Mountain Lore
Excerpted from Tennessee Mountains
by Vernon and Cathy Summerlin
The Hiwassee River starts at its headwaters on the northwestern slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the Appalachian Trail in North Georgia. It runs through North Carolina and then turns west into Tennessee. About 250 million years ago, a slow uplifting and folding of the earth's crust formed the Appalachian Mountains. The Hiwassee and its tributaries began carrying materials washed away from their slopes. Archaeological evidence has shown that ancient people lived in the Hiwassee Valley long before the Cherokees, Creeks and other tribes' came to the region.
Hernando De Soto, the Spanish explorer, and his men were reported to have traveled along the Hiwassee River's banks in the summer of 1540. De Soto behaved as Cortez did in Mexico and as Pizarro did in Peru, ransacking villages in search of gold and taking supplies to sustain his men. Later, French and English explores came and then the settlers. In 1835, the Cherokee were forced to give up their ancestral homelands.
Three years later they were moved along the "Trail of Tears" and relocated on a reservation in Oklahoma. You can see how the Cherokee lived at Red Clay Park, which is only a few miles from us. Just down the road from us is Gee Creek and its associated wilderness area. It is located on the western edge of the Hiwassee Ranger District. It is bound on the west by Starr Mountain and on the east by Chestnut Mountain, it is 9 miles southeast of Etowah. Gee Creek flows south through the gorge into the Hiwassee River and Gee Creek Trail follows it. Gee Knob rises 2,000 feet at the southeastern tip of the wilderness area. Gee Creek Wilderness Area became the Cherokee National Forest's first so designated area in 1975.
Lying between two mountains, the gorge is surrounded by steep drops.
The lower elevations contain rhododendron, hemlock and poplar and
the higher elevations hold Virginia pine, red and white oaks and
hickory. The largest trees remaining in the area are in the Gee
Creek Gorge. Hikers can enjoy viewing and photographing two
waterfalls and the remnants of an old concrete flume that was used
in iron mining from 1825 to 1860 by the Tennessee Copper Company.
Whispering Ridge Cabins are surrounded by the Cherokee National
Forest. This area is filled with interesting history such as the
information you just read.
More Mountain Lore
David Crockett (1786-1836) was born in the town of Limestone in
Greene county, Tennessee. Later, when still a small boy his parents
moved fifty miles to Morristown, Tennessee. There he spent his youth
as a hunter in the backwoods of Tennessee. In fact, you can visit
his boyhood home in Morristown, Tennessee. It is just about a
one-hour drive from Whispering Ridge Cabins. Actually, his home was
an Inn run by his parents. Davy was given the responsibility of
hunting the game that provided food for the guests at the Inn. Davie
is probably best known in American history as a martyr in the
defense of the Alamo in Texas. He fought against Mexican troops and
General Santa Ana for control of Texas. When we visited Davy
Crockett's boyhood home we were amazed at how well preserved
everything was. However, the most ironic thing was that a sign
outside the home acknowledges David Crockett as a frontiersman and a
martyr in the battle of the Alamo but there is now a Mexican
restaurant directly across the street from his home!
In 1813 Davy, who was characterized by his coon skin cap and long rifle served with Andrew Jackson in a campaign against the Creek Indians. From 1821 to 1825 he served in the Tennessee legislature. In 1828 he became a member of the U.S. Congress. He was later defeated for re-election in 1831 but won the election in 1833. Davie's mountain ways got him into political trouble though. He tried to pass a bill that would grant land to squatters in Tennessee. This led him into a political battle with the likes of the politically powerful Andrew Jackson and the future president of the United States James K. Polk. Later, Davie went to Texas to help in the struggle against Mexican rule. There he was killed in 1836 during the battle for Texan independence at the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas.
Much has been written about David Crockett and his adventures. Between 1835 and 1856 certain books and almanacs were written that detailed Davy's life and his tall tales and larger that life experiences. They told of his personal eccentricities and his adventures in the backwoods. This is how he earned a place as an American folk hero.
Furthermore, the 1955 Walt Disney movie firmly etched the image of Davy Crockett as a folk hero in the minds of all Americans. At that time almost every boy in America had a coon skin cap and a Davy Crockett rifle. At Whispering Ridge Cabins the "Davy Crockett" serves as a memorial to Davy's adventures in East Tennessee. This area is filled with interesting history and sights to see such as the information you just read. Come and explore it for yourself.