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Distributed by mail monthly to the Loudon & Monroe lake and golf front communities including Tellico Village, Kahite, Rarity Bay, Tennessee National, Avalon Golf Community, Harbour Place, Tellico Harbor, Foothills Pointe, and WindRiver. Volume 24, No. 2, Section A
FREE
February 2024
Truly Unique Heritage Museums Just a Short Drive Away
The Sequoyah Birthplace Museum - Vonore
Photo courtesy Tennessee Tourism
T
hey called him Sequoyah, and he gave his people a gift that will endure forever. He gave them a writing system, so that the greatness of the Cherokee could live as a part of history. Never before, or since, in the history of the world has one man, not literate in any language, perfected a system for reading and writing a language until Sequoyah. The museum is located in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee on the shores of beautiful Tellico Lake, equipped with a boat dock for those arriving by water. The new Max D. Ramsey Shoreline Trail features 1.5 miles of walking trail, along the shoreline, bridges and boardwalks through the marshy areas. Sequoyah Birthplace Museum is owned and operated by the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation. It is Tennessee’s only tribally operated historical attraction. The Cherokee Memorial, on the museum grounds, is the common burial site of Cherokee remains that were recovered archaeologically at the sites of former 18th century Cherokee towns along the Little Tennessee River before the Tellico Reservoir was filled. The Tanasi Memorial, located 12 miles southeast of the museum, marks the former site of the Cherokee Village that was the namesake for the state of Tennessee. Just down the road from the Tanasi Memorial is the Chota Memorial, marking the site of the original council house at the Chota Town site. The Sequoyah Birthplace Museum serves as the primary historical resource on the legacy of Sequoyah as a history of Cherokee homelands in his lifetime. Rooted in Tennessee, the museum is tied directly to Sequoyah – his achievements with the Cherokees and humankind as a whole. Rooted in history, they have served since 1986 as an educational resource in Tennessee, telling the story of the Cherokees and their impact on the evolution of our country. Artifacts are carefully preserved, to provide an authentic up-close look at life from another time as a product of Cherokee heritage.
Photo courtesty Brian Stansbury via WikiMediaCommons“Museum
The Sequoyah Birthplace Museum is a resource like no other. Through their location, in Vonore, TN, the museum is tied to the local history of the area and provides not only high-quality museum displays, but also geographical artifacts from another time that are essential to telling the story of Sequoyah and the Cherokees. Serving as a primary resource in Tennessee on Eastern Band of Cherokee history and education for over 30 years, the museum will continue to serve in that capacity, with a renewed focus on Cherokee history during Sequoyah’s lifetime. Currently no other museum or resource focuses on this time in Cherokee history. The 1833 Otis Tufts printing press is utilized they are able to demonstrate 19th century technology and allow visitors to have a hand-on experience in creating written materials from the early 1800’s. The displays and Cherokee language classes, along
with their educational outreach programs, offer young people and adults alike an immersive experience into the history and legacy of the Cherokees and Sequoyah. Working under the premise that to see is to believe, the museum brings history to life in a way that is both informative and entertaining. WHY IT MATTERS: History is only preserved so long as its curators are determined to do so, and the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum feels it is their duty. “We take great pride in preserving this moment in time in the development of our Nation. We are emboldened to move forward in the continuation of the legacy of Sequoyah, because we believe his impact was universally substantial. We represent the facts. We have taken great care to preserve this piece of history in a more comprehensive way. We present the facts of Sequoyah and his legacy in a unique way. We are committed. We have committed our lives and our careers to preserving this history in a unique way for the education and enjoyment of future citizens. We have made it our life’s work to see to it that these causes are carried forward for generations to come.” Sources: TNVacations.com & SequoyahMuseum.org. Sequoyah Birthplace Museum 576 Tennessee 360 Vonore, TN 37885 423-884-6246 Email - seqmus@tds.net Hours: Mon-Sat 9:00 - 5:00 Sunday 12:00 - 5:00
Museum of Appalachia Chosen as “The Best of Tennessee”
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he Tennessee Magazine, published monthly by the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association, hosts an annual reader’s choice awards. More than one million readers voted the Museum of Appalachia as the best museum in East Tennessee. The attractiveness of the Museum of Appalachia is a don’t-miss experience. There is no other Museum with a collection of buildings and artifacts as extensive and comprehensive. The Museum of Appalachia, an internationally acclaimed
living history farm/village, is home to a unique collection of early pioneer artifacts from the Southern Appalachian Mountains, and host to a variety of special events throughout the year. A non-profit organization, the Museum’s mission is to preserve Appalachian artifacts and instill in
the community—regionally, nationally, and internationally—a greater knowledge of, and appreciation for, the Southern Appalachian heritage. The Shop at the Museum of Appalachia features handiwork from Appalachian artisans, books authored by regional writers and unique “Made in America” gifts. The Museum’s quaint restaurant offers hot country style lunches, fresh-from-the-garden vegetables, and mouth-watering home-style desserts. The Museum of Appalachia, a Smithsonian Affiliate, is an internationally acclaimed living history farm/village-home to a unique collection of early pioneer artifacts from the Southern Appalachian Mountains. A non-profit organization, the Museum’s mission is to preserve Appalachian artifacts and to cultivate a greater knowledge of, and appreciation for, Appalachian heritage. The Museum is located 16 miles north of Knoxville, in Norris, TN one mile east of I-75, at Exit 122. For more information, call 865-494-7680 or visit www.museumofappalachia.org.
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