ABOVE PHOTO: Rocky Mount Slave Cabin
By Renée S. Gordon
“Country music is three chords and the truth.” –Harlan Howard
Tennessee’s tri-colored flag has a blue emblem in the center of a field of red with three white stars. Each star represents one of three geographic regions, the western lowlands, central highlands and the mountainous east. Each region has a distinctive history and culture and each has a unique story to tell. The state’s documented biography begins in East Tennessee in an area that takes its name from the Appalachian Mountains. Hernando de Soto named them in the 1540s after a northwestern Florida tribe, the Apalachee.
For 10,000-years prior to European contact, Native Americans, primarily the Cherokee, who called the territory “Sha-cona-ge,” the “Land of the Blue Mist”, settled the area. The state name is a form of the Cherokee word “Tanasi,” “little river” or “meeting place.” In 1673 scouts entered the region to establish trade with the natives. A limited number of hardy settlers filtered into the territory for the next century. In the 1770s Daniel Boone established the Wilderness Trail as a route for settlers and extending the frontier beyond the mountains.
Bristol, Tennessee and Bristol, Virginia are considered twin cities. The state line divides State Street and inlaid brass discs denote which state you are in and allow you to stand in two states at once. Each city has its own government but basically is a single city. www.bristoltn.org
In addition to the state line there is another iconic symbol. The illuminated “Bristol Sign,” lit by 1,300 bulbs, greets you as you enter town. It was originally placed atop a hardware store in 1910 and later relocated to the state line. The sign proclaims the city “A Good Place to Live” and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1988.
The land on which the cities sit was surveyed in 1749 and in 1770 Isaac Baker and Evan Shelby erected a trading post in what was then Sapling Grove. The land was sold to Rev. James King who founded King’s Meadow’s. He sold a tract of land to Joseph Anderson who founded the town of Bristol in 1852 and allowed his daughter to name it. A friend, Samuel Goodson, founded Goodsonville on the Virginia side of the state line four years later. It was renamed Bristol in 1890. www.MyBristolVisit.com
A 20-ft. guitar is situated outside the Convention & Visitors Bureau in tribute to Bristol’s being deemed the “Birthplace of Country Music,” passed by resolution in 1998 by the US Congress. The genesis of the designation began in July and August 1927 when Victor Talking Machine Company sent Ralph Peer to Bristol to record “hillbilly music.” Bristol was chosen because of its proximity to Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia (TN is bordered by more states than any other state.). Nineteen bands recorded 76 songs during the Bristol Sessions including the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers. A marker at 408 State St. marks the location of the recordings in TN on the second and third floors of the Taylor-Christian Hat Company
A second session was held for eight days in October and November of the following year. A number of the original artists returned, joined by Harry Gay and Steve Tarter, African American blues guitarists and singers. Gay and Tarter were pioneers in the recording of “race records.” The second sessions took place on 6th St. and are also indicated with a historic marker. Additional markers honor the contributions of early artists and Ralph Peer. www.bristolsessions.com
Tim White painted a large music mural honoring the 1927 sessions in 1987. A stage located in front of the mural is the setting for free concerts May to October and the best regional pickers often perform here. While you are there look around for Rosetta Bachelor’s gold. Legend has it that she buried the family fortune nearby upon the death of her husband and no one has ever found it.
Visitors can follow a 13-stop self-guided walking tour that encompasses sites associated with the city’s history and its residents. Confederate Calvary Colonel John Mosby, “The Gray Ghost,” was a lawyer in Bristol when the Civil War broke out and is memorialized with a marker. His exploits were so audacious that at one point, upon riding near Washington, DC, he sent Lincoln a lock of his hair. It is said that Lincoln appreciated the joke.
State Street is filled with shops, restaurants and music venues and no visit is complete without a visit to at least two of each. 620 State is the perfect establishment in which to combine fine dining and live music. The restaurant serves everything from sushi to southern fried chicken and features musicians on a regular schedule. www.620state.com. If you get lucky you might stop in on a night when Amythyst Kiah, an African American artist, whose playing and renditions of original compositions, bluegrass and old time music are stunning. www.reverbnation.com/rpk/1309412
Hank Williams died on December 30, 1952 at the age of 29, his legacy as a seminal figure in country music solidified. He was taught to play the guitar and given performance pointers by Ralph “Tee-Tot” Payne, a black street musician. Due to bad weather he was being driven to his next concert and as he arrived in Bristol the driver stopped at an all night restaurant, the Burger Bar, and asked if Hank were hungry. He replied that he was not and that was the last time he was seen alive. The historic Burger Bar is still serving food made from scratch using local and seasonal products and authentic, historic, recipes. It is small and you may have to wait to be seated but it is worth the wait. www.burgerbarbristol.com
A few miles out of Bristol, but a definite must visit, is the 100-year old Bellamy Hardware Store. This is the place to hear bluegrass music up close and personal. The hardware store now sells antiques and an adjacent building is equipped with a stage and seating. The experience is genuine and is one of being a guest in someone’s home and being entertained by old friends. www.bluegrassatbellamy.com
The state-of-the-art Birthplace of Country Music Museum is scheduled to open in August 2014. The two level museum will interpret the entire history of the music from its roots in Europe, the fields, churches and front porches to its modern incarnations. An area will be devoted to race music and its significance.
