Preserving the Past:
Trolley to and from the Fort
Understanding Fort Oglethorpe history requires understanding the relationship between the fort, the Chickamauga Park, and the City of Chattanooga. Especially important was the ability to travel between these places. Chattanoogans considered Fort Oglethorpe to be their military post. Despite the Tennessee/Georgia state line between the two, the fort was connected more to Chattanooga than to Georgia. The soldiers considered Chattanooga to be their recreation and social connection to non-military life, as well as their military supply line because it was a major railroad hub. They shopped in Chattanooga stores and met their girlfriends and future wives in the city. Local stories of someone's grandmother having married a soldier from the fort still persist today.
So how did people move back and forth between the fort and the city? First, we need to mention that the park was created in 1890 for the purpose of memorializing the famous Civil War battle. Chattanoogans knew it would draw tourism, and tourists had to come and go through Chattanooga to the park. Fort Oglethorpe was not built until 1904.
For the first ten years of the park's life, 1890 to 1900, there were only two routes between Chattanooga and the park: the Lafayette Road by horse or wagon, and the Central of Georgia railroad, which called on a tiny station on the west side of the park called Lytle.
In 1900, the Rapid Transit Company built the first electric trolley line to the park. This trolley line went from Chattanooga, through Rossville, beside the small lake near what is now the John Ross Cabin, thence through the Rossville Gap of Missionary Ridge (across the street from the Iowa monument). The line turned and followed Hogan Road, then followed what is now called Park City Road south to its intersection with McFarland Avenue. The 1900 line terminated in what was called Dodge, Georgia. The trip took about a half an hour from Chattanooga. This single-track trolley was active until 1923. Parts of the rail grade can be seen today behind the houses along Hogan Road. All of the modern Park City Road is built on this original grade. This was split into two with the creation of GA Highway 2.​
Left: Rapid Transit Co. line across the lake at Rossville, GA. Right: Rapid Transit Co. car beside the lake at Rossville on its way to Chickamauga Park
Below: Rapid Transit Co. line through Rossville, GA.
Photo credit: Steinberg, David H., 2013, Chattanooga's Transportation Heritage (Images of America), Arcadia Publishing, Inc.
In 1917, the Army used the Chickamauga Park to build up and train its forces for World War 1. The Army asked Chattanooga to help with this endeavor by building two things: a reliable water supply and a second trolley line. The original 1900 line had become insufficient for the tens of thousands of troops training at the battlefield and fort.
The Chattanooga Railway and Light Company had begun a line to Fort Oglethorpe several years before but never finished. The call to action by the Army spurred the company to restart their efforts. This resulted in a trolley line that also went through the Rossville Gap of the ridge (this time right behind the Iowa monument). So, from 1917 to 1923, there were two trolley lines through the Rossville Gap, one on each side of the Lafayette Road. The 1900 line was single-track, the 1917 line was double-track.
The Chattanooga News, May 3, 1917.
This headline illustrates that the efforts to extend the street car line, along with the water supply, were under way. Note: The number of troops at Chickamauga Park never reached "hundred thousand." The most at any one time was about 30,000.
1900 Trolley Line - Chattanooga to Chickamauga Park
This video was created by the author to document the 1900 trolley route. The line was drawn as closely as possible to the original route using plat maps, Walker County and Catoosa County GIS mapping, and field observations. The field observations are of parts of the trolley line that you can still see or drive on today.
The video follows the trolley beginning on Rossville Boulevard at the TN/GA state line and proceeds south toward the park. It makes two passes. The first pass moves from point to point to show parts of the line that are still visible today, or to give wider mapping context. The second pass is a nonstop run from north to south along the entire line. ​The single-track line ran from 1900-1923.
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Please note: You may have a better viewing experience on a desktop browser.
1900 Trolley Line to Chickamauga Park
1917 Trolley Line - Chattanooga to Fort Oglethorpe/Chickamauga Park
This video was created by the author to document the trolley route. The line was drawn as closely as possible to the original route using plat maps, Walker County and Catoosa County GIS mapping, and field observations. The field observations are of parts of the trolley line that you can still see or drive on today.
The video follows the trolley beginning at East 45th Street in East Lake, Chattanooga, and proceeds south toward the park. It makes two passes. The first pass moves from point to point to show parts of the line that are still visible today. The second pass is a nonstop run from north to south along the entire line. ​The double-line track ran until buses began to replace electric street car trolleys.
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Please note: You may have a better viewing experience on a desktop browser.
1917 Trolley Line to Fort Oglethorpe
1917 Trolley Line Photos
The section below is a self-paced slideshow that allows the reader to view photographs of the remnants of the 1917 line that are still visible today. Two areas are worthy of mention.
One is where the line crossed West Crest Road, right behind the Iowa Monument in Rossville. A bridge was built so the trolley could pass over West Crest. The concrete foundations of that bridge still exist today. Onlookers can also see concrete staircases that would have allowed passengers access to the tracks from the street level, probably for a loading/unloading station. Another fascinating sight here is the safety barricade that was erected when the bridge was removed. It is made from the cut trolley rails. These are the only known segments of the original rails of the 1917 line. The author has yet to find a picture of this bridge.
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The second interesting remnant of the 1917 trolley line is the South Crest Road bridge over the trolley tracks. The bridge is still in good repair. Underneath one can see two rows of bolts that would have hung the electric cables that supplied the power to the trolley's motor, one row of bolts for each track. This corresponds to a photograph that shows two tracks running near the WW1 German prison camp. The Chattanooga Railway and Light Company installed two lines in order to facilitate the tens of thousands of troops that were training in Chickamauga Park for WW1. The trolleys were but two parts of the overall transportation complex that connected the soldiers to civilian life, recreation, and commerce. This complex also included the Lafayette Road and the Central of Georgia railroad. (All photo credits this section courtesy the author, taken in May 2025.)
South Crest Road bridge over trolley lines.
Looking west back toward Rossville.
South Crest Road bridge over trolley lines.
Looking east toward Carline Road.
Concrete remains of trolley bridge over West Crest Road in Rossville, GA.
Original trolley rails cut and formed into a safety barricade.
Under the South Crest Road bridge. Note the row of bolts that held the electric trolley cable.