Tellico Blockhouse (Vonore, Monroe County, Tennessee)
Vonore, Monroe County · Tennessee · Cherokee–American wars
History & Significance
Federal troops from Knoxville garrisoned the blockhouse in 1794 at the request of Cherokee chief Hanging Maw, who ceded the land. John McKee, a surveyor, was appointed as the first Tellico Indian Agent to serve as official liaison between the U.S. government and the Cherokee Nation.
The blockhouse was built from earthworks and timber, with sawed planking shipped upstream from Knoxville, measuring approximately 120 by 100 feet and enclosed by a defensive palisade about 16 feet high. A treaty signed on November 8, 1794 marked the end of the Cherokee–American wars, with Cherokee chiefs Hanging Maw and Colonel John Watt meeting Governor William Blount to negotiate peace.
In 1795, Congress passed the Factory Act; McKee's successor Silas Dinsmoor expanded the blockhouse to nearly double its original size to incorporate a civilian half with the Tellico Factory, a two-story building where members of the Cherokee Nation could learn mechanical arts, spinning, and weaving cloth. The site functioned in a smaller capacity through December 1811. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- 1794 blockhouse foundations along Little Tennessee River
- Diplomatic and treaty history between U.S. and Cherokee Nation
- Museums exhibits on Overhill Cherokee and frontier settlement era
- Scenic riverside setting in Monroe County foothills
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tellico_Blockhouse
- https://fortloudoun.com/tellico-blockhouse/
- https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/tellico-blockhouse/
- https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/eabb93f4-b58d-4260-ad50-81fd0f15c479
- https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=120203