MURFREESBORO- A proposed interstate-highway
exchange and threatened commercial development put Stones River
National Military Park at number seven on the list. The City of
Murfreesboro has been eyeing the property, most of which is part
of the battlefield’s proposed boundary, for commercial and industrial
development. While Park supporters have protested the Murfreesboro’s
city council’s plans to develop the region, officials haven’t
been too accommodating. Some were even found to have personal
financial interests in the development, which calls for an interstate
exchange to be built that would violate the Park’s proposed boundary.
According to the report:
"The historic Civil War site, where nearly
7,000 soldiers are buried, is threatened by proposed highway and
commercial development. The park, which represents just ten percent
of the original battlefield, needs to be expanded by new land
acquisition."
Stones River NBP officials have said that the
park needs to expand its battlefield property in order to preserve
the historic areas, which were not included in the original layout.
They had very little to say about the NCPA report, except that
it points out the need to preserve the historic credibility of
the site.
"I think this points to the concern that
many people have made about the park being threatened by the fact
the county may lose historic battleground property forever,"
said Superintendent Mary Ann Peckham. "I think that the Park
Service and the interests involved can work out a reasonable solution
to help preserve the vital areas that need to be brought into
the park in order to save them for future generations."
In a news release from D.C., National Parks
Conservation President Thomas Kiernan says there is no reason
for the national park lands on the list to be threatened.
"Logic tells you," said Kiernan,
"that national park status protects America’s priceless wild
and scenic areas from human degradation, but that logic is wrong.
Like Liberty itself, the protection of America’s natural and historic
heritage requires eternal vigilance on the part of U.S. citizens.
Otherwise uncontrolled special interests ultimately will ruin
the parks."
One research assistant in the agency says Stones
River is among two national parks threatened by commercial development.
"In Tennessee," said an NPCA research
assistant, "an interstate-highway exchange may bisect the
battlefield of Stones River National Battleground and an airport
expansion may irrevocably alter Hawaii’s Haleakala National Park."
Tennessee preservationists applauded the NPCA
report and say it was long overdue. It is an issue that Park supporters
say they hope will allow their voices to finally be heard and
some action be taken to preserve the battlefield proper fir future
generations.
"This doesn’t look good on Tennessee,"
said historical preservationist Jerry Lessenberry. "We have
a few people in Murfreesboro playing politics with history and
putting their own interests ahead of those people they were elected
to serve. The interstate exchange was a low priority item in the
Tennessee General Assembly, but now
it is being quietly fast-tracked through
the legislature. Citizens of Murfreesboro and Tennesseans need
to wake up and see what is going on or we are going to lose a
very valuable resource. These military parks are developing into
valuable resources for education and tourism that offer a community
far more benefits than a new company or two in a region where
unemployment is less than three percent."
Many officials agree with Lessenberry’s assessment
of the situation and say that they are a little curious as to
how the new interstate exchange suddenly became such a high priority
in the state.
"There are many other counties in Tennessee
that need new industry other than Murfreesboro," said one
legislator. "If a new factory comes in bringing 1,000 or
more jobs, the governor needs to try and place that company in
or near a region that will hire Tennesseans needing work and actually
help a community who needs it. Anything else just contributes
to urban sprawl and that is counter-productive to the state’s
economy as a whole."
Others say the city of Murfresboro and the
state are not taking into consideration the obvious tourist values
in the state’s growing heritage tourism markets, which has grown
tremendously over the last ten years.
"I am pro-business, but most communities
are trying to develop a tourism base that is both reliable and
profitable without a centerpiece like Stones River NBP,"
said Lessenberry.
GATLINBURG - According to the NPCA report,
the Smoky Mountains, which came in at ninth place on the list,
can attribute pollution as its greatest cause of concern to experts
and the reason it was named as one of the most endangered.
"The breath-taking vistas of this popular
park are being clouded by noxious air pollution from regional
power-generating plants and motor vehicles," said the report.
" Nitrous oxide and other pollutants have damaged 30 of the
park’s plant species and contributed to poor air quality."
