Little Tennessee River

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Little Tennessee River – Appalachian Mountain Passageway

The Little Tennessee River serves as a natural passageway through the southern Appalachian Mountains, carving a vital corridor through the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky ranges. This 135-mile (217 km) tributary of the Tennessee River originates in Rabun County, Georgia, at the confluence of Keener and Billy Creeks (34°55′49″N, 83°26′11″W; elevation 2,169 feet/661 m). It flows north through North Carolina and into Tennessee, draining a 2,627-square-mile (6,800 km²) basin before joining the Tennessee River at Lenoir City (35°46′57″N, 84°15′28″W; elevation 741 feet/226 m). The river’s gentle gradients and valley floors, compared to peaks over 6,000 feet, made it a key trans-Appalachian route.

Early History

Archaeological records reveal human activity along the river since 7,500 B.C., with Archaic and Woodland period sites like Icehouse Bottom showing early resource use. By the Mississippian era (A.D. 1000–1500), mound-building cultures evolved into Cherokee Towns like Nikwasi and Chota. Spanish explorers, possibly Hernando de Soto (1540) and Juan Pardo (1567), traversed the valley. In the 18th century, it facilitated trade and settlement; during the French and Indian War, the British built Fort Loudoun (1756) near its confluence. The 19th century saw increased migration and commerce via the river’s paths.

Railroads along the Little Tennessee

Railroads targeted the Little Tennessee Valley, particularly via Rabun Gap, for crossing the Appalachians. In the 1850s, the Blue Ridge Railroad planned a line from South Carolina through the gap to Cincinnati, Ohio, but stalled after partial construction due to financial issues. The Black Diamond Railroad, proposed in the 1890s by Colonel Albert E. Boone, aimed to revive this route, leveraging Rabun Gap and the Little Tennessee Valley to link Cincinnati to Charleston, South Carolina, for coal and freight transport. Though detailed maps were drawn, the project failed due to funding. The Tallulah Falls Railway (1887–1961), a 58-mile narrow-gauge line from Cornelia, Georgia, to Franklin, North Carolina, successfully used the valley, hauling lumber and passengers until highway competition ended it. Today, TVA dams like Fontana (1944) manage the river’s flow, preserving its legacy as a mountainous lifeline.

For More Information – Sources and Resources

The following are excellent resources for those of you wanting to explore and learn more about the history and operation of the Appalachian Railroads. These sources of information also serve as reference and historical materials for Appalachian-Railroads.org. Much of the collective railroad history data points on this website are verified across multiple sources.

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