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66-674: The Oconaluftee is the valley of the Oconaluftee River in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina . Formerly the site of a Cherokee village and an Appalachian community, the valley is now North Carolina's main entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park . The Oconaluftee gradually broadens from Smokemont in the north to the southern tip of the Qualla Boundary . The Qualla Boundary, commonly referred to as Cherokee, North Carolina , comprises

132-703: A major during the Revolutionary War and died at the Battle of Eutaw Springs . Rutherford also became friends with Daniel Boone with whom he often went on hunting and surveying expeditions. After the French and Indian War, Rutherford became increasingly active in community affairs. He was listed as a member of the North Carolina General Assembly in 1766, a sheriff and justice of the peace of Rowan County from 1767 to 1769, and

198-435: A sluice , and a wooden flume turns two turbines which provide power to the mill. An iron shaft connects the turbines to grindstones on the first floor and a wheat cleaner and bolting chest on the second floor (the latter two via a series of pulleys). Wheat or corn is first transported by bucket belt to the wheat cleaner, which is essentially a fan which clears the grain of dirt and excess material, and then drops it back to

264-558: A force of 400 men and encamped at Mountain Creek, which was 35 miles (56 km) away from Rutherford's position but still approximately the same distance from Ramsour's Mill as Rutherford's position was. It was resolved by Locke and his officers that a junction with Rutherford was unrealistic because of the distance between the two regiments and the limited amount of time before the Loyalist group grew too large to engage safely, Therefore, it

330-625: A force, which reached the border of South Carolina by early December, and proceeded to establish headquarters near Savannah in Purrysburg, South Carolina , the following month. With the cities of Savannah and Augusta taken by February, the campaign was severely weakened. Rutherford moved his troops near Augusta, where he supported General John Ashe during the Battle of Brier Creek on March 3. Soldiers' enlistments soon began expiring, and by April 10, most of Rutherford's forces had returned to North Carolina. The loss of Charleston in 1780

396-541: A large campground at the former logging camp of Smokemont. The small mountain hamlet of Tow String is sandwiched between the national park and Qualla Boundary, just above Oconaluftee. The southern terminus of the Blue Ridge Parkway is at the valley's southern tip, near the river's confluence with Raven Fork. A 20-mile (32 km) leg of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail connects Oconaluftee with

462-746: A mountain pass that straddles the Tennessee –North Carolina border in the center of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park . The stream flows about 10 miles (16 km) south where it merges with Smith Branch, Kepharts Prong, and the Kanati Fork to form the Oconaluftee River. The river continues south, where it is joined by the Bradley Fork, which greatly strengthens its flow. A large, flat bottomland

528-562: A short reunion with his family, Rutherford trained and took command of 1,400 men of the Salisbury District Brigade and allegedly began to attack Tory militias and communities brutally, according to several reports sent to his superior, General Greene. Rutherford's tactics were criticized by Green, who warned Rutherford that those methods would only encourage the Loyalist cause. Those reports were later found to be false, but Rutherford decided to redirect his forces towards

594-550: A tax collector. Rutherford began his extensive military career in 1760 during the French and Indian War . He was a participant in several battles and skirmishes, most notably the Battle of Fort Duquesne (1758); the battle at Fort Dobbs (1760); and James Grant 's campaign against the Cherokee in the southern Appalachians (1761). By the war's end, Rutherford had achieved the rank of captain. Between 1769 and 1771, he embraced

660-573: A woodshed, and native fencing. The Oconaluftee Indian Village is operated by the Cherokee Historical Association on the slopes of Rattlesnake Mountain inside the reserve. The outdoor museum is a replica of a typical Cherokee village from the mid-18th century. Oconaluftee River Beech Flats Prong is a stream formed by the convergence of several spring outlets high in the Appalachians near Newfound Gap ,

726-760: Is created by the river's confluence with the Raven Fork at Cherokee, North Carolina , where the river turns westward, flowing to its mouth on the Tuckasegee River . Present-day Bryson City in Swain County developed just upriver of this confluence. The Oconaluftee passes through the settlements of Smokemount, the Oconaluftee Village and Hospital , the town of Cherokee, base of the EBCI; Indian Hills , and Birdtown before emptying into

