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35-584: Although there are no records and few contemporary descriptions pertaining to the fort's design and structure, archaeological excavations conducted in the 1970s and 1980s have determined the fort's layout. Based on these findings, the City of Kingston and the Tennessee Division of Archaeology have reconstructed part of the fort. The site is managed by the City of Kingston. In February 2024, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced that Fort Southwest Point will become

70-712: A Tennessee State Park. The Fort Southwest Point site is situated on a hill overlooking the confluence of the Tennessee River and the Clinch River . This confluence is now part of the Watts Bar Lake impoundment of the Tennessee River, created by the completion of Watts Bar Dam in 1942. The Emory River empties into the Clinch approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) upstream from Southwest Point. The Fort Southwest Point site

105-514: A fort to the governor of Virginia . Although Virginia never acted on Campbell's advice, the end of the war brought a flood of settlers into the Tennessee Valley, leading to increased conflict with the valley's Cherokee inhabitants. During this period, two events occurred that greatly enhanced Southwest Point's strategic importance: the construction of the Avery Trace in 1788 and the signing of

140-856: A spring on the north slope of Rocky Mountain in Towns County in the northern area of the State of Georgia . It flows northward into North Carolina before turning westward into Tennessee , flowing into the Tennessee River a few miles west of what is now State Route 58 in Meigs County, Tennessee . The river is about 147 miles (237 km) long. The river is dammed by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in four locations, all in Western North Carolina : Chatuge Dam , Mission Dam (not owned by TVA), Hiwassee Dam , and Apalachia Dam . Water

175-528: Is diverted from the stream bed at Apalachia Dam and sent through a pipeline, which is tunneled through the mountains for eight miles (13 km); then it flows through the Apalachia Powerhouse to generate electricity. The stretch of the river that flows between Apalachia Dam and Apalachia Powerhouse features reduced flow. The John Muir Trail in Tennessee's Cherokee National Forest goes along this part of

210-460: Is part of Southwest Point Park, which serves as both a historical and recreational area. The park is located along State Route 58 approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Interstate 40 and 1 mile (1.6 km) south of U.S. Route 70 . At the height of the American Revolution in 1779, Colonel Arthur Campbell suggested the confluence of the Clinch and Tennessee as a possible site for

245-545: Is popular for whitewater rafting , whitewater canoeing , and whitewater kayaking . Recreational fishing is popular with several outfitters located near the river, and there is also industrial activity along the river, such as paper mills. The Interstate 75 bridge crossed the Hiwassee between McMinn and Bradley counties in Tennessee. This was the site of a fatal 99-vehicle accident in December 1990, during extremely foggy weather in

280-578: The Cherokee "annuity" (an annual payment of goods by the U.S. government in exchange for land cessions). Meigs immediately began negotiating with the Cherokee in hopes of obtaining permission to build a wagon road across their lands connecting Knoxville and Nashville. In 1805, the Third and Fourth Treaties of Tellico brought most of the Cumberland Plateau region under U.S. dominion, making the road possible. As

315-671: The Cumberland River near Nashville following the 2010 floods.  Thematic historic site surveys (such as potteries, gunmaking, Highland Rim iron industry, Civil War, World War II, Rosenwald Schools, and Trail of Tears) have also been an important component of TDOA research.  Reconnaissance surveys for prehistoric sites have been conducted within the Obion, Duck, Cumberland, Harpeth, Caney Fork, Collins, Calfkiller, and Hiwassee/Ocoee River watersheds. The Division’s ability to perform larger-scale site excavations has significantly diminished over

350-750: The Nashville location. An auxiliary storage facility is located at Pinson Mounds State Park near Jackson, Tennessee . Each January, the TDOA, in conjunction with the Middle Tennessee State University Department of Sociology and Anthropology, co-sponsors the Current Research in Tennessee Archaeology meeting. The meeting is open to the public and features presentations by both professional and avocational archaeologists. Prior to

385-652: The Southwest Point Blockhouse was garrisoned by a federal contingent of 10 to 15 troops. During this time, a decision was made to replace the blockhouse with a much larger fort. While the early records regarding the fort's construction were destroyed in a fire, historians have determined that the fort was completed by federal troops under the command of Captain John Wade and Captain Richard Sparks in July 1797. The fort

