While visiting in the area we stopped at the Fort Watauga replica at the Sycamore Shoals State Park…read morein Elizabethton, TN near Johnson City, TN. It is located along the Watauga River. Fort Watauga, more properly Fort Caswell, was an American Revolutionary War fort that once stood at the Sycamore Shoals of the Watauga River in what is now Elizabethton, Tennessee. The fort was originally built in 1775-1776 by the area's frontier government, the Watauga Association, to help defend Watauga settlers from Native American (primarily Cherokee) attacks, which were in part instigated by the British. Fort Watauga was originally named Fort Caswell after North Carolina Governor Richard Caswell Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Watauga Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park 1651 W. Elk Avenue Elizabethton, Tennessee FREE Park. Free to view and tour the Fort Watauga, and FREE to tour the Visitors Center. The visitors center was not open when we stopped there but we did walk around the Fort.

Before driving through the area I had looked prior to starting the drive if there were any…read moreinteresting places to see that I may never have the opportunity to see again - this covered bridge is one I had booked marked so why not. I consider these types of structures interesting and definitely qualifies as a roadside attraction and oddity in my opinion. We arrived mid-day to find a few visitors mulling around snapping a few photos and taking advantage of the free access. The Doe River below was filled with ducks and geese swimming and looking for a free handout, apparently they have become accustomed to the generosity of the visitors here. This is a well built bridge that reminds you of how things used to be built there aren't many projects now days that are built to last 143 years, although this covered bridge hasn't been in service since the Federal Highway Administration and the Tennessee Department of Transportation funded a $400,000 bridge rehabilitation in 2003-2004 at that time, it was closed to vehicular traffic and converted into a pedestrian-only bridge. It's definitely a survivor having withstood major flood events in 1901, 1940, 1998 and the horrific flooding in September 2024 and she still stands as beautiful as ever...

Me and my wife recently stopped by here today to see what this bridge had to offer. Ground screw…read morethat work with the city were installing Christmas lights around the area. This Bridge very historical and it features plenty of information nearby across the river. This bridge is an easy walk though there are no Scenic views at all inside . Though there are paths to walk through there is a area for pedestrians on the narrow side where everyone else gets to have the larger section.

Toured the Carter Mansion today ($7 per person) Tours are not everyday. Call Sycamore Shoals, or…read morecheck their Facebook site for tour days, and time. We got to see every room in the house, except the basement, which has wood floors. A painting over the fireplace was pretty cool. It was painted over with white paint years ago, and while the restoration group was taking paint "samples", they realized something was under the white paint, which turned out to be a painting. Only one piece of furniture was original to the house, which was a chair. We checked out the family cemetery, and walked down to the Watauga river which is actually in front of the house. This is the oldest framed house in Tennessee. Interesting piece of history.

This marker on the side of the highway recalls a number of important local heroes. It reads, "Built…read moreabout 1818 by Mary ("Polly") Patton Taylor, widow of Gen. Nathaniel Taylor, of the War of 1812. Both are buried in the cemetery nearby. Among their great-grandsons were Governors Alfred A. and Robert L. Taylor, of Tennessee, and Nathaniel Harris, of Georgia." Online, there is more information. "Sabine Hill, also known as Happy Valley, Watauga Point, and the General Nathaniel Taylor House, is a historic house in Elizabethton, Tennessee. The two-story Federal style building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. It is an excellent example of federal architecture. It was threatened by demolition in 2007 when the owners sought to have the property rezoned for apartments. The rezoning request was denied and the home was bought by several preservation-minded locals who secured it until the State of Tennessee/Tennessee Historical Commission could purchase the museum-quality property. It is now restored and opened to the public on November 1, 2017 as a unit of Sycamore Shoals State Park. The property is operated by the Park under a memorandum of understanding with the Tennessee Historical Commission." "Brigadier General Nathaniel Taylor began building Sabine Hill between 1814 and 1816, after returning home to Elizabethton following the War of 1812. Taylor had been one of the earliest settlers in Elizabethton, having arrived as a boy around 1780 when his family migrated from Rockbridge County, Virginia to the settlement along the Watauga River." "The house is built on a two-story I-house plan with a five-bay front facade. It has a foundation of limestone quarried in the local area. The exterior walls are built from logs that are completely covered by clapboard siding. The floors are random-width pine laid over hand-hewn timber joists. There are brick chimneys on both ends of the structure." I did not have time today to visit the actual house, but it's bookmarked for a future visit to Eastern Tennessee. [Review 13449 overall, 768 of 2020.]

