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Home , Bledsoe Creek State Park, Frozen Head State Park, Norris Dam State Park, Reelfoot Lake State Park

TEACHING WITH PRIMARY SOURCES—MTSU

NEWSLETTER: AUGUST 2020 VOLUME 12, ISSUE 8 WELCOME! UPCOMING EVENTS: Teaching with Primary Sources—Middle State University, administered by the Center for Historic Preservation, engages learners of all ages in using primary sources to • explore major issues and questions in many different disciplines. August 13 (Online) - "Digging in with TPS- Contact: Stacey Graham or Kira Duke at (615) 898-2947 or www.mtsu.edu/tps MTSU: State Parks" webinar at 4 p.m. To register, email Kira Duke. NEWS • September 1 (Online) - "The Long Civil Rights • Discover Tennessee History will be launching a monthly webinar series beginning Movement: Resources and in September 8th. On the second Tuesday of each month at 4 p.m. (Central), one of Discussion" webinar at 4 our partner organizations will offer an engaging look at different topics in Tennessee p.m. To register, email Kira history and explore some of the great resources available to use with students. To find Duke. more information, click here. • September 8 (Online) - • Are you looking for ways to help students put the COVID pandemic into a larger his- Discover Tennessee History torical context? Check out a new lesson plan, “The Use of Wartime Rhetoric in Mobi- Webinar Series "Discover lizing Citizens,” that draws connections between the call for collective action in citizen Tennessee History Day" mobilization efforts during WWI and calls for collective action to combat the spread of presented by Tennessee His- COVID-19. This lesson plan is designed for high school but can be adapted. tory Day at 4 p.m. Click here to complete the regis- tration form. “AWESOME” SOURCE HEME T : • September 10 (Online) - OF THE MONTH: TENNESSEE STATE PARKS “Digging in with TPS-MTSU: Fads Through History” webi- Have you been to any of the fifty-six Tennes- nar at 4 p.m. To register, see State Parks? How many? What did you do email Kira Duke. there? Go for a hike? Share a picnic with your family? Learn about the history of the Native • October 13 (Online) - Americans in the area, the infrastructure cre- Discover Tennessee History Webinar Series "Lincolnites ated by the Civilian Conservation Corps, or and Rebels: Making Sense of the geological processes that help create such Civil War " gorgeous scenery? Chances are you’ve done presented by The Abraham one or more of these things. The parks may Lincoln Library and Museum have been closed for a short while during the at 4 p.m. Click here to com- , Tennessee ( Au- pandemic this summer, but they’re open now plete the registration form. thority (TVA)). Norris Dam pushes back the and are great places to practice social distanc- seventy-two miles to form ing while also practicing active learning. Best [1942] of all, the parks are free, but it’s always a Did you miss a webinar or Compare this photograph to the one on the good idea to contribute through donations workshop? Don’t forget to sub- Wikipedia page for . and/or a trip to the gift shop! TN State Parks scribe to our YouTube channel Why would a dam be a good place to create are one of those state assets that actually give to find recordings and new video content from our team! a park? back more to the economy than what’s spent on them.

Content created and featured in partnership with the TPS program does not indicate an endorsement by the Library of Congress. NEWSLETTER: AUGUST 2020 PAGE 2