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420-1379: The State Archaeologist in 2007 and still holds the position today. In 1991, the Department of Conservation merged with the Environment side of the former Department of Health and Environment to become the Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). The TDOA is still a Division of TDEC. State-wide field projects have comprised an important Division mandate since the beginning.  Significant investigations on state-owned properties include Mound Bottom , Sellars Farm, Pinson Mounds , Fort Loudoun , Ft. Pillow, Riverbend Prison, SR-42 (Algood), Hiwassee Old Town , Sandbar Village, Carter House (Williamson County), Spencer Youth Center, Special Needs Prison, Middle TN Veterans Cemetery, Bicentennial Mall, and Ropers Knob .  Select site investigations on non-state lands include Brick Church Pike Mound, Fort Southwest Point, First Hermitage, Yearwood, Penitentiary Branch, Fort Blount, Brandywine Pointe, Coats-Hines Mastodon , Johnson, Old Town, Gordontown, Austin Cave, Carson-Conn-Short, Rutherford-Kizer, Brentwood Library, Moss-Wright and collaborative investigations along

455-549: The Tennessee River. This area of the river is enjoyed by boaters, fishermen, and water skiers. Major tributaries include Valley River, Nottely River , Coker Creek, Big Lost Creek, Spring Creek, Conasauga Creek , and Toccoa/Ocoee River . The Hiwassee River has been known by many variant spellings, particularly Hiawassee, which is also the name of the Georgia town through which the river flows. Other alternate spellings include Heia Wassea, Highwassee, Euphasee, and Quannessee. Some say

490-741: The Treaty of Holston in 1791. The Avery Trace, which began at Southwest Point, became the key road connecting East Tennessee and Middle Tennessee until around 1800. The Treaty of Holston fixed the boundary between U.S. and Cherokee lands at the Clinch River, placing Southwest Point on the fringe of lands open to settlement in East Tennessee. The waning years of the Cherokee–American wars brought an increase in Chickamauga Cherokee attacks against

525-426: The acting State Archaeologist during this period. This merger was short-lived, however, with the TDOA again becoming its own Division in 1983 with the appointment of a new State Archaeologist, Nick Fielder, by Commissioner Charles A. Howell. Fielder had been serving as the first State Historic Preservation Office Archaeologist since 1976. He served as State Archaeologist until 2007, when he retired. Mike Moore then became

560-518: The construction of Watts Bar Dam (the site is well above reservoir flood levels, however). In 1973, the University of Tennessee conducted excavations at the site, locating six structures and evidence of prehistoric habitation. Between 1984 and 1986, the Tennessee Division of Archaeology , seeking information to aide in the fort's reconstruction, conducted more extensive investigations at the site. These excavations uncovered nine additional structures and

595-540: The creation of the Tennessee Division of Archaeology (TDOA) in 1970, there had been State Archaeologists, but no state organization that was tasked with watching over Tennessee's archaeology sites. The first official State Archaeologist was Parmenio E. Cox , who was appointed to the role by Governor Austin Peay in 1924 after the death of William Edward Myer, who had served as the unofficial state archaeologist.  Cox held

630-524: The encroaching Euro-American settlers. Territorial governor William Blount kept the militia on call for much of the early 1790s in order to protect settlers and enforce the terms of the Holston Treaty. John Sevier , who commanded part of the militia, encamped at Southwest Point in 1792. By November of that year, Sevier's troops had completed a blockhouse at the site, which they used as a base until 1793 when federal troops arrived. Between 1793 and 1796,

665-496: The fort, the layout of which has been determined mostly from the remnants of their foundations. Tennessee Division of Archaeology The Tennessee Division of Archaeology (TDOA) is a division of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation responsible for managing prehistoric archaeological sites on lands owned by the U.S. state of Tennessee , conducting archaeological excavations and research, informing

700-496: The general public. Assistance is offered to public and private entities on legal and technical aspects of prehistoric Native American cemetery relocation and related concerns. This group also conducts research and publishes reports on archaeological subjects, some of which are available for free download via the Division of Archaeology website. The Site File and Review Group maintains accurate records on all known archaeological sites in

735-518: The issues regarding squatters, and reduced the need for federal troops in the area. By 1801, the Southwest Point garrison consisted of roughly 100 troops. In 1801, Colonel Return J. Meigs was appointed Cherokee Agent and Military Agent for the War Department in Tennessee. Although its garrison had been reduced, Fort Southwest Point served as an office for Meigs and as a distribution center for

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770-464: The mountains through a gorge, the Hiwassee broadens, meandering through rural Polk and Bradley counties in Tennessee. It is crossed by a bridge carrying US-411 soon after it exits the mountains. U.S. Route 11 passes over the river at Calhoun and Charleston, Tennessee , where local industries such as Bowater Newsprint Mill and Arch/Olin Chemical use river water in their operations. At this point

805-585: The name came from the Cherokee word Ayuhwasi , meaning meadow or savanna. The Hiwassee River passes through Murphy, North Carolina , where it flows past a site famous in Cherokee Indian mythology . The legend tells of a house-sized leech that could command the waters and use them to sweep hapless people to the bottom of the river and consume them. It was known as Tlanusi-yi , "The Leech Place." The river flows west from North Carolina into Tennessee. This area

