April’s bright blue skies can quickly give way to the showers that will “bring May flowers,” but getting outside during this month - rain or shine -- can help you discover historical treasures while improving your fitness factors.
Start your month with a visit to the site of Blythe’s Ferry, easily accessible off Highway 58, at 6615 Blythe Ferry Lane near Birchwood, Tenn. In 1809, 10 years before Hamilton County’s charter, William Blythe received approval to operate a ferry at the confluence of the Hiwassee and Tennessee rivers. The ferry provided critical personal and business transportation and services for residents of Hamilton and Meigs County. During the Cherokee Removal of the late 1830s, nine of the 13 detachments organized by Chief John Ross said farewell to their ancestral lands and boarded boats bound for Oklahoma at this historic site, some groups after spending several weeks on-site waiting for the waters to rise. William Blythe chose to join his Cherokee wife and her people in their forced exile, but a ferry would be operational at the location for 185 years, until the Highway 60 bridge was built in 1994.
Pack a brown bag lunch for your visit because you’ll want time to walk the beautiful riverside site and pause for thoughtful consideration at the historical markers and monuments.
If your family stories include the possibility of Cherokee lineage, then bring those family charts and take advantage of the Native American Lineage Library and its Cherokee research tools. A Trail of Tears documentary, written for multigenerational understanding, is an excellent introduction to the Cherokee Removal for younger family members. You can also walk side-by-side with the Cherokee as you move alongside the Cherokee History Wall, tracing the story of their progress from hunter-gatherers to a literate and cultured people, allied with the settlers during the late 1790s and early 1800s, with a government reflecting the same values of their colonial neighbors.
Make time to visit the Memorial Wall, too. The names of 2,535 heads of household and the number of family members associated with each name have been duplicated from the 1835 Cherokee Census known as the Henderson Roll, recognizing those who were forced to leave. Of the 16,542 Cherokee people documented, more than 4,200 died before reaching the new Cherokee lands in Oklahoma. Most were buried along the trails or rivers, and the Memorial Wall serves as their only tombstone. Interestingly, the census notes occupations for the heads of household, farmers, weavers, spinners, businessmen, and the fact that many were literate in both English and Cherokee.
After a visit to Blythe’s Ferry, preserved primarily due to the efforts and financial support of Rita Vital and her son, Greg, you’ll want to know more about the Cherokee people and their history. Visit your Chattanooga Library where you’ll find books appropriate for all ages and then plan your next April excursion.
Less than an hour away, families can visit Nancy Ward’s gravesite and pay homage to the monumental leader, her son, Five Killer, and brother, The Raven.
Many Chattanoogans are familiar with the name of Nancy Ward, although they may not know pertinent details about her life. The Nancy Ward Chapter, NSDAR, was chartered in 1915 and chose to honor her critical role in Tennessee’s early history by adopting her name. In 1976, local artist Ben Hampton gave a Bicentennial nod to her significance by issuing a popular lithograph of Nancy Ward.
So, who was this Cherokee Beloved Woman who died in 1822 after a lifetime of leadership? Nancy Ward was born in 1738 at Chota and was a member of the Wolf clan and niece to Attakullakulla, a chief of the Cherokee nation and the father of Dragging Canoe. One of the earliest stories related her strength in battle when she fought alongside her husband against the Creeks, chewing his lead bullets to strengthen their force upon impact. After he was mortally wounded, oral tradition recounts that Nancy Ward grabbed his rife, rallied the Cherokee warriors and then led a strong charge that startled the Creeks. Victory belonged to the Cherokee, and Nancy Ward was chosen as Ghighau, Beloved Woman, by her people. As Beloved Woman, Nancy Ward spoke in tribal meetings, headed the Women’s Council and held membership in the Council of Chiefs. Her status gave her control of all prisoners and the honor of mixing the Black Drink, a sacred potion shared among warriors prior to battle.
Settlers in the lands west of the Appalachians that would become Tennessee recognized Nancy Ward’s power and sought her friendship. James Robertson’s journal includes notes regarding a visit to her home, and John Sevier, Revolutionary War hero and future Tennessee governor, credited her with two critical military successes when her warnings saved his troops from surprise Indian attacks. Lydia Bean, the first female permanent white settler west of the mountains, was taken captive by the Cherokee but saved by Nancy Ward, who became her friend as they exchanged cultural practices.
The Beloved Woman became a voice for peace on the frontier. During Cherokee-settler negotiations in 1781, Nancy Ward spoke eloquently, urging lasting peace on behalf of white and Cherokee women. Colonel William Christian noted the emotional impact of her plea, and, in an unusual action, the white delegates made no demands for Cherokee lands. Four years later, during the Treaty of Hopewell, she would speak again and offer her pipe of peace, along with her friendship, to the commissioners. As the region changed with the influx of settlers and the loss of Cherokee lands, Nancy Ward was forced to relocate from Chota southward to a site on the Ocoee River where she would operate a Federal Road inn until her death in 1822.
Visitors will find the small cemetery off Highway 411, south of Benton. Beautifully maintained by the State of Tennessee and volunteers from area NSDAR chapters, the site includes historical markers along with native flower gardens and beautiful walkways. Families with younger children may want to take a book about Nancy Ward to read aloud while sitting in the shade of the large trees.