This marker is located along a quiet country road and points out some of the earliest colonial…read morehistory in the area. There is space to pull over. Of course, the marker is a ways from the actual site which is very well off the beaten track. The marker reads, "6.5 miles northwest, at the mouth of Brush Creek, is a mill built by Jeremiah Dungan in 1779, and continuously operated since then. East of it was a stone fort erected by pioneers of the Watauga Settlement. Dungan and other pioneers are buried in the vicinity." It is marker number 1A-17 and it was erected by the Tennessee Historical Commission. [Review 262 of 2025 - 568 in Tennessee - 23825 overall]

This marker is along Watauga and there is a spot to stop and read the marker. It is next to Carver…read morePark. It has the same text on both sides. The marker reads, "On September 2, 1811, James Nelson deeded to trustees William Nelson, William Duzan, James King, Jacob Hoss and John R. Boring, 4 acres and 8 poles to be used by the Methodist Episcopal Church for a house of worship. For many years a campground for religious meetings was maintained here with a central permanent tent and many family tents. During the Civil War Col. Robert Love's 62nd N.C. Regiment, CSA used the ground as a camp." It is marker number 1A-89 and it was erected by the Tennessee Historical Commission. It does not have a date for when it was installed but it is well faded. [Review 266 of 2025 - 570 in Tennessee - 23829 overall]

Depending on who you might ask, either Nashville or Memphis are generally considered "Music City…read moreUSA." So to be on the far side of the state and see some music history is a pleasant surprise. The marker reads, "James Hobart (Hobe) Stanton founded Rich-R-Tone Records in Johnson City. An independent label, it was the first label dedicated to recording bluegrass music. Located at 113 West Main Street from 1946-1952, over half of the 220 songs on the Rich-R-Tone label were recorded here. Rich-R-Tone featured recordings by notable bluegrass acts including Carter and Ralph Stanley, Wilma Lee & Stoney Cooper, and the Sauceman Brothers." The record label is no longer here but the marker remains. There is street parking nearby. [Review 20375 overall - 475 in Tennessee - 1353 of 2023.]

We enjoyed our guided tour with Emily, very much. She really knew the history and eagerly shared it…read morewith us. The grounds, homes, and lawyer office were clean, neat and the items in there were true to the era and a few pieces were ORIGINAL ie: rugs, chairs, and other items. Just seeing how the home started out with 1 to 3 rooms and finished up with several more and some electricity. Visiting this historical site helps us appreciate what we have today. Recommend this to all that are in Johnson City TN. It's great for families, and school field trips.

Tony Vanoy and Noël Lori-Elizabeth Teel and I stopped at the Tipton-Haynes Historic Site Museum in…read moreJohnson City, TN on Saturday January 9th, 2016. The day after my 52nd birthday. It was very nice. Because we are AARP, AAA members we got a discounted rate of $4 per person for a guided tour of the house and property. The museum was free to enjoy History: The Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site tells the rich story of the history of Northeast Tennessee and of the several families that lived here. The site includes 45 acres, eleven historic buildings, the Tipton/Gifford/Simerly cemetery, a limestone cave, a natural spring, a buffalo trace, a nature trail, and a Visitor Center. The Visitor Center contains a permanent exhibit, museum store, educational spaces, a library, and archives. Purchasing the site in 1784, Colonel John Tipton (1730-1813) moved from Shenandoah County, Virginia to settle in what was then Washington County, North Carolina. For the next four years, the formation and decline of the State of Franklin became an important issue for the area and the life of Colonel Tipton, who stayed loyal to North Carolina. In February of 1788, the Battle of the State of Franklin turned the peaceful home of Colonel Tipton's into a battle ground for Franklin independence. Colonel Tipton would later help with the development of Tennessee becoming the 16th state of the Union before retiring from public life. After his father's death, John Tipton, Jr. (1767-1831) inherited the property. Before moving to Washington County, Tipton, Jr. was already a successful state legislator and wealthy land owner in Blountville, Tennessee. Tipton, Jr. expanded his father's cabin in the 1820s, making it a Federal style farmhouse. While attending the 19th General Assembly, he died in Nashville. The heirs of John Tipton, Jr. sold the property to David and Rhoda Haynes in 1837. For a wedding gift, David and Rhoda gave the property to Landon Carter Haynes (1816-1875), their oldest son, in 1839. That year, Landon had married Eleanor Powell. In the 1850s, he expanded the former Tipton home into how it appears today. Haynes is best known for being a Confederate senator, but was also a state legislator, politician, farmer, newspaper editor, Methodist minister, and attorney. Losing his home during the Civil War, Haynes moved to and lived the rest of his life in Memphis, Tennessee. The site would eventually return to the Haynes family when, on May 1, 1882, Sarah L. Gifford Simerly (1847-1935) purchased the property. Sarah was the niece of Landon Carter Haynes.

On my way through Johnson City and looking for a place to get a meal, I spotted this marker and…read morestopped to read the history of this small city. There is parking nearby and restaurants. The marker reads, "The town was formerly known as Green Meadows, Blue Plum, Johnson's Depot, Haynesville, then Johnson City. It is situated on land grants of 1782 to Robert and Joseph Young and in 1792 to Joseph Tipton. The town charter was repealed in 1879, but incorporated in 1885. The name honors Henry Johnson, prominent merchant and postmaster. As industrial and educational center, it is the home of Milligan College, East Tennessee State University, and Steed College." It is marker number 1A-93 and was erected by the Tennessee Historical Commission. [Review 20376 overall - 476 in Tennessee - 1354 of 2023.]