Arcadia, Tennessee facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Arcadia
Community
Nickname(s):  A Reedy Creek Settlement
Country	United States
State	Tennessee
County	Sullivan
Settled	1770s
Area
• Land	2.69 sq mi (7.0 km2)
Elevation	1,400 ft (427 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	529
• Density	185.54/sq mi (71.64/km2)
ZIP code	37660
Area code(s)	423
GNIS feature ID	1314593

Arcadia is a small community in Sullivan County, Tennessee. It is located just outside Kingsport. Arcadia was once known as the Reedy Creek Settlement. It was one of the very first places settled in what is now Tennessee. The famous Daniel Boone's Wilderness Road passed through this community in 1775. Arcadia is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. This list includes the Thomas Fain Plantation, which gave the community its name. Arcadia is part of the larger Tri-Cities area.

History of Arcadia

Early Settlers and Important Trails

In 1770, a special agreement called the "Treaty of Lochaber" was made. This treaty set new borders between Native American lands and areas for settlers. After this, many settlers moved into what is now southwestern Virginia and Tennessee.

These settlers followed a major path called the Great Wagon Road. This road started in Pennsylvania and Maryland. It went through the Great Appalachian Valley all the way to Tennessee. The part of this road that went through today's Arcadia had different names over time. It was called Reedy Creek Road, Old Kentucky Road, and is now Bloomingdale-Pike Road.

This section of the road was also part of Daniel Boone's Wilderness Road. This important trail allowed pioneers to travel past present-day Bristol. They went through the Reedy Creek Settlement, then through Moccasin Gap, and finally to Cumberland Gap. From there, they could settle in Kentucky.

The Brashears Family and the Reedy Creek Settlement

Around 1779, a man named Robert Samuel Brashears lived near the Holston River. He lived on a branch of Reedy Creek. He received a land grant for about 300 acres of land. This was a reward for his service in the American Revolution. This piece of land, along with nearby properties, became known as the Reedy Creek Settlement. The important Reedy Creek Road ran right through it.

One of Robert Samuel Brashears' sons, Captain Samuel Brashears, also fought in the American Revolution. He also took part in the "Indian Wars of the frontier." Captain Brashears inherited his father's land. He and his wife, Margaret, lived there for most of their lives.

Thomas Fain and the Name "Arcadia"

In the mid-1800s, there were five main plantation owners in Arcadia. They were successful farmers and traders. One of these was Thomas Fain (1809-1898). He moved to the Reedy Creek Settlement in 1836. He bought the land from Samuel Brashears' family.

Thomas Fain named his plantation "Arcadia." Soon, the whole community around it became known as Arcadia. Fain also built a store along Reedy Creek Road. This store was in front of his house. It also served as the area's post office starting in 1846. Thomas Fain worked as the postmaster there for fifty years! Mail service moved to Kingsport in 1918. The old store building is gone now. However, Thomas Fain's large brick house and many other old log buildings, like cabins and a spring house, are still there.

Schools in Arcadia

The "Reedy Creek Academy" was built in the early 1800s. It was located along Reedy Creek Road. Thomas Fain was one of the main people who helped start this school. In 1919, a bigger building was put up, and the school became "Arcadia School." By the 1930s, school buses started taking students to local high schools. Arcadia School eventually closed its doors in 1981.