Environmentalists and government officials
point to coal fired power plants located in the vicinity of the
Smoky Mountains as the biggest problems in regards to air pollution.
Many say by enforcing federal requirements regarding pollution
emissions may be the most helpful. Most of the coal-powered plants
are owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, who
has some immunity from federal pollution regulations. That allows
them to phase in air scrubbers and other pollution collectors
on smoke stacks. T.V.A. officials say they have reduced a lot
of the pollutants thrown into the air by the plants, but environmentalists
say the government-owned utility should do more.
"How can the government be out here twisting
the arms of small businesses to reduce their emissions when government-owned
industries are given a pass on the rules," said one environmentalist.
"This is a case where the government needs to set its own
house in order before it starts telling others how to run theirs.
In this case, private industry is beating the government in implementing
environmental technology. The trouble is industry can’t fine the
government."
Park officials say that pollution from automobiles
carrying some ten million visitors per year is also a major contributing
factor. Officials are now studying how to decrease the number
of individual automobiles coming into the park by adding mass
transit vehicles, which is hoped will include electric vehicles.
Last year GSMNP broke its own record for the number of days they
had to issue health warnings because of air pollutants. Already
two such days have been recorded prior to the unofficial April
15th kickoff of the 2000 tourist season.
First C.S.S. Hunley crew reinterred in Magnolia
Cemetery
CHARLESTON- The first crew of the C.S.S. Hunley were laid to rest
in Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston, S.C., where Confederate reenactors
from across the South were on hand to participate in the funeral
ceremony, which included a 21-gun salute. The crew was discovered
under the parking lot of the Citadel Stadium during renovations.
The C.S.S. Hunley, which was sank off the coast
and thought lost forever, was discovered 20 miles off of the South
Carolina coast with the remains of the final crew inside. The
submarine became the first in history to sink an enemy ship in
1864 when it torpedoed the U.S.S. Housitanic in Charleston Harbor.
Turner Network Television made the story of the ill-fated submarine
into a feature film last year. Sumner County, Tenn. native Horace
Lawson Hunley built the submarine.
Although in the midst of a controversial battle
over the flying of the Confederate flag over the South Carolina
state house and a tourist boycott by the National Association
for the Advancement of Colored People, thousands of tourists were
on hand to watch the historic ceremony.
Some 400 re-enactors attended the funeral and
march through the city of Charleston, as the five flag-draped
coffins were pulled by horse-drawn carriages. People came from
as far away as Virginia and Texas to pay tribute to their ancestors.
"The spirit of the Southern people is
just amazing to me," said Carol Louttit, of Rhode Island,
who was making her first trip to Charleston and watched the procession
at The Battery. She was dumbstruck at how exactly the re-enactors
played their roles. "It’s wonderful to see them take their
heritage so seriously," she added.
The bones of the five members of the sub’s first crew were recovered
last summer during a dig beneath The Citadel’s football stadium.
The men died during a freak accident in August 1863 when the wake
of a passing ship flooded the sub’s open hatches. When the sailors
were recovered 10 days later, they were taken to an area on Charleston’s
outskirts and quietly buried in a mariner’s cemetery. Decades
later the graves accidentally were covered over and forgotten
during construction of the stadium in 1948.
Historians have identified the men as Frank Doyle, John Kelly,
Michael Cane, Nicholas Davis and Absalom Williams, who joined
the Confederate cause after landing as sailors in America in New
Orleans. Tests indicate one of the crew was a 13-year-old boy.
For the most part the march through the city
was without incident. But some Market vendors held anti-Confederate
flag signs along the parade route
"I felt the ceremony was appropriate,"
said historian David Cutriff, "and conducted in a proper
and historical manner. While some have pointed to the fact they
were Irish immigrants, they were also Confederate sailors and
due a military burial. These men gave succeeding crews the hope
that they could accomplish the goal of sinking an enemy ship in
a submarine. What they did completely revolutionized naval warfare
around the world. Interring them in Magnolia Cemetery alongside
the inventor of the C.S.S. Hunley completes the circle of that
famous event, which is truly a rarity in the historic community.
