I am a transplant here, however I love the heritage and history behind this place. It fascinates me to be here and read about it. It fascinates me even more to live here.
Hancock County Tennessee, nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, has a rich heritage of history and culture handed down through its people.
Here are a few-
1: We have a lot of Melungeons. The name Melungeon refers to a people of mixed descent who, according to one theory, are descendants of early Spanish and Portuguese explorers who made settlements in Georgia and the Carolinas prior to the historic Jamestown establishments of 1567 or 1607. Genetic studies give rise to the belief that the Melungeons were originally from northwest Africa who, known as Moors, moved into Spain and Portugal around 710 A.D. Exiled during the Spanish Inquisition, these people may have come to the New World in the 16th Century. Subsequent generations, apparently unaccepted legally or socially by their new country, retreated to the mountains where today some 500 Melungeon descendants still live where their ancestors settled in northeast Tennessee and extreme southwest Virginia.
In Hancock County, Newman’s Ridge is one of the most famous of Melungeon territories. From here came the the 18th Century patriarch, “Vardy” Collins. The 19th Century gave us the unique and immortal Mahala Mullins, better know as “Big Haley,” famous for her size (over 500 pounds) and her moonshining.
The actual origins of the Melungeons is still the subject of controversy and conflicting genetic theory. Melungeon genealogy continues to be extensively explored here in Hancock County, the ancestral and current home of so many of these unique people.
2: Elrod Falls is located in beautiful Hancock County, Tennessee. Elrod Falls consists of three cascading falls of more than 100 feet, making it one of the most gorgeous waterfalls in East Tennessee. You can swim in the pools at the base of the falls, hike one of the surrounding trails or bring along a picnic lunch while surrounded by the lush beauty of the Appalachian Mountains. From Sneedville travel 7.0 miles south on SR 31 and turn onto the Gravel road with sign to Elrod falls. Follow this road 0.6 miles and turn left onto a dirt road. Follow 0.5 miles to the end. It is beautiful. If you are ever close to here - visit because you won't regret it or forget it.
Read more at http://www.hancockcountytn.com/
Hancock County Tennessee, nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, has a rich heritage of history and culture handed down through its people.
Here are a few-
1: We have a lot of Melungeons. The name Melungeon refers to a people of mixed descent who, according to one theory, are descendants of early Spanish and Portuguese explorers who made settlements in Georgia and the Carolinas prior to the historic Jamestown establishments of 1567 or 1607. Genetic studies give rise to the belief that the Melungeons were originally from northwest Africa who, known as Moors, moved into Spain and Portugal around 710 A.D. Exiled during the Spanish Inquisition, these people may have come to the New World in the 16th Century. Subsequent generations, apparently unaccepted legally or socially by their new country, retreated to the mountains where today some 500 Melungeon descendants still live where their ancestors settled in northeast Tennessee and extreme southwest Virginia.
In Hancock County, Newman’s Ridge is one of the most famous of Melungeon territories. From here came the the 18th Century patriarch, “Vardy” Collins. The 19th Century gave us the unique and immortal Mahala Mullins, better know as “Big Haley,” famous for her size (over 500 pounds) and her moonshining.
The actual origins of the Melungeons is still the subject of controversy and conflicting genetic theory. Melungeon genealogy continues to be extensively explored here in Hancock County, the ancestral and current home of so many of these unique people.
2: Elrod Falls is located in beautiful Hancock County, Tennessee. Elrod Falls consists of three cascading falls of more than 100 feet, making it one of the most gorgeous waterfalls in East Tennessee. You can swim in the pools at the base of the falls, hike one of the surrounding trails or bring along a picnic lunch while surrounded by the lush beauty of the Appalachian Mountains. From Sneedville travel 7.0 miles south on SR 31 and turn onto the Gravel road with sign to Elrod falls. Follow this road 0.6 miles and turn left onto a dirt road. Follow 0.5 miles to the end. It is beautiful. If you are ever close to here - visit because you won't regret it or forget it.
Read more at http://www.hancockcountytn.com/
