Fall Creek Falls is located in Van Buren County, but it is a great place for visitors to the Bledsoe County area to find lodging and soak in the flavor of the region.
In addition to natural beauty, watefalls, and hiking, the park is the site of several annual events.
Click here to visit the Tennessee State Parks Web site for Fall Creek Falls.
The historical marker of R.E. Winsett, gospel music producer and hymnodist, is part of the Tennessee Music Pathways.
Winsett composed many sacred songs, including his most well-known, Jesus Is Coming Soon, which was recorded by several artists, including the Oak Ridge Boys. Born in 1876, Winsett began writing hymns when he was only seven years old. His 1908 collection of hymns, Songs of Pentecostal Power, became his first widely-distributed hymnal. His songs became one of the cornerstones of Southern sacred music. His Best of All hymnal is considered one of the top-selling hymnals of all time.
The marker is located at 3095 Main St, Pikeville, TN 37367.
Source: https://www.tnvacation.com/point-of-interest/re-winsett-pathway-marker
The Bledsoe County Courthouse stands on the site of the first courthouse, which was completed by 1821.
During the Civil War, in August 1862, Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg led his Army of Tennessee north from Chattanooga to invade Kentucky. A Confederate veteran later stated that “General Bragg and his army used the … courthouse as a hospital” in August and September.
The John Bridgman House, located adjacent to the courthouse, was the home of a civic and business leader who constructed the Federal-style dwelling about 1830. In 1861, his son, John M. Bridgman, organized a company of Confederate infantry in Bledsoe County called the Tulloss Rangers. Federal troops occupied the house in 1863.
Source: https://www.tnvacation.com/civil-war/place/4556/pikeville-during-the-civil-war-history-around-you/
Pikeville is known as the “Pumpkin Capital.” Tennessee’s state tourism agency provides links to several businesses and places of interest in and around Pikeville. Click here to view the links.
Please note TNGenWeb does not endorse off-site links. They are provided for information only.
Available issues of this regional newspaper, published in Marion County from 1896-1952, are available free for viewing and searching at the Library of Congress’ Chronicling America Web site.
Click here to view the images.
Thomas H. Hill established the Sequachee News in 1893. Hill and his son, William C., published and edited the paper until the former’s death in 1915. William continued as publisher and editor until his death in 1952. Reportedly, the News did not miss a single issue in its six decades of continuous publication.
The News was published in Sequatchie, Marion County. In July 1896, the name was changed to the Sequachee Valley News to reflect its service to the surrounding valley. The paper was temporarily published from Whitwell, Tennessee, in spring 1897, then from South Pittsburg in late 1898, before returning to Sequatchie for the remainder of its time. In South Pittsburg, the News merged with the South Pittsburg Banner. The Banner’seditor, Charles B. Woodfin, continued to edit the South Pittsburg section for the News.
The primary focus of the paper was local news, interspersed with ‘news'(advertisements) from local businesses. The News printed dispatches from correspondents in towns and small communities throughout the county including Sequatchie, Whitwell, Jasper, South Pittsburg, and Victoria. These reports were often signed with unusual noms de plume such as Wide-Awake, Bluebell, A Little Bird, and Granny Bearwich. Occasionally reports were sent from towns further afield, apparently from Sequatchie residents who had moved away from the area. In the late 1890s, the paper temporarily expanded to six pages, with the front page devoted to poetry and serialized fiction but returned to the four-page format shortly after.
The News did not declare allegiance to any particular political party, but it did print announcements of meetings and conventions for both Democratic and Republican parties. While the News did not explicitly support one party, it carried advertisements urging readers to subscribe to (or combine subscriptions with) other strongly Democratic newspapers such as the Nashville American, the Louisville [Kentucky] Courier-Journal, and the St Louis World. The News’editors occasionally made brief statements in support of temperance, but otherwise the paper was predominantly apolitical with an apparently neutral voice. However, in 1899, the News showed its support for the Regents of the White Shield (R.W.S.), an organization which promoted white supremacy in the South. In the two weeks prior to the July 4th holiday, the News ran a half-page advertisement on its front page for the R.W.S. Independence Day picnic in Sequachee. The week after the picnic, the front page declared the event had been an outstanding success. The guest speaker, Major William H. Hunter of Birmingham, Alabama, Supreme Recorder of the Order, had been introduced to the crowd by presiding officer, Thomas H. Hill, publisher and editor of the News. Hill published the virulently racist speech in full on the front page and later, in August, again in a two-page special R.W.S. supplement.
Confusion over the various spellings of the town’s name was addressed in the October 26, 1899 issue of the News. Under the heading, “Sequachee, Sequatchie, Sequaw-chee,” the editors offered a lengthy explanation of the name’s origins and concluded, “[…] as long as the News has any respect for itself or its convictions, it will spell the name of its town Sequachee, and in no other way […].”
The Sequachee Valley News ceased publication after William C. Hill’s death in 1952.
The 9mi. Bluegrass Festival is an annual event each May and September in Pikeville.
Other events are planned throughout the year.
In 2022, the first Ninemile Jam Fest was held on January 1; in addition to regular performers, there was an open mic and jam sessions. A “pot luck” meal was served.
Click here to visit the Web page.
Click here to visit the Facebook page.
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The first weekend — well, pretty much the entire first week — of August each year is the “World’s Longest Yard Sale” event.
The 127 Yard Sale is commonly referred to as “The World’s Longest Yard Sale.” That’s because it really is the longest yard sale in the world. To be exact, it’s 690 miles long and the route travels through 6 states; Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama. The majority of the route follows Highway 127 from Addison, MI, in the north to Chattanooga, TN, in the south. From Lookout Mountain, GA, to Gadsden, AL, the route switches to Lookout Mountain Parkway. Both are scenic drives allowing you to appreciate the beautiful countryside of these states all while enjoying the fun and excitement of The World’s Longest Yard Sale. [source: 127yardsale.com]
If you go to Bledsoe County to visit your relatives, view ancestral sites of interest, or do research in local records, you will be surrounded by tens of thousands of people and their vehicles.
Click here for an example photo from Crossville news media.
Traffic on U. S. 127, as well as many of the other roads in Bledsoe County, will be slammed with shoppers. Driving rules are generally ignored by individuals trying to get the best deals along the route.
Lodging is difficult to find, with most places booked a year in advance.
Click here to visit the official 127 Yard Sale Web site.
Click here for information about the festival.
The Cumberland Trail State Park and Scenic Trails provide opportunities to enjoy the rugged beauty of the Sequatchie Valley.
Click here to visit the Tennessee State Parks Web site for Head of Sequatchie.
Click here to visit the Friends of the Cumberland Trail Web site.
Click here to visit the Tennessee State Parks Web site for Fall Creek Falls State Park in neighboring Van Buren County.
More scenery from Bledsoe County and the surrounding region (running time 2:08).
A portion of the Cumberland Trail (running time 2:18)
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