While in the Bristol area you are at the intersection of several scenic trails. Thunder Road is arguably the most famous. It gained fame during prohibition when moonshiners transported untaxed alcohol from stills in the hills. The cars were fast, the roads circuitous and during their free time the drivers raced each other. These activities are credited with being the start of NASCAR. In 2001, a NASCAR Mural was painted to honor Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty. www.tntrailsandbyways.com
NASCAR Races are held only twice annually but drag races are regularly scheduled and on Thursdays and Saturdays “Street Fights” are held in which an individual races whoever pulls up next to them. Tours of the track are offered and a trip to the Bristol Motor Speedway, “The World’s Fastest Half-Mile,” is one of the “10 Events to See Before You Die.” The half-mile track is 60 ft. wide with a pit size of 16 ft. by 27-ft. Cars travel at 128 mph on the straightaway, 90 mph on the turns and a lap is completed in 15 seconds. The speed record is 333 mph in 4 seconds.
The annual Speedway in Lights will be held November 15 – January 4, 2014. This awesome event includes a 4-mile route adorned with 2 million lights, 12 Xmas scenes, food and craft vendors and an ice skating rink. Guests can drive their personal vehicles around the track to view the lights and the gigantic tree. Proceeds are donated to children’s charities. www.bristolmotorspeedway.com
Stickley Farm Maze and Zipline is an entertainment complex that was a dairy farm until the 1990s. Today it has one of the country’s largest corn mazes on 11 acres with 5 miles of trails. The newest attraction, a 1080 ft. zipline that travels 30 mph has been added to the pony rides, trampoline and other activities. www.thestickleyfarm.com
Bays Mountain Park and Planetarium in Kingsport, opened in 1971, is situated on 3,550-acres and is a nature preserve. The park offers 38 miles of trails, a 44 acre lake, Steadman Heritage Farmstead Museum, Nature Center, 152 seat planetarium and an Adventure Course with a 300 ft. zipline. Wolves left this area more than 200 years ago but at Bay’s Mountain’s Native Habitat a pack of gray wolves are showcased and you can have a wolf howling experience. www.baysmountain.com
Kingsport’s Exchange Place, a living history museum, was listed on the NRHP in 1978. Exchange Place, the Preston Farm, uses six original and two restored structures to interpret life on a self-sustaining farm in the 1850s. The farm is located on the Old Stage Road, the oldest road in the state. In the 1820s the complex served as a relay station where the stagecoach driver could exchange horses and patrons could exchange currency. It was necessary to exchange currency because in that era there was no common legal tender. The family owned several slaves but the cook’s cabin was the sole slave cabin on the farm. An interesting side note is that it is on this land in 1775 that Daniel Boone killed a bear and carved evidence of the event on a tree. Costumed interpreters perform craft demonstrations. www.exchangeplace.org
William and Barsheba Cobb moved into the wilderness of the Appalachian valley at the forks of two rivers around 1770 and over a two year period constructed a two story log house. At that time Tennessee was part of North Carolina. In May 1790, Congress created the Territory of the United States South-West of the River Ohio and named William Blount the governor. Blount moved in with the Cobbs and ran the government from there from 1790-92 making it the first territorial capitol.
Rocky Mount Living History Museum interprets the lifestyle of Blount and the Cobbs in the latter 1700s. Authentically clad docents portray friends, family, servants and slaves that actually lived there at the time. Tours begin with a 10 minute orientation film that provides family and historic background. Some of the items belonged to the family and objects not to be missed are the wig curling iron, swiveling cradle and traveling medicine chest.
A territorial census was taken in 1791 and of the 35,691 people, 3,417 were enslaved. The Cobb’s cook was a slave and the interpreter does an outstanding job of explaining what her job entailed. The kitchen, a separate building, is fully equipped and there is a garden. www.rockymountmuseum.com
The most historic luxury hotel in the region is the 1890s Carnegie Hotel in Johnson City. The full-service, six level, hotel has 139 oversized rooms, deluxe amenities, 24-hour fitness room and Austin Springs, a full service day spa. Wellington’s, the on-site restaurant, features an antique bar and gourmet dining. Specials are available online. www.carnegiehotel.com
There is always more so as you wait for part two you can begin to plan your Tennessee travels. www.tnvacation.com
I wish you smooth travels!
TRAVEL TIPS:
Bucks County is jammed with holiday spirit and unique family activities. You can have a great day trip or make it a fun-filled weekend. www.visitbuckscounty.com
Spend a part of your holiday with the Sesame Street characters at the “Very Furry Christmas” experience. Everyone will be there, hopefully, including you. November 23- Dec. 31. www.sesameplace.com
Beginning November 22 you can take a horse-drawn hayride through Shady Brook Farm’s illuminated displays. www.shadybrookfarm.com
Everyone loves a train ride including Santa and Mrs. Claus. Ride along with them aboard the historic New Hope & Ivyland Railroad’s North Pole Express! www.newhoperailroad.com
One of the most significant commemorative events in the region is the Annual Christmas Day Crossing Re-enactment at Washington Crossing Historic Park. George Washington and his Revolutionary troops make the yearly crossing on December 25, 2013 from 1pm-3pm in replica boats after a speech by their commander. www.ushistory.org/washingtoncrossing
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