840-493: The palisade ditch, allowing researchers to determine the fort's original layout. The prehistoric findings at the site include an infant burial, storage pits , and sherds. Hickory nut shells uncovered in a basin-style hearth returned a radiocarbon date of approximately 1360 AD. According to archaeological findings, Fort Southwest Point was 297 feet (91 m) x 175 feet (53 m), enclosing approximately 1.2 acres (4,900 m). There were at least 15 structure located within

875-476: The public about Tennessee’s prehistoric past, and coordinating with other state agencies regarding archaeological preservation issues. The TDOA has two main divisions. The Technical Assistance Group is responsible for the protection of archaeological sites and artifacts on all lands owned or controlled by the state. This group also provides technical assistance for state agencies (including State Parks ), law enforcement, municipalities, development communities, and

910-530: The river interfaces with the impoundment of Chickamauga Dam (located in Chattanooga, Tennessee ). Many marshes and wetlands surround the main channel, providing rich habitats for wildlife and areas for hunting and fishing. Interstate 75 passes over the river on the border of McMinn and Bradley counties. The Hiwassee continues westward; it is crossed by SR 58 's bridge (this bridge replaced an old historic and narrow bridge) on its way to its confluence with

945-589: The river. The 23-mile (37 km) stretch of river that flows from the North Carolina/Tennessee state line to U.S. Highway 411 near Delano is designated as a Tennessee State Scenic River (Class III Partially Developed River). For recreational purposes, it is managed by the Tennessee Resource Management Division, in cooperation with TVA. The river features Class I through Class III rapids, depending on water levels. After exiting

980-410: The role until he died in 1932. The TDOA was established in 1970 under the Department of Conservation through the "Tennessee Antiquities Act" (TCA 11-6-101-121), and the first staff members were hired in 1972, with Mack S. Prichard being appointed to the role of State Archaeologist in 1971. The TDOA had a very small budget when it was first created, which only allowed for the hiring of an assistant, which

1015-403: The same time, lots had been sold for what eventually become the city of Kingston, named for Major Robert King, an officer stationed at the fort. Among the first duties of the Southwest Point garrison was to remove individuals (known as "squatters") who had settled on Cherokee lands illegally. However, the first Treaty of Tellico— which Butler helped negotiate in 1798— resolved many of

1050-498: The state, and coordinates with state agencies to assess impacts of proposed activities on known or suspected sites. This group also provides expertise to the State Historic Preservation Office by reviewing all federally funded projects within Tennessee to determine their impact on archaeological resources. The TDOA presently employs eight archaeologists , a site files coordinator, and an administrative secretary at

1085-470: The treaties pushed the U.S.-Cherokee border south to the Hiwassee River , the garrison at Southwest Point was no longer needed. By 1807, Meigs and most of the federal garrison had relocated to the Hiwassee area. A skeleton contingent of less than 5 soldiers maintained Fort Southwest Point until 1811. The Southwest Point site was purchased by the Tennessee Valley Authority in the 1930s in anticipation of

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1120-535: The years due to the same position reductions experienced by other state agencies. Division positions have been cut roughly 70% over the past 25 years, from about 35 positions during the mid-1980s to the current 10 positions. Most of the eliminated positions were part-time/seasonal posts used to employ project field crews. As a result, the TDOA now focuses on smaller-scale survey and site investigations, and also responds to emergency situations as possible. Hiwassee River The Hiwassee River originates from

1155-471: Was Patti Coats. Prichard was able to secure additional funds and then hired three regional archaeologists and a Historical Archaeologist in 1972. These included Brian Butler (who oversaw the eastern part of the state,)   John Broster (who oversaw the west), Carl Kuttruff (who oversaw Middle Tennessee), and Joe Benthall (who served as the first Historical Archaeologist). Benthall became the state archaeologist after Mack Prichard retired in 1973 and Sam Smith

1190-469: Was originally referred to as "Fort Butler" after Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Butler (commander of federal forces in East Tennessee), but the name had been changed to "Fort Southwest Point" by 1798. Lieutenant-Colonel Butler moved his headquarters to Fort Southwest Point in 1799, when nine companies (7 infantry, 1 artillery, and 1 dragoon ) totaling roughly 400-500 troops were garrisoned at the fort. Around

1225-587: Was then hired to take over as the Historical Archaeologist. Patti Coats was also moved into the new position of Site Files Curator during this time. The Division experienced some structural changes during the late 1970s, which merged them with the TN State Parks Department. The position of State Archaeologist was eliminated at this time and Joseph Benthall was moved to a regional archaeologist position. Historical Archaeologist Sam Smith served as

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