Moccasin Bend: A Land at the Intersection of History
by Jennifer Crutchfield, National Park Partners
Moccasin Bend National Archeological District is the crown jewel of Chattanooga’s riverfront, an iconic landmark that was the cradle of Native American civilization. Reflecting over 12,000 years of continuous human habitation, it is the only archeological district in the National Park Service and has interpretive displays and trails that engage hikers, nature enthusiasts and all who commemorate the tragedy of the Trail of Tears.
This card, circa 1886, from the Chattanooga Public Library collection says "Chattanooga and Tennessee River from Lookout Mountain," with "Moccasin Point and Lookout Battlefield" written under the photograph.
During the Paleo-Indian Period (10,000 B.C.- 8000 B.C.), nomadic tribes followed the rich resources in the valley and became Chattanooga’s first inhabitants. As the Egyptian pyramids were being built, the early Chattanoogans of the Archaic Period (8000 B.C.-700 B.C.), began making stone tools and establishing permanent villages on Moccasin Bend. During the Woodland Period (700 B.C.-1000 A.D.), while the Roman Empire was rising and falling, archeological excavations suggest that approximately twenty village sites were established in a time notable for the introduction of ceramic pottery and the beginnings of agriculture.
Native people during the Mississippian Period (900 A.D. -1650A.D.) built large mound complexes, farmed the land, and created a socio-political structure and Spaniards under Hernando de Soto (1540) or Tristan de Luna (1560) are reputed to have made contact with inhabitants of Hampton Place, a village located on the bend.
The Chattanooga Valley was at the starting gate of westward expansion and saw the Cherokee changing alliances from the British to the Americans as the Revolutionary War waged, even on Lookout Mountain, for a fledgling nation’s freedom. Chief Dragging Canoe and his Chickamauga warriors called the region a “dark and bloody ground,” decrying the pioneer’s march westward.
This postcard depicts the view of Lookout Mountain from Moccasin Bend circa 19xx’s. Courtesy of Chattanooga Public Library, Paul Heiner Collection
In 1838-39, Cherokee were rounded up and placed in deportation camps to await removal to Oklahoma. One of these camps was at Ross's Landing and several groups of Cherokees that traveled by water to Oklahoma passed around the bend, while at least one group marched overland across the neck of Moccasin Bend. The Native American Removal to the West became known as the "Trail of Tears."
Today, the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail passes through nine (9) states, including Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, and Oklahoma. Museums, interpretive centers, and historic sites along the route provide context and interpretation for the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail. Additional information, including interpretive maps and resources, can be found online HERE.
Guests were invited to “Rivers, Rails & Roads: Transportation During the Cherokee Removal” as Amy Kostine, the National Trails Program Coordinator for the Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee University, introduced audiences at the IMAX and via a virtual broadcast, to the role different modes of transportation played in the Chattanooga area and beyond during the Cherokee Removal. Attendance was free and virtual broadcast can be seen online on the National Park Partners YouTube channel.
The Moccasin Bend Lecture Series is presented each fall with fascinating speakers and topics related to National Parks and conservation; Indigenous culture and history; and Chattanooga’s place in the U.S. Civil War. The series was founded in 2006 by Tennessee State Representative Greg A. Vital and has been sustained into our 16th year through his generous sponsorship. All installments of the series have been on Monday evenings and are free and open to the public. Audiences can enjoy previous events in the lecture series online HERE.