Trade is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...
in
Johnson County, Tennessee
Johnson County is the easternmost county in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 census, the population was 17,948. Its county seat is Mountain City.
History
Johnson County was created in 1836 from parts of Carter County. This follow ...
. The easternmost community in the state, Trade is located between the towns of
Mountain City, Tennessee
Mountain City is a town in and the county seat of Johnson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,415 at the 2020 census. It is the northeasternmost county seat in Tennessee. In addition, at an elevation of , it has the distinctio ...
, and
Boone, North Carolina
Boone is a town in and the county seat of Watauga County, North Carolina, United States. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, Boone is the home of Appalachian State University and the headquarters of the disaster and me ...
, along
US 421
U.S. Route 421 (also U.S. Highway 421, US 421) is a diagonal northwest–southeast United States Numbered Highway in the states of North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana. The highway runs for from Fort Fisher, North Car ...
. Generally considered Tennessee's oldest community, Trade was established as a trading outpost in the 18th century, and was visited by English-speakers as early as 1673.
At an elevation of 3,133 feet, it is the
highest community in Tennessee.
History
The oldest unincorporated community in the state of Tennessee,
Trade originated in the 18th century as "The Trade Gap," a trading post established for
Native Americans, pioneers, and fur traders to buy and sell their wares. It was located on an old buffalo trail between Snake and Rich Mountains, the easiest route through the mountains to the West. The first English-speakers visited what is now Trade as early as 1673, when the Needham and Arthur expedition passed through the area.
Tom Dula (made famous by the folk song "
Tom Dooley") hid out in Trade as he was on the run, suspected of having murdered Laura Foster in
Wilkes County, North Carolina
Wilkes County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is a part of the state's western western North Carolina, mountain region. The population was 65,969 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...
. It was in Trade that the posse finally caught up to Dula and arrested him. Dula was working on Grayson farm. He stated, "if it hadn't been for Grayson I'd have been in Tennessee", when he was captured in Trade.
Geography
Trade lies in the upper
Roan Creek
Roan Creek is a tributary of the Watauga River that rises near the border between the U.S. states of Tennessee and North Carolina. Its source is located along the slopes of Snake Mountain near Trade in Johnson County, Tennessee. From its source ...
Valley between
Snake Mountain to the east, Stone Mountain to the northwest, and Fork Ridge to the southwest. The border between Tennessee and North Carolina passes immediately to the south and atop Snake Mountain to the east. The community of
Zionville lies opposite the border to the south.
Culture
The Trade Days festival,
a three-day festival of
Appalachia
Appalachia ( ) is a geographic region located in the Appalachian Mountains#Regions, central and southern sections of the Appalachian Mountains in the east of North America. In the north, its boundaries stretch from the western Catskill Mountai ...
n arts, crafts, culture, and history, was held in Trade each June since 1989. The festival also featured
Appalachian music
Appalachian music is the music of the region of Appalachia in the Eastern United States. Traditional Appalachian music is derived from various influences, including the ballads, hymns and fiddle music of the British Isles (particularly Scotland), ...
,
dance
Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
, and a Native American
pow-wow
A powwow (also pow wow or pow-wow) is a gathering with dances held by many Native American and First Nations communities. Inaugurated in 1923, powwows today are an opportunity for Indigenous people to socialize, dance, sing, and honor their ...
. Additionally, vendors sold unique items such as jewelry and art. Profits from the festival were used to improve and expand the Trade Community Center and Park. The festival was halted for close to a decade and were supposed to resume in 2020, but were put on pause again due to Covid-19.
In 2008, the Trade gristmill celebrated its grand opening. Most of the parts comprising the newly constructed mill date back to pre-Civil War. The gristmill is located on the grounds of Trade Days and the Trade Community Center and is open to the public. A variety of products are available for purchase, including popcorn grits and featured art by local talent.
See also
*
Snake Mountain
References
External links
The PioneersTrade Days site
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Unincorporated communities in Johnson County, Tennessee
Unincorporated communities in Tennessee