LESSON IDEA– T.O. FULLER STATE PARK Originally named the Shelby County Negro State Park, Important Links: T.O. Fuller State Park originated in 1938 during segrega- • Tennessee State Parks: tion as the first state park open to African Americans and Kids and Youth only the second state park open to African Americans in Programming the country. Much of the early work on the park was done by the Civilian Conversation Corps. In 1952, the discovery • Newsletter: Tennessee of Mississippian Indian mounds stalled development of the Landmarks park. The section of the park that was set aside for • Newsletter: National Archaeological Park was reclassified as a non- Parks vol. II segregated area and turned over to the Tennessee State C.C.C. Work Camp at T.O. Fuller Board of Education. Today T.O. Fuller State Park is one of • Newsletter: State Park, Aerial View [1938 June 8] the few state parks located in an urban area. Recreation & Leisure Begin by having students analyze one or more of these im- • Newsletter: National ages depicting the signs of segregation. Discuss how segregation impacted all aspects of life including Parks access to recreational areas such as parks. Next locate T.O. Fuller State Park on a map. Have stu- • dents locate key sites nearby to provide geographic context to their discussion. Why might this site National Park Service: be selected for this park? Educators page Next divide students into four groups. Give each student one of the following images: bath house, • The National Parks: pool, softball, and golf. (Note: these images are from 1968 after segregation was outlawed.) What America’s Best Idea (PBS types of activities are shown? How did access to such recreational activities benefit people who lived documentary): For in the nearby area? Educators This lesson idea meets TN state standards for 5th grade (5.43, 5.48, SSP.05-06).

LESSON IDEA– STATE ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARKS

Within the State Parks system, there are two official “Archaeological Parks”: Old Stone Fort (Coffee County) and (Madison County). Both of these parks are home to archaeological remains from grand structures built by Native Amer- icans during the Middle Woodland Period in North America. For perspective, Ten- nessee Indians built the stone-walled enclosure at Old Stone Fort and the numerous ceremonial and burial mounds at Pinson at the same time that the Roman Empire was rising and falling in the Mediterranean and the Han and Jin dynasties ruled China. First, have students look up these two parks on Google Maps, to get a sense of where they are located. With those locations in mind, have students locate these sites on this map from 1832. What were they called at this time? Next, show students this map of Tennessee’s agricultural zones and have them identify the zones that the fort and A map of the state of Tennessee taken mounds fall within. At the bottom of the map is the key; have students read the de- from survey [Columbia, Tenn.: Matthew scriptions of the soil below the pertinent colored boxes (6/7 and 10). How might the Rhea, 1832] Native American construction of the fort and mounds be related to the nature of the soil? Also, how might the presence of rivers influence the siting of these structures? Until archaeologists in the 1960s started to make discoveries and date these structures to the period from the first to the sixth centuries CE, no white Tennesseans knew just how old they were and even who built them. Compare these two excerpts from newspaper articles from the late 19th century. How do they describe these structures? How do they know that they’re old? Now ask students how we today know how old these structures are, and explain that modern methods of archaeology weren’t availa- ble/practiced before the second half of the 20th century. It wasn’t until archaeologists from the University of Tennessee excavat- ed these sites in the 1960s that more details about the building of these structures were brought to a modern audience. This lesson idea meets TN state standards for 3rd & 5th grade Social Studies (3.05, 5.27, SSP.05-06). NEWSLETTER: AUGUST 2020 PAGE 3

LESSON IDEA– In 1811 and 1812, a series of strong earthquakes rocked Tennessee and other surrounding states. The earthquakes led to extreme, permanent changes on the Tennessee landscape and even made the Mississippi River flow backwards for a brief period of time. One of the major changes in Tennessee was the creation of Reelfoot Lake in Tiptonville. Start by showing students Reelfoot Lake and using Google Earth. Encourage students to point out distinguishing landmarks and to create and ask questions about Reelfoot Lake. After a brief discussion of the landscape and geographical features of Reelfoot Lake State Park, the teacher will share the historical background of the creation of Reelfoot Lake with students. For background information visit TSLA’s “Disasters in Tennessee” and review this brochure of the New Madrid Earthquakes issued by the Geological Survey and the National Parks Service. Next, share the source packet with students. This packet includes a map from the USGS brochure, personal accounts about the New Madrid Earthquakes, a TSLA image of the geography of Reelfoot Lake from 1938, and the Reelfoot Lake State Park bro- chure. Ask students to use their sources to complete a Synthesizing Sources analysis sheet From TSLA, Isoseismal Map for the to answer the investigative question: How did the New Madrid earthquakes of 1811 and Arkansas Earthquake 1812 impact and change the landscape of Tennessee? of December 16, 1811 USGS Seismicity of the United States, After completing the analysis sheet, instruct students to work in small Professional Paper 1527 by Carl W. Stov- groups and brainstorm how other natural events and disasters change geographical land- er & Jerry L Coffman scapes. This lesson idea meets Tennessee state standards for high school Tennessee History (TN. 18, SSP.01, SSP.02, and SSP.06).

