Rafting on the Ocoee River

As we think about the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, let's take a look back at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.



A portion of the 1996 Olympics were held in Tennessee. The whitewater rating contest was held along the Ocoee River - although not right here. This is the spot where most people do their Ocoee rafting. (I last did this when I was in High School in 1994.) The Olympic competition area is actually upstream from here and has been turned into a modern park. If you are travelling along US64, it's a little further East of this area.

Burial Site of Nancy Ward, "The Pocahontas of Tennessee"

Nancy Ward was a princess of Cherokee Nation, and some call her The Pocahontas of Tennessee. Known to the Cherokee as Nanyehi, she was a Beloved Woman of the Cherokee, which means that she was allowed to sit in councils and to make decisions, along with the chiefs and other Beloved Women. She believed in peaceful coexistence with the European-Americans and helped her people as peace negotiator and ambassador. She also introduced them to farming and dairy production bringing substantial changes to the Cherokee society.

She died in 1822 and was buried atop a hill that overlooks the Ocoee River in Polk County. A century later, the Nancy Ward chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution built this memorial at her gravesite. Today, this gravesite is easily accessible as a State Park, located along Old US411 a mile southwest of Benton. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Nancy Ward Tomb.

Read more about her here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Ward
See the D.A.R. marker here: seemidtn.com/gallery/index.php?album=historical-markers%2...
See the TN Historic Marker: seemidtn.com/gallery/index.php?album=historical-markers%2...
See the TN Overhill Experience marker: seemidtn.com/gallery/index.php?album=historical-markers%2...

Hiwassee Union Baptist Church

This church building which dates back to 1899 is located along the bank of the Hiwassee River in Reliance, TN. Every other photo I have seen of this building is from the street side, however my photo was taken while I was riding along the Hiwassee River Excursion Train. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Reliance Historic District.

Here is the text of the historic marker provided by the Southeast Tennessee Tourism Association from their Religious Heritage Trail:
Erected about 1899 through the joint effort of the Hiwassee Union Missionary Baptist Church and the local Masonic Lodge, this two-story, frame structure served as a multi-use community building. The upper floor was for lodge meetings while the first floor served as the church meeting hall. The first floor was also used as a schoolhouse for a brief time. Originally the first floor had a full front porch. The porch was enclosed in 1927 when the church added two small meeting rooms, leaving a narrow entry way into the main hall. The church and the lodge moved to new facilities less than one mile to the east on Highway 30. It was founded on October 8, 1848 as Hiwassee Union Baptist, and then in 1859 as Sweetwater Baptist Association. In 1861 the Ocoee Baptist Association was formed, so they asked to be released from Sweetwater's Association and joined the Ocoee Baptist Association. Hiwassee Union Baptist went on the join Eastanallee Baptist Association in 1871 and finally it joined the Polk Baptist Association in 1921.

A Wide-Angle View of the Entrance to the Ocoee River

If you are a fan of Whitewater rafting, and you're in Tennessee, the Ocoee River is your place. Now, this photo was taken on a weekday in late September, but in the peak summer months, it can be incredibly crowded. I don't get in the water very often, but the one time I did it, it was here back in 1994.

On the first time you ever visit here, you're greeted with the site of Ocoee Dam #2, and the thought of travelling over it is either thrilling or daunting, depending on your perspective. In reality, it's illegal to go over the 1913 dam and to enter the river, you actually carry your raft/kayak down a concrete ramp. The entrance to the parking lot is from highway US64, which runs just to the right of this photo.

NCStL #710 - Copperhill, TN

I didn't think I'd ever see an NCStL locomotive out in the wild, but I saw this EMD GP7 parked in a train yard outside of Copperhill, TN. I'd like to think I just happened to stumble across a vintage locomotive that just happened to be sitting around. Realistically, that kind of thing doesn't happen too often.

As it turns out, this locomotive is used by the Tennessee Valley Railway Museum based out of Chattanooga. One of their excursions called the Hiwassee River Rail starts from Gee Creek near Etowah and occasionally goes all the way to Copperhill.

During the years the GP7 was made, NCStL purchased 37 of them. Before acquired by TVRM, it spent several decades with Amtrak.

Tracks of the Ocoee River Flume

If you've ever driven along US64 where it parallels the Ocoee River, you might look across the river on the other side of the bluff and see a wooden trough way up high. Constructed in 1912, the main part of the flume carries water from Ocoee Dam #2 to the Powerhouse about five miles away. Atop the flume are tracks to help get the TVA employees from one side to the other, but it was also useful for carrying when sections of the flume had to be rebuilt. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Ocoee structure is the only flume line in the United States used to produce power. This photo was taken from the dam near where Ocoee rafters get on the water.

For the story: www.knoxnews.com/business/flume-repairs-under-way

For some video: youtu.be/PjZkDJRA05g

Rafting on the Ocoee River

If you are a fan of Whitewater rafting, and you're in Tennessee, the Ocoee River is your place. Now, this photo was taken on a weekday in late September, but in the peak summer months, it can be incredibly crowded. I don't get in the water very often, but the one time I did it, it was here back in 1994.

On the first time you ever visit here, you're greeted with the site of Ocoee Dam #2, and the thought of travelling over it is either thrilling or daunting, depending on your perspective. In reality, it's illegal to go over the 1913 dam and to enter the river, you actually carry your raft/kayak down a concrete ramp.

Fleetwood Coffee Roof Ad

In all my travels in Tennessee and beyond, this is the third Fleetwood Coffee painted advertisement I've come across (all in East TN), but the first one not painted on a barn. This building is located south of Benton, TN along US411. Of the two other barns I've seen so far, one is in Meigs County and the other is near Oliver Springs.

Hiwassee Union Baptist Church (River view)

This church building which dates back to 1899 is located along the bank of the Hiwassee River in Reliance, TN. Every other photo I have seen of this building is from the street side, however my photo was taken while I was riding along the Hiwsasee River Excursion Train. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Reliance Historic District.

Here is the text of the historic marker provided by the Southeast Tennessee Tourism Association from their Religious Heritage Trail:
Erected about 1899 through the joint effort of the Hiwassee Union Missionary Baptist Church and the local Masonic Lodge, this two-story, frame structure served as a multi-use community building. The upper floor was for lodge meetings while the first floor served as the church meeting hall. The first floor was also used as a schoolhouse for a brief time.
Originally the first floor had a full front porch. The porch was enclosed in 1927 when the church added two small meeting rooms, leaving a narrow entry way into the main hall. The church and the lodge moved to new facilities less than one mile to the east on Highway 30. It was founded on October 8, 1848 as Hiwassee Union Baptist, and then in 1859 as Sweetwater Baptist Association. In 1861 the Ocoee Baptist Association was formed, so they asked to be released from Sweetwater's Association and joined the Ocoee Baptist Association. Hiwassee Union Baptist went on the join Eastanallee Baptist Assocation in 1871 and finally it joined the Polk Baptist Association in 1921.

(One more note about the excursion train: I could have sworn I heard the guide say this place was a filming location for the movie Deliverance, but I can't find any confirmation of that anywhere else. Has anyone else heard that?)

Kayaking in the Hiwassee River

In Polk County is one on the most popular Kayaking spots in Tennessee. Here, the river is wide, but also shallow. Upon first glance, you'll count four kayaks and four Kayakers (and there's a dog in the pink one.) I didn't notice this when I was taking this photo, but there's a fifth kayak that's overturned and it's owner is standing in the water - it's that shallow. When the weather gets nice, there's several river outfitters here in the small town of Reliance.

Ocoee Dam No. 1

Ocoee Dam No.1 is located a few miles downstream from the famous Ocoee River whitewater rafting area, and this overlook is provided next to a small turnoff along US64/74. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
According to the marker:

Park's Mill occupied the site of Ocoee No.1 from the mid 19th century until 1910 when the Tennessee Electric Power Company acquired the site for construction of a hydro plant.

Ocoee No. 1, Tennessee's first large hydroelectric plant, was the result of efforts by a small group of visionaries who saw the benefits of electric power to the manufacturing industries of the south.

Built in just 18 months, in 1912 Ocoee No. 1 began providing electricity for Chattanooga and the surrounding area. In 1939, TVA acquired both Ocoee No.1 and No.2 and electricity generated at the Ocoee plants became part of TVA's growing network of power plants in the Tennessee Valley.

Home of the Cat Head Biscuit

Located in Benton, TN, I saw the sign and wanted to try Lottie's Diner as the Cat Head Biscuit had piqued my interest. But, alas, the day I was driving through town I was making good time and it was too early for me to stop and eat. I posted this to my facebook friends and as it turned out, one of my high school classmates had stopped here before. Instead of being shaped like a cat's head, the biscuits are as large as a cat's head.

Georgia/Tennessee State Line

There's a small town divided by the border between Georgia and Tennessee. Step on the left side and you're in McCaysville, GA in Fannin County. Move over to the right and you're in Copperhill, TN in Polk County. Through town, a blue line is painted on the street to point out the division.

Where the border meets main street is this nice sign labelling GA and TN. While the sign makes it look like the border is a river, it's not. However, the Toccoa or Ocoee river passes through town, and changes names at the state line. The sign here is also relatively new. Based on other pictures I've seen, it's newer than 2008 as older pictures have a simple GA and TN divided by a dotted line.

Welcome to Ducktown

A Quacking Good Place

Ducktown is a small town in Polk County, TN, in the southeast corner of the state. This sign is seen where highway TN68 meets Main st. It's also the only reference I found to the city's waterfowl namesake.

Post Card Tuesday: Hiawasee Loop

When L&N decided to build a line from Marietta, Ga to Etowah, TN, they experienced some geographical challenges on what became known as the Hook and Eye Line. The route from Farmer to Copperhill was particularly hilly and it resulted in what is depicted in this post card, the Hiawasee Loop, or "The Eye." Railroads can not have more than about a 1.5% grade, and to make it north of Farmer, the engineers determined the best way about it was a trestle leading to Bald Mountain, then a counter-clockwise loop around the mountain almost twice until it reached a low enough altitude to travel alongside the Hiawasee River southwest to Copperhill.

L&N eventually became part of CSX and they continued to use this loop until 2001 when they abandoned the track. The area is inaccessible by car or pretty much any means other than train. The good news is the Tennessee valley Railway has an excursion train that goes through the loop on occasion. Farmer and the loop are both in Polk County, which is the Southeastern-most county in the state. The loop is literally 500 feet from the North Carolina border.