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44-653: The trail began in Tennessee at Tellico Blockhouse on the Federal Road near Nine Mile Creek in present-day Vonore . It entered the mountains in Unicoi Gap on its way east to present-day Murphy, North Carolina , and followed the Hiwassee River toward Hayesville , before turning south towards present-day Hiawassee, Georgia , and entering Georgia's Unicoi Gap. The trail then crosses Spoilcane Creek and

88-481: A 25-foot (7.6 m) high platform mound overlooking a central plaza. By 1400, the village covered 4.8 acres (0.019 km ), surrounded by a clay-covered palisade. Several Cherokee Middle Towns, including Nikwasi , Watauga , Jore , and Cowee , were located along the upper Little Tennessee River's section in present-day North Carolina section. Mounds built about 1000 CE by ancestral Mississippian culture people have survived at these sites. As noted above,

132-560: A contemporary news article: On the 25th, a Christmas dinner was given upon the ice, by the Federal officers, at Tellico Block-house, to a large company of gentlemen and ladies. "Contiguous to the place of entertainment, two quarters of a bear were barbecued, where the ice was found to be, in thickness, sufficient to bare fire enough to have roasted an ox, without being materially weakened by the heat." The Tellico Blockhouse likely had its peak of activity around 1799, due to its location along

176-446: A projection on each square, furnished with port-holes, and calculated to stand a siege by an enemy provided with small arms only. The original blockhouse was approximately 120x100 feet, enclosed by a defensive palisade approximately 16 feet high. The gate was on the north wall, with the captain's quarters and guardhouse just inside the gate. The original enclosure contained two barracks, a well, and parade grounds. A watchtower stood at

220-490: A wall from the military section, contained lodging areas for travelers and delegates and a two-story building known as the Tellico Factory. Along with a trading post where European-American tools and finished goods were traded for Native American furs and raw materials, the factory included a section where members of the new Cherokee Nation could learn mechanical arts, and spinning and weaving cloth. In April 1797,

264-659: Is a 135-mile (217 km) tributary of the Tennessee River that flows through the Blue Ridge Mountains from Georgia , into North Carolina , and then into Tennessee , in the southeastern United States. It drains portions of three national forests— Chattahoochee , Nantahala , and Cherokee — and provides the southwestern boundary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park . Numerous dams were erected on

308-466: Is also impounded by Cheoah Dam in North Carolina, and by Calderwood and Chilhowee dams in Tennessee. The reservoirs provide flood control and hydroelectric power . Calderwood and Cheoah dams divert water through short tunnels slightly downstream of the dams to hydroelectric generators. Chilhowee has power generators built directly into the dam itself. Some water is also diverted from

352-623: The American Revolution . In 1795 a United States fur trade factory was established in Tellico along the route. It was moved to Hiawassee in 1807 before being discontinued in 1811. In 1813, after requests from Tennessee and Georgia, the Cherokee struck a treaty with the U.S. government to allow construction of a toll road along the path. According to the treaty, the tribe would be paid $ 160 per year for twenty years. After that time

396-779: The Chattahoochee River 11 times, dropping around 800 feet on its way to Sautee. In the Sautee-Nacoochee Valley, the turnpike connected with the Cherokee Trading Path network which included trails to present-day Virginia , Pennsylvania , and Maryland . From Sautee-Nacoochee, the path continued east to Toccoa as the Chattahoochee River turned south. The route then connected with the Savannah River , just below

440-588: The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) system. They form a string of reservoirs in western North Carolina and East Tennessee down to the river's confluence with the Tennessee. Near the state line between North Carolina and Tennessee, the Little Tennessee River is impounded by the 480-foot (150 m) Fontana Dam , completed in 1944, forming Fontana Lake along the southern boundary of Great Smoky Mountains National Park . It

484-603: The 1970s show evidence of interaction with the Hopewell people of what is now Ohio. Mississippian period (c. 1000-1500 A.D.) sites in the Little Tennessee Valley include the Toqua site (at the river's confluence with Toqua Creek), Tomotley (adjacent to Toqua), Citico (at the river's Citico Creek confluence), and Bussell Island (at the mouth of the river). Toqua's Mississippian inhabitants constructed