FEATURED FEATURE– A HISTORY OF TENNESSEE STATE PARKS

In 1937, roughly twenty years after the establishment of the National Park system, Tennessee State Parks was founded to pre- serve and protect the natural, cultural, and historic resources of the state. This happened as part of a larger national campaign to develop state parks to compliment the national park system and create parks closer to all Americans. Advocates for state parks pushed to have a park within fifty miles of every American. In Tennessee, large areas of undeveloped land created a perfect opportunity to develop a robust state park system. The mining and timber industries, which had been vital to the post-war economy of the state, controlled large portions of this undeveloped land. One of the first parks developed in the state was around Reelfoot Lake, the state’s only natural lake. The Civilian Conser- vation Corps worked at the site from 1934 to 1936 to help develop the infrastructure needed for the park. Reelfoot Lake would not be operated as a state park, though, until 1956. Another early area targeted as a potential state park was the forest near Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary. Initially the forest there was declared a state forest. Again the CCC set up a camp in the area and worked to create roads, trails, and other needed infrastructure. This area would become State Park. Today state parks and forest provide us access to some of the most beautiful areas in our state and help us to connect with nature. Encourage your students to identi- fy and learn about some of the state parks and natural areas in your region. Explore the history of these sites and why they were selected to be part of this large con- versation effort in the state. NEWSLETTER: AUGUST 2020 PAGE 4

LEGACIES OF THE NEW DEAL FORT PILLOW MASSACRE

“The War in Tennessee,” Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, Pickett Historic CCC Stone Cabins, Cabin 3 [n.d.] May 7, 1864 [1864] Pickett CCC Memorial State Park initially was developed by In April 1864, Confederate soldiers led by Brig. Gen. Nathan Civilian Conservation Corps members as a part of FDR’s Bedford Forrest launched an attack on Federal troops at Fort New Deal programs. According to the state park website, Pillow, located in Western Tennessee. The Confederate sol- from 1934 to 1942 “the CCC constructed hiking trails, five diers attacked them while targeting and massacring black rustic cabins, a recreation lodge, a ranger station and a 12- (USCT) troops among the soldiers surrendering. For infor- acre lake.” The CCC cabins have been preserved and are still mation and images on the Fort Pillow Massacre visit the State available for visitors to rent today. Capitol’s Virtual Exhibition. More information on the Fort Pillow State Park can be found here.

FALL CREEK FALLS PARKS SURROUNDED BY HISTORY

Map of Sumner Co., Tennessee : from new and actual sur- Fall creek falls [McMinnville, Tenn.: J. Fletch. Woodward, veys [D.G. Beers, 1878] M.D., c1878] While most of the state parks are dedicated to preserving Fall Creek Falls, the premiere waterfall in the state park natural landscapes, many of them are located near significant named for it, is “one of the highest waterfalls in the eastern historic sites. , for instance, was United States.” In 1878, this area was not a park yet, and was once located in an area noted for its lush hunting grounds rather inaccessible to the casual visitor. Furthermore, mill and, because of that, its many clashes between Native Amer- buildings were erected along the rivers to harness the power icans and early Tennessee settlers. See if students can find of the waters rushing over the falls, though the land was also the following National Register-listed places on this historic prone to flooding before the WPA and CCC addressed flood- D.G. Beers map of Sumner County: house; ing and erosion problems in the late 1930s. This photograph Wynnewood inn (at Castalian Springs); and Cairo (later site was actually made into a postcard; see here for the reverse of the Cairo Rosenwald School which still stands near the side. park today). Bonus points for finding the “Indian graves”!