Sequoyah and His Talking Symbols

Vonore, Tennessee. The wind whipped around me like bitterness.

"These grounds are not yours," the whispering past said.

"I come with respect," I said replied silently and for a few moments, there was no wind, no coldness. This was familiar territory and my footsteps, leaving nothing behind on the pavement of the parking lot, were perhaps remembered. So many dark and cold nights, I had walked here, learning basic Cherokee. It does not get much more romantic than this - learning a language where its academic record began. This is the site where Sequoyah, who created the Cherokee Syllabary, a method for recording and communicating the language in a written form was born.

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• MUSEUM LOCATION:
• Latitude: 35.585192,
• Longitude: -84.220438
• 576 Highway 360 - Vonore, TN 37885

• A LITTLE HISTORY:
• The museum is located very near the site of Tuskeegee, the village where Sequoyah was born.
• Sequoyah was born in 1776.
  
• He created the Cherokee Syllabary in 1821.
• The syllabary is composed of 85 symbols.
  
• It took him 12 years to create it.
  

• STRUCTURES:
• Museum and grounds.
  

• CURRENT USAGE:
  
• Museum

• REFERENCE
1. Sequoyah Birthplace Museum
   

Coal Creek

Lake City, Tennessee. It was a Saturday and typical of this photo project, I drove right past my destination, the Lake City Coal Mine Museum. Finally, after stopping to ask directions (the local police were very helpful), I turned around and found myself at the town's community center. I went in one door and landed at a dead end. Hmmm. No museum. The screaming in my head began to get really loud. Oh, no. Not again, I thought. Why is this so hard? I am a museum person. I have a radar for finding them. Why is it so hard to locate them in Tennessee?

So, I took a breath and walked around to the front of the building. Oh, thank goodness. There it was, right where it was suppose to be. There was the sign, yet in front of the door, there was also a grill. Strange. But there seemed to be a few people inside, so in my companion and I went.

Basically, it is a one room museum. However, if you are thinking about visiting it, you may want to call in advance. It has the feel of a private collection that is in the process of needing to be cataloged and labeled. There is a proposal in the works, apparently, to create a much larger national coal mining museum.

After fifteen minutes or so, we wandered out and decided to go on the Motor Discovery Tour of the Coal Creek mine disasters. It is a fascinating history. That was challenging as well, as the tour really does not exist. It, like the museum, is holding its breath for signage and funding (sorely needed). So, we meandered and made a day of it, looking for the past, sometimes finding it, sometimes not.

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• MUSEUM LOCATION:
• Latitude: 36.222898
• Longitude: -84.157441
• 216 N. Main Street - Lake City, TN 37769

• A LITTLE HISTORY:
• Coal Creek was the site for the Cold Creek Coal War of 1891 to 1892, where miners fought against the notion of coal companies using convict labor.
  
• Location of the United States' third largest mining disaster - the 1902 Fraterviller Explosion.
• Location of the 1911 Cross Mountain mine disaster.
  

• STRUCTURES:
• Lake City Coal Miner's Museum
• Bridges, churches and other structures along the Motor Discovery Tour.
  

• CURRENT USAGE:
  
• Museum
• The Motor Discovery Tour
  

• REFERENCE
• Coal Creek Watershed Foundation
  

Archie Campbell

Bulls Gap, Tennessee. "Do you even know who Archie Campbell is?" my partner asked me as I followed his navigation. Now, I admit I might have gotten him mixed up with Sargent York at one time (I know, I know...), but I had distinctly remembered visiting that home site. Hmmm. Archie Campbell. Did he have something to do with country music? Okay, that is a little lame. This is Tennessee after all. Chances are if you were not military history, football history, you might just be all about the music. Not quite. Try country comedy. And after listening to one of the jokes (it just wouldn't be right to tell it all, brother, not on this here page), I too discovered the joys of Rindercella.

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• LOCATION:
• Latitude: 36.255612
• Longitude: -83.08636
• 3139 S. Main Street, Tennessee 37711

• A LITTLE HISTORY:
• Archie Campbell was born in Bulls Gap, Tennessee on November 7, 1914.
• He began his career as a disc jockey at WNOX in Knoxville.
• He was in the Navy during WWII.
• Country Playhouse, Knoxville's first country television show featured his personality, plus he also helped start it.
• When the show ended, he went onto the Grand Ole Opry.
• In 1968-9, he became a member of the cast of the television show Hee Haw.
• Campbell was also a painter and a gallery owner (his college degree from Mars Hill College was in art).
• He passed away in 1987.
  

• STRUCTURES:
• This is the Archie Campbell Complex.
  
