Northeast Tennessee America's First Frontier

Travel America, May, 2001 by Alice Ross

Storytelling, auto racing, and whitewater rafting are just some of the popular pastimes in this overlooked historical corner of the state

Many travelers to Tennessee gravitate toward the larger cities, forgetting about the small towns in the northeast. But they're missing out on some of the greatest treasures the Volunteer State has to offer. Natural beauty, historic sites, tall tales, and fast cars are just some of the attractions in this part of America's first frontier.

Steeped in history, Greeneville has a bit of a quirky past; it was the second capital of the "State of Franklin," a separate and sovereign but short-lived state established by independent settlers. It's also home to Tennessee's oldest jail, the Old Greene County Gaol, built in 1805. On a more gracious note it boasts the Dickson-Williams Mansion, one of the state's finest examples of Federal architecture, with beautiful features including a three-story circular staircase. Numerous notables were entertained in the mansion, including Confederate General John Hunt Morgan, who spent his last night in the home before being killed by Union soldiers in the Williams garden.

Visitors spending a night in Greeneville can rest in splendor in the "Rebel Raider's" namesake, the General Morgan Inn. The exquisite hotel, once four interconnected "railroad hotels," offers legendary Southern hospitality along with the most modern amenities. With nine courses nearby and a mild climate, hotel guests can enjoy golf packages year-round.

Named for Revolutionary War hero Nathanael Greene, Greeneville is best known for its association with our 17th President, Andrew Johnson. He arrived in Greeneville in his teenage years, became a successful tailor, was elected to Congress, became vice president, and upon Lincoln's assassination was thrust into a presidency where he survived impeachment. Johnson-related sites include his tailor shop (with a background sound of scissors cutting fabric), a museum, two homes, and his burial site in National Cemetery.

Northeast Tennessee rates an A with outdoor enthusiasts; Cherokee National Forest, the Appalachian Trail, and TVA lakes and state parks invite activities galore--camping, hiking, boating, fishing--you name it, they've got it. And the Nolichucky River is popular for white-water rafting. Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium in Kingsport is a fun place for the entire family; a 3,000-acre nature preserve with lake, trails and an assortment of wildlife includes a wolf habitat. During a barge ride on the lake, you can hear them howl. Ranger Bob Culler mimics them so well they think he's one of their own and answer his call.

Wild life takes on a different meaning at the Bristol Motor Speedway, known as "the world's fastest half-mile." One of the five largest sports arenas in the U.S.--with more than 147,000 seats--BMS hosts NASCAR races and a variety of other events. Its drag strip presents an assortment of weekly racing. The first country-western recordings to be distributed nationwide came from Bristol, earning it the designation of the "Birthplace of Country Music." However you start your day, be sure to end it over dinner by candlelight at the award-winning Troutdale Dining Room.

Pretty as a peacock isn't just a saying at Unicoi Farmhouse Gallery and Gardens. Dozens of the birds strut all over the landscape, which dazzles the eye with wildflowers, purple rhododendrons, rock walls, and waterfalls. It's the perfect setting for the gallery of wildlife artist Johnny Lynch and a great place to hold a reunion or just enjoy a barbecue lunch in the outdoor pavilion.

Spinning yams is a traditional form of entertainment in Northeast Tennessee, which was familiar territory to such legends as Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone. You'll get an earful if you visit Jonesborough in October during its National Storytelling Festival. For three days, internationally acclaimed story-tellers gather to tell tales tall and tree in the state's oldest town and its first to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Make a point to indulge in some sinfully good food at the Parsons Table, a charming restaurant occupying a former church.

Rogersville is another town on the National Register and also wears the title of "Cradle of Tennessee Journalism." The restored Southern Railway depot serves as a museum, exhibiting originals and copies of early newspapers. Most of the town's buildings date to the 1800s, and in the cemetery a marker notes the graves of Davy Crockett's grandparents, who were massacred in 1777 by Indians.

Towns don't get too much smaller than Cumberland Gap (population 210), but what they lack in size they make up for in history and personality. In addition to Ye Olde Tea and Coffee Shoppe (a former bank whose robbery netted crooks $7), a huge stone furnace dating from 1819, and a water mill that shakes the building when it's cranked up, it's a place where you can really walk through history. Climb the wooded trail and you'll be following in the footsteps of Daniel Boone and those who helped open the way to the west when they established the Wilderness Road.