June | 2017 | SYCAMORE SHOALS STATE HISTORIC PARK

Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park

July 1^st & 2^nd

Step back in time 241 years to a colorful revolutionary world and witness life as it was on the 18^th century frontier during a very tumultuous time. In the summer of 1776 colonial leaders met in Philadelphia to draft a document that would forever change the world. As our guest to Fort Watauga, you too can be part of the excitement as news of American Independence reaches the colonial frontier. What did the colonists think about a new nation? Walk among historical characters and hear their varied reactions to the Declaration, from fear of war to the hope of a brighter future.

The Washington County Regiment of North Carolina Militia, host living history organization at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park, will be encamped in and around Fort Watauga giving visitors a glimpse of life in 1776. A myriad of activities will unfold throughout the weekend such as militia drill and training, artillery firing demonstrations, open hearth cooking, tomahawk throwing and a special reading of the Declaration of Independence.

Get an early start on your Independence celebrations and bring the entire family out for a weekend full of history, patriotism, education, and family fun. The event will run from 10:00 until 4:00 on Saturday, July 1^st and 10:00 until 3:00 on Sunday, July 2^nd. Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park is located at 1651 W. Elk Ave. Elizabethton, TN 37643. For more information about this event please contact the park at 423-543-5808 or log on to these websites: http://www.sycamoreshoalstn.org or http://tnstateparks.com/parks/about/sycamore-shoals

Independence on the Frontier: Schedule of Events

Saturday, July 1^st

10:00 – Raising the Colours: Start the day off with a bang as the militia falls in for inspection and raises the flag with a patriotic ceremony.

10:30 – Fort Tour & Flintlock Rifle Demo- Take a stroll through Fort Watauga and discover how settlers in the 1770s defended their homes and changed the course of the American Revolution.

11:00 – “Fix Bayonets”: Join a soldier of the Continental Army and learn about the uses and tactics of the bayonet, one of the most feared weapons used in the Revolutionary War! Then cheer on the Militiamen as they test their skill and aim with this 18^th century weapon.

12:00 – “Echoes of Revolution”: The Watauga Valley Fifes & Drums perform martial and field music of the Revolutionary War.

1:00 – Reading of the Declaration of Independence: Join in the excitement as the document declaring our freedom from Great Britain is read publicly inside Fort Watauga.

2:00 – Artillery Drill and Demonstration: Learn about 18^th century artillery as the Militia fires the Fort’s Cannon.

2:30 – Kids Militia: Attention all able bodied kids! Fall in and drill with the Washington Co. Militia.

3:00 – Colonia Era Music of East Tennessee: Join Corbin in the Fort for a journey back in time to experience the musical sounds of the early Tennessee frontier.

3:30 – Militia Drill & Retiring the Colours – The Washington County Militia demonstrates the tactics and firearms used during the Revolutionary War, and then retire the flag for the day.

4:00 – Camps Close to the Public: Join us tomorrow for another exciting day of 18^th century living history.

Sunday, July 2^nd

10:00 – Raising the Colours: Start the day off with a bang as the militia falls in for inspection and raises the flag with a patriotic ceremony.

11:00 – Worship Service: Join us for Sunday Service held inside Fort Watauga.

12:00 – Fort Tour & Flintlock Rifle Demo- Take a stroll through Fort Watauga and discover how settlers in the 1770s defended their homes and changed the course of the American Revolution.

12:30 – Kids Militia: Attention all able bodied kids! Fall in and drill with the Washington Co. Militia.

1:00 – Artillery Drill and Demonstration: Learn about 18^th century artillery as the Militia fires the Fort’s Cannon.

2:00 – Reading of the Declaration of Independence: Join in the excitement as the document declaring our freedom from Great Britain is read publicly inside Fort Watauga.

3:00 – Militia Drill & Retiring the Colours: The Washington County Militia demonstrates the tactics and firearms used during the Revolutionary War, then lowers the flag for the day.

Ongoing Activities Throughout the Weekend Will Include…

Open Hearth Cooking, 18^th Century Weapons Display, Natural Dyeing, Militia and

Frontier Camps, Colonial Era Music, 18^th Century Tavern Life, and Much More!!!

History at Home begins Wednesday, June 7^th

at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park!

Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park would like to introduce our Seasonal Interpretive Rangers for the 2017 summer season! They will be providing a wide variety of educational and entertaining interpretive programs for all ages, sharing the inspirational history of our park and region. You can find their offerings at www.sycamoreshoalstn.org under “Monthly Interpretive Programs/History at Home.” Please make is a point to a join us for this summer series! The History at Home series is offered in addition to our already scheduled monthly programs which include workshops, music jams, the Liberty! outdoor drama, and so much more!