• Structures include:
• The Archie Campbell Museum
• Archie Campbell's Childhood home
  
• A train caboose
  

• CURRENT USAGE: Museum and Park
  

• REFERENCE
1. Country Music Television
   
2. Hee Haw
3. Rogersville Chamber of Commerce
   

The Saga of Three Museums

East Tennessee. Though I am working on a volunteer project that includes photographing historic sites and museums, I had decided I probably would not include modern museums in this blog unless they are historical sites (that I deem interesting). So, it would stand to reason that the three museums I am about to mention would not have made the cut onto the blog, but they are involved in tales of my photographic expeditions through out East Tennessee and because of there very nature, need to be included.



First, there is the Farragut Folklife Museum in Farragut, TN. It was incredibly easy to find, great signage along the way (which has not always been the case in my new beloved Tennessee). This alone almost makes this a place worth seeing. The museum is located in the Farragut Town Hall, a new building that is tastefully done (to my aesthetics). What is special about this museum and why would anyone care outside the local community? Well, for you Naval buffs out there, this museum houses the collection of Admiral David Glasgow Farragut. He was the first commissioned Admiral of the United States Navy and is best known for the quote, "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead."

Location: 11408 Municipal Center Drive, Farragut, TN
Latitude: 37.0625
Longitude: -95.677068
Source: www.townoffarragut.org

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The next stop on this particular day was to the The Girl Scout Museum at Daisy’s Place. You will note there are no pictures here for this. This is because I could not find it. Just par for the course of this project. Urrrrrrr. Apparently though, they just remodeled and unveiled the museum, so maybe this time I will find it. It will be awhile.

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My last stop was one that a few may find a tad uncomfortable, and that is the Knoxville Police Department Museum located at the Knoxville City Police Department. The big thing to know about this museum is that you need to call in advance to make an appointment to see it. I did not know this the first time I went to photograph it. There I was, little ol' me looking for any sign of the museum, when a lady police officer, hand on holster, asked if she could help me. I wanted to hold up my hands and yell ,"Don't shoot!" but I didn't. She was actually extremely nice and helpful when I told her what I was up to. It did mean having to return and photograph the building another day. This was the day, and yes, Chief Owen gave me permission to photograph the it (thank you very much.).

Location: 800 Howard Baker Jr. Ave. Knoxville, TN 37915
Longitude: 35.975922
Latitude: -83.904562

Fort Loudoun

Vonore, Tennessee. What can I really say about historic Fort Loudoun? It has been a part of my life for two years (come November). Often I am struck with awe at the beauty of landscape (though it is a bit marred by the new housing development that has gone up on the other side of the lake - realize I speak for myself here, no one else). Sometimes I get lost in time when the park has closed to visitors and we remain in in the 18th century, watching the sunset, swimming in the lake, and singing old tavern songs. It is really amazing in the fading light of an exhausted sun to watch a random person wall across the hill, lantern light shining the way towards the comfort of the barracks. Sometimes I look for the original occupants, trying to understand, but then I feel like an impostor on 17 feet of new soil that covers the original fort, a necessary change thanks to the work of the Tennessee Valley Authority.

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• LOCATION:
• Latitude: 35.598485
• Longitude: ,-84.216642
• 338 Fort Loudoun Road Vonore, Tennessee 37885

• A LITTLE HISTORY:
• The fort was built to house the Independent Company of South Carolina (1756) and to help protect the British Colony of South Carolina interests from the French during the French and Indian War.
  
• It was named after John Campbell, the fourth Earl of Loudoun, who was the British Commander-in-Chief in North America from 1756 to 1758. (3)
  
• This secured an alliance between the British and the Overhill Cherokee Nation. (1)
• In 1759, the British and Cherokees began warring over suspicions and betrayals by one another. (2)
• These included the execution of 23 Cherokee at Fort Prince George in South Carolina in late 1759. (3)
• In response, the Cherokees halted Fort Loudoun's supply line through the mountains to Fort Prince George. (3)
  
• By June 1760, rations were reduced to one quart of corn per day divided among three persons. (3)
• On August 6, 1760, the Cherokees laid siege to the fort and the Independent Company of South Carolina Surrendered. (2)
• On August 9, 1760, the British garrison left the fort with 180 men and 60 women and children. (3)
  
• On August 10, 1760, the retreating garrison was ambushed by the Cherokee and many of the garrison were killed or sold off into slavery. Those killed included all the officers, except for one, and twenty to thirty others. (3)
• The fort was later burnt down by the Cherokee.
  

