revive

The beautiful spring came; and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also.
--Harriet Ann Jacobs (1813-1897)

Beautiful bluebell blooms blanket a byway at Winged Deer Park in Johnson City, TN. Click here for a map of the park and its many trails. The scenes above are found on the aptly named Bluebell Loop. The blooms are approaching the end of their spring show, so get out to see them in the next day or so if you're in the area.

Click here for a previous post describing the trails at Winged Deer.

Click here for a link to JC Parks page.

Boone Lake Draw Down

What a difference five months makes. With the draw down of the Boone Reservoir to repair the leaking Boone Dam, there have been dramatic changes to the shoreline. These photos were taken near the Winged Deer Park Boat Ramp -- on April 11th and Sept. 8th. The draw down was necessitated by the discovery that the integrity of the dam, north of Johnson City, had been compromised by underground water seepage. The Bristol Herald published some good articles this week on the dam's problems, the impact on local property owners and the steps the TVA will take to resolve the issues (click here and here).

It is stunning to see not only how low the reservoir is right now, with boats suspended dozens of feet above the ground, but the rapid growth of vegetation in what was only recently the muddy lake bottom.  The bad news for homeowners, marinas and those who enjoyed boating and fishing on the lake is that the TVA estimates it will take 5-7 years to fix the dam. To read more about the draw down and the ways the TVA will repair the dam, visit the TVA's website: click here.

Trails at Winged Deer Park

Winged Deer Park Trail Map (click to enlarge)

The trails at Winged Deer Park, a city park located in Johnson City, TN, offer a conveniently-located opportunity for city residents to explore a natural environment close to town. The park offers both paved and unpaved (or natural) trails through the forested area of the 200 acre site, in addition to the half-mile paved track that circles the softball fields. I wish I could report that the paved trails are conducive to families with strollers, bicycle riders and those in wheelchairs, but they are often incredibly steep -- precluding a leisurely 'walk in the the woods'. However, the unpaved trails are better designed and allow for a more enjoyable walking/hiking experience as they are of a more reasonable grade. If you haven't visited the park (or at least the wooded section of the park), I'd recommend parking at the lower "Disc Course" parking lot on the backside of the park (click map above) and then walking into the woods to pick up the White Loop Trail. It's steep at first, but then moderates to give visitors the opportunity to explore the woods. Visit late March/early April to see a huge bluebell flower patch on Bluebell Loop (see this post and map below). While a number of years back there were issues of criminal activity in the park, I haven't heard of any issues in the last few years.

Map of trails and disc golf course (click to enlarge)

In addition to the trails, 1/2 mile track and five softball fields, the park offers batting cages, an 18-hole disc golf course, three soccer fields and playground. The nearby lakefront area features two sand volleyball courts, picnic shelter, public boating access, boardwalk, and amphitheater. The park’s historical area features the Robert Young Cabin – one of Johnson City’s oldest dwellings, the Massengil Monument, and the James H. Quillen Historical Tree Arboretum.

For a video introduction to the park, click here. For a google map of its location, click here.

the first frontier

We must go beyond textbooks, go out into the bypaths and untrodden depths of the wilderness and travel and explore and tell the world the glories of our journey.
--John Hope Franklin (1915-2009) historian

Facing west to portray the pioneers westward movement into the "First Frontier," this impressive monument honors Henry Massengill and his family who ventured from North Carolina to the Watauga Settlement in 1769. The statute stood from 1937 to 1990 in north Johnson City at the intersection of the Bristol and Kingsport highways. But road widening and expansion in that area resulted in the 24-foot statue being moved to its current location in Winged Deer Park in 1990.

The monument reads:

"Erected to the memory of Henry Massengill and his pioneer family. Came from North Carolina to the Watauga Settlement in 1769. His plantation near the mouth of Boone's Creek adjoined William Bean's, who was the first permanent white settler west of the Alleghany Mountains. In 1775 was appointed to an office in the Watauga Association which adopted the first written constitution for the government of American-born freemen. Built the Massengill house of worship, 1777, served two years as sheriff of Washington District. In 1778 was chairman of the Committee of Safety. Served on the staff of Captain William Edmiston in General's Shelby's expedition against the Chicamagua Indians in 1779. Furnished three sons to the Revolutionary Army."

Early Cabin

Robert Young Cabin is one of the oldest dwellings in Johnson City, TN. It originally was located along Brush Creek (near present-day Mountain Home), the cabin sits today in Winged Deer Park.
Built in the early 1770s, the

Pioneers

This monument, located in Winged Deer Park in Johnson City, TN, pays tribute to some of the earliest pioneers to the area. In 1769, Henry and Mary Massengil crossed from North Carolina into the "frontier" known as the Watauga Settlement. This impressive 24 foot statue, created in 1937, faces west to symbolize their westward journey.

Directions: Located off of 11E (known locally as the Bristol Highway) just outside of Johnson City. Click here for map.