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528-487: The Cherokee village of Tallassee . Even as the Cherokee chief Hanging Maw was meeting with Governor William Blount to discuss bringing peace to the area, the chief's delegation was attacked by a band of settlers, who killed several Cherokee headmen. Hanging Maw convinced Blount to construct a fort in the vicinity of the Overhill towns in order to suppress violence. The chief donated the land. The Tellico Blockhouse

572-499: The Cherokee, whose territory this had been for centuries. Armed confrontations developed, as the Cherokee raided the settlements and sometimes killed settlers, conducting ritual scalpings . The settlers formed independent militias and carried out reprisal attacks. This violence reached a climax in 1793, when the Cherokee attacked Henry's Station in Blount County . The pioneers responded by crossing Chilhowee Mountain and sacking

616-713: The English and French. The fort has been reconstructed as an historic site. Two early American sites are located along the Little Tennessee—; the Tellico Blockhouse , an outpost at the river's Nine Mile Creek confluence, and Morganton , a river port and ferry town near modern Greenback , which thrived in the early 19th century. The Hazel Creek section of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, located on

660-912: The Fort Loudoun State Historic Area. Some of the artifacts recovered during the excavation are displayed at the nearby Fort Loudoun museum and the Frank H. McClung Museum in Knoxville. Several treaties between the United States and the Cherokee Nation were negotiated at the Tellico Blockhouse: Little Tennessee River The Little Tennessee River (known locally as the Little T )

704-540: The Hiwassee River and deeper into Georgia, trying to escape the encroachment of European Americans. As the Overhill towns along the Little Tennessee River began to disperse, the Tellico Blockhouse's influence started to wane. In 1801, Colonel Return J. Meigs took over as Cherokee agent. This appointment effectively moved the agency to Fort Southwest Point (modern Kingston, Tennessee ), where Meigs

748-613: The Little Tennessee River and then upstream on the Tennessee River to the north. As there were no bridges built to span the Little Tennessee until the late 19th century, blockhouse officials crossed at Niles Ferry. This ferry site was later used for the ends of the modern US-411 bridge. In 1979 the Tellico Dam was completed on the Little Tennessee River. The impoundment of the river, creating Tellico Lake, pushed

792-528: The Little Tennessee on this side of the mountains, most notably at Icehouse Bottom, Rose Island, Calloway Island (near the river's confluence with Toqua Creek), Thirty Acre Island (near the river's confluence with Nine Mile Creek), and Bacon Bend (between Toqua and Citico Beach). Salvage archeological excavations in the 1970s before completion of the Tellico Dam uncovered large groups of Woodland-period burials on both Rose and Calloway islands in present-day Tennessee. Pottery fragments uncovered at Icehouse Bottom in

836-484: The Old Federal Road. That same year, Louis-Philippe , Duke of Orleans and later king of France, paid a visit to the blockhouse. In 1800, several Cherokee leaders convened at the blockhouse to debate whether or not to allow missionaries into Cherokee towns. The Cherokee hoped the missionaries would provide educational services to their children. In the early 19th century, the Cherokee slowly migrated south to

880-559: The agreement would be re-negotiated or the route would revert to the Cherokee's ownership. The annual amounts were reportedly never paid. A company led by Russell Wiley worked from 1813 until 1817 to turn the trail into a two-lane toll road for wagons carrying freight. Inns and rest stops called "stands" were built along the trail at intervals of about fifteen miles. Many such rest stops grew into communities, such as Brasstown, North Carolina . The only surviving inn, Traveler's Rest in Toccoa,

924-482: The blockhouse. They directed the reinforcement of foundations with authentic fill material so visitors can see the fort's layout. Short posts were erected to show the position of the blockhouse walls, and interpretive signs were placed at the site to explain the fort's brief history. The site is preserved as a State Historic Area, listed on the National Register of Historic Places , and managed by staff of

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968-553: The entrance of Toccoa Creek . From there, the river could be navigated to ports in Savannah and Charleston . The path has existed for more than 1,000 years. Even before Native Americans used the trail, large mammals migrated along the route for the winter. In 1756, British soldiers used the road to construct Fort Loudoun during the French and Indian War . The trail later aided raids between European colonists and Cherokees during

