Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area |
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| Location | Elizabethton, Carter County, Tennessee |
| Area | 70 acres (28.3 ha) |
| Created | 1975 |
| Operated by | Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation |
| Website | Sycamore Shoals |
Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area is a cool state park located in Elizabethton, Tennessee. This park covers about 70 acres along the Sycamore Shoals of the Watauga River. This river spot is a National Historic Landmark, which means it's a very important place in American history!
Many big events happened here that helped create the states of Tennessee and Kentucky. It was also key to settling the land west of the Appalachian Mountains. Besides the historic river shoals, the park has a visitor center, a museum, a rebuilt Fort Watauga, and two historic homes: the Carter Mansion and Sabine Hill. These homes are in Elizabethton, but they are part of the park.
For over a thousand years, Native Americans lived around Sycamore Shoals. The first European settlers arrived in 1770. They created the Watauga Association in 1772. This was one of the first written governments west of the Appalachian Mountains! In 1775, Richard Henderson and Daniel Boone made the Treaty of Sycamore Shoals. This treaty involved selling millions of acres of Cherokee land in Kentucky and Tennessee. It also led to the creation of the famous Wilderness Road. During the American Revolution, Fort Watauga at Sycamore Shoals stopped a Cherokee attack in 1776. It was also where the Overmountain Men gathered in 1780 before a big battle.
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What Can You Do at Sycamore Shoals?
Visit the Park Center
The visitor center at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area is a great place to start your visit.
- You can see displays that tell the story of the area during the American Revolution.
- There's a theater where you can watch a free movie. It's a short documentary about the American Revolutionary War history of Sycamore Shoals and the Overmountain Men.
- You'll also find park offices and a gift shop where you can buy souvenirs.
Explore Fort Watauga
Behind the visitor center, you'll find a rebuilt version of the 18th-century Fort Watauga. The original fort was built in the mid-1770s and was first called Fort Caswell. The new fort looks like the old one. Its design is based on old records and things found by archaeologists. It shows how forts were typically built on the frontier.
Enjoy the Amphitheater
Right next to the rebuilt fort is a large outdoor theater called an amphitheater. It has 450 seats. This is where the official outdoor play of Tennessee, Liberty: The Saga of Sycamore Shoals, is performed. It used to be called The Wataugans.
Walk the Mountain River Trail
The Mountain River Trail is a 2-mile loop trail with gravel. It follows the Watauga River along the Sycamore Shoals. The trail goes through some wooded areas. Along the way, signs explain the different historical events that happened at Sycamore Shoals. It's a great way to learn history while enjoying nature!
Have a Picnic
Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area has three picnic shelters that are easy for everyone to use. You can reserve these if you plan a group outing. There's also a picnic area with grills right next to the Visitor's Center.
See a "Moon Tree"
The Sycamore Shoals State Historical Area has a special sycamore "moon tree." This tree grew from a seed that went into space! Hundreds of tree seeds were launched on the Apollo 14 mission in 1971. This was a project between NASA and the U.S. Forest Service.
Astronaut Stuart Roosa carried these seeds in small containers. They orbited the moon with him in the Apollo 14 spacecraft. After returning to Earth, the Forest Service grew the seeds. In April 1976, a young sycamore tree from these seeds was planted at Sycamore Shoals. It was part of the celebration for the 200th anniversary of the American Revolutionary War.
Explore the Historic Carter Mansion
The Carter Mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built between 1775 and 1780. This house might be the only remaining link to the Watauga Association. It is also the oldest frame house still standing in Tennessee!
John Carter and his son, Landon, built this frontier mansion. The inside of the house has beautiful details and paintings above the fireplaces. This makes the mansion one of the most important historic homes in Tennessee.
John and Landon Carter were important leaders in politics and the military. They served during the American Revolution and in fights with Native Americans. When Tennessee became a state in 1796, Carter County was named after Landon Carter. The county seat, Elizabethton, was named after his wife, Elizabeth Maclin Carter.
