Much of the area you'll be driving through has a lot of
historical significance. There was a lot of Civil War activity in this
area; there were many pioneers crossing the Appalachian Mountains in East
Tennessee; there is a lot of coal mining history in East Tennessee; and there
are many notable people from Tennessee.
We have documented all of the state historical markers in C8
Sumner County and C9 Macon County that are on or close to our route. Other
sites of historical interest are listed below:
C6 Montgomery County
Railroad Crossroads
Guthrie, Kentucky
http://www.rjcorman.com/shortline/memphis.shtml
Today, Guthrie is the crossroads on the CSX line between Evansville, Indiana,
and Nashville, Tennessee; and the R.J. Corman Railroad Company's Memphis Line
which runs from Bowling Green, Kentucky, to Cumberland City, Tennessee. At
one point in time, the Memphis Line was a major passenger line that ran from Bowling Green
all the way to Memphis. Both lines, of course, were originally part of the
Louisville & Nashville Railway (L&N). Guthrie was important as a major point for people to change trains.
After passenger traffic declined, L&N stopped using the line, and most of the
line was eventually pulled up. RJ Corman operates the remaining section of
the line which serves several industries between Bowling Green to Cumberland
City. Map is from the Official Guide
of the Railways, January 1896. Click map to enlarge.
C7 Robertson County
The Bell Witch Cave
Adams, Tennessee
http://www.bellwitch.org
Associated with the true story of the Bell Witch and considered to be one of the
most
haunted places in America. The Bell Witch is the legendary spirit who haunted
the
John Bell family from 1816 to 1820. The cave is also a site of Native
American history. Text courtesy of the
Springfield - Robertson County Chamber of Commerce. Photo: Clipart.
C12 Pickett County
Cordell Hull State Park
1300 Cordell Hull Memorial Drive
Byrdstown , TN 38549
Office: (931) 864-3247
http://state.tn.us/environment/parks/CordellHull/index.shtml
The Cordell Hull Birthplace and Museum is a historic site owned by the State of
Tennessee. It was placed under the Tennessee Department of Environment and
Conservation, Division of Parks in June 1997 by an act of the Tennessee General
Assembly. The site is located on 45-acres on the Highland Rim, near Byrdstown,
north of Cookeville, near the Kentucky border.
The site consists of a representation of Hull's log cabin birthplace, an
activities center and a museum housing documents and artifacts. The collection
includes his Nobel Peace Prize that is on display.
Photo and text courtesy of Tennessee
State Parks:
www.tnstateparks.com
C13 Fentress County
Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park
Pall Mall, Tennessee
http://state.tn.us/environment/parks/SgtYork/index.shtml
www.alvincyork.org
The Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park, located in Pall Mall, Tennessee,
pays tribute to Sgt. Alvin C. York, the backwoods marksman from the mountains of
Tennessee who became one of the most decorated soldiers of World War I. York's
fame rose from his legendary exploits on October 8, 1918 in the Argonne Forest
in France. Leading a small patrol, York was sent out to eliminate flanking
machine gun fire that was halting the advance of his regiment. York found
himself alone opposing a German machine gun unit. With rifle and pistol he
engaged the enemy. The fight ended with more than twenty Germans dead. Then, the
other one hundred and thirty-two soldiers, including four officers and
thirty-five machine guns, became discouraged and surrendered to York and six of
his comrades. For that he was decorated with a dozen medals, including the
Congressional Medal of Honor and the French Croix de Guerre. He has been honored
by a 10-foot statue on the grounds of the State Capitol in Nashville, and his
medals and trophies may be seen at the Tennessee State Museum. Photo and text courtesy of
Tennessee State Parks:
www.tnstateparks.com
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C14 Morgan
County |
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Historic Rugby
"The Cumberland Plateau
possesses a wealth of attractions, but chief among them is Rugby. The real
essence of Rugby abides most clearly in the church and library, unchanged over
the long years.
The doors of the library
open on the Victorian Age like the pages of a rare book, long out of print, but
perfectly preserved."
Southern Living
August 1989
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More
Photos |
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"Victorian
England in the Tennessee Cumberlands"
State Scenic Hwy 52
P.O. Box 8
Rugby, TN 37733
(423) 628-2441
Toll-free: 1-888-214-3400
www.HistoricRugby.org
British author and social reformer Thomas Hughes, famous for his classic
Tom Brown's Schooldays, dedicated the Rugby Colony amid
great fanfare on October 5, 1880. He envisioned his new community as a place
where those who wished could build a strong agricultural community through
cooperative enterprise, while maintaining a cultured, Christian lifestyle, free
of the rigid class distinctions that prevailed in Britain.
