Chattanooga: River City Renaissance

by June Scobee Rodgers, Jack Makuch, Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce

Chattanooga's renaissance is at once a tribute to its past and a vision of the The will of Chattanoogans to reclaim their neglected waterfront and rebuild all corners of their city has proven to be as much a surprise as one of the sudden snowstorms we enjoy each winter. So writes June Scobee Rodgers author of River City Renaissance. Here, near the spot where John Ross ferried passenger across the Tennessee River almost 200 years ago, rises the dazzling new Tennessee Aquarium, the linchpin for an ongoing, self-sustaining effort by Chattanooga to reinvent itself. From the mountains overlooking the city to the riverfront that supplies its foundation, from downtown's growing mercantile section to the manufacturing centers that help fuel the economy. Chattanooga is changing for the better. Aided by hundreds of beautiful and evocative images from many of the area's best photographers, River City Renaissance tells the story of the countless facets that make life here so unique. The Choo-Choo, Moon Pies, The Incline Railway, Rock City, Plum Nelly, Chickamunga, and Missionary Ridge. And the ageless Tennessee River that runs through it all. Named by a national publication as one of the 10 most enlightened towns in America and one of the 10 best family-friendly vacation cities in the country. Chattanooga likes to brag about itself. And, writes Rodgers, there's plenty to brag about, especially with all the growth and redevelopment that continues to unfold in this city on the river, whose winding path through green mountains beckons us, always, toward home.

256 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 1998