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792-919: The Appalachian Trail near the summit of Kuwohi . The Bradley Fork Trail follows Bradley Fork north from Smokemont to the Cabin Flats area between Hughes Ridge and Richland Mountain. From here, the Dry Sluice Gap Trail continues north to the crest of the Smokies, emerging near Charlies Bunion . In 1982, the Oconaluftee area was added to the National Register of Historic Places as the Oconaluftee Archaeological District. Mingus Mill

858-733: The Chickamauga faction of the Cherokee . An active member of his community, Rutherford served in multiple civil occupations. He was a representative of both houses of the North Carolina House of Commons and as an unsuccessful candidate for governor. Rutherford was an Anti-Federalist and was appointed President of the Legislative Council of the Southwest Territory in 1794. He retired to Sumner County, Tennessee , where he died on August 10, 1805, at

924-518: The Council of State . Rutherford ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1783. He was an ardent Anti-Federalist during the national debate on the recently created United States Constitution . At the constitutional convention held at Hillsborough, North Carolina , in 1788, he had reservations about the Constitution, like other Anti-Federalists at the meeting. Rutherford requested to challenge some of

990-690: The Eastern Band of Cherokee , numbering approximately 2,000 people. In the 1870s, the Cherokee people expanded their lands in North Carolina with the purchase of the Qualla Boundary . Since the late 20th century, archeological remains have been found in the eleven westernmost counties of North Carolina, especially in the flat bottomlands about the mouth of Mingus Creek, Toe String Creek, Bradley Fork, and Collins Creek. Griffith Rutherford North Carolina Militia North Carolina Militia Griffith Rutherford (c. 1721 – August 10, 1805)

1056-473: The National Register of Historic Places . The park service maintains them by the same standards, however. Structures at the Mountain Farm Museum include: Other buildings include a hog pen, a sorghum press and still (used to draw sorghum from cane and boil it into syrup), an ash hopper (water was filtered through the ashes to extract its lye, which was then mixed with hog lard to make soap),

1122-696: The Province of North Carolina , where he married Elizabeth Graham. During the French and Indian War , Rutherford became a captain in the North Carolina Militia . He continued serving in the militia until the start of the American Revolution in 1775, when he enlisted in the North Carolina militia as a colonel . He was appointed to the post of brigadier general of the " Salisbury District Brigade " in May 1776, and he participated in

1188-640: The Tryon County Regiment (North Carolina) , to attack the Middle Towns. British strategists viewed the southern colonies, especially lightly-populated Georgia, as the most vulnerable of all. Despite early victories won by the Patriots at Charleston and other settlements, the South became the focus of a British attack starting in 1778. Governor Richard Caswell of North Carolina identified

1254-579: The 1790s, was the first Euro-American settler in the valley and the first within the boundaries of what is now the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Mingus purchased the land from Felix Walker , a land speculator and later North Carolina congressman. While Mingus roamed from county to county in the Southern Appalachians, his descendants would remain in the area until the establishment of the park. Mingus

1320-629: The British encampment and surrounding militias at Wilmington, North Carolina , beginning with the Loyalist force at Raft Swamp. In October and November, Rutherford continued to force the Loyalists into Wilmington, eventually surrounded the city, and successfully cut off British communications and supply lines. The commanding British officer, Major Craig, was soon informed of Cornwallis's surrender at Yorktown , and his forces at Wilmington were hastily evacuated. After Wilmington, Rutherford again fought

1386-692: The British presence there to over 2,000 men. The battle ensued at dawn on August 16, 1780. Rutherford was positioned in the center of the Continental formation with other North Carolina militia. During the battle, he was wounded and taken prisoner. He was detained for ten months at Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, Florida , and was exchanged for another prisoner in 1781. Rutherford returned to Salisbury in September 1781 after his release to find that his home had been ransacked by British troops. After

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1452-593: The CCC restored Mingus Mill, a large turbine-driven gristmill on Mingus Creek. In the 1950s, several log structures were moved to an area adjacent to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center to form the Mountain Farm Museum, which provides an exhibition of pioneer European-American life in Appalachia. Along with the historic sites in the vicinity of the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, the park service maintains

