Apparently, some of my recent ancestors also had a strong interest in history as I inherited a pile of wonderful old newspapers several years ago. One rather thick bunch was from the Sep. 18th, 1938 edition of the Sunday Times. It featured Chattanooga’s 100th Anniversary being celebrated in an apparently grandiose way. Page after page of stories about Chattanooga’s past - all from the perspective of 1938.
I photographed the pages and stuffed them in a trash bag - but the pack rat in me didn't throw them away yet. Recently, I realized scanning the pages would be a much better digitization option. After a few sessions with the office scanner, piecing them together in Photoshop, and recognizing text via OCR - the results have been formatted for deep zoom.
Many pages were in bad condition and some are missing - but those remaining contain fascinating perspectives.
Many historic Chattanooga newspapers are yet to be digitized, making Hamilton County one of the least preserved or accessible in the state and the region.
This is tragically ironic considering the rich history and technological capabilities of 'Gig City'.
Rights to the The Chattanooga Times and Free Press from 1963-2001 have been sold to a 3rd party. Digital access is not available, even as a paid subscription to individuals.