The Rice Family
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The lovely territory at the foot of Lookout
Mountain in Lookout Valley was long a favorite
haunt for the Cherokees. Then, when they were
forced to vacate, the Rices and a handful of
other pioneer families occupied the prime
territory near Lookout Creek. Elijah C. Rice,
who was originally from Washington in Rhea
County, was a neighbor to the Parkers, Lights,
Hixsons, Williamses, Boydstons, Fryars,
Cummings, Rowdens and a few others.
Just after the removal, this section was
connected to Chattanooga only by the Federal
Road, which had been constructed about 1805 with
reluctant permission of the Indians. It was also
known as the Georgia Road. The section across
the slopes of Lookout Mountain opposite Moccasin
Bend had still another title. It was locally
referred to as the Jackson Road. Though Andrew
Jackson may not have traveled the road himself,
some of his troops marched across it during the
War of 1812 and camped nearby. The road was so
steep that teams of up to 12 horses had to pull
the wagons that brought the mail to Chattanooga
from Nashville. The bluffs were so precipitous
where the mountain meets the Tennessee River
that the road followed an old Indian trail far
up the slopes. E. C. Rice and his neighbors took
this road – or the ferries across Moccasin Bend
– into Chattanooga until about 1845 when Kelley
Pike was blasted on a more direct route across
the end of the mountain. This follows a portion
of the present Old Wauhatchie Pike. Portions of
the old Federal Road can still be seen today. It
leaves Old Wauhatchie Pike at the Cravens Road
near the Page property, goes under a trestle of
the old Broad Gauge Railroad (Guild Trail),
below some houses on Lower Cravens Terrace and
below former Pan-O-Ram and 19th Hole
clubs and just below Ruby Falls. It comes out at
Old Wauhatchie Pike at a Park Service trail
across from the Alford House bed and breakfast
inn. One branch of the Federal Road went in the
direction of the present Reflection Riding. The
crossing was at the Light farm. Another branch
of the road veered past the Jeremiah Fryar
place, crossed the creek, then went toward
Kelley’s Ferry and Nashville. There was a
connection to the Brown’s Tavern, which still
stands today, and Brown’s Ferry. Kelley’s Pike
also crossed by the Fryar place, but it went up
to the Sky Harbor Bavarian Inn by use of two
switchbacks. That section of road, which passes
what is now a small motel on Cummings Highway,
has long gone out of use. Another portion of the
old road is now a part of the Old Wauhatchie
Pike Greenway hiking and biking trail.
Elijah C. Rice was allied to several of
the valley families. His wife was Sarah Rowden,
sister of Squire Isaac Rowden. In turn, Rowden
was married to Sarah Eliza Rice, younger sister
of Elijah Rice. Another sister of Elijah Rice,
Elvira, became the young bride of valley
patriarch Elisha Parker. She was about 30 years
younger than Parker. There were also Condras
living in the valley, and Harriet Rice, sister
of Elijah Rice, married Lilburn Condra. Other
brothers and sisters of Elijah Rice included
George W. who married Emaline Payne in Rhea
County in 1827, Margaret Ann who married John B.
Inlow. Emily who married Benjamin K. Hudgins,
and Minerva Dialpha who married Elijah Thurman,
son of the Revolutionary soldier Phillip Thurman
and his wife, Kesiah. Minerva Rice Thurman was
born in 1816 when the Rice family was living at
Washington in Rhea County. She died at St. Elmo
in 1890.
E. C. Rice and his brothers and sisters
were children of Col. John B. and Sarah Rice of
Rhea County. Sarah Rice was born in Pennsylvania
about 1780. John Rice was in Rhea County as
early as 1813. He was one of those signing the
petition asking the Indian Agent Return Jonathan
Meigs to locate the Cherokee Agency at the Rhea
County seat of Washington when it had to be
moved from Hiwassee Garrison. John Rice was sued
by Blackburn Jones in 1814 over a debt of
$29.50, but the matter was stayed in October
because Rice was then “in the service of his
country in a campaign against the hostile Creek
Indians.” The complaint was resurrected the
following year when John Rice had returned from
the Indian wars. He lost the suit and a levy was
taken against three lots he owned at Washington.
A grandson said John Rice commanded a regiment
of men at the battle of New Orleans.
Col. Rice was president of the Tennessee
Academy at Washington in 1824-25. John and E. C.
Rice were partners in a trade and merchandise
firm. However, they fell on hard times and came
into default on a note of $5,287.07 taken in
1840. James and William Park and Archiblad
McAlester sued them over the debt, and some
property the family owned in Harrison was sold
to the highest bidder. This sale brought $905.
Before coming to Lookout Valley, Elijah Rice
often speculated on property in Rhea County. He
owned several lots in Washington. In 1836, he
put in a claim for 5,000 acres on Walden’s Ridge
in Rhea County. His brother-in-law, John B.
Inlow, filed a similar claim in the vicinity of
Duncan Creek. John Rice was chosen as postmaster
when an office was set up for Lookout Valley on
Jan. 17, 1834. He was succeeded by Elijah C.
Rice in 1839, and he served until 1842.
Col. Rice died about 1840, and Sarah Rice
came to live in Lookout Valley near her son,
Elijah Rice. Later, she resided with the Isaac
Rowdens. In the mid-1840s, Elijah Rice died
also. His children included Adaline, Minerva,
James William and John E. C.
At the start of the Civil War, Sarah
Rowden Rice was living in Chattanooga with her
sons, James William and John E. C. James William
Rice was involved in speculating and John E. C.
Rice was a clerk. However, the elder brother was
in feeble health and he died in 1862. He left
John E. C. Rice the boy slaves Andrew and
Charles. To his sister, Minerva Rice Fisher, he
willed the girl slave Sarah. Minerva, whose
husband was a carpenter by trade, also resided
in Chattanooga. John E. C. Rice died in 1868,
apparently bringing an end to this male Rice
line. Sarah Rowden Rice died in Chattanooga on
Nov. 8, 1873.
“Early
Hamilton Settlers” by John Wilson |