1518-674: The Cherokee as a boy, and he enabled this band of Cherokee to remain, safe from removal. They were joined by a smaller band of about 150 people, who lived along the Nantahala River and were led by Utsala. Other groups living in Snowbird and along the Cheoah River (in Tomotley ) also stayed in the region. If needed, they could all gather on the land held in trust by Thomas and be protected. Today their descendants comprise most of

1584-411: The Cherokee village name Egwanulti , which means "by the river." It was recorded by naturalist John Bartram in his journals of 1775. The location of the village was unknown, although early although anthropologist James Mooney believed it to be situated near modern Birdtown, between Cherokee and Bryson City. An archaeological survey and its evidence, however, has identified a Cherokee settlement along

1650-563: The Chickamauga in the west in 1782 and followed the same route that he had taken seven years earlier. No known accounts were written of the campaign though it was reportedly successful. Rutherford was elected to the North Carolina Senate during the war in 1779 and continued to serve in that position until 1789. He opposed the restoration of Loyalist lands and supported and assisted in their confiscation while he served in

1716-617: The Eastern United States. This formation, which is composed primarily of an Early Precambrian basement rock known as granite gneiss , was formed over a billion years ago from the gradual accumulation of marine sediment and igneous rocks. The upper elevations of the Oconaluftee Valley are underlain by a Late Precambrian metamorphic rock of the Ocoee Supergroup, which is the dominant rock class in

1782-760: The Great Smokies. These rocks were formed from ocean sediments nearly 400 million years ago, and were thrust upward during the Appalachian orogeny , when the North American and African plates collided. The Greenbrier Fault, which crosses the Oconaluftee River between Tow String Creek and Mingus Creek, divides the basement formation from the Late Precambrian formation. Exposures of both rock formations can be seen along U.S. Route 441 between Newfound Gap and Cherokee. The Cherokee considered

1848-521: The Loyalists retaliated by firing at Locke's cavalry, which wad forced to fall back. The Patriots eventually forced the Loyalists to retreat to their camp, but the Patriots were discovered to be regrouping on the other side of the mill stream. Then, since an immediate attack from the Loyalists was expected, messages were sent to Rutherford, who had advanced to within six miles (9.7 km) of Ramsour's Mill, to move forward immediately. Rutherford met Locke within 2 miles (3.2 km) of Ramsour's Mill, where he

1914-754: The Oconaluftee Cherokees were North Carolina citizens, the treaty did not apply to them. In 1868, the Eastern Band was recognized as a separate tribe. In the late 19th-century, innovations in the band saw and logging railroad led to a logging boom in Southern Appalachia. With base camps at Smokemont, the Three M Lumber Company and later the Champion Fibre Company cut much of the Oconaluftee valley before its tract

1980-555: The Oconaluftee Turnpike Company. The company widened the Indian Gap Trail from Oconaluftee to the crest of the Smokies, allowing wagon access to saltpeter mines on Mount Le Conte . The road's first tollkeeper, Robert Collins, would later guide Arnold Guyot on surveying expeditions across the crest of the Smokies. Mount Collins , between Kuwohi and Newfound Gap, is named for him. Thomas,

2046-464: The Oconaluftee north of the Qualla Boundary and just inside the present-day national park. While the Cherokee ranged widely over the Smokies, this is the only known permanent Cherokee settlement within the park boundaries. This village was likely destroyed in 1776 by the army of General Griffith Rutherford during the American Revolution . John Jacob Mingus, who arrived in the Oconaluftee in

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2112-917: The South Carolina back country, most notably during the Snow Campaign in Ninety Six, South Carolina . Rutherford represented Rowan County at the Fourth Provincial Congress in Halifax , from April 4 to May 14, 1776, during which he helped develop and write the North Carolina Constitution and was promoted to brigadier general of the Salisbury District Brigade. In the summer after the conference, he raised an army of 2,400 men to campaign against local Cherokee Indians, who had been attacking colonists on

2178-508: The State. Rutherford acquired nearly 13,000 acres of Washington District land through trading off his 700 acres in Salisbury, government grants and purchasing Continental soldier's tracts. With his family and eight slaves Rutherford relocated to the area in what is today Sumner County, Tennessee , in September 1792. Two years later, he was appointed President of the Legislative Council of

