About Us
Background
The Tennessee Overhill Heritage Association (TOHA) began in 1990 when the southeastern Tennessee counties of McMinn, Monroe, and Polk were selected as a pilot area for the National Trust for Historic Preservation's "Heritage Tourism Initiative." At that time a diverse group of people, organizations, and government agencies serving the three counties came together to build a different kind of tourism program, one that honored local history, traditions, culture, and natural resources. Those early visionaries included museum directors, business owners, artists, outdoor enthusiasts, tourism professionals, managers of public lands, farmers, civic volunteers, and ordinary people who love this place they call home. The name Overhill was selected for the area to honor our earliest residents, the Overhill Cherokees.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development were the lead agencies for the Heritage Tourism Initiative, providing guidance through three years of training, planning, and project implementation. Upon completion of the pilot project period, TOHA became a permanent 501c3 not-for-profit organization. Today, TOHA is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. Annual funding is provided by local governments, with special projects funded through grants, donations, earned income, and partnerships.
Mission
To promote and preserve the natural and cultural resources of McMinn, Monroe and Polk counties through a cultural tourism program designed to:
- increase visitation to the region
- serve as an educational tool
- act as a catalyst for economic development
- strengthen local capacity
Guiding Principles
Our founders adopted the following organization principles in 1990. They still hold true today:
Authenticity - We honor our local traditions, culture, and history. We are proud to share them with visitors and eager to celebrate them with residents.
Thoughtful Interpretation -- We cooperate with local cultural organizations to bring our historic sites to life, celebrate our arts and culture, and share our stories by interpreting them in thoughtful, innovative ways.
Preservation - Preservation of our cultural, historical, and natural resources is the bedrock of our work. We take a broad view of preservation, defining it as preserving historic sites and landscapes, but also as preserving local traditions and folkways.
Innovative Marketing - We work to strengthen our local economy and increase community wealth through thougtful tourism development, always looking to current travel trends, technological advances, and wise use of financial resources as we develop strategies to bring tourists to the Tennessee Overhill. The Tennessee Overhill Heritage Association believes in asset based economic development, a philosophy that is compatible with heritage/cultural tourism.
Partnerships - Combining the skills, assets, and resources that are found within the Tennessee Overhill is a key component of our work. Just as combining tourism assets builds the critical mass necessary to present the Tennessee Overhill as a tourist destination, combining skills and financial resources allows us to achieve more than might be possible if we worked alone.
Current Projects
Old Line Railroad
The Old Line Railroad is a 47-mile stretch of rail line that was once part of a railroad built in 1890 to connect Knoxville, Tennessee to Atlanta, Georgia. Winding through some of the most scenic landscapes in southeastern Tennessee, the line follows the Hiwassee Scenic River as it passes through the Historic District of Reliance, into the Cherokee National Forest, over the famous Hiwassee Loop, and on to Copperhill, Tennessee. It is now home to the Hiwassee River Rail Adventures, scenic train excursions that run from April - November.
Upon its completion in 1890, the Old Line Railroad passed through many owners, eventually becoming part of the CSX system. It remained in service until 2001, when CSX announced plans to abandon the line. In 2002, thanks to a loan from Glenn Springs holding, Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of Oxy Petroleum, the Tennessee Overhill Heritage Association purchased the line. In 2003 Tennessee Valley Authority repaired a 13-mile segment of the line in order to gain access to Appalachia Powerhouse, thereby opening a segment of the line up for limited passenger train service. The following year a temporary freight project made it possible to rehabilitate the rest of the line. Today, through a partnership with Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum and the City of Etowah, the entire line is now open for passenger train excusions. In 2007 a 19-mile section of the line, between the historic District of Reliance and Farner, Tennessee was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Partners: Old Line Railroad Coalition, Glenn Springs Holding, Inc., Oxy Petroleum, Southeast Tennessee Development District, Southeast Tennessee Development Association, Appalachian Regional Commission, USDA Rural Development, Tennessee Historical Commision, Tennessee State Parks, McMinn County, Polk County, City of Etowah, Tennessee Valley Authority, and Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum.
Unicoi Turnpike Trail
The route over the Southern Appalachians known as the Unicoi Turnpike was used as an artery of trade and warfare before written history. The old path extended from the Overhill Cherokee settlements in eastern Tennessee to the coastal ports at Savannah and Charleston. In 1999, as an outgrowth of the Blue Ridge Initiative and the Cherokee Heritage Trails Project, the section of the old path that runs from Vonore, Tennessee to Murphy, North Carolina was designated a National Millennium Flagship Trail by the White House Millennium Council. Since then, organizations, government agencies, and private citizens have worked to study, preserve, interpret, and promote the trail. The Tennessee Overhill Heritage Association conducted historical research, produced a trail guide, installed highway markers, published a book about the history of the Unicoi Turnpike Trail, and created an online trail guide, TOHA is currently raising funds to install visitor orientation signs along the trail.
The Unicoi Turnpike Trail is designed primarily as a driving tour that closely follows the original route, but there is also a 2 1/2 mile pedestrian section of the original path in the Cherokee National Forest at Coker Creek, Tennessee that is open to hikers. An exciting development of the Unicoi Turnpike project took place in 2006 when the Cherokee National Forest acquired the site of Fort Armistead, a historic federal fort located on the trail at Coker Creek. The Cherokee National Forest is currently researching the site with the ultimate goal of opening it to the public.
Partners: Millennium Trails Green Ribbon Panel, Rails to Trails Conservancy, White House Millennium Council, North Carolina Arts Council, Tennessee Arts Commission, Humanities Tennessee, North Carolina Trail of Tears Association, US Department of Transportation, American Express, East Tennessee Foundation, Cherokee National Forest, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Partners of the Cherokee National Forest, Coker Creek Economic Development Group, Benton-MacKaye Trail Association, Cherokee Hiking Club, Fort Loudoun State Historic Area, Sequoyah Birthplace Museum, Charles Hall Museum, Cherokee County Museum, University of North Carolina Division of Archeology, and State of Tennessee.
