This is the forty-second diary in my ' Expanding the National Parks” . Prior diaries are located at the bottom of the diary. This time, I'm in Tennessee, last time I was in South Dakota. 3.2% of the state is federally owned, 31st in the nation, slightly behind Oklahoma, and slightly ahead of New jerey. Currently Tennessee has 1 national park, 1 national forest, 7 wildlife refuges and 11 historic sites and other NPS units. I will propose giving the state its first monuments.
Tennessee
Total Area 42 144 sq miles
Land Area 41 235 sq miles
Water Area 909 sq miles
Coastline 0 miles
Additional monuments -3
ADDITIONAL MONUMENTS-3
* Big South Fork This upgrades the existing recreational area to monument status, and expands the borders of the recreational area. the Big South Fork runs from Tennessee into Kentucky, and the area is very remote, having been depopulated before it was designated a RA in the 1970s. the region contains one of the highest concentration of natural bridges in the Eastern US. Estimated area 150000 acres-roughly 230 sq miles
*Pinson Mounds-Sycamore Shoals Estimated Area 1500 acres
Would designate as a monument two historic sites within Tennessee to conserve their historic importance . Sycamore Shoals was the site of the 1775 Sycamore Shoals Treaty which transferred 20 million acres in the region between the Kentucky and Cumberland Rivers (which would eventually become Tennessee and Kentucky) from the native tribes in exchange for 10, 000 British pounds worth of goods. the Shoals served as the staging area for the OverMountain men prior to their victory at Kings Mountain in 1780. It is currently a state park covering about 70 acres.
The Pinson Mounds, named after George Pinson who ‘ discovered’ the mounds in 1820, are the largest collection of Middle Woodland(period between 1 and 500 AD) mounds in the United States- 30 mounds, of which at least 17 were constructed by the ancient people- and contains the second -tallest mound in the US, Saul’s Mound, which is 72 feet high . the Mounds are currently part of the Pinson Mounds State Archeological Park, and covers about 1200 acres. both areas were listed as historic Landmarks in 1964 and were put on the National Register of Historic places in 1966. Monument status will allow for better conservation of these areas.
* Land Between the Lakes Upgrades the existing recreational area to monument status. Land between the Lakes is a strip of land between the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers. originally proposed as the 'Between-the-Rivers' RA in 1961, it was finally established by President Kennedy in 1963. upgrading it to a monument will provide more funds and staffing for the area, and will result in increased visitation. Estimated area 200000 acres roughly 310 sq miles
EXISTING AREAS
NATIONAL PARKS-1
* Great Smoky Mountains Established 1934 Covers 522 419 acres (in NC and TN)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/...
the observation tower on Clingmans Dome the highest point in the park, is shown above
The most visited park in the country (over 10 million visitors in 2014), Great Smoky Mountains is the only national park in the state. The area that contains the park belonged to the Cherokee people, but in 1830 President Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act which forced all the Eastern Indian tribes to move west to what is now Oklahoma. white settlers moved into the area and began logging the forests- to be more precise, clear-cutting them. over the course of several decades the area turned from a green canopy to a area nearly denude of vegetation. Efforts from concerned citizens to preserve some of the area eventually resulted in Congress authorizing a national park in 1926, but due to the very limited resources of the Park Service the money wasnt there initially to buy large areas of land. Standard Oil heir and conservationist John D Rockefeller Jr pitched in 5 million dollars for the effort, and over the course of 8 years the land that was to become the park was slowly acquired, and the park officially opened in June 1934. The CCC, WPA and other Depression-era agencies put in trials built fire towers and other infrastructure for the park and region. the Park was declared an International Biosphere reserve in 1976 and an World Heritage site in 1983. more than a third of the forest (36%) is old-growth. the park was the first to be bought partly with federal funds. the previous national parks were bought with state or private funds. the Great Smoky Mountains was chosen to represent Tennessee in the National Parks Quarter collection, it was the first quarter released in 2014.
NATIONAL FORESTS-1
* Cherokee Established 1920 Covers 655 598 acres (in NC and TN)
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Citico Creek, part of the forest, is shown above
Lying mostly in Tennessee ( only one county in North Carolina, Ashe County, is in the forest), the forests contains all or part of 11 wildernesses, all of which lie on the Tennessee side of the border. the forest is the only national forest in Tennessee, and makes up most of the federally owned land in the state.
WILDLIFE REFUGES-7
* Chickasaw Established 1985 Covers 25006 acres
The second-largest refuge in the state, Chickasaw preserves the largest remaining tract of bottomland hardwood forest in the state. the refuge runs along the Mississippi River for 8 miles and lies within the rivers floodplain. As such it is subject to heavy flooding in winter and spring, with water depth reaching 30 feet in places. the refuge was created in 1985 by the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission. the area that became the refuge covered 23600 acres, it has since expanded to cover 26000.