2244-540: The Tuckasegee. For thousands of years, indigenous peoples occupied this region, generally living near the waterways. The historic Cherokee people occupied this region as their traditional homelands long before European encounter. They considered the Ocona Luftee waters to be sacred. The name "Ocona Luftee" was derived from the name of the Cherokee village, Egwanulti , which was developed on its banks prior to

2310-545: The advice of his officers and without knowing the capabilities of his troops, some of whom were untested in battle, Gates marched toward South Carolina on July 27 with over 4,000 men. He aimed to capturing the crossroads town of Camden, South Carolina , which would have been strategically important for control over the South Carolina back country. Lord Rawdon , who was stationed there with 1,000 men, alerted Lord Cornwallis of Gates's movements on August 9. Cornwallis arrived at Camden by August 13 with reinforcements, which increased

2376-472: The age of 84. Little is known about Rutherford's early life. Born in Ireland in either 1721 or 1731 to John Rutherford, who was of Ulster Scots descent, and Elizabeth (née Griffin), who was of Welsh descent, Griffith appears clearly in records after his immigration to Philadelphia at the age of 18. His parents died during the voyage from Ireland, and for a while, he worked on a relative's farm, where he

2442-558: The area's colonization by European frontiersmen . The name translates to "by the river" in English. The river and the village were named by the Cherokee prior to the arrival in this area of John Bartram , an English colonial explorer from Philadelphia . During the 1830s and the time of Indian removals from the Southeast, the Cherokee were allowed the chance to purchase plots of land for individual households, if they agreed to leave

2508-406: The area. https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2023/06/03/word-from-the-smokies-uncovering-the-origins-of-mingus-family-saga/70281040007/ The original visitor center at Oconaluftee was built in 1940 by the CCC as a ranger station and magistrate 's courtroom. The stone-and- log cabin was designated a "temporary" visitor center in 1947, and stayed that way until 2011, when a new center

2574-579: The bulk of a federal trust that serves as a reserve for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians . The National Park Service lands in Oconaluftee are home to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, Mingus Mill, and the Mountain Farm Museum. Much of the area is part of the Oconaluftee Archaeological District , which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Near Newfound Gap , several small streams converge to form Beech Flats Prong. This stream flows south along

2640-619: The cause against the rebels during the Regulator Movement and commanded a local militia that participated in the Battle of Alamance (May 16, 1771). The following month, Rutherford retired to Salem to recover from an acute attack of gout . Rutherford entered the war in 1775 as a colonel in the North Carolina militia after his appointment to the Rowan County Committee of Safety . Throughout that year, his regiment helped to disarm and disperse Loyalist groups in

2706-554: The clauses. Each clause was challenged individually despite opposition from the Federalist Samuel Johnston and others, but Rutherford rarely contributed to discussion. His final decision to vote against the ratification of the Constitution resulted in him losing his seat in the State Senate. However, his reputation with his colleagues was relatively unaffected, and he was subsequently elected Councilor of

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2772-468: The end of the conflict, the four regiments had destroyed 36 Indian towns, decimated acres of corn farms, and chased off most of the Indians' cattle. Afterwards, Rutherford returned home by the same route. He arrived back in Salisbury in early October, where he disbanded his troops. Later that month, Rutherford authorized another punitive expedition of a recently raised cavalry force, led by Captain William Moore joined by Captain Joseph Hardin Sr. , of

2838-425: The first floor. The cleaned grain is then fed into the grindstones, which break it down into flour (or cornmeal). The flour is then transported back to the second floor and fed into the bolting chest, which uses bolts of progressively coarser cloth to separate the flour into different grades. While the mill's turbine is not as photogenic as the overshot wheels that power mills such as the Cable Mill at Cades Cove , it

2904-399: The group before they evolved into an even greater threat. After collecting troops from Rowan and Mecklenburg Counties, Rutherford moved his men to the Catawba River and crossed it at the Tuckasegee Ford on June 19. He sent word to Colonel Francis Locke of Rowan County, to rendezvous with him about 16 miles (26 km) from Ramsour's Mill, near the forks of the Catawba. Locke accumulated