Jessica Newell is currently a graduate student at East Tennessee State University working towards a degree in Archival Studies. She has been fascinated by history ever since a trip to Colonial Williamsburg with her family at the age of seven. Experiences such as dressing in period clothing and holding aloft the group’s candlelit lantern during a haunted tour of the Historic Area stayed with her for years to come. She began volunteering as a historical reenactor at Fort Loudoun State Historic Area in 2008 and enjoys sharing the past with visitors in the same immediate fashion that had so captivated her as a child. She received her undergraduate degree in History from the University of Evansville in Evansville, Indiana in May of 2016. An internship working with county government records inspired her to pursue a career in historic archives. This summer, she looks forward to sharing her love of history with visitors as a Seasonal Interpreter at Sycamore Shoals.

Stuart Neely Shelton has a history of interpretive work. While living in Newport News, Virginia, he volunteered at the Virginia Living Museum as a trail and touch tank interpreter. When not volunteering at the Virginia Living Museum, Mr. Shelton participated in American Civil War reenactments and Living History events. After moving to Flag Pond, Tennessee during his junior year of High School, Mr. Shelton still volunteered whenever he could. During the summer, he volunteered at the Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site in Johnson City, Tennessee. There, he portrayed a Union soldier and showed what life was like for the average Civil War soldier. In addition, he took guests on tours around the Tipton-Haynes property. After graduating from East Tennessee State University in May 2017, Stuart Shelton is now working as a Seasonal Interpreter Ranger at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park. Here, he intends to help make the history of Sycamore Shoals, the Carter Mansion, and Carter County come alive for guests of all ages and backgrounds.

Below you will find their programs which begin Wednesday, June 7 – 24, 2017. For additional information, please contact the park at 423-543-5808.

History at Home

Ranger Programs – June 7 – 21

Seasonal Interpretive Rangers – Jessica Newell and Stuart Shelton

Wednesday, June 7th

11:30 am: Wearing History- Join Jessica inside Fort Watauga to explore 18^th century modes of dress and how the Watauga settlers made and wore clothing on the frontier.

2:00 pm: Carter Mansion Tour- Built by Watauga settlement leaders, John and Landon Carter in 1775, a tour of Tennessee’s oldest frame home is a must! Adults – $5.00 (cash only please); 17 and under free.

3:30 pm: Lifestyles of Whites and Cherokee Indians- Come see how the Cherokee Indians and white settlers survived in the frontier wilderness. SIR Stuart Shelton will share how these two groups used the local animals for food and clothing. Also, the plants grown by both groups will be shown. The ways members of both groups armed themselves for war and hunting will also be revealed. Lastly, the impact of the Cherokees and whites interacting with each other will be shared. Please meet outside the fort, near the open gate.

Thursday, June 8th

10:30am: Games and Diversions- Join Stuart and Jessica inside Fort Watauga and try your hand at 18^th century children’s games, fun for all ages.

2:00 pm: Carter Mansion Tour- Built by Watauga settlement leaders, John and Landon Carter in 1775, a tour of Tennessee’s oldest frame home is a must! Adults – $5.00 (cash only please); 17 and under free.

3:30 pm: Nature’s Whistles: Join Stuart and Jessica by the Butterfly Garden at Sycamore Shoals to make whistles out of objects found in nature.

Friday, June 9th

11:30 am: Carter County’s American Civil War Experience: Meet a Union soldier stationed in Carter County in 1864 and hear about how the Civil War affected this area. Also see what a typical Civil War soldier would have in his haversack in order to withstand army life. If interested, meet at the Carter Mansion.

2:00 pm: Carter Mansion Tour – Built by Watauga settlement leaders, John and Landon Carter in 1775, a tour of Tennessee’s oldest frame home is a must! Adults – $5.00 (cash only please); 17 and under free.

3:30 pm: Musket Firing Demonstration– Meet Stuart at the back porch of the visitor center for a demonstration of the loading and firing of the Brown Bess musket.

Saturday, June 10th

10:30 am-1:00 pm: Life in the Fort- Join Stuart and Jessica in the fort to discover the daily occupations of settlers taking refuge in Fort Watauga during the 1770s.

2:00 pm: Carter Mansion Tour- Built by Watauga settlement leaders, John and Landon Carter in 1775, a tour of Tennessee’s oldest frame home is a must! Adults – $5.00 (cash only please); 17 and under free.

3:30 pm: Flint and Steel Fire-making Demonstration- Join Stuart in the fort for a demonstration of 18^th century flint and steel fire starting.

Sunday, June 11^th

11:30 am: Working with the Earth- Discover how the 18^th century gardener raised and tended vegetables and herbs in the Carter Mansion kitchen garden, an essential part of everyday life.

2:00 pm: Carter Mansion Tour – Built by Watauga settlement leaders, John and Landon Carter in 1775, a tour of Tennessee’s oldest frame home is a must! Adults – $5.00 (cash only please); 17 and under free.