* Cross Creeks Established 1962 Covers 8862 acres
The Second smallest refuge in the state., Cross Creeks was created as part of mitigation for the loss of Tennessee Woodlands Wr when it was inundated by the creation of Lake Barkley. Cross creeks refers to the intersection of North Cross and South Cross Creeks in the middle of the refuge. It is managed, along with Tennessee WR, as the Tennessee WR complex.
* Hatchie Established 1964 Covers 11556 acres
Consisting mostly of swampy bottomland, the Hatchie refuge preserves part of the floodplain of the Hatchie river, and runs along 23 miles of the river. the refuge is bisected by interstate 40 and US Route 70.
* Lake Isom Established 1938 Covers 1846 acres
The smallest refuge in the state, The refuge was created in 1938 as a sanctuary for migrating birds, including wood ducks. the refuge is almost entirely undeveloped, and public access is limited. it is managed by the nearby Reelfoot WR.
* Lower Hatchie Established 1980 covers 9451 acres
Located at the confluence of the Hatchie and Mississippi Rivers, the refuge consists of large forested tracts and uplands as well an open spaces.the refuge is one of five refuges in the West Tennessee WR complex , along with Hatchie , Lake Isom, Reelfoot and Chicaksaw.
* Reelfoot Established 1941 Covers 10428 acres (in KY and TN)
Created from lands surrounding Reelfoot Lake, which was created in the New Madrid Earthquakes of 1811-12, the refuge extends into Tennessee, and is an important stop on the Mississippi Flyway.. the refuge has a staff of nearly 20 people, and 600000 people visit every year.
* Tennessee Established 1945 Covers 51359 acres
By far the largest refuge in the state, Tennessee is divided into 3 units , Big Sandy, Busseltown and Duck River. Home to over 300 species of birds, the refuge is mostly wetlands (a result of the 1945 impoundment of Kentucky Lake).
HISTORIC SITES AND OTHER NPS UNITS-12
* Andrew Johnson NHS Established 1935 Covers 16 acres
Established a national monument by Congress in 1935, the site contains two of Johnson’s homes and well as his tailor shop, and Grave site. the homestead is made to look as it did from 1869-1875 when Johnson lived there. the Andrew Johnson national Cemetery, covering 14 acres makes up most the acreage of the historic site, it was given to the federal government By Johnson’s family as a national cemetery in 1908, and was managed by the War Department until 1942 when it was transferred to the Park Service. Congress re-designated the areas as an Historic site in 1963. Over 60,000 people visited the site in 2009
* Big South Fork NRA Established 1974 Covers 125 310 acres(in KY and TN)
Protects the south fork of the Cumberland River, as well as the many natural formations, such as natural bridges and hoodoos, that lie in the area. most of the refuge lies in Tennessee, and extends into Kentucky. 600000 people visited the area in 2012.
* Chicamunga & Chattanooga Military Park Established 1890 Covers 9036 acres(TN and GA)
Protects the sites of the Battle of Chicamunga and the Chattanooga Campaign. This was the first military park set in the Us and became the model for Gettysburg, Vicksburg and Sliloh, who were created later that decade. Chicamunga lies in Georgia, while most of the park lies in Tennessee. the park was used as a training location for soldiers during the Spanish-American war. About 900000 people visited in 2011.
* Cumberland Gap NHP Established 1940 Covers 20 508 acres (In KY TN and VA)
Protects and preserves the Gap, a 12 mile long natural pass through the Cumberland Mountains that served as a passage point for native Americans and English settlers for decades before the founding of the US. Daniel Boone created a trail called Wilderness Trail through the gap, today some of the trail is preserved in the park, and plans are being made to restore portions of the road to what it looked like in the 1790s. between 200-300 thousand settlers used the Trial before 1810, and the gap served as a important military objective during the Civil War in the "battle of Cumberland Gap' which resulted in a Union victory. Grant was so taken with the Gap, that he claimed that with just two regiments he could hold it against the army Napoleon had when he attacked Moscow in 1812 Ss Route 25E ran through the park from 1926-96 when the road was rerouted around the Gap and Cumberland tunnel was created. the portion that ran through the park is now a walkway. over 850000 people visited the park in 2012.
* Fort Donelson NB Established 1928 Covers 1007 acres (In KY and TN) Budget $1,516,000 (2010)
Preserves two Civil War forts, Fort Donelson and Fort Heiman, which were captured by Union forces in the 1862 campaign to capture Tennessee and in particular Nashville. the victory in the campaign was the first major victory by Ulysses S Grantthe park was first established 1928 as a National Military park by the War department, and was transferred along with its cemetery, to the Park Service in 1933. Congress re-designated it as a battlefield in 1986, and in 2004 expanded the parks boundary from 562 acres to 2000 acres, Kentucky donated the land containing Fort Heiman in 2006, and land acquisition within the expanded boundary is ongoing. the park currently has 14 employees, a budget over $1.5M, and over 700, 000 people visited the park in 2010.