2970-411: The initial phases of the wars against the Cherokee Indians along the frontier. In June 1780, Rutherford was partly responsible for the Loyalist defeat in the Battle of Ramsour's Mill . He was present at the Battle of Camden on August 16, 1780, and was taken prisoner by the British. After a prisoner exchange in 1781, Rutherford participated in several other campaigns, including further attacks on

3036-451: The new visitor center. No government or taxpayer money was allocated for the project, so construction costs had to come entirely from donations to the two groups, which in turn donated the center to the National Park Service. The center and restrooms are open year-round, and after 64 years of "temporary" use, the original building has finally been reverted to its original administrative use, though its rustic "parkitecture" remains untouched on

3102-464: The outside. Adjacent to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center is the Mountain Farm Museum. The museum is a collection of several log buildings from various places around the park, the purpose of which is to depict a typical mountain farm in pioneer Appalachia . Gardens are planted during the spring and summer, and barn fowl roam the premises. Since most of the structures were not moved from their original locations intact, they are not eligible for inclusion in

3168-477: The present-day town of Waynesville, North Carolina , and crossed the Tuckasegee River near an Indian settlement. They moved further onwards towards the Cowee Gap , where they had a small engagement with a band of Cherokee in which one of Rutherford's men was wounded. After that conflict, they marched to the Overhill Cherokee "Middle Towns" (on the Tennessee River ), where he met General Andrew Williamson of South Carolina on September 14 at Hiwassee. Williamson

3234-420: The river considerably. Near the park boundary, a large and relatively flat bottomland has been created by the river's junction with Raven Fork, which flows down from the northeast. Past Cherokee, the river turns west en route to its mouth along the Tuckasegee River , near Bryson City . The rock formation underlying the area around the Oconaluftee-Raven Fork junction contains some of the oldest exposed rocks in

3300-441: The son of caucasian parents who was adopted by Cherokee peace chief Yonaguska , took control of Cherokee business affairs in the 1830s. His land purchases for the tribe included the Qualla Boundary, which became the backbone of the federal trust for the Eastern Band of the Cherokee. After the 1835 Treaty of New Echota ordered the Cherokees' removal from all eastern lands, Thomas went to Washington and successfully argued that since

3366-416: The southern base of Mount Kephart , dropping 2,000 feet (600 m) over 10 miles (16 km) before merging with Kephart Prong, Kanati Fork, and Smith Branch to form the Oconaluftee River . The Oconaluftee continues southward, cutting a valley between the Richland Mountain massif to the east and the Thomas Ridge massif to west. The confluence of the Oconaluftee River and Bradley Fork at Smokemont strengthens

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3432-430: The threat and immediately ordered the militia to regroup. Rutherford, who had been checking on Loyalists since his return to Salisbury in 1776, received word by October. Caswell and Rutherford met in Kinston, North Carolina , on November 25 to discuss the specifics of Rutherford's assignment. Apparently, a fleet of British ships was en route from New York City and heavily endangered key coastal cities. Rutherford amassed

3498-399: The tribe. They were then considered U.S. and state citizens, not subject to removal. About 500 Cherokee led by Yonaguska lived on land along the Oconaluftee, which was owned by William Holland Thomas , a white man who held it in trust for the Cherokee, to protect it for them. They were originally prohibited from buying land where the European Americans were settling. He had been adopted by

3564-580: The waters of the Oconaluftee sacred. Dora Woodruff Cope, who lived in the Oconaluftee valley near Smokemont around 1900, recalled a legend her Cherokee neighbors told her: ... part of the river was called Ya'nu-u'nata wasti'yi, "Where the bears wash." It was a deeper part of the river, where all the animals came to wash and heal their wounds when they had been hurt by hunters. No white person had ever seen this place because evil had blinded us to its existence. The animals knew how to find it, and diving into it meant instant healing. The term "Oconaluftee" comes from

3630-442: The western frontier since their alliance with the British. Rutherford's regiment rendezvoused at Fort McGahey with the Guilford and Surry County regiments under Colonels James Martin and Martin Armstrong on July 23, 1776. From there, the three groups traveled through the Blue Ridge Mountains at the Swannanoa Gap, passed up the valley of Hominy Creek, and crossed the Pigeon River . They then passed through Richland Creek, near