"
The coffins carrying the crew’s bones were
draped by the second national flag of the Confederacy, which has
the battle emblem placed in an all-white field.
Several modern-day submarine veterans also
attended the funeral. Hans Vlam, who served aboard the USS Guardfish
from 1964-78, said he felt a kinship with the Hunley men.
"They got down the hatch, then closed
the hatch," he said. "They didn’t know what was going
to happen."
As the re-enactors entered the cemetery, they turned swords and
rifles in a reverse carry, as a show of respect. A young woman
also played "Dixie" on the violin.
One speaker said it was important to keep pursuing
the past, no matter what meaning it has today.
"We stand here in the realization that our history could
be lost forever," said Dr. Jonathan Leader, deputy state
archaeologist, who called for preservation of history "in
all its forms."
The participants drew the attention of state Sen. Robert Ford,
D-Charleston, one of the few African-Americans who attended the
service.
Archaeologists are still studying the submarine
and are working to recover it so scientists and historians can
study the craft and preserve it for museum display. The crew inside
the submarine will also be laid to rest with full honors once
they are recovered form the craft.
Bill would stop Governor from closing Tennessee
State Parks
VONORE - A bill that would stop the closure
of any state parks without the approval of legislators was approved
7-2 by the Senate Environment, Conservation and Tourism Committee.
Committee Chairman Ron Ramsey, R-Blountville, and Sen. Randy McNally,
R-Oak Ridge both voted against the measure.
The legislation is meant to stop plans by Gov.
Don Sundquist and TDOEC Commission Milton Hamilton, Jr. to close
eight of Tennessee’s 54 state parks and natural areas, including
Fort Loudoun in Monroe County and Fort Pillow in West Tennessee.
State officials have said they are trying to improve government
efficiency and save money because of the budget crisis, but numerous
state representatives say closing the parks would hurt Tennessee
tourism. No word was made of Knox County’s decision to take over
House Mountain State Park or if passage of the bill would change
the County Commission’s mind.
Members of the Finance Committee will now consider
the bill. Some lawmakers say keeping the eight parks open will
increase state expenditures by $880,000 and only contribute $600,000
to state revenues. A similar version of the bill has been sent
to the House Finance Committee. It sets up a list of criteria
the commissioner of the state Environment and Conservation Department
must meet before closing a park.
"There are a thousand things in the state
budget that deserve to be cut," said Tennessee Conservative
Union Chairman Lloyd Daugherty, " but not historic parks
that are supposedly held in trust by the people - not the governor,
the Environment and Conservation Commissioner, or any other individual.
It is definitely something that belongs to the legislature as
they can better speak for the people. This was simply a move by
the Governor to help push his state income tax proposal. The fact
that Oak Ridge Senator Randy McNally voted for it is no surprise
considering his vote for the income tax. I guess he wants
Tennesseans to ‘feel the pain.’"
Many historical officials are pleased the bill
cleared the Senate committee and hopeful that the parks will remain
open.
"The state historic parks are becoming
a big draw for the state’s growing heritage tourism market,"
said one official. "Closing them down just as this new tourist
market starts taking root in Tennessee doesn’t make any sense."
Another bill is also working its way through
the House that would divert funds the state uses to purchase new
lands to an account that would be used to support the state’s
present parks and natural areas.
Agreement near over Native American
graves in Townsend
NASHVILLE - The state Department of Transportation
appears to have retreated somewhat in a dispute with Native
American groups over a highway project near Townsend. The meeting
held in Nashville was chaired by Tennessee Historical Commissioner
Joe Garrison and was closed to the media.
The D.O.T. and University of Tennessee archaeologists
have been excavating remains of what is believed to be Native
Americans - creating an uproar among Native American activists,
who want the remains to stay where they are without being disturbed.
At a recent Nashville mediation
meeting involving the Federal Advisory Council on Historic Preservation,
state officials agreed to consider alternatives to re-location
of the Indian remains found in the path of the Blount County project.