* Fort Donelson NC Established 1867 Covers 15 acres
Established in 1867, the Cemetery contains the remains of 670 Union soldiers as well as military dead from other wars. the cemetery was originally managed by the War Department until it was moved to the Park service in 1933.
* Land Between the Lakes NRA Established 1963 Covers 170000 acres(in KY and TN)
Established by President Kennedy in 1963, the NRA is the second largest public land in the state, behind Daniel Boone NF. The area became the US largest inland peninsula when a canal between Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley was carved in the 1960s . the area was originally managed by the Tennessee Valley Authority upon establishment but was transferred to the Forest Service in 1998.
* Manhattan Project NHP Established 2015 Covers 114 acres(in NM, TN and WA)
One of the nations newest national parks, the Manhattan Projects contains sites in 3 states — Tennessee (Oak Ridge), New Mexico (Los Alamos) and Washington(Hanford)- connected to the building of the US’ atomic program during World War II that culminated with the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. as it is relatively new, the boundaries of the park are subject to change, as additional buildings and structures are included.
* Shiloh NC Established 1866 Covers 20 acres
Located within the park, the cemetery contains the remains of nearly 3600 Union Soldiers (of which nearly 2400 are unknown), as well as Confederate remains in mass graves, the number of which is unknown. The Park Service took over running the cemetery in 1933
* Shiloh NMP Established 1894 Covers 3997 acres (in MS and TN)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
the cemetery in the Shiloh NMP is shown above
Site of the bloodiest battle of the Civil War, Shiloh preserves two battlefields, Shiloh and Corinth. the Shiloh battle took place in April 1862 and pitted 65000 Union troops under Ulysses S Grant and John Carlos Buell and 44000 Confederate troops led by Albert Sidney Johnson (who was KIA) and P G T Beauregard. 13000 Union troops were killed, nearly 11000 Confederates died.the capture of Corinth took a month,from May-June 1862, with roughly equal deaths on both sides , roughly 1000. Shiloh was one of the first Civil War battlefields to be set aside as military parks in the 1890s. the parks was turned over to the Park Service in 1933, and today the park contains nearly 4000 acres with another 1300 preserved in private holdings. in 2005, over 300000 people visited the park.
* Stones River NB Established 1927 Covers 728 acres
Preserves the site of the battle of Stones rivers which took place between December 31 1862 and January 2, 1863 and which resulted in a Union victory. congress established theStones River National Military Park in 1927 and most of the land with the battlefield was acquired by 1934. the parks conserves about a 5th of the battlefield which covered 3000 acres. Congress re-designated the area as a battlefield in 1960. Over200, 000 people visited in 2005.
* Stones River NC Established 1864 Covers 20 acres
Located within the Battlefield, the cemetery has 6850 remains of which nearly 2600 are unknown. The cemetery was established in 1864 with most of the burials being completed by 1867. the cemetery was indicated with the battlefield when it was established in 1927 and was transferred to the Park Service in 1933
This concludes my virtual trip to Tennessee. Next, time I’ll be deep in the heart of Texas, visiting the Alamo. As Always comments, feedback and imput are welcome. See You in the Comments!
Prior Diaries
1.Alabama www.dailykos.com/...
2 Alaska www.dailykos.com/...
3 Arizona www.dailykos.com/...
4 Arkansas www.dailykos.com/...
5 California www.dailykos.com/...
6 Colorado www.dailykos.com/...
7 Connecticut www.dailykos.com/...
8 Delaware www.dailykos.com/...
9 Florida www.dailykos.com/...
10 Georgia www.dailykos.com/...
11 Hawaii www.dailykos.com/...
12 Idaho www.dailykos.com/...
13 Illinois www.dailykos.com/...
14 Indiana www.dailykos.com/...
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17 Kentucky www.dailykos.com/...
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25 Missouri www.dailykos.com/...
26 Montana www.dailykos.com/...
27 Nebraska www.dailykos.com/...
28 Nevada www.dailykos.com/...
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31 New Mexico www.dailykos.com/...
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33 North Carolina www.dailykos.com/...
34 North Dakota www.dailykos.com/...
35 Ohio www.dailykos.com/...
36 Oklahoma www.dailykos.com/...
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38 Pennsylvania www.dailykos.com/…
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40 South Carolina www.dailykos.com/…
41 South Dakota www.dailykos.com/…