Furs to Factories Heritage Trail
One of the most compelling stories in the Tennessee Overhill is how the Industrial Revolution played out in this part of the Southern Appalachians. In the 1700's the Cherokee Fur & Hide trade opened this part of the southern mountains to the world market. European traders arrived, and were soon followed by settlers. By the mid-1800's the abundant water, timber, and minerals were drawing industrialists from around the world to the Overhill. Company towns sprang up overnight around copper mines, textile mills, railroad centers, and logging operations. Tradecenters grew up to serve farmers, merchants, residents, and local government. Many of the old towns and villages survived. And remnants of the old industries are sprinkled across the Overhill. Today, museums spin tales of the copper miners, railroaders, textile workers, Cherokee Indians, British soldiers, gold prospectors, and farmers who all had a hand in shaping the land and culture of the Tennessee Overhill. In fact, the Tennessee Overhill has been described as a "museum without walls." The purpose of the Furs to Factories Heritage Trail is to guide people through the Overhill, with each community serving as an exhibit, or chapter in the unfolding story. This was accomplished over several years. The project began with research and an interpretive plan for the region. A guidebook was published, along with a trail brochure, and interpretive signs were installed at selected points along the trail. TOHA worked with several communities to develop new interpretation, create new exhibits, and produce new public programs. The furs to Factories Heritage Trail was featured in the April 2008 issue of National Geographic Traveler on its Driving Tours of Appalachia Map. The trail was also highlighted in a case study on successful cultural tourism by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. TOHA took an ambitious step in 2002 when it acquired the Old Line Railroad, a significant historic corridor that played a major role in the Furs to Factories story.
Partners: Humanities Tennessee, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, National Endowment for the Arts, Tennessee Arts Commission,Tennessee Department of Transportation, Tennessee 200, East Tennessee Foundation, Appalachian Regional Commission, USDA Forest Service, McMinn County, Monroe County, Polk County, Cherokee National Forest, City of Etowah, Daily Post Athenian, Polk County News, Ducktown Basin Museum, Englewood Textile Museum, Monroe County Advocate-Democrat, Sequoyah Birthplace Museum, Sweetwater Heritage Museum, Fort Loudoun State Historic Area, Etowah Depot Museum, McMinn County Living Heritage Museum, Tennessee Historical Commission, Southeast Tennessee Development District.
The Tennessee Overhill Cultural Legacy Project
The Tennessee Overhill Heritage Association (TOHA) bellieves that preservation of traditions and folkways is as important as preserving buildings and landscapes. The purpose of the Cultural Legacy Project is to identify local artists, research artistic traditions that are rooted in the Overhill, and develop ways to present our arts and artists to local audiences and tourists. The Cultural Legacy Project took wings in 1995, when TOHA hired a folklorist for three years to identify artistic traditions and artists in the Overhill, compile and distribute a directory of arts and artists, and assist Overhill cultural institutions develop artistic programs that present local artists and folkways. Later, an online directory replaced the print version. Building relationships with local artists proved to be very beneficial in 1996, when TOHA coordinated the Cultural Olympiad at the Olympic Whitewater Races on the Ocoee River. An International spotlight was placed on excellent musicians, craftsmen, and artists, proving that excellence exists right here in our own backyard. Later, TOHA developed the Traditional Performance Series to link community festivals to local artists by subsidizing artist fees at selected events. Through the Cultural Legacy Project TOHA continues to document and present local culture. The exhibit Roadside Signs: Expressions of Place gained attention here in the Overhill and throughout the south where it toured with the Southern Arts Federation. In 2007 TOHA hired a folklorist to identify artists who make things that relate to the occupational and recreational uses of the Cherokee National Forest. This resulted in an exhibit titled With These Hands: Forest Inspirations and a brochure to guide people to places to buy works of art in the Overhill. Currently, TOHA is working with a folklorist to research the culinary traditions in the Overhill.
Partners: Tennessee Arts Commission, Humanities Tennessee, National Endowment for the Arts, Appalachian Regional Commission, Cherokee National Forest, East Tennessee Foundation, Duke Center for Documentary Studies, Jubilee Community Arts, USDA Rural Development.
Niche Marketing
Several years ago the Tennessee Overhill Heritage Association embarked on niche marketing approach to attract tourists. A community meeting was held to identify unique assets in the Overhill, determine which of those assets fit current tourism niches, and then design a marketing strategy to link our assets to appropriate tourism markets such as cultural tourists, outdoor enthusiasts, ecotourists and agritourists.
Partners: Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, Tennessee Arts Commission, Humanities Tennessee, Cherokee National Forest, Tennessee Department of Transportation,National Scenic Byways, Southeast Tennessee Tourism Association, Tennessee Department of Agriculture, USDA Rural Development, Appalachian Regional Commission.
Charting Our Course: Tennessee Overhill Communities in the 21st Century
This project will begin in 2009. With financial support from Appalachian Regional Commission, the Tennessee Overhill Heritage Association (TOHA) will sponsor a series of training workshops aimed at developing knowledge and skills in the Cherokee National Forest gateway communities to capitalize on the opportunities that are presented by the Forest while meeting the challenges of sustaining our local assets. The training will consist of workshops covering multiple subjects as well as community exchange field trips.
Staff
Contact Information
Tennessee Overhill Heritage Association
PO Box 143
727 Tennessee Avenue
Etowah, TN 37331
Phone: (423) 263-7232
Fax: (423) 263-1670
