Tri-Cities Tennessee/Virginia
Johnson City, home of the main campus of East Tennessee State University, is located in the Tri-Cities Tennessee/Virginia
region, an area of natural beauty and rich history. With a
population exceeding 50,000, Johnson City is located close to the
state lines of Virginia and North Carolina. It is a part of the
nation's 80th largest Metropolitan Statistical Area. There are
many recreational opportunities in this part of Southern
Appalachia, including boating, water skiing, snow skiing, white
water rafting, fishing, jogging, and hiking. In 1984, Johnson
City was named the number one running city in America by The
Runner magazine. Nearby Kingsport, Tennessee, is home to Eastman Chemical Company,
and Bristol, on the Tennessee-Virginia state line, is known as the
Birthplace of Country Music.
Major Regional Attractions:
The Tennessee Valley Authority system of lakes provides not
only electric power for the area but recreation as well.
Hundreds of miles of shoreline and thousands of acres of
water await the fisherman, hunter, boating enthusiast,
camper, and nature lover.
Cherokee National Forest
Much of the rare scenic beauty of the Tri-Cities
Tennessee/Virginia lies within the Cherokee National Forest.
The forest offers recreation sites, more than 30 miles of
the Appalachian Trail, virgin forests, waterfalls, and trout
streams.
Tennessee's oldest town, located just 10 minutes from the
ETSU campus, was a major stop on the Old Stage Road through
the frontier in the eighteenth century. After a multi-
million dollar restoration in the late 1960s, Jonesborough
became the first Tennessee town to be placed on the National
Register of Historic Places. It was the first capitol of
the Lost State of Franklin. President Andrew Jackson once
practiced law in the town and stayed at the
Chester Inn
, the oldest frame structure in Jonesborough. Built in 1797, it
is now home to the National Storytelling Association. The
first weekend of October each year, Jonesborough hosts
around 8,000 people during the National Storytelling
Festival. Every July 4, the Jonesborough Civic Trust holds
Jonesborough Days, with parades, crafts, and mountain music.
Located of U.S. Highway 11E at Piney Flats, Rocky Mount,
built in 1770, is the oldest original territorial capitol in
the U.S.
Carroll Reece Museum
Located on the ETSU campus, the Carroll Reece Museum is one
of only nine museums in Tennessee accredited by the American
Association of Museums. Formally dedicated in 1965, the
Reece houses several permanent collections and presents a
varied schedule of art exhibitions, historical displays,
concerts, films, lectures, "artist in action" programs, and
children's art classes.
This 18th century home in Johnson City was built by John
Tipton, a member of the 1776 Constitutional Convention. It
has been restored to the style when it was the home of
Landon Carter Haynes, a Confederate Senator.
Bays Mountain Planetarium and Park
This 3000-acre nature preserve near Kingsport features 25
miles of hiking trails, a 44-acre mountaintop lake, a Nature
Interpretive Center, and a state-of-the-art planetarium.
The first permanent settlement outside the 13 colonies,
Sycamore Shoals, near Elizabethton and a short drive from
the ETSU campus, served as the muster point for the
Overmountain Men on their way to the Battle of King's
Mountain. Visitors can tour the reconstructed Fort Watauga
and see the outdoor drama "The Wataugans" in July.
Heavy oak planks, hand-forged nails, and threaded spikes
have helped the Covered Bridge in downtown Elizabethton
remain beautiful and functional. Built in 1882, it is one
of the few remaining covered bridges in Tennessee.
No, Davy Crockett wasn't born on a mountaintop in Tennessee
but rather on the banks of the Nolichucky River in 1786. A
restored cabin marks the spot of his birth between Johnson
City and Greeneville in Limestone, Tennessee. The cabin is
furnished with some of Crockett's possessions. Crockett was
killed at The Alamo in 1836 along with other Tennessee
Volunteers.
Andrew Johnson ran a tailor shop in downtown
Greeneville,
where his wife taught him to read. Johnson held every
political office possible from alderman to President of the
United States. Johnson's original tailor shop, his home in
the 1830s, his residence from 1851 until his death in 1875,
and the National Cemetery where he is buried are within
walking distance in Greeneville.
©1997 East Tennessee State University