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- [S106] The Mountain Press.
Preservation campaign begins
Officials rally in support of Henry's Station
By: CRAIG MINTZ, Staff Writer October 02, 2005
SEVIERVILLE - In a show of solidarity and commitment, state and local officials spoke at a campaign kickoff Friday for a project to rebuild and preserve part of Sevier County's history.
Henry's Station, built by Major Hugh Henry and settlers in the late 1700s, once stood in the Kodak community next to Dumplin Creek and the Indian War Path.
It was there that the Treaty of Dumplin Creek was signed by the State of Franklin and chiefs of the Cherokee nation allowing settlement of Blount, Hamblen, Jefferson, Knox and Sevier counties.
A campaign is now under way to find where the station was, rebuild it and create an authentic village in the 1780 to 1796 time period including a Cherokee town, visitor center, State of Franklin museum, meeting rooms and more.
State Sen. Raymond Finney, State Rep. Richard Montgomery, County Mayor Larry Waters and elected officials from Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg all declared their support for the project Friday.
"We have got an absolute jewel of history right here in Sevier County that we haven't really tapped into," Montgomery said.
Montgomery, a 16-year veteran of the Sevier County School Board before becoming a state legislator, said he is particularly excited about reviving some local history to educate children.
Finney also encouraged everyone to get behind the project.
"This project catches my imagination and it should yours too," he said.
Three reasons for supporting the project echoed by all the officials were that it can be an educational tool, it will celebrate local heritage and it will bring tourism dollars.
Jane Etherton, campaign chairperson and executive director for the Henry Station campaign, said a federal official recently told governors at a conference that they need to focus on history travelers.
"They stay longer, they spend more and they pay more taxes," Etherton said.
Cullen Earnest, representing the Tennessee Department of Tourism, said visits to historical sites are big in Tennessee.
"Heritage tourism is huge in this state," he said.
The hunt is on for the original Henry's Station site, Arthur Milo Bohanan, board president for Henry's Station said. This year, archaeologists have been digging at what was previously believed to be Henry's Station but it turns out it is a site from 1820 and not the original station of 1780.
"It's a mystery," said Bohanan with excitement in his voice. "We intend to find it."
He said the board was offering $1,000 to whoever could find the original site.
Etherton thanked all the project's supporters and encouraged financial support from others. She also thanked the Emma Ruth Catlett family who has agreed to lease the Hugh Henry property.
To find out more about tours or working on the project, call 257-1780 or visit www.henrystation.org. To make donations in memory or honor of someone, call 556-4488.
- [S34] In the Shadow of the Smokies, Smoky Mountain Historical Society, (1993), 34.
- [S147] Find a Grave, (Memorial: 5255779).
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