Trade, Tennessee
Encyclopedia
Trade is an unincorporated community
in Johnson County, Tennessee
, United States
. It is easternmost community in the state and is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains
, at the headwaters of Roan Creek
. The community is located between the towns of Mountain City
and Boone
, North Carolina
, along US-421. The first English-speaking person visited Trade in 1673, making it the oldest unincorporated community in the state.
, 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. Tom Dula
(made famous by the folk song "Tom Dooley
") hid out in Trade as he was on the run, suspected of having murdered his young fiancee in Wilkes County, North Carolina
. It was in Trade that the posse finally caught up to Dula and arrested him. Dula was working on Grayson farm, "if it hadn't been for Grayson I'd have been in Tennessee", when he was captured in Trade.
n arts, crafts, culture, and history, has been held in Trade each June since 1989. The festival also features Appalachian music
and dance
, and a Native American pow-wow
. Profits from the festival go to improve and expand the Trade Community Center and Park.
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 is open to the public. A variety of products is available for purchase, including popcorn grits and featured art by local talent.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Johnson County, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is easternmost community in the state and is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains
Blue Ridge Mountains
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southern-most...
, at the headwaters of Roan Creek
Roan Creek
Roan Creek rises on the Tennessee and North Carolina border, in Johnson County, Tennessee, near the town of Trade, Tennessee. It flows through Cherokee National Forest to join the Watauga River in Watauga Lake, the reservoir behind Watauga Dam....
. The community is located between the towns of Mountain City
Mountain City, Tennessee
Mountain City is a town in Johnson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,383 at the 2000 census. It is the northeasternmost county seat in Tennessee; Mountain City is the county seat of Johnson County.-History:...
and Boone
Boone, North Carolina
Boone is a town located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, United States. Boone's population was reported as 17,122, as of 2010...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, along US-421. The first English-speaking person visited Trade in 1673, making it the oldest unincorporated community in the state.
History
The oldest unincorporated community in the state, Trade originated in the 18th century as "The Trade Gap," a trading post established for Native AmericansNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, 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. Tom Dula
Tom Dula
Thomas C. Dula was a former Confederate soldier, who was tried, convicted, and hanged for the murder of his fiancée, Laura Foster. The trial and hanging received national publicity from newspapers such as The New York Times, thus turning Dula's story into a folk legend...
(made famous by the folk song "Tom Dooley
Tom Dooley
Tom Dooley or Thomas Dooley may refer to:* Tom Dula, American legend hanged in North Carolina after the Civil War**Tom Dooley , American folksong based upon the above incident...
") hid out in Trade as he was on the run, suspected of having murdered his young fiancee in Wilkes County, North Carolina
Wilkes County, North Carolina
Wilkes County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. The 2000 U.S. Census listed the county's population at 65,632; the 2010 U.S. Census listed the population at 69,340...
. It was in Trade that the posse finally caught up to Dula and arrested him. Dula was working on Grayson farm, "if it hadn't been for Grayson I'd have been in Tennessee", when he was captured in Trade.
Culture
The Trade Days festival, a three-day festival of AppalachiaAppalachia
Appalachia is a term used to describe a cultural region in the eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York state to northern Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Canada to Cheaha Mountain in the U.S...
n arts, crafts, culture, and history, has been held in Trade each June since 1989. The festival also features Appalachian music
Old-time music
Old-time music is a genre of North American folk music, with roots in the folk music of many countries, including England, Scotland, Ireland and countries in Africa. It developed along with various North American folk dances, such as square dance, buck dance, and clogging. The genre also...
and dance
Clogging
Clogging is a type of folk dance with roots in traditional European dancing, early African-American dance, and traditional Cherokee dance in which the dancer's footwear is used musically by striking the heel, the toe, or both in unison against a floor or each other to create audible percussive...
, and a Native American pow-wow
Pow-wow
A pow-wow is a gathering of North America's Native people. The word derives from the Narragansett word powwaw, meaning "spiritual leader". A modern pow-wow is a specific type of event where both Native American and non-Native American people meet to dance, sing, socialize, and honor American...
. Profits from the festival go to improve and expand the Trade Community Center and Park.
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 is open to the public. A variety of products is available for purchase, including popcorn grits and featured art by local talent.