Joppa, Tennessee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joppa, Tennessee
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Joppa United Methodist Church shadowed by Joppa (Clinch) Mountain
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 Joppa, Tennessee
Location in Tennessee
Joppa, Tennessee
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Tennessee |
| County | Grainger |
| Elevation | 965 ft (294 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
37861
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| Area code | 865 |
| FIPS code | 47-38680 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1289831 |
Joppa is a small, rural community in Grainger County, Tennessee, United States. It sits at the base of Joppa Mountain, which is part of the larger Clinch Mountain range. From here, you can see amazing views of five different U.S. states and the Great Smoky Mountains. Joppa is also part of the bigger Morristown, Tennessee and Knoxville city areas.
Contents
History of Joppa
Joppa is located along an old important road called the Federal Road. This road, now known as U.S. Route 11W, once connected major cities like New Orleans and Washington, D.C.. It was a busy route for travelers and trade.
Early Settlers
One of the first families to settle here was the Jarnagins. In 1796, Captain Thomas Jarnagin, a friend of early Tennessee leader John Sevier, bought a large area of land. He gave much of this land to his children.
Jeremiah Jarnagin's Story
Jeremiah Jarnagin, Captain Thomas Jarnagin's son, settled in Grainger County in 1802. He owned over 1,600 acres of land. Jeremiah ran a famous place called the Red House Tavern. It was called "Red House" because it was painted red, which was very unusual back then! Even Andrew Jackson, who later became the seventh U.S. president, visited this tavern.
Jeremiah was known for his strength. Even when he was 80 years old, he was strong enough to protect his home during the American Civil War. A soldier tried to take his supplies, but Jeremiah quickly stopped him. The soldier's commanding officer was so impressed that he told his soldiers to leave.
Joppa During the Civil War
During the American Civil War, Joppa and the surrounding Clinch Mountain area were important. Confederate soldiers placed cannons on Clinch Mountain to stop Union forces from crossing. They also used the mountains for guerrilla warfare, which means small groups of soldiers would make surprise attacks. They even found materials for gunpowder in the caves around Joppa Mountain.
One big event was the Battle of Bean's Station in December 1863. Confederate General James Longstreet attacked Union soldiers. Even though Longstreet won the battle, the Union forces were able to escape through Joppa. Longstreet then left the area and went to winter camp.
Sulphur Springs Academy
In 1874, a school called Sulphur Springs Academy was started in Joppa. It began in a small log church. Later, a one-room school building was built, and then a second room was added.
Academies were like high schools back then. The state of Tennessee helped fund them. Sulphur Springs Academy became very important. It taught advanced subjects like Latin and Algebra. Many students came from far away and stayed in special dormitory houses built by Mr. J.M. Justus.
People who went to Sulphur Springs Academy were serious about learning. Many students from this school became teachers, doctors, lawyers, and other important community members.
The original Joppa School, built around 1878, burned down in 1899. A new building was constructed in 1900 with donations. This school taught grades 1-8. Later, in 1966, this building was replaced by the current Joppa Elementary School.
A Sunday school started in the Old Joppa School in 1881. In 1922, a church was formed, which is now the Joppa United Methodist Church. The current church building was dedicated in 1924.
How Joppa Got Its Name
Joppa was originally known as Spring House, Tennessee. There was a Spring House Post Office, which was a small building over a spring. A local church was also called Spring House Baptist Church.
The story goes that an African-American minister preached a series of sermons in the church. Each sermon talked about the biblical city of Joppa. He often said, "Joppa was a sabbath day's journey from Jerusalem." A young man named Marshall Lowe found this funny and started saying, "Let's all go over to Joppa."
In 1894, two teachers from Sulphur Springs Academy, Professor P.E. Aston and C.C. Justus, successfully asked the Tennessee State Legislature to change the name of the Spring House Post Office to Joppa. The post office moved several times before it closed.
Today, Cherokee Lake, a large lake created by the Tennessee Valley Authority in 1941, is located just southeast of Joppa.
Hang Gliding Fun
Joppa (Clinch) Mountain is a very popular spot for hang gliding! People from all over the world come here to fly. Hang gliding started on Joppa Mountain in the mid-1970s and was very famous until the late 1980s.
In 1979, a big regional hang gliding competition was held here. The Tennessee Flex Wing Free Flight Record, a flight of 68.3 miles (110 km), was set by Ellis Newkirk from Joppa Mountain. Locals remember weekends being full of excitement, with people watching from the roads as hang gliders launched from Buzzard Rock. Gliders would soar over the valleys and sometimes land far away in states like Virginia, Kentucky, or even Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Geography of Joppa
Joppa is located in the western part of Grainger County. It sits in a valley called the Richland Valley, which is about 35 miles (56 km) long. This valley stretches along the southern base of the Clinch Mountain Ridge. Richland Creek flows through this valley and eventually joins the Holston River.
The area considered Joppa extends from the top of Clinch Mountain Ridge, near where Joppa Mountain Road crosses, all the way down to the Richland Knobs.
Joppa is centered around the Joppa Elementary School. This school is located where the Federal Road (U.S. Route 11W) meets Joppa Mountain Road. This road is one of only twelve roads that cross the entire 150-mile (240 km) length of Clinch Mountain.
From the very top of Joppa Mountain, at a spot called Buzzard Rock (2,530 feet high), you can see an incredible view. On a clear day, you can see parts of five different U.S. states: Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia, and all of eastern Tennessee. You can also see the Great Smoky Mountains and Cumberland Gap.
Natural History
Geology of the Appalachians
The Appalachian Mountains, where Joppa is located, are incredibly old! The rocks that make up these mountains formed about 1 billion years ago. The mountains themselves started forming about 500 million years ago. This makes them 10 times older and once much taller than younger mountain ranges like the Rockies or the Himalayas.
These mountains have been built up, worn down, and built up again over millions of years. This happened because of something called continental drift, where huge pieces of the Earth's surface slowly move. Long ago, a continent (possibly Africa) collided with eastern North America. This massive collision pushed and folded the land, creating the mountains we see today. This process happened between 480 and 230 million years ago. After that, erosion by wind and water shaped the mountains, creating the long ridges and valleys.
The area around Joppa is known as the Valley and Ridge region. It has many caves because of the soft dolomite and limestone rocks. This region also has a wide variety of plants and animals, especially fish in the Upper Clinch River, which has one of the most diverse fish populations in North America.
Chestnut Flat and the American Chestnut
Below the summit of Joppa Mountain, there's a flat area called Chestnut Flat. This place was once home to many huge American chestnut trees. Some of these trees could grow as tall as 200 feet (61 meters)!
However, a terrible disease called chestnut blight, caused by a fungus, wiped out almost all of these amazing trees. By 1920, most American chestnut trees in Grainger County were gone, and by 1940, they had disappeared from most of the eastern United States.