1012-671: The exposure of the so-called "Blount Conspiracy"—in which Senator William Blount attempted to convince Britain to attack and capture the Spanish-controlled port of New Orleans—began at the Tellico Blockhouse. James Carey, a merchant whom Blount had attempted to recruit, gave a letter from Blount detailing the conspiracy to James Byers, a government trader at the Blockhouse. Byers turned the letter over to Colonel David Henley (a foe of Blount) in Knoxville, and Henley delivered it to Secretary of State Timothy Pickering . Blount

1056-561: The flow through those at nearby Fort Loudoun Dam on the Tennessee by means of a canal that diverts much of the flow of the Little Tennessee. The proposed project to build the dam and reservoir was the subject of environmental controversy during the 1970s because of the discovery of the snail darter , an endangered species . It was the first major legal challenge to the Endangered Species Act . The Little Tennessee River and its immediate watershed comprise one of

1100-664: The late 17th century. There is some evidence that Spanish explorers Hernando De Soto and Juan Pardo passed through the Little Tennessee Valley in 1540 and 1567, respectively. In 1756 the English built Fort Loudoun , located at the river's confluence with the Tellico River, for defenses during the French and Indian War . This was the name for the North American front of the Seven Years' War in Europe between

1144-682: The mountains past Dillard into southwestern North Carolina , it is joined by the Cullasaja River at Franklin . The river turns northwest, flowing through the Nantahala National Forest along the north side of the Nantahala Mountains . It crosses into eastern Tennessee and joins the Tennessee River at Lenoir City , 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Knoxville . The lower river is impounded in several places by sequential dams, some created as part of

1188-739: The nearby Santeetlah Dam on the Cheoah River to power another hydroelectric generator at the Santeetlah Powerhouse . This water is brought to the Little Tennessee River through 7 miles (11 km) of tunnels through the Great Smoky Mountains . Chilhowee, Calderwood, and Cheoah Dams and the Santeetlah Powerhouse were originally built by Alcoa to power the aluminum plant at Alcoa, Tennessee . To ensure efficiency in operation, Alcoa coordinates

1232-470: The northeast corner. In 1795, Congress passed the Factory Act, which sought to improve relations with American Indians by setting up official trading posts and teaching the natives agricultural and mechanical techniques. To implement this, McKee's successor, Silas Dinsmoor, expanded the Tellico Blockhouse to nearly double its original size to incorporate a civilian half. This new section, separated by

1276-450: The operation of its hydro system with TVA, making sure that reservoir and river water levels are safe for recreational use (primarily boating and fishing) and that proper flows of water continue down the river. The final impoundment is Tellico Dam , which is just above its mouth into the Tennessee River at Lenoir City, Tennessee . It creates Tellico Reservoir . The dam does not have its own hydroelectric generators, but serves to increase

1320-687: The present shoreline to within a few meters of the blockhouse site. Historically, the Tellico Blockhouse was the starting point of the Old Federal Road , which connected Knoxville to Cherokee settlements in Georgia. It was also the start of the Unicoi Turnpike , a Cherokee trading path that connected to North Carolina and north Georgia. During the second half of the 18th century, the number of Anglo-European settlers into East Tennessee rapidly increased. They came into conflict with

1364-544: The richest archaeological areas in the southeastern United States, containing substantial indigenous habitation sites dating to as early as 7,500 B.C. Cyrus Thomas , who conducted a survey in the 1880s of earthwork mounds in the area for the Smithsonian Institution , wrote that the Little Tennessee River was "undoubtedly the most interesting archaeological section in the entire Appalachian district." Substantial Archaic period (8000-1000 B.C.) sites along

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1408-512: The river in the 20th century for flood control and hydropower generation. The river flows through five major impoundments: Fontana Dam , Cheoah Dam , Calderwood Dam , Chilhowee Dam , and Tellico Dam , and one smaller impoundment, Porters Bend Dam. The Little Tennessee River rises in the Blue Ridge Mountains , in the Chattahoochee National Forest in northeast Georgia 's Rabun County . After flowing north through

1452-651: The river include the Icehouse Bottom and the Rose Island sites, both located near the confluence of the Tellico River with the Little Tennessee in present-day Tennessee. These sites were probably semi-permanent base camps, the inhabitants of which may have sought the chert deposits on the bluffs above the river which they used to create tools. Evidence of Woodland period (1000 B.C. - 1000 A.D.) habitation has been uncovered at numerous sites along