3696-604: Was a huge blow to the Patriot cause and posed a significant threat to neighboring North Carolina, which lacked adequate defenses due to expiring enlistments. Rutherford saw the danger by calling back his remaining troops stationed in South Carolina and ordering all soldiers from Salisbury to rally near Charlotte, North Carolina . A force of 900 had accumulated by early June. After rallying troops at Charlotte, Rutherford received information that Loyalists were gathering at arms at Ramsour's Mill, near present-day Lincolnton, North Carolina , and issued orders for local officers to disperse

3762-405: Was an American military officer in the Revolutionary War and the Cherokee-American Wars , a political leader in North Carolina , and an important figure in the early history of the Southwest Territory and the state of Tennessee . Originally from Ireland , Rutherford immigrated with his parents to Philadelphia , Pennsylvania Colony , at the age of 18. In 1753, he moved to Rowan County , in

3828-412: Was bought out by the Great Smoky Mountains Park Commission in the 1930s. In 1925, a massive forest fire quickly swept across the dried brush left over from the extensive logging, scorching much of the southern slopes of the Smokies. After the establishment of the national park, a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp was set up at Smokemont for workers to construct roads and trails in the area. In 1937,

3894-444: Was built in 1886 by the millwright Sion Thomas Early of Sevier County, Tennessee . Early did the work for John Mingus, a son of John Jacob Mingus. Early completed the mill in three months for a cost of $ 600. The mill operated at wholesale and retail levels until the National Park Service purchased the property in 1934. The mill was restored in 1937, closed during World War II , and reopened in 1968. Water diverted from Mingus Creek via

3960-424: Was built in just two months in late winter and early spring, and dedicated on April 15. The Great Smoky Mountains Association paid three million dollars for the buildings (the other being a highly efficient restroom facility between it and the original center), and Friends of the Smokies donated over half a million more for the exhibits inside. Trotter & Associates Architects, LLC was the architect of record for

4026-415: Was decided that Locke's forces would attack the Loyalist position immediately. Colonel Johnson, one of Locke's subordinates, informed Rutherford of the new situation by 10:00 p.m. Locke's forces left their encampment late in the evening of June 19 and had arrived at the Loyalist position by the early morning of June 20. The Patriots took the Loyalists by surprise. While at first bewildered and confused,

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4092-446: Was followed by Abraham Enloe, who settled downstream from the Mingus plot. Enloe resembled Abraham Lincoln , and many locals believed he was the president's father. Later Euro-American arrivals included Isaac Bradley (1772–1855), whose family settled in the vicinity of the stream that now bears their name, and Aden Carver (1844–1945), who lived near Smokemont. In 1831, Enloe entered into a partnership with William Holland Thomas to form

4158-444: Was informed that the Loyalists were in full retreat. The losses at Savannah, Charleston, and the Wexhams had practically driven the Continental Army from the South, with state defenses reduced to a number of locally led partisan militias. In response to the loss of military presence, Congress sent Horatio Gates , who had distinguished himself at Saratoga , to reform the Continental Army in Charlotte, North Carolina . Against

4224-455: Was more efficient and required less water power to operate. The turbine generated approximately 11 horsepower (8.2 kW) turning at 400 rpm. Aden Carver, who arrived in Oconaluftee in the mid-19th century, helped Early build the mill in 1886. When the mill was restored in 1937, Carver, then in his 90s, aided in its restoration. The Mingus Mill includes new signage stating how the paternal side of jazz artist Charles Mingus' family connects to

4290-405: Was on a similar mission and readily joined forces with the original three regiments. The now-four regiments skirmished with hostile Indians at Valley Town, Ellijay , and near the southern Watauga settlements (present day northeast Tennessee ). Eventually, the Indian tribes were subdued at the cost of three fatalities to Rutherford's regiment. Casualties to the Indians, however, were severe. By

4356-414: Was taught how to survey land . In around 1753, he moved to Rowan County, North Carolina Colony and bought a tract of land about seven miles (11 km) from Salisbury , which was the first of several land purchases that he would make in the 1750s. In 1754, Rutherford married his neighbor's sister, Elizabeth Graham, who eventually bore him ten children. One of their sons, James Rutherford, later became

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