Then and Now: Brown’s Ferry

Long before there were any permanent bridges over the Tennessee River, the only way for merchants and locals to cross over was either in their own boat or through a ferry service. That’s where John Brown comes in. Not the John Brown of Harper’s Ferry fame. John Brown the Cherokee businessman and chief.
In the 1820’s and 30’s, he owned Bown’s tavern and also claimed the ferry across the river. This gave him a significant edge when it came to trade in the local area. It would be the equivalent of owning a major logistics company in the modern day.
Brown’s tavern would serve as a location where those who had just disembarked or were about to board the ferry could take a break and enjoy some refreshment.
Brown’s ferry complimented the nearby growing trade hub of Ross’s Landing.
Brown’s Tavern was at one time complimented by other businesses and a farm on the property. That location is now mostly taken up with Lookout Valley Elementary School.
If you look closely, you can see where the old boat landing used to be. Brown’s Ferry marina takes advantage of that little bay which used to be a lifeline for trade and commerce throughout what is now Hamilton County.
Brown’s Ferry was the site of the famous Cracker Line that supplied union troops during the Chattanooga Campaign of the Civil War. John Brown himself was not present during that time as far as I can tell.
The Military constructed a semi-permanent bridge across the TN River in 1864. It was washed away in a flood 3 years later.
By 1891, the Walnut Street Bridge was completed, finally giving the citizens of Chattanooga a permanent pathway across the river, and it still stands to this very day.
Crossing the Tennessee river is something that many of us do every day. It would have been a dangerous and laborious crossing then, but now it’s as trivial as driving down the road.