Bachman community role recalled as tunnels open
(Editor’s note: Second of two parts)
The dogwoods and redbuds were colorful in celebration the day that E.R. Betterton Jr., a member of the Hamilton County Highway Commission and chairman of the Bachman Tunnel Celebration, held a news conference in April 1929 to announce that the so-called tubes were almost completed. The retaining walls were scheduled to be completed in early May, and the celebration would be scheduled shortly after the final inspection. According to Mr. Betterton, the tubes were among the finest of their kind in the United States — as noted by the inspectors — and their dual construction had captured the attention of civil engineers “everywhere.”
The celebration was staged on June 3, 1929, and covered by the Chattanooga Daily Times. Chattanooga Mayor Ed Bass stepped in for L.G. Walker, editor of the Times, who was to have keynoted the dedication of the Bachman Tunnels but illness prevented his participation. The mayor read Walker’s speech: “I am proud that I am selected to supply for that distinguished Chattanoogan, the Honorable L.G. Walker and … appreciate the implied honor on behalf of this great city that I represent as chief executive.” Bass continued, “If Dr. Bachman could have selected a memorial to himself, he would have chosen something useful.”
The services were conducted under the careful planning of Mollie E.C. Kavanaugh at 3 p.m. on the sunny afternoon. Participants began arriving in their automobiles by noon and were parked for several blocks in every direction on both sides of the tubes. Hundreds were counted, and Mayor Bass praised the outpouring of support for the dedication.
Dr. James L. Fowle, pastor of First Presbyterian Church, where Dr. Bachman served as pastor for 51 years, opened the event with a “devotional exercise.” Squire Wilkes T. Thrasher, county judge pro tem, acted as the master of ceremonies and kept the event moving according to the detailed plans created by the celebration committee. Veterans of the Civil War and their descendants placed a wreath of carnations of red and white on the memorial fountain in memory of Dr. Bachman, who had served. “They made an unforgettable picture and there were few dry eyes as the strains of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ floated over the surrounding hills.”
Mayor Bass returned to the platform to share his thoughts about Dr. Bachman.
“I am happiest because I bring to you a word of tribute to the life and memory of that great soul for whom you have named this structure — Dr. J.W.
Bachman.” He continued with a recounting of Bachman’s contributions to the Chattanooga community, recalling that he was not only an “ordained minister of Christ” but a compassionate neighbor and a patriotic citizen. Bass paused in speaking, and then softly said “he was well called the Pastor of Chattanooga,” embracing all citizens — the rich and the poor, the Gentile and the Jew, the Protestant and the Catholic … . He more truly exemplified the spirit of real Christianity than any man I have ever known. He understood our frailties and sympathized with our weakness, and pointed us the way to God.”
Music for the event was furnished by the Chattanooga Central High School band, under the direction of Professor G.E. Rubright, and Mrs. Charles R. Hyde, daughter of Dr. Bachman, replied to the mayor’s remarks and expressed the family’s appreciation for the honor given to their father.
“We read the name you have placed on this tunnel with pride,” she acknowledged, “but we could not accept it if we did not feel it commemorates a life of unselfish service.” She read several excerpts from letters her father had written while serving during the Civil War, highlighting his love of the men with whom he served and his devotion to comforting each during times of trial and grief. In a final tribute to her father, Mrs. Hyde read a paragraph from a letter written to his wife and children, whom he had sent into exile during the yellow fever epidemic of 1879, in which he explained his reason for staying behind in Chattanooga — “he felt called to remain as minister to the stricken people of his beloved city.”
Mrs. Hyde was joined in a final presentation of colors by her sister, Mrs. C.E. Buek, and friends Mrs. I.W. Blevins, Mrs. J.H. Gillespie, Mrs. H.A. Rodgers and a representative group of military veterans.
Attendees agreed it was a fitting tribute to “Chattanooga’s pastor” that tunnels connecting communities and citizens be named for him.