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Long Island (Tennessee)
Encyclopedia
Long Island, also known as Long Island of the Holston, is an island in the Holston River
at Kingsport
in eastern Tennessee
.
The Long Island was a sacred
council and treaty
site among the Cherokee
. Daniel Boone
began from here to clear the Wilderness Road
through the Cumberland Gap
in 1775. It is a U.S. National Historic Landmark District. The island
has been heavily transformed by industrial
development, and NPS
staff recommended withdrawal of National Historic Landmark status in 1996 due to loss of historic integrity.
It has been suggested that the name "Tennessee
" originated from the old Yuchi
Indian word, "Tana-see," meaning "The Meeting Place," and that this may refer to The Long Island of the Holston River.
The Long Island of the Holston River was an important site for the Cherokee
, colonial pioneers, and early settlers. Early settlements at the site were used as a staging ground for people following the Wilderness Road
to Kentucky through the Cumberland Gap
. First chartered in 1822, Kingsport became an important shipping port on the Holston River
. Goods originating for many miles from the surrounding countryside were loaded onto barges for transport downstream to the Tennessee River
at Knoxville
. The young town lost its charter after a downturn its in fortunes precipitated by the Civil War
.
Long Island of the Holston was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1960.
Long Island's modern population peaked "between 1955 and 1963, with 517 residences and approximately 1,800 people. Although many upstanding citizens lived on Long Island, the neighborhood acquired a local reputation for violence and bootlegging."
There are only a handful of houses on the island now. About half of Long Island now contains a park administered by the City of Kingsport
. The other half of the island is the site of a waste treatment plant owned by Tennessee Eastman Chemical Company
. Most of the island is within the corporate boundaries of Kingsport.
Holston River
The Holston River is a major river system of southwestern Virginia and east Tennessee. The three major forks of the Holston rise in southwestern Virginia and have their confluence near Kingsport, Tennessee. The North Fork flows southwest from Sharon Springs in Bland County, Virginia...
at Kingsport
Kingsport, Tennessee
Kingsport is a city located mainly in Sullivan County with some western portions in Hawkins County in the US state of Tennessee. The majority of the city lies in Sullivan County...
in eastern Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
.
The Long Island was a sacred
Sacred
Holiness, or sanctity, is in general the state of being holy or sacred...
council and treaty
Treaty
A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...
site among the Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
. Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone
Daniel Boone was an American pioneer, explorer, and frontiersman whose frontier exploits mad']'e him one of the first folk heroes of the United States. Boone is most famous for his exploration and settlement of what is now the Commonwealth of Kentucky, which was then beyond the western borders of...
began from here to clear the Wilderness Road
Wilderness Road
The Wilderness Road was the principal route used by settlers for more than fifty years to reach Kentucky from the East. In 1775, Daniel Boone blazed a trail for the Transylvania Company from Fort Chiswell in Virginia through the Cumberland Gap into central Kentucky. It was later lengthened,...
through the Cumberland Gap
Cumberland Gap
Cumberland Gap is a pass through the Cumberland Mountains region of the Appalachian Mountains, also known as the Cumberland Water Gap, at the juncture of the U.S. states of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia...
in 1775. It is a U.S. National Historic Landmark District. The island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
has been heavily transformed by industrial
Industry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
development, and NPS
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
staff recommended withdrawal of National Historic Landmark status in 1996 due to loss of historic integrity.
It has been suggested that the name "Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
" originated from the old Yuchi
Yuchi
For the Chinese surname 尉迟, see Yuchi.The Yuchi, also spelled Euchee and Uchee, are a Native American Indian tribe who traditionally lived in the eastern Tennessee River valley in Tennessee in the 16th century. During the 17th century, they moved south to Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina...
Indian word, "Tana-see," meaning "The Meeting Place," and that this may refer to The Long Island of the Holston River.
The Long Island of the Holston River was an important site for the Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
, colonial pioneers, and early settlers. Early settlements at the site were used as a staging ground for people following the Wilderness Road
Wilderness Road
The Wilderness Road was the principal route used by settlers for more than fifty years to reach Kentucky from the East. In 1775, Daniel Boone blazed a trail for the Transylvania Company from Fort Chiswell in Virginia through the Cumberland Gap into central Kentucky. It was later lengthened,...
to Kentucky through the Cumberland Gap
Cumberland Gap
Cumberland Gap is a pass through the Cumberland Mountains region of the Appalachian Mountains, also known as the Cumberland Water Gap, at the juncture of the U.S. states of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia...
. First chartered in 1822, Kingsport became an important shipping port on the Holston River
Holston River
The Holston River is a major river system of southwestern Virginia and east Tennessee. The three major forks of the Holston rise in southwestern Virginia and have their confluence near Kingsport, Tennessee. The North Fork flows southwest from Sharon Springs in Bland County, Virginia...
. Goods originating for many miles from the surrounding countryside were loaded onto barges for transport downstream to the Tennessee River
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
at Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
. The young town lost its charter after a downturn its in fortunes precipitated by the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Long Island of the Holston was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1960.
Long Island's modern population peaked "between 1955 and 1963, with 517 residences and approximately 1,800 people. Although many upstanding citizens lived on Long Island, the neighborhood acquired a local reputation for violence and bootlegging."
There are only a handful of houses on the island now. About half of Long Island now contains a park administered by the City of Kingsport
Kingsport, Tennessee
Kingsport is a city located mainly in Sullivan County with some western portions in Hawkins County in the US state of Tennessee. The majority of the city lies in Sullivan County...
. The other half of the island is the site of a waste treatment plant owned by Tennessee Eastman Chemical Company
Eastman Chemical Company
Eastman Chemical Company is a United States based chemical company, engaged in the manufacture and sale of chemicals, fibers, and plastics. Eastman has 11 manufacturing sites in seven countries, supplying its products throughout the world...
. Most of the island is within the corporate boundaries of Kingsport.
Further reading
- Long, Howard. Kingsport: A Romance of Industry. Overmountain Press (October 1993)
- Spoden, Muriel M.C. Kingsport Heritage: The Early Years, 1700 to 1900. Johnson City, TN: The Overmountain Press, 1991
- Spoden, Muriel Millar Clark . The Long Island of the Holston: Sacred island of the Cherokee nation
- Williams, "Fort Robinson on the Holston," East Tennessee Historical Society Publications, no.4 (1932)
- Williams, Samuel C. Dawn of Tennessee Valley and Tennessee History (Johnson City, 1937)
- Williams, Tennessee During the Revolutionary War (Nashville, 1944)
- Wolfe, Margaret Ripley. Kingsport Tennessee: A Planned American City. University Press of Kentucky (November 1987)
External links
- LONG ISLAND OF THE HOLSTON, Tennessee, National Park Service