Step back in time and explore Northeast Tennessee’s rich tapestry of history, heritage, and legendary outlaws. From the iconic Bluff City Swinging Bridge to the captivating stories of Watauga Lake and moonshiner Mahala Mullins, this blog uncovers the region’s fascinating past for history buffs and curious visitors alike.
History
The Bluff City Swinging Bridge
Northeast Tennessee’s history, heritage, and outlaws are endless. In 1780, The Overmountain Men crossed Choates Ford in the Holston River. From there, they marched down Old Watauga Road on a journey where they would later defeat more than 1,000 British loyalists. Thomas Jefferson coined this event as “The turning of the tide for the American Revolution.” Just 300 yards upstream, you can take in the same views The Overmountain Men did, from the Bluff City Swinging Bridge.
Visit the surrounding areas of Bristol and Kingsport to make the most out of your stay.
Watauga Lake
Watauga Lake in Carter County is a man-made reservoir with an interesting backstory! The Watauga Dam was constructed in 1942, shortly after the US entered World War II. Due to the war effort, construction was put on hold and resumed in 1946. On New Year’s Eve of 1948, the Tennessee Valley Authority flooded the town of “Old Butler” and relocated it to higher ground, generating hydropower downstream in Northeast Tennessee.
Make sure to visit Mountain City nearby, founded in 1836 with plenty of stories to uncover.
Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site
Dive into exploration of Northeast Tennessee’s colonial history at the Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site, Johnson City, which features a restored antebellum mansion and grounds. The site includes over 40 acres and eleven historical buildings, a limestone cave, buffalo trace, and Visitor Center.
Andrew Johnson National Historic Site
This 19th-century estate in Greeneville was the home of Andrew Johnson before and after his presidency, which lasted from 1865-1869. Johnson’s presidency was notable for several reasons, the primary one being that he came into the office following Lincoln’s assassination and was faced with rebuilding the nation after the Civil War. As the 17th president, he was the first president who had never been a military hero or a lawyer and was also the first to go through the impeachment process.
Explore Tennessee Oldest Town, also the “Storytelling Capital of the World.”
Heritage
Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park
In addition to its beautiful location along the Watauga River, Sycamore Shoals State Park is known for the Watauga Settlement, the first majority-rule democratic system in the United States. The settlement, the first of its kind outside of the 13 colonies, was formed in 1772 when its members came together to elect five leaders to govern the region.
The park was also the site of the largest private real estate transaction in American history, the Transylvania Purchase of 1775. In this deal, Judge Richard Henderson negotiated an agreement with the Cherokee for 20 million acres of land north of the Cumberland River.
The Covered Bridge
The charming town of Elizabethton was founded in 1799 and named for Landon Carter’s wife, Elizabeth Maclin Carter. Their family home, built by Landon and his father John Carter, stands in downtown Elizabethton and is the oldest intact frame house in Tennessee.
Just west of downtown you’ll find the lovely Doe River Covered Bridge, also known as the Elizabethton covered bridge. The 134-foot white clapboard bridge was constructed in 1882 to allow the town to expand to the other side of the river. Today it is open to pedestrians and bikes and is home to the Annual Covered Bridge Celebration each summer.
David Crockett Birthplace State Historic Park
David Crockett Birthplace State Historic Park, near Limestone, features a replica of the 18th-century cabin that Crockett was born in and a historic farmstead. Costumed interpreters reenact what his early life would have been like on the banks of the Nolichucky River. The park also has a small museum where visitors will find artifacts from 18th-century life, as well as portraits and documents pertaining to David Crockett.
Check out this episode of Meet Me In Tennessee with guest Bob Dunn, with the Heritage Alliance of Northeast Tennessee.
Outlaws
Moonshiner Mahala Mullins
Imagine outlaws through the lens of a moonshiner so notorious, so untouchable, that even the law couldn’t haul her in. Picture a whiskey queen who ruled from a rugged fortress in rural Tennessee, and that’s where history buffs will learn of the legendary Mahala Mullins.
Mahala Mullins wasn’t your average moonshiner. In fact, through the mid-1800s she was one of the most notorious bootleggers and sellers of illicit whiskey in Tennessee. It wasn’t that the government didn’t know about her. They did. It’s just that, whenever they came to arrest her, they couldn’t quite get her out of the house and down the rugged Appalachian Mountains.
Read the FULL STORY here.
There’s More Up Here!
Check out these scenic drives and motorcycle rides in Northeast Tennessee!
Sneak Peak of our new self-guided trail coming to Northeast Tennessee…