• STRUCTURES:
• This the second reconstruction of the fort.
• The first was reconstructed by the Works Project Administration.
• The current site is now 17 feet above the original site and has ongoing reconstruction. (4)
  

• CURRENT USAGE: Historic Site, Museum, and Recreational State Park
  

• REFERENCE
1. www.fortloudoun.com/
2. Historic Fort Loudoun, Paul Kelley, Fort Loudoun Association, 1958.
3. www.tennessee.gov
4. www.wikipedia.org
   

Sam Houston Historic Schoolhouse

Maryville, Tennessee. Sometimes I get these inklings that turn into grand photographic romances. Like an actress falling love with a co-lead, I inevitably crush on certain subjects. John Wilkes Booth was one such example, which lead to my Sic Semper Tyrannus series. It was not so much the legend or the man, but the history, the adventure, the idealism, and the destruction that overwhelmed my imagination.

Then there is Sam Houston. If you are not a Houston aficionado or from Tennessee, Texas may first come to mind. However, his formative years and young political adult life originated in Tennessee. I think I lumped this fellow in with the likes of Davey Crockett and Daniel Boone, but I was sorely wrong. Houston, it seems had quite the life. It included bouts of alcoholism, divorce, mystery, treachery, and somehow, through it all, the ability to rise to the top and over come.

So, is Houston my next arcane romance? I am a bit undecided. Intrigued, yes.

I am slowly plowing through The Raven, the 1920s Pulitzer Prize-winning biography and following his footsteps.

Maryville and the schoolhouse is the first imprint of his that I have set my camera upon.

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• LOCATION:
• Latitude: 35.796722
• Longitude: -83.883533
• 3650 Old Sam Houston School Road, Maryville, TN 37804

• A LITTLE HISTORY:
• The schoolhouse was built in 1794 and Henry McCulloch was the first teacher. (1)
  
• Sam Houston started his school here rather than taking up the family business of farming.(1)
• He did this in 1812, when he was 19 years old to pay off either a $100 (2) or a $300 (3) debt. The debt was paid off within one semester. (2)
  
• A child could attend this school for $8 per semester term when it was in Houston's hands. (1) He was paid one third of this in money, a third in corn and the other third in calico fabric. (2)
  
• In 1813, he was done being a school master. He joined the military. (3)
• This structure has also served as a church and a tenant house. (1)
  

• STRUCTURE:
• The schoolhouse is constructed from hewn poplar logs with a seven-foot ceiling. The desks convert from the window apertures and the seats are also made from hewn lumber. (1)
  

• CURRENT USAGE: Museum
  

• REFERENCE
1. www.samhoustonhistoricschoolhouse.org
2. www.blountweb.com/samhouston/schoolmaster.htm
   
3. www.blountweb.com/samhouston/chronology.htm
   

Children's Museum of Oak Ridge

Oak Ridge, Tennessee. For the past three years I have had a grand romance, a romance that still makes my heart feel warm when I think about it. It is a romance with the Secret City. This World War II historic town is ever engaging and always interesting. I look for any chance to go there.

This past winter (alright, cold spring) found me exploring what is now the Children's Museum of Oak Ridge. As I climbed guiltily on the colorful playground equipment (fabulous stuff), I hoped no one would mind my quick moment of relieving childhood. I was totally happy and about to come down one of the funky slides when I noticed that a road crew working on the road just in front of me had stopped their noisy tasks and all eyes were upon me. Drat. Sheepishly, I slide down and walked away.

I have to admit I was a little unenthused with the facade of the building until I remembered that it was indeed a historic site. I looked a little closer. This was an original school during the Secret City years. It now manages to retain the style of that time period and yet is inviting as a children's museum.

As I walked the length of the building, at the end I discovered a very catchy outdoor exhibit featuring a model train rail road track and a Norfolk Southern caboose. (Though you can see this anytime, please be check with the museum to see when it is available for actual entry and exploration).

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• LOCATION:
• Latitude: 36.031956
• Longitude: -84.267197
• 461 West Outer Drive, Oak Ridge, TN 37830

• A LITTLE HISTORY:
• Built in the 1940s, what is now the Oak Ridge Children's Museum was then the Highland View elementary School. It was the fifth school built in the Secret City. (1)
  
• It became the Children's Museum in Oak Ridge in January 1974. (2)

• CURRENT USAGE: Museum
  

• REFERENCE
Oak Ridge by Ed Westcott, pg. 48

• www.childrensmuseumofoakridge.org

The Old Roane County Courthouse

Kingston, Tennessee. Suddenly as I drove into the town proper of Kingston everything began to take on familiar hues. Instinctively I knew exactly where I was and where I was going. For a late afternoon, the parking lot to the Old Roane County Courthouse seemed fairly deserted, and yet the doors were open and in-taking and expelling the hot air of the day.