"We not operating anymore
from the standpoint that the burials have to be moved," said
director of the Tennessee Commission on Indian Affairs Toye Heape,
" I think that’s the most significant thing that happened
here."
Tennessee Department of Transportation
officials had contended there were no reasonable alternatives
to re-locating the remains. At least six burials have been found
and there are indications of more in the area.
"One option given considerable
discussion," said Heape, "would be to cover the burial
sites discovered with fill dirt and then build what would amount
to a low-height bridge over the area.
Other alternatives range from diverting
the planned path of the road to dropping the project altogether
- an option advocated in later interviews by David Little Dog
Morris of Pigeon Forge.
There was also agreement, participants
said, that an array of documents dealing with the widening of
U.S. Highway 321 will be made available to Indian organizations.
Carl Two Feathers Whitaker of the North American
Indian Movement said that Indian groups would also, for the first
time, be given an opportunity to inspect and review the University
of Tennessee archeological study of Indian homes and burials in
the area.
After the documents have been reviewed and the
archeological tour taken, another meeting will be held to see
if further progress can be made toward an agreement. No date was
set for the next session.
When the Federal Highway Administration, which
is largely funding the $13 million project, finds human remains
in its path, law requires they must be dealt with according to
the National Historic Preservation Act.
Many people have questioned the motives and intentions
of the NAIM organization and say the activists have been given
too much authority in the media.
"We could have just paved over the area without
taking the time to worry with it," said one Townsend resident.
"In theory, I support the Indian Repatriation Act, but NAIM
takes it too far. In these cases, we should contact official tribal
representatives in Cherokee and have them involved in these decisions.
Half of the people over there claiming to be Native Americans
are no more Indian than I am. The comments made to me by them
regarding the tribal governments of the Cherokee and other recognized
tribes shows me they have no respect for anyone’s opinion, but
their own. I don’t understand how these people can claim to speak
for all Native Americans. It is hard to believe Native Americans
tooling around in Mercedes and Lexus automobiles can actually
sell the idea they are victims of American society."
The compromises being reached are hoped will settle
the issue and allow the road building to go forward. Native American
activists say they will continuing monitoring the issue and protest
any removal of remains from the Townsend site. A new meeting will
be scheduled with state officials after all of the documents and
papers related to the archaeological work have been reviewed.
Knoxville museums featured in Southern Living
KNOXVILLE - The March edition of Southern Living
magazine is featuring some of the city’s downtown museums and
touting them as some of the best in the South.
Southern Living writer Mark Stith featured the
East Tennessee Historical Society Museum, the Frank H. McClung
Museum on the University of Tennessee campus and the Knoxville
Museum of Art.
"You can learn a lot about life in the Tennessee
Valley," said Stith, "the family conflicts of the Civil
War and a timeline of significant historical events."
The article went on to state the McClung Museum
has a quality mix of exhibits from ancient Egypt to stained glass
and also noted the Knoxville Museum of Art has an excellent collection
of fine art from many Tennesseans.
The McClung Museum, under the direction of Dr.
Jeff Chapman, has been featured in numerous regional and national
publications and is regarded as one of the South’s most respected
institutions. The University professor has implemented a variety
of programs over the years to make the campus facility more user
friendly to residents of the city and has attracted some of the
nations best archaeological and scientific minds as lecturers
ñ most of which are held free of charge and open to anyone.
Knoxville Mayor Victor Ashe said he was pleased
the city has finally got some long overdue recognition for its
cultural development downtown.
"I too think these museums make a tremendous
contribution to the quality of life in downtown and the entire
city," said Ashe. "They can be part of an exciting vacation
trip to Knoxville that would also include some of the newer attractions
such as the Gateway Regional Visitors Center and the Women’s Basketball
Hall of Fame."
The March edition of Southern Living is on news
stands everywhere.
Medal of Honor Museum gets unexpected crowd
at yearly fundraiser
CHATTANOOGA ñ Officials with the National Medal
of Honor Museum of Military History say the support of Tennessee
businesses helped make the eighth annual fund-raisers one of the
most successful ever.