Connecting with the past is an experience to be shared by families and friends or to be enjoyed by a solitary stroll. Either way, grab those walking shoes and plan a day to walk through history.
by Linda Mines
Start your month with a visit to the site of Blythe’s Ferry, easily accessible off Highway 58, at 6615 Blythe Ferry Lane near Birchwood, Tenn. In 1809, 10 years before Hamilton County’s charter, William Blythe received approval to operate a ferry at the confluence of the Hiwassee and Tennessee rivers. The ferry provided critical personal and business transportation and services for residents of Hamilton and Meigs County. During the Cherokee Removal of the late 1830s, nine of the 13 detachments organized by Chief John Ross said farewell to their ancestral lands and boarded boats bound for Oklahoma at this historic site, some groups after spending several weeks on-site waiting for the waters to rise. William Blythe chose to join his Cherokee wife and her people in their forced exile, but a ferry would be operational at the location for 185 years, until the Highway 60 bridge was built in 1994.
Pack a brown bag lunch for your visit because you’ll want time to walk the beautiful riverside site and pause for thoughtful consideration at the historical markers and monuments.
If your family stories include the possibility of Cherokee lineage, then bring those family charts and take advantage of the Native American Lineage Library and its Cherokee research tools. A Trail of Tears documentary, written for multigenerational understanding, is an excellent introduction to the Cherokee Removal for younger family members. You can also walk side-by-side with the Cherokee as you move alongside the Cherokee History Wall, tracing the story of their progress from hunter-gatherers to a literate and cultured people, allied with the settlers during the late 1790s and early 1800s, with a government reflecting the same values of their colonial neighbors.
Make time to visit the Memorial Wall, too. The names of 2,535 heads of household and the number of family members associated with each name have been duplicated from the 1835 Cherokee Census known as the Henderson Roll, recognizing those who were forced to leave. Of the 16,542 Cherokee people documented, more than 4,200 died before reaching the new Cherokee lands in Oklahoma. Most were buried along the trails or rivers, and the Memorial Wall serves as their only tombstone. Interestingly, the census notes occupations for the heads of household, farmers, weavers, spinners, businessmen, and the fact that many were literate in both English and Cherokee.
After a visit to Blythe’s Ferry, preserved primarily due to the efforts and financial support of Rita Vital and her son, Greg, you’ll want to know more about the Cherokee people and their history. Visit your Chattanooga Library where you’ll find books appropriate for all ages and then plan your next April excursion.
Less than an hour away, families can visit Nancy Ward’s gravesite and pay homage to the monumental leader, her son, Five Killer, and brother, The Raven.
Many Chattanoogans are familiar with the name of Nancy Ward, although they may not know pertinent details about her life. The Nancy Ward Chapter, NSDAR, was chartered in 1915 and chose to honor her critical role in Tennessee’s early history by adopting her name. In 1976, local artist Ben Hampton gave a Bicentennial nod to her significance by issuing a popular lithograph of Nancy Ward.
So, who was this Cherokee Beloved Woman who died in 1822 after a lifetime of leadership? Nancy Ward was born in 1738 at Chota and was a member of the Wolf clan and niece to Attakullakulla, a chief of the Cherokee nation and the father of Dragging Canoe. One of the earliest stories related her strength in battle when she fought alongside her husband against the Creeks, chewing his lead bullets to strengthen their force upon impact. After he was mortally wounded, oral tradition recounts that Nancy Ward grabbed his rife, rallied the Cherokee warriors and then led a strong charge that startled the Creeks. Victory belonged to the Cherokee, and Nancy Ward was chosen as Ghighau, Beloved Woman, by her people. As Beloved Woman, Nancy Ward spoke in tribal meetings, headed the Women’s Council and held membership in the Council of Chiefs. Her status gave her control of all prisoners and the honor of mixing the Black Drink, a sacred potion shared among warriors prior to battle.
Settlers in the lands west of the Appalachians that would become Tennessee recognized Nancy Ward’s power and sought her friendship. James Robertson’s journal includes notes regarding a visit to her home, and John Sevier, Revolutionary War hero and future Tennessee governor, credited her with two critical military successes when her warnings saved his troops from surprise Indian attacks. Lydia Bean, the first female permanent white settler west of the mountains, was taken captive by the Cherokee but saved by Nancy Ward, who became her friend as they exchanged cultural practices.
The Beloved Woman became a voice for peace on the frontier. During Cherokee-settler negotiations in 1781, Nancy Ward spoke eloquently, urging lasting peace on behalf of white and Cherokee women. Colonel William Christian noted the emotional impact of her plea, and, in an unusual action, the white delegates made no demands for Cherokee lands. Four years later, during the Treaty of Hopewell, she would speak again and offer her pipe of peace, along with her friendship, to the commissioners. As the region changed with the influx of settlers and the loss of Cherokee lands, Nancy Ward was forced to relocate from Chota southward to a site on the Ocoee River where she would operate a Federal Road inn until her death in 1822.
Visitors will find the small cemetery off Highway 411, south of Benton. Beautifully maintained by the State of Tennessee and volunteers from area NSDAR chapters, the site includes historical markers along with native flower gardens and beautiful walkways. Families with younger children may want to take a book about Nancy Ward to read aloud while sitting in the shade of the large trees.
Connecting with the past is an experience to be shared by families and friends or to be enjoyed by a solitary stroll. Either way, grab those walking shoes and plan a day to walk through history.
by Linda Mines
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