MOSSY CREEK & JEFFERSON CITY, TENNESSEE (Mark)

In 1788, Virginia and Adam Peck settled in an area which was eventually named for the vivid green moss growing along the waterways. 

A fort, church, and gristmill were soon constructed and within about 10 years about 100 families had settled in the area.

In 1851, Carson-Newman University (originally Mossy Creek Missionary Baptist Seminary) was founded on the edge of town.  Currently approximately 2,500 students are enrolled in the University.  The grounds and buildings are beautiful.

One of the original buildings is being restored; it was interesting to see the chinking being applied between the boards:

Early in the Civil War, the Union Army took control of the region.  The largest battle was in December of 1863, when Confederate General J. Longstreet tried to re-take the area.

Before 1900, the towns of Frame Addition and Carsonville sprang up nearby.  The next year, the three towns combined to become Jefferson City.

Transportation and the railroad were vitally important to the area, and the access to both rail, water flowing into the area, including the Holston River, and topography played a huge role in the towns’ future.

In 1940, the Tennessee Valley Authority began purchasing and taking land in the area for the Cherokee Dam.  The promise was to provide electricity and flood control to large portions of Tennessee.  This led to a boom in the area.

Unfortunately, as often happens with a boom town, came the bust.  Even the zinc deposits and mining industry could not sustain the boom indefinitely. 

The "Mossy Creek" area along the rail tracks, that had once been the important downtown area, is largely in disrepair:

This large factory, with its own railroad siding is yielding to nature.  The relentless vines and the weather are combining to tear the structure down:

Looking in through the windows, equipment and supplies could be seen.  It was like looking into a time capsule, unopened since the last person walked out and the doors were locked.

In one window I could see what appeared to be an unopened UPS package from long ago.

Down the main street a short distance, the old painted city diner wall fades:

With the main highways through town several miles away, the area along the railroad slowly became less important.

The brick buildings with interesting construction continue to show the ravages of time and weather:

The nonprofit Mossy Creek Foundation has been set up to try and bring some revitalization to the area.  A couple of businesses are operating in the area.

A sign of hope, a small Little Free Library: