Breakfast with Sean & Caching in Morristown 3/25/2009

This morning we met Sean at the Waffle (Awful) House for breakfast as he had to fly back to NJ for 2 days and then was leaving for another week in Australia on business (yeah sure). We had a nice visit, although it wasn't long enough, but we understand he does have a job and that comes first. We ate and said our goodbyes and he headed for Knoxville to the airport and we headed out to do some caches.
Our first cache, which we didn't find, was at the Old Rose School and is now Rose Center and is Morristown and Hamblen County's community cultural center. It is located in Morristown's first coeducational public high school built in 1892 and the facility is named after Judge James G. Rose, Civil War Hero and Chairman of the School Board at the time when plans for construction of the school were initiated. The building operated as a school until 1975, at which time a group of local citizens organized, raised funds to replace the vintage roof, and re-opened the building as a museum and cultural center. Thirty years later, the "castle" - as it is referred to by many of the thousands of school children who visit the Center on field trips and other occasions - is a busy place. The Center offers classes for children and adults, meeting space for community groups including the attractively renovated Jean Keener Community Room, rotating exhibits of artwork in the Edith Davis Gallery, historical displays in the Hal Noe Gallery, a look at early schooling in the Historic Classroom, concerts, summer programs for young people, and produces major annual events. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Our next cache was a multi-cache located in the Morristown City Cemetery. The Hamblen County Court chartered this cemetery in 1873, with five acres set aside for “pauper plots”. In 1884 a group of prominent citizens incorporated the Morristown Cemetery Company “for the purpose of a public cemetery or burying ground for the use of the people of said town and vicinity”. Nine graves of soldiers from the Civil War can also be found. Among the better known of the Confederate dead are Captain J.C. Hodges of the 19th Tennessee Infantry (who later became a state senator). Throughout the War the high ground of the Cemetery and nearby hills were used as picket posts, campgrounds, and gun emplacements by both Confederate and Federal armies. The Cemetery was restored in the mid-1990’s.
Next was a cache placed by a cacher who we know from back up in Auburn, NY, Mama Bear and Geo Dog. It was at the Davy Crockett Tavern Museum which is the reconstructed boyhood home of Davy Crockett as well as the tavern and inn his family ran in the 1700s. A basement contains the Crockett Pioneer Museum with period artifacts. The original tavern site, now marked by a shell station, is only 100 feet away from the reproduction. "Be sure you're right and then go ahead," Davy was respected for his honesty and sincerity. It was those values that have made him a hero to many people today. When visitors walk into the tavern, history comes alive. Ninety-nine percent of the tavern furniture is original. The tools and loom found in the tavern date back to Crockett's time, as does the 1750's wagon displayed in front of the monument. The mantle also dates to 1750, the wood floor is from- Panther Springs School, and the door of the tavern is from Tate's Store, where the charter for the city of Morristown was signed. It really was to bad the museum wasn't open today as we would have loved to have gone through it.
Next cache was a 3 stage multi at the Bethesda Cemetery and Church. "The Bethesda (Presbyterian) Church building was constructed in 1835. During the war, the Church served as a hospital for wounded soldiers from both sides as well as for those suffering from smallpox. Numerous veterans from the War are buried in the adjoining cemetery. This old structure now stands empty and has done so for more than a century. It's a true casualty of the war between the states. There is a plot in the cemetery that is sacred to the memory of sixty-five unknown dead, most of whom are believed to be Confederate Soldiers. There also is a monument in honor of 17 soldiers who died in 1863 in defense of the south. The names of only 2 are known and there names are on there markers. The church also is believed to be haunted and reportedly has spirits inside, as we said it was used as a hospital during the Civil War, it's boarded up and they seem trapped inside. The mass graves of Confederate soldiers are nearby, and the soldiers seem to not like visitors, especially ones with Northern accents. There exists in the cemetery, a family plot of a couple and their daughter who died on the day of her birth which is reportedly a highly active area; the sound of a woman weeping and physical manifestations are known at that grave site.
Then it was on to Russellville and a cache at located at a old unoccupied home along the main road. The house was used by Lt. Gen. James Longstreet's Corps during the winter of 1863-64, with the mission of securing East Tennessee to the Confederacy. He and his staff occupied this house at that time. Brig. Gen. Kershaw's troops were to the north of the road, and McLaws' Division to the south. McLaws lived in Hayslope. After the Battle of Bean Station in Dec. 1863, Gen. James Longstreet wired Richmond saying "We shall be obligated to suspend active operations for want of shoes and clothing." The house supposedly is going to be made into a museum but is in quite disrepair right now.
