On one of my trips to North Carolina/Tennessee, I went to one of the oldest known structural communities still in existence in the United States, Cades Cove.
Cades Cove, located in the Great Smoky Mountains, was originally owned by the Cherokee Indians, but was abandoned by their tribe in 1819. The reasoning behind it was the Treaty of Calhoun, named after John C. Calhoun, the Secretary of War at the time. It essentially moved settlements for the Cherokees to a different location, thus making ownership for the lands open. It was then purchased by European settlers. One of those, John Oliver, was the first to purchase land in 1818.
It then began to prosper into a small community of other European settlers, including Dan Lawson, who was the wealthiest man in the entire community. Also located in Cades Cove is the oldest existing Baptist Church in America.
Here are shots I captured of different log cabins that citizens lived in, as well as a primitive sewing machine used by settlers.
Definitely one of the coolest historical settlements I've ever visited. If you ever make it to this area of the country, make sure you visit.
If you want more information on Cades Cove, you can use this link:
