Chatata
Chatata, meaning "clear water",[1] is the original Cherokee name of an area located in Bradley County, Tennessee. Today the name survives in references to a number of locations in Bradley County, most notably Chatata Valley in the northeastern part of the county. Chatata was also the original name of an unincorporated community in this region now known as Tasso.
Description
The area originally called Chatata by the Cherokee consists of a geographical area located predominantly in northeastern Bradley County, but can also refer to locations west of this area. The name is best recognized in Chatata Valley, as well as Chatata Creek, which flows through this valley into the
Chatata Valley and portions of the surrounding valleys reportedly contain some of the most fertile soils in the region, which were originally cultivated by the Cherokee. The region contains a number of sites that were significant to the Cherokee, including Rattlesnake Springs and Beeler Spring.[3]
Today, Chatata Valley and the surrounding valleys remain some of the most productive agricultural areas in the region, with many large farms that raise cattle and grow crops including
History
Before the arrival of the first European settlers, this area was inhabited by the Cherokee. A number of Cherokee settlements were located in the Chatata region, including a settlement called Fishtown, which was located two miles south of present day Tasso in present day Cleveland.[4] The Cherokee reportedly held council at Rattlesnake Springs and Beeler Spring, and a number of Cherokee burial grounds are known to be located in the region including at Rattlesnake Springs and on Beeler Ridge.[5] The Chatata region was reportedly a preferred farming region to the Cherokee, due to its fertile soils and excellent water sources.
In the early nineteenth century European settlers began moving into the Chatata region in anticipation of the forced removal of the Cherokee, and in 1821, the Indian Agency, the official liaison between the U.S. government and the
The legislation creating Bradley County by the Tennessee General Assembly on February 10, 1836 mandated that county governmental activities be held at McCaslin's Methodist Campground in Chatata Valley until the location for the county seat of Cleveland was chosen. As part of the United States Bicentennial celebration, the Bradley County Quarterly Court held a meeting at this location in 1976.[8] Early on, Chatata Valley had mills, stores, churches, two schools, and a physician.[1] The Chatata Seminary, a boarding school, was established in Chatata Valley in 1867, and operated until about 1878.[9] The name Chatata was given to the Tasso community at some point before the American Civil War, before being renamed in 1905.[10] The railroad was constructed between Cleveland and Charleston in phases during the 1850s. Today, the Chatata region contains a number of historical sites, including a few homes that predate the Civil War.[11]
During the Civil War, Union troops under the command of general
The name Chatata is also archaeologically, geologically, and paleontologically significant because of the so-called Chatata Wall excavated in 1891 in northwestern Bradley County. That year, Isaac Hooper noticed a line of sandstone rocks protruding from the surface of his farm every 10 metres (33 ft) or so over a gently curving arc about 300 metres (980 ft) long. Unusual symbols seemed to be inscribed on one of these surface stones.[14][15]
Visiting
See also
- Red Clay State Park
- New Echota
References
- ^ a b Lillard 1980, p. 37.
- US Geological Survey. 1976. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
- ^ Corn 1959, p. 66-76.
- ^ Corn 1959, p. 20.
- ^ Hardy 1962, p. 19.
- ^ Lillard 1980, p. 11.
- ^ Corn 1959, p. 70.
- ^ Lillard 1980, p. 18.
- ^ Hardy 1962, p. 31.
- ^ Lillard 1980, p. 40.
- ^ Lillard 1980, p. 117.
- ^ Hardy 1962, p. 53.
- ISBN 1493040758– via Google Books.
- ^ Transactions of the New York Academy of Sciences. 11: 26–29. Retrieved 2020-02-02 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b Rawson, Albert L. (1892). "The Ancient Inscription at Chatata, Tennessee". The American Antiquarian and Oriental Journal. 14: 221–223. Retrieved 2020-02-02 – via Google Books.
Bibliography
- Hardy, Lucina Welch (March 1962). An Album of Historical Memories: Chatata - Tasso, Bradley County, Tennessee, 1830 -1961. Hardy & Randolph.
- Lillard, Roy G. (1980). Bradley County. Dunn, Joy Bailey., Crawford, Charles Wann, 1931-. Memphis, Tenn.: Memphis State University Press. OCLC 6934932.
- Corn, James F. (1959). Red Clay and Rattlesnake Springs: A History of the Cherokee Indians of Bradley County, Tennessee. Marceline, MO: Walsworth Publishing Company.