Inadvertently, I had not put two and two together. In planning my small journey, I had not realized that I was returning to a previous site I had already photographed. Yes, the Kingston Courthouse and the Roane County Courthouse are one and the same. Finding humor in this, I figured there must have been a reason for my return trip and pulled out my camera to re-investigate this site.

It was much the same, but lurking in the shadows of the portico, something moved. My heartbeat faster and I squinted to see what it was. For a few moments, I wondered if I should worry about my security and had I told anyone I was coming out here today?

Then two little green eyes appeared out of the gloom and erased any sense of doom I had felt. I had been scrutinized, it seemed, and found acceptable for I was greeted by a very friendly host. This beautiful (and healthy, I must say) cat did his best to lure me into the confines of the building. Ever so tempting, I knew daylight would be fleeting, and another site beckoned me (one of which I still have not found, but that is another story for another time).

Only the picture of the cat was taken during this second photographic session. The other images were from my first attempt.

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• LOCATION:
• Latitude: 35.870083
• Longitude: -84.501479
• 119 Court Street, Kingston, TN 37763

• A LITTLE HISTORY:
• The Old Roane County Courthouse has been a site of strained emotion. The land on which the structure stands was owned by the Cherokee, and became a sore spot in the history of American settlement. The Cherokee signed an early treaty to allow these lands to become the capitol of Tennessee. For one day, Monday, September 21, 1807, indeed the first meeting of the General Assembly was held here. When the meeting adjourned, it was stated that the next meeting, the following Wednesday, would be held in Knoxville. (2)
• During the Civil War, the structure served as a hospital for both the confederate and the union sides. Graffiti can be found on the walls written by soldiers who were hospitalized there. (1)
• Until 1974, this was the site of the active Roane County courthouse, which then moved across the street to a new facility. At that time the older structure was deeded to the Roane County Heritage Commission.(1)

• THE STRUCTURE
• This combined Greek Revivalist and Federal Style antebellum courthouse features no nails. It is comprised of bricks, native lumber and was made by slaves between 1854 and 1855. The architect was Augustus Fisher and was designed by Fredrick B. Guenther (1)
  

• CURRENT USAGE: Museum, Library and home of the Roane County Heritage Commission
  

• REFERENCE
1. http://www.roanetnheritage.com/courthouse/index.htm
2. http://www.roanealliance.org/community/community_history.html

Oliver Springs Southern Railway Depot

Oliver Springs, Tennessee. My head buzzed with pressure from an on-coming change in the weather. When I had set out earlier in the day to photograph the Oliver Springs Southern Railway Depot, now the Oliver Springs Library and Museum, the sky was clear (as clear as a hot day summer day in Tennessee can be). Now rain threatened. As I hurried on ignoring the pain in my head, I found the depot rather easily (not so for a few other historic sites in East Tennessee).

Barely had I begun to investigate this piece of railroad history when indeed a summer shower began. I waited in my car. The rain grew harder. So balancing an umbrella and the camera, I slogged ahead.

As I traveled beyond the parking lot side of building, the other side was brimming with the color red. The contrast of this vibrant color lit up the rather bleak looking day it had become. There was a Southern Railway Caboose and a very well maintained historic firetruck. Also, a separate little ticket booth also stood its ground.

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• LOCATION:
• Latitude: 0.001895
• Longitude: 0.002961
• 610 Walker Ave., Oliver Springs, TN 37840
• Moved from original site
  

• A LITTLE HISTORY:
• Imagine being wealthy in the late 1800s. You hear about about the miraculous health benefits of mineral springs. You choose a little holiday at a luxury hotel and you get there by train, leaving from Knoxville, Tennessee. Such patronage is how the town of Oliver Springs gained a bit of affluence in the world and why the Oliver Springs Southern Railway Depot came into being. But it truly prospered from nearby coal production.
• The last passenger train pulled through the depot in 1968.
  
• In 1983 Southern Railway planned to demolish the structure. The town rallied for saving this historic remnant and eventually struck a deal with Southern Railway, provided it would be removed from the site and relocated elsewhere. In 1986, the citizens of Oliver Springs were able to have the building moved across the street.

• THE STRUCTURE
• This depot is a small-frame style, one story structure. It features gabbles and overhangs. Its original pressed metal shingle roof has been replaced with asphalt shingles.

• CURRENT USAGE: Oliver Springs Library, Museum operated by the Oliver Springs Historical Society

• REFERENCE
• The quarterly Bulletin of the Oliver Springs Historical Society in an article written by Bruce R. Schulman found at www.oshistorical.com/depot.htm
• For more information about the Oliver Springs Southern Railway Depot, visit the Oliver Springs Historical Society web site.