Dozens of people from across the South attended
the annual event to support the museum, sample French cuisine,
and draw for door prizes donated from businesses across the region.
"The weather cooperated and held off until
the last person left," said Museum spokesperson Ann Moyers.
"We were afraid that the heavy rains and storms would prevent
a lot of people from attending, but it was a packed house. We
would especially like to thank Chef Neville, who graciously donated
his time to prepare the meal. This is our most important yearly
fund-raiser in that it helps to pay for the day-to-day expenses
of operating the museum and funds our present programs, which
allows school children and veterans groups to visit the museum.
It also helps us continue to meet our research and archives goals
of preserving the memories of the nation’s Medal of Honor recipients.
The support from Tennessee businesses this year was fantastic.
We are always grateful for their assistance in making this fund-raiser
a success."
The annual event was hosted by former French
Foreign Legionnaire Jacques Charton at his La Cabriole Restaurant
and Riding Academy in Chattanooga. This marks the eighth year
the Restaurant has sponsored the yearly dinner.
Other businesses that helped support the fund-raiser
included the Grand Resort Hotel and Convention Center in Pigeon
Forge, Cedar Hills Golf Club in Lenoir City, Thomas Exterminating
Company, B.P. Mechanical, Carter Distributing Company, Lookout
Beverage Company, Inc. of Chattanooga.
In addition, Museum officers Ann Moyers, George
Bales, Board Chairman Joe Young and former Army Major General
Marvin G. Back also donated various items as door prizes for those
who attended the dinner.
The National Medal of Honor Museum of Military
History, which is privately funded through donations, has become
regarded as one of the premier military museums in America. In
addition to the museum facilities and noted artifacts collection,
the museum also ensures the graves of Medal of Honor recipients
across the nation are properly marked, designs MOH displays for
American military installations around the globe, and works with
numerous schools across the South educating students on the Medal
of Honor.
The museum is continuing to raise money for
a new facility, which will help house the growing collections.
This National Medal of Honor Museum of Military History is celebrating
its tenth anniversary in operation. The present museum was founded
in 1990 and is located in Chattanooga where the nation’s first
Medal of Honor recipients are buried in the city’s National Cemetery.
The Tennessee General Assembly passed a bill sponsored by former
Knoxville Senator Bud Gilbert and then-Representative Tim Burchett
(R-Knoxville) in 1998 recognizing the museum and calling on Tennesseans
to help support the museum’s efforts to relocate to a new facility
in Chattanooga.
"There are many cities in this state that
would love to have the museum located in their corporate limits,"
said one state legislator, "but, because of Andrew’s Raiders
being interred in their National Cemetery, Chattanooga is where
it historically belongs and we hope Tennesseans will recognize
that fact and support their efforts. From Arlington National Cemetery
in our nation’s capitol to Naval Air stations in California and
military bases in Europe, you will see the National Medal of Honor
Museum logo throughout the various Halls of Honor that commemorate
the recipients of the nation’s highest military award. The museum
represents Tennessee like no other and they really deserve credit
for their work."
The museum, which is located on Georgia Avenue,
is Chattanooga is open Tuesday through Saturday. For more information
on visiting or helping the museum, you can contact them at (423)
267-1737 or mail them at: Medal of Honor Museum, P.O. Box 11467,
Chattanooga, TN 37401.
Great Smoky Mountains NP announces Spring schedule
GATLINBURG - Officials at Great Smoky Mountains
National Park have announced spring openings for Park facilities,
including secondary roads, self-registration campgrounds, and
concession operations.
Roads - Many of the secondary roads that are
set to open on March 17 include: Forge Creek, Little Greenbrier,
Parson Branch, Rich Mountain, Roundbottom/Straight Fork and Roaring
Fork Motor Nature Trail. Clingmans Dome Road is set to open on
April 1 and the Heintooga Ridge Road at Polls Gap will open on
May 19.
Operating Hours for Visitor Centers - Through
March, the Sugarlands Visitor Center, near Gatlinburg, TN, is
open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. daily and Cades Cove Visitor Center, near Townsend,
TN, is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m., daily. The Oconaluftee Visitor Center
near Cherokee, NC, has been closed for renovation and is expected
to open to the public on March 15. The hours will be 9 a.m.-5
p.m., daily.
