“Courage is grace under pressure.” - Ernest Hemmingway National Park Partners joined the Chattanooga Public Library, Shaking Ray Levi Society, and Rise Chattanooga to host students and families in the “Wayne-O-Rama” exhibit with after-school tours and lessons this fall and winter on the 3 rd floor of Chattanooga Downtown Library. Teachers brought students from around the county to engage in the art created by the 2017 project curated with artifacts from the Chattanooga History Center collection and interpretive panels produced by the partnership. The public engaged six days per week for five ..read more

“Chattanooga is the center of the world…someday 200,000 people will live here.” - Benjamin Rush Montgomery Do you like bacon? Everyone nods when I say that, whether they eat it now or not. But did you know that Chattanooga was a part of the first contact in North America with Europeans in the 1500s and that bacon is also a part of that story? These questions brought predictable responses from students and adults alike during the National Park Partners partnership with the “Wayne-O-Rama” exhibit at the Chattanooga Public Library. Chattanooga’s Libraries are a door to the city and a world of i ..read more

In recognition of Black History Month, NPP looks back at the significant contributions of Black leaders linked to Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park. The brave actions and dedicated service of notable figures such as Jacob Cummings and our own living legend, John Edwards, III shaped the narrative of our city and our nation, and continue to inspire generations of Americans. Jacob Cummings: Escaping from Moccasin Bend Jacob Cummings began his courageous escape from enslavement on Moccasin Bend at the age of 23, two decades before the Civil War began. Known then as Jacob Smith, or ..read more

Our Fall 2023 newsletter is hot off the press, and will be arriving in mailboxes just in time for the holidays. Meanwhile, here’s a copy to read online or download at your leisure. Want to get on our mailing list and receive a print copy in the mail? Drop us a line! Click to View the Newsletter ..read more

Jennifer Crutchfield, Community Engagement and Education program manager 2022 Fall Break Camp featured field trips to landmark sites that connect past, present, and future. Photo courtesy of National Park Partners, c.2022 Did you know that across the country, from Tennessee to Texas, 4th grade students are learning about the history of the United States in their social studies curriculum? They are exploring the early development of democratic institutions, the formation of a national government, the growth of the nation, and times of division in our country. Students learn to use primary sour ..read more

Emery Benson with contributions from Jennifer Crutchfield and Dr. Vicki Rozema Our team at National Park Partners works to champion the conservation of the natural, historic, and cultural resources of our National Parks, engaging current and future generations in preserving and promoting the stories of these national treasures. As a small team, NPP is grateful for a partnership with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga History Department, that allows student interns to join us in this important work. This year Emery Benson, a history major and rising Junior from Maryville, Tennessee, wor ..read more

Emery Benson & Jennifer Crutchfield with contributions from Vicki Rozema Our team at National Park Partners works to champion the conservation of the natural, historic, and cultural resources of our National Parks, engaging current and future generations in preserving and promoting the stories of these national treasures. As a small team, NPP is grateful for a partnership with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga History Department, that allows student interns to join us in this important work. This year Emery Benson, a history major and rising Junior from Maryville, Tennessee, worke ..read more

by Jennifer Crutchfield, National Park Partners Chattanooga’s natural beauty has enthralled Americans since the earliest days of the new nation but while its parks inspire us to appreciate the nature, they can also teach us about the people. As we recognize Women’s History month, we introduce you to a few of the city’s trailblazing women and the parks connected to their stories.  Emma Alcock and her husband, fellow artist James Cameron, had just returned from their honeymoon in Italy when they met Chattanooga entrepreneur James Whiteside who persuaded the couple to come south and paint. T ..read more

The Chickamauga Chattanooga National Military Park holds a unique place in history, established as a reunion of opposing soldiers, voted on by veterans of the battle and established 26 years before the National Park Service was formed. It is also a place that introduces us to two incredible women who were both wartime pioneers blazing trails for the country and their gender.  Mary E. Walker (photo courtesy of the US Library of Congress) Mary Edwards Walker was born in 1832 in upstate New York and boldly entered Syracuse Medical College to earn a Doctor of Medicine, traditionally an all-m ..read more

Moccasin Bend National Archeological District is the crown jewel of Chattanooga’s riverfront, an iconic landmark that was the cradle of Native American civilization. Reflecting over 12,000 years of continuous human habitation, it is the only archeological district in the National Park Service and has interpretive displays and trails that engage hikers, nature enthusiasts and all who commemorate the tragedy of the Trail of Tears.  This card, circa 1886, from the Chattanooga Public Library collection says "Chattanooga and Tennessee River from Lookout Mountain," with "Moccasin Point and Loo ..read more