Why is Sycamore Shoals So Important?
Early Native American Life
For thousands of years, Native Americans lived on and off in the flatlands around Sycamore Shoals. They likely grew crops here during the Mississippian period (around 1000 to 1600 CE). When the first European explorers arrived in the early 1700s, the Cherokee tribe used these flats as a gathering place for hunting trips.
In the 1760s, long hunters (people who hunted for long periods) and traders set up camps in the Watauga Valley near Sycamore Shoals. These early explorers called the flats the Watauga "Old Fields." This was because the land looked like old farms that had been left to rest.
In 1770, James Robertson explored the Watauga Valley. He was looking for places for families to settle. These families were trying to escape problems in North Carolina. A trader told Robertson about the Old Fields. Robertson later called it a "Promised Land." He planted corn and built a cabin there. Robertson then went back to North Carolina. A few months later, he returned to the Old Fields with several families. They started what became known as the Watauga settlement.
The Watauga Association: A New Government
After surveyors decided that the Watauga settlement was on Cherokee land in 1771, Robertson worked out a 10-year lease for the Watauga lands. Since they were outside the control of any British colony, the Watauga settlers created their own government. It was called the "Watauga Association." This was one of the first self-governing groups west of the mountains.
During the celebration of the lease, a sad event happened: a Cherokee warrior was killed by a white man. Robertson used his great diplomacy skills to make peace with the angry Cherokee. They had threatened to force the settlers out if necessary.
Sycamore Shoals During the American Revolution
In March 1775, the Treaty of Sycamore Shoals was signed. It is sometimes called the Transylvania Purchase. Richard Henderson and Cherokee leaders Attakullakulla and Oconastota signed it. This treaty involved buying about 20 million acres of land between the Kentucky River and the Cumberland River. This land included a big part of what is now Kentucky and some of Tennessee.
However, Henderson's purchase went against the Royal Proclamation of 1763. This rule said that private people could not buy American Indian land. So, the governments of Virginia and North Carolina did not recognize the purchase. Still, this purchase led to Daniel Boone creating the Wilderness Road.
After the Treaty of Sycamore Shoals, some Cherokee leaders, like Dragging Canoe, did not agree with the sale. They joined with the British. Their plan was to push the settlers back across the Appalachian Mountains. The Watauga settlers formed the Washington District. They also created a Committee of Safety. This group got weapons and built forts, including Fort Watauga.
In July 1776, the Cherokee attacked the settlements. On July 21, 1776, a Cherokee force attacked Fort Watauga. But the fort's defenders, led by John Carter, James Robertson, and John Sevier, stopped them.
On September 25, 1780, Sycamore Shoals was the gathering place for the Overmountain Men. This group of frontier soldiers crossed the mountains. They went to fight and defeat a British army at the Battle of Kings Mountain in South Carolina. The Overmountain Men had also fought in other battles. These included the Siege of Charleston and the Battle of Musgrove Mill in 1780. They also took part in two campaigns against the Cherokee in 1776 and 1780. William Tatham, who helped write the Watauga Petition, was even at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781.
Fun Events at Sycamore Shoals
Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area hosts many fun and educational events throughout the year:
- Traditional Arts Workshops (January–December)
- Garrisons and Living History Weekends (January–December)
- Sunday Jams at the Carter Mansion and the Shoals (January–October)
- Mountain River Concerts (January–October)
- Muster at Fort Watauga (May)
- Native American Festival (June)
- Colonial Kids Day Camp (June)
- "Liberty: The Saga of Sycamore Shoals," The Official Outdoor Drama of the State of Tennessee (July)
- Watauga Valley Art League Art Show and Competition (July)
- Carter Mansion Celebration (August)
- Overmountain Victory Trail Celebration (September)
- Fort Watauga Knap-In (October)
- Mysterious Candlelight Tours of the Carter Mansion (October)