Family Campgrounds open on a staggered basis
starting March 17, (See the following schedule for exact dates)
Three of the Park’s 10 campgrounds are on a
reservation system from May 15 - October 31. Visitors can make
reservations through a secure Internet site at http://www.reservations.nps.gov
or by calling 1-800-365-CAMP. The campgrounds on the reservation
service are Cades Cove, Elkmont, and Smokemont. These sites can
be reserved 5 months in advance. Camping fees are $12 per site
at the smaller, more primitive campgrounds, $14 at the more developed
campgrounds, and at the reservation campgrounds during the period
May 15-October 31, $17 per night. In addition, Elkmont riverside
campsites are $20 per night.
Group Camping will be available at seven campgrounds
(see schedule for opening dates). Reservations at Elkmont, Cades
Cove and Smokemont can be made through the Internet site http://reservations.nps.qov
or by calling 1-800-365-CAMP. These sites also can be reserved
5 months in advance. For other group camping areas at Cosby or
Big Creek visitors should call 865-436-1266 and at Deep Creek
or Cataloochee, contact 829-497-1930. The cost for.
group camping ranges from $20 to $63.
Horse Camps at Anthony Creek, Big Creek, Cataloochee,
Towstring and Round Bottom will open March 17. Reservations can
be made up to 5 months in advance by calling the National Park
Reservation System at 1-800-365-CAMP. Horse site fees are $30
at all horse camps except for Big Creek where it is $35.
Horse Rentals are available at five horse concession
operations in the Park. Rates are $12-$15 per horse per hour at
the following stables: McCarter’s and Smoky Mountain will open
on March 11, Cades Cove on March 17, Deep Creek on May 1, and
Smokemont on April 1. Buggy rides ($7 per person) and hayrides
($6 per person) are available at the Cades Cove horse concession.
LeConte Lodge, accessible only by trail will
open on March 20. Reservations are required and can be made by
calling 865-429-5704. One night at the lodge costs $76.50 per
adult (tax included) and includes two meals - dinner and breakfast.
Campground Concessions - The Cades Cove Campground
Store and bicycle rental will open for business on April 1. The
store provides snack foods with several hot food items. Wood concessions
are available at Elkmont, Smokemont, Cades Cove, and Balsam Mountain.
Picnic Areas - There are 10 first-come, first-serve
picnic areas. Open all year are Cades Cove, Chimneys, Cosby, Greenbrier,
Deep Creek, and Metcalf Bottoms. Big Creek and Collins Creek will
open on March 17. Heintooga and Look Rock are scheduled to o en
on May 19. Twin Creeks Picnic Pavilion opens on April 1 and is
available through reservation only. Reservations may be made by
calling 1-800-365-CAMP. Rates run from $35 to $75 depending on
the group size.
For more detailed information on Park programs
or services, consult the Park’s newspaper, Smokies-Guide, which
can be obtained at the Park’s visitor centers for $.25 or call
the Park at 865-436-1200 or check the Park’s web site at www.nps.gov/grsm
Shop Talk
Gatlinburg-Tennessee Online has
been undergoing some changes over the last few months and trying
to revamp some of the sections of the site. We are pleased to announce
that the Internet web site and Ed Hooper picked up three awards
over the summer for excellence in journalism with the site's news
page and popular artifacts section. In the meantime, research has
continued to locate photographs and other material, which will be
included in the site at a later date.
We have received numerous letters from web site
visitors asking us for genealogical, municipal and statistical information
that is impossible for us to provide. We try to handle each request
individually and respond to each one, but sometimes the information
is impossible for us to get. We will continue to forward those letters
to the proper agency, but please ask for your patience in getting
a reply. As more and more of the state's agencies come on line,
we will post them on the site.
Once again, we would like to thank you for your
time and contribution to the site's growing archives. Without it,
our jobs would be much harder. If you have any questions or comments,
please feel free to contact
us by e-mail.
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