3:30 pm: Cemetery Symbolism- Ever wonder what the artwork on historic gravestones meant? Head out across the lawn after the tour of the Carter Mansion to translate the language of cemetery symbolism in the Carter, Thomas, and community plots.

Tuesday, June 13th

9:30 am: Living in the Wilderness: The Long Hunter –

Come see how a 18^th Century Long Hunter would live while in the Appalachian Frontier. If interested, meet at the field near the park’s Butterfly Garden.

11:30 am: Rifle and Musket Comparison: Join Stuart behind the visitor center for a comparison of the two weapons which faced off during the American Revolution. Corbin will demonstrate the Brown Bess musket of the British army and the American long rifle. Discover the differences between these weapons and their different uses on the battlefield.

Wednesday, June 14^th

9:30 am: Beliefs of the Cherokee: In the coolness of the morning, gather round and hear Cherokee myths and legends that have been passed down through time. Please meet Stuart at the field near the park’s Butterfly Garden. While seating will be provided, feel free to bring your own chairs.

11:30 am: Wearing History- Join in the Visitor’s Center/ Fort Watauga to explore 18^th century modes of dress and how the Watauga settlers made and wore clothing on the frontier.

Thursday, June 15th

10:30 am: Games and Diversions- Join Stuart and Jessica inside Fort Watauga and try your hand at 18^th century children’s games, fun for all ages.

11:30 am: Carter County’s American Civil War Experience: Meet a Union soldier stationed in Carter County in 1864 and hear about how the Civil War affected this area. Also see what a typical Civil War soldier would have in his haversack in order to withstand army life. See how a Civil War soldier would load and fire his musket! If interested, meet at meet at the Carter Mansion.

2:00 pm: Carter Mansion Tour- Built by Watauga settlement leaders, John and Landon Carter in 1775, a tour of Tennessee’s oldest frame home is a must! Adults – $5.00 (cash only please); 17 and under free.

3:30 pm: Flint and Steel Fire-making Demonstration- Join Jessica in the fort for a demonstration of 18^th century flint and steel fire starting.

Friday, June 16th

9:30 am: the Colonial Laundress – Join Jessica inside Fort Watauga to experience the subtle art of doing laundry in the 18^th century. This essential task was performed by women both in the home and while following the military on campaign. Discover stain-removing and bleaching concoctions whose decendants are used for washing clothes today.

3:30 pm: Mourning Rituals of the 18^th Century- Head over to the cemetery across the lawn after the Carter Mansion tour to discover the funerary practices and mourning rituals of the 1700s.

Saturday, June 17th

10:30 am-1:00 pm: Life in the Fort- Join Stuart and Jessica in the fort to discover the daily occupations of settlers taking refuge in Fort Watauga during the 1770s.

2:00 pm: Carter Mansion Tour- Built by Watauga settlement leaders, John and Landon Carter in 1775, a tour of Tennessee’s oldest frame home is a must! Adults – $5.00 (cash only please); 17 and under free.

3:30: Weapons of the 17^th Century- Witness how soldiers in the 1600s fought and what weapons they used on battlefields in Europe. If interested, meet Stuart at the field near the park’s Butterfly Garden.

Sunday, June 18th

11:30 am: Carter County’s American Civil War Experience- Meet a Union soldier stationed in Carter County in 1864 to hear about how the Civil War affected this area. Also see what a typical Civil War soldier would have in his haversack in order to withstand army life. See how a Civil War soldier would load and fire his musket! If interested, meet at the Carter Mansion.

Tuesday, June 20th

11:30 am: Working with the Earth – Discover how the 18th century gardener raised and tended vegetables and herbs in the Carter Mansion kitchen garden, an essential part of everyday life.

Wednesday, June 21^st

9:30 am: the 18^th Century Tavern- Join Stuart and Jessica at the tavern inside the fort for a look at travel accommodations and social activities of the Watauga settlers.

2:00 pm: Carter Mansion Tour- Built by Watauga settlement leaders, John and Landon Carter in 1775, a tour of Tennessee’s oldest frame home is a must! Adults – $5.00 (cash only please); 17 and under free.

The Carter Mansion is located at 1031 Broad Street, Elizabethton,TN 37643

Take a left out of the Park. Go to the 5^th red light and bear left. Then go to the 4^th red light (Food City will be on your right) then continue across the highway. The Carter Mansion is the 4^th house on the left.

For more information contact:

http://www.sycamoreshoalstn.org

http://www.friendsofsycamoreshoals.org

http://www.facebook.com/sycamoreshoals

http://www.tnstateparks.com/parks/about/sycamore-shoals

Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park

1651 West Elk Avenue

Elizabethton, TN 37643

(423) 543-5808

SYCAMORE SHOALS STATE HISTORIC PARK

Come Share in the Glorious Cause of Liberty!

Monthly Archives: June 2017

Independence on the Frontier – July 1st and 2nd!

English Country Dancing – June 10th at Sycamore Shoals

History at Home – June 7 – 21