1496-407: The river was the spine of most of the major Overhill Cherokee towns, the most prominent of which included Chota , Tanasi , Toqua, Tomotley, Mialoquo (near Rose Island), Chilhowee (at the river's Abrams Creek confluence), Tallassee (near modern Calderwood), Citico, and Tuskegee (adjacent to Fort Loudoun ). Euro-American traders were visiting the Overhill towns along the Little Tennessee by

1540-498: The turnpike can be can be seen by car on roads that roughly follow the route of the old trail. “Unicoi” was the Cherokee word for “white." The name may have referred to the mountain mist along the route or to the travelers using the road. In 1999, the White House Millennium Council designated Unicoi Turnpike as one of 16 National Millennium Trails . Tellico Blockhouse The Tellico Blockhouse

1584-862: The turnpike was the first leg of the Trail of Tears for more than 3,000 Cherokee people who were deported during the Cherokee Removal . The toll road remained in operation until after the Civil War. Today the path is part of the Cherokee Heritage Trail project. A 2.5 mile (4.0km) section of the original trail opened for hiking in June 2005. It is located in the Cherokee National Forest in Coker Creek. The rest of

1628-565: Was an early American outpost located along the Little Tennessee River in what developed as Vonore , Monroe County, Tennessee . Completed in 1794, the blockhouse was a US military outpost that operated until 1807; the garrison was intended to keep peace between the nearby Overhill Cherokee towns and encroaching early Euro-American pioneers in the area in the wake of the Cherokee–American wars . The Tellico Blockhouse

1672-461: Was based. In 1805, the last Tellico treaty called for the removal of the blockhouse garrison south to the Hiwassee River area. When archeologists from the University of Tennessee conducted excavations at the Tellico Blockhouse site in the 1970s, they located the fort's foundations and a number of artifacts. Due to a lack of records, officials concluded they would not attempt a reconstruction of

1716-522: Was completed and garrisoned by federal troops from Knoxville in 1794. John McKee, a surveyor in the area, was appointed as the first Tellico Indian Agent. He was to act as the official liaison between the United States government and the Cherokee Nation. The blockhouse was a crude fort built from earthworks and timber. Sawed planking was shipped upstream from Knoxville. According to historian J. G. M. Ramsey in his history originally published in 1853, it was: ...a strong work, of considerable size, with

1760-408: Was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964. Drovers herded turkeys, hogs, and livestock on the toll road. The toll ranged from twelve and a half cents for a man and his horse to $ 1.25 for a four-wheel “carriage of pleasure." The discovery of gold at Coker Creek in the 1820s brought an influx of people and a fort was established to separate miners from Cherokee and their lands. In the 1830s,

1804-505: Was designated as the Tellico Blockhouse State Historic Area and listed in 1975 on the National Register of Historic Places . It is administered by staff of the nearby Fort Loudoun State Historic Area. The Tellico Blockhouse site is located at the junction of Nine Mile Creek and the Little Tennessee River (now Tellico Lake), between Maryville and Vonore . U.S. Route 411 passes nearby. Fort Loudoun

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1848-454: Was eventually expelled from the Senate based in part on this letter. In December 1797, one of the first recorded Christmas celebrations in Tennessee occurred among the garrison at the Tellico Blockhouse to celebrate the Little Tennessee River freezing over. On the night of December 25, Dinsmoor and the federal garrison held a dinner party on the ice. This was later described by Ramsey from

1892-429: Was located just across the river to the west, but it was in ruins by the time the blockhouse was built. The Tellico Blockhouse originally stood on a high bluff overlooking the Little Tennessee valley. The Overhill towns of Chota and Great Tellico were within a day's journey to the south. The river town of Morganton (then known as "Portville") was within walking distance. Knoxville was thirty miles downstream on

1936-467: Was the site where several treaties were negotiated between the United States and the Cherokee , by which the latter ceded large portions of land in present-day Tennessee and Georgia in order to try to gain peace. The US provided various financial incentives for these actions. During this period, the blockhouse was the site of official liaisons between the United States government and the Cherokee. It

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