Public School, just G. Russell Brown School (probably still on Colville Street at that time), Normal Park School, and Spears Avenue School.
Chuck, I do not see John A. Patten Elementary School in Lookout Valley (Now Closed) on any of these lists. I attended there from 1954 - 1959.
Check again. There're at least 10 times it's listed, plus several as Patten's Chapel.
Where would I might be able to get a picture of Chattanooga Avenue Elementary School
There's a Chattanooga Avenue Elementary School group or page on Facebook and they have one in their Photos.
Do you happen to know where the Chattanooga Public Schools central office was located in the 70s? I'm pretty sure it was in a building that had been a school. My mom was a social worker, and a few times when I was a kid I went with her to the central office when she had records to turn in or some such. I saw a picture of the old East Side Jr. High in a Facebook group today and it brought back memories and sparked this question. I stumbled upon your fascinating blog when searching for that piece of random history.
I believe it was located in the former Lookout Junior High School in St. Elmo.
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