Today, Rugby is a heritage treasure listed on the National
Register of Historic Places and pursuing Landmark Status with the National Park
Service. The National Trust for Historic Preservation calls Rugby one of the
most authentically preserved historic villages in America.
Historic Rugby continues a 40-year quest to restore, preserve and protect this
unique village and interpret its fascinating history to visitors from all over
Tennessee and the world. Unlike many historic communities and neighborhoods in
America, 19th century Rugby is remarkably preserved -- unspoiled by incompatible
development, and surrounded by woodlands and streams that must also be
preserved. Text courtesy of
www.historicrugby.org.
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C14 Morgan County
(Things to see in Anderson County)
Manhattan Project Sites and
Other Oak Ridge Attractions
302 S. Tulane Avenue
Oak Ridge, Tennessee (865) 482-7821
www.oakridgevisitor.com
www.oakridgevisitor.com/must.html
Called the most significant story of the 20th Century, there are many sites in
and around Oak Ridge on the national register of historic places as well as on
the Tennessee State Heritage Trail. A self-guided auto tour map of World War
II's Secret City gives you the opportunity to experience the rich history of our
area at your own pace. In 1942, the world was at war. Tennessee was
gearing up, as was the rest of the nation, to do its part in the war effort. No
one knew then that a small valley in East Tennessee would play such a big role
in ending World War II. This 60,000-acre tract of land was chosen as one of the
sites for the now historic Manhattan Project.
Quick Facts on the Manhattan Project:
Originally known as Clinton Engineer Works,
named Oak Ridge after WW II.
Became 5th largest city in Tennessee growing
to 75,000 workers.
Project consumed one-seventh of the
electricity in U.S.
Bus transportation system was 4th largest in
U.S.
300 plus miles of roads built or improved and
55 miles of railroad.
Project cost $1.65 billion in 1945.
Text courtesy Oak Ridge Convention and
Visitors Bureau. Photo: Clipart.
C15 Scott County
The Museum of Scott County
Huntsville, Tennessee
www.scottcounty.net/Scotthigh/museum.htm
Scott High School is the only high school in Tennessee where the students
actually maintain a full museum. The museum contains displays on coal
mining, the U.S.S. Tennessee, the frontier, pre-historic items and more.
The school's phone number is (423) 663-2801. Photo:
Clipart.
C17 Claiborne County
Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum
6965 Cumberland Gap Parkway
Harrogate, TN 37752
(423) 869-3611
1-800-325-0900
www.lmunet.edu/museum/index.html
The Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum is located on the campus of Abraham
Lincoln University, just two miles south of the historic town of Cumberland Gap,
Tennessee. "The Museum houses one of the largest and most complete Lincoln and
Civil War collections in the country. Exhibited are many rare items - the
silver-topped cane Lincoln carried the night of his assassination, a lock of his
hair clipped as he lay on his death bed, two life masks made of Lincoln, and
numerous personal belongings."
"Over twenty-thousand books, manuscripts, photographs, paintings, and sculptures
tell the story of President Lincoln and the Civil War period in America. This
treasure trove serves as a great attraction to students, researchers, and the
general public. The Museum also serves as a teaching facility for the
University, hosting numerous school groups, lectures, and special programs
throughout the year." Text in quotes
courtesy of the Claiborne County Chamber of Commerce. Photo: Clipart.
C17 Claiborne County
(Things to See Over the Border in Kentucky)
Cumberland Gap National Historical Park
US 25E South
P.O. Box 1848
Middlesboro, KY 40965-1848
(606)248-2817 (Headquarters and Visitor Information)
www.nps.gov/cuga
The story of the first doorway to the west is commemorated at the national
park, located where the borders of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia meet.
Carved by wind and water, Cumberland Gap forms a major break in the formidable
Appalachian Mountain chain. First used by large game animals in their migratory
journeys, followed by Native Americans, the Cumberland Gap was the first and
best avenue for the settlement of the interior of this nation. From 1775 to
1810, the Gap's heyday, between 200,000 and 300,000 men, women, and children
from all walks of life, crossed the Gap into "Kentuckee." For more
information, please visit the National Parks Service web site:
www.nps.gov/cuga
Photo courtesy National Parks Service.
C17 Claiborne County
(Things to See Over the Border in Kentucky)
The Lost Squadron Museum
1420 Dorchester Avenue
Middlesboro, KY 40965
(606) 248-1149
www.thelostsquadron.com
Middlesboro Airport is home of the "Glacier Girl" a restored World War II P-38
"Lightning" fighter plane recovered from the Greenland Ice Cap in 1992
underneath 268 feet of ice. For more information, please visit the
museum's web site: Photo: United States
Postal Service. Clipart.
