By this time this photo was taken by Will Stokes, Montgomery Avenue's slow name transition to ‘Main Street’ was underway. What would become a center of commerce was named for Rush Montgomery, a trial lawyer and early settler of Chattanooga.

This shared photo was scanned from an especially clear 8x10 print once owned by Ben B. Wilson. Embossed on the lower right; STOKES-FORSTNER, indicating it was sold after Stokes death in 1922 while Ed Forstner continued to operate the business. A copy of this view also appears in Paul Hiener’s Chattanooga Yesterday and Today, Vol. 1.

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Montgomery was a somewhat eccentric, great storyteller, and “full of life and vim and fun.” He was a very enthusiastic man who firmly believed that Chattanooga was destined to become a great city. Montgomery could “talk the loudest and longest” of anyone in Chattanooga. Sometimes he would mount a stump near the river and merchants and customers would leave the stores to listen to him. He boldly said that someday Chattanooga would have 200,000 people, a remark that caused “people to shake their heads wondering how anyone could believe such predictions.”

John Wilson Chattanooga's Story

Laferry and Trotter

'Practical Horseshoers'

Chattanooga Distillery

Coca-Cola Delivery Wagon

Montgomery Ave.

Mitchell Boarding House

Chattanooga Daily Times - May 25, 1904

Photos stored away will likely never be seen.

Far too often, history is lost in settlement of estates or thrown away by well-meaning family members. Many public institutions and organizations are not set up to share, but rather to archive and garner donations.

Why ChattanoogaHistory.com is different.

No-charge photo & negative scanning is available for qualifying materials such as true photo (non-digital) prints, negatives, glass plate negatives, and 35mm slides.

I started this website in 2014 with the goal of sharing high-resolution historic photos from this region; invested in professional digital scanners, and other tools to ensure donated or loaned photos are quickly digitized. Originals and/or digital copies are provided back to you.

You or the original photographer (if known) are fully credited.

How to contact me

If you have qualifying historical photos to digitize and share - use the CONTACT form for a quick response.