Next cache was at small cemetery in Russellville and our last cache was near an old farmhouse named Coffman House and is thought to be the oldest home in Russellville. A memorandum found in an old family Bible said that David Coffman built a rambling two story log dwelling and raised a family. So well was this house built that it still stands. Coffman liked the quiet serenity of this section and despite the fact that the land was infested with Indians, decided to erect a home. He chose for the site a plot of ground near Russellville surrounded by primeval forest and in the distance could be seen great mountains looming against the sky. Here, after months of weary toil, he built a rambling two-story dwelling and reared a family of noble sons and daughters. His house, built of hewn logs two centuries ago, still stands one mile above the village by the old stagecoach road. Nearby stood the old log church house which was the second Baptist church to be organized in what is now Tennessee, and was pastored by Tydence Lane in 1785. This sturdy old church has long since been torn down. There was a gallery built in the back of the house for the benefit of slaves of that day. One of the sons of the builder of this home was named Andrew Coffman. He was born, reared and died in this home, passing away in 1864, and his grave is in the Bent Creek cemetery. This descendent married and English girl in 1812 and they too gave to this section a number of noble sons and daughters. Andrew Coffman was a man of considerable influence in his community, prominent in church and civic affairs. He was licensed to preach and frequently would walk many miles through the wild section to preach the Gospel and conduct funerals. He was likewise a soldier, and when Andrew Jackson call for army to settle the English, Coffman walked to Nashville and joined Jackson's forces, and was with Jackson at New Orleans, where he learned to love and respect this old warrior. Jackson later came to visit Coffman and spent a day and night with him at the old home near Russellville. Equally as interesting and historic as the old home is the building now used by the Coffman family as a barn. This was at one time the church of the community, and in it Andrew coffman preached many a sermon. the church was founded in 1785, is built of logs, like the old home, and is in perfect condition. It was used as the community church until it became too small for the growing community, and it was then laboriously moved to the rear of the Coffman home, where it still stands. Here can be found many interesting antiques, sufficient to start a real museum. There are, of course, old spinning wheels, early tools used in the erection of the home and church, but the most interesting and historic is an old iron chest which belonged to General Longstreet, Confederate lieutenant-general, who abandoned it after taking out the contents following his encounter with federal troops in a skirmish between Bulls Gap and Russellville, and in direct line of the Coffman house. General Longstreet spent the night at the Coffman home before the battle. After the battle, James Edward Coffman, owner of the home at that time, and his daughter, Nannie, then a small child, discovered a wounded soldier near the scene of the battle, took him to their home, cared for him until he died, and then later, through a blue home-spun coverlet, located his relatives in North Carolina. This soldier was buried in the Coffman lot, and his grave is still cared for by members of the family. Other relics to be found there are a compass used by Andrew Coffman in surveying plots of land in the surrounding country. There is also an old threshing machine, the first brought to this section, and it is still suitable for use.
After the last cache we stopped again at The Old Rose School to look for the cache we couldn't find but with no luck so we drove back to the campgrounds and drove up to the top of the mountain to the scenic overlook area, parked the car and looked around and read the historic markers. Then it was back to the coach and we had lunch and watched TV the rest of the afternoon until dinner. Well that was about it in Morristown as we are off again tomorrow. By the way we did see 3 deer wandering through our campsite earlier in the day. Well until next time we love and miss you all. Mom & Dad


Picture List:1 Mom & Dad at our 2300th cache find Crockett Tavern Museum, 2,3,4,5-Longstreet's Billet, 6,7-Coffman House, 8-Hayslope historical marker, 9-Old Church in Russellville, 10-Creek's Crossroads historical marker, 11,12-Army of TN camp site, 13,14,15,16-Morristown City cemetery, 17,18,19,20,21,22,23-Panther Run SP Overlook, 24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35-Overlook historic markers, 36,37-Old Haunted looking house near the campgrounds, 38-Morristown mansion, 39,40,41,42,43-More pictures of Panther Run SP, 44,45,46-Deer running through our campsite.