|
|
| Blount County Extension | |||||||
|
4-H GPS Project Group Sharon Ann Davis (865) 982-6430 Mission To teach young people how to use global positioning system technology and its applications. Goal To plan, implement, deliver, and evaluate programs that integrate GPS technology with citizenship and natural resources programs. Activities "Happy Valley History" 4-H members made their way over Chilhowee Mountain Monday, October 5 to take part in a two part 4-H day camp to investigate the history of Happy Valley. Happy Valley residents, Jim and Joan Phillips, talked to the 4-H’ers about the settlement and rich history of Happy Valley including areas that are now part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The 4-H’ers had two tasks. First, they were to locate old home sites in the valley and mark their location using global positioning system (GPS) units so other park visitors can visit the sites for themselves. They hiked over the foot log to Rabbit Creek trail in Abrams Creek Campground. About 100 feet to the left stood the house of Charles and Icy Boring. They raised nine children in a small house where the fireplace still stands. Reba Boring Whitehead, still a resident of Happy Valley, sent word to the children through a diagram of what her house looked like and how much fun she had playing in the mountains. When the park was established, she moved with her parents and siblings to another house about a mile away when she was nine years old. Then, about 150 feet on the left on down the trail was the home site of Barbara Gourley, Icy’s sister. Here, remnants of life in the early twentieth century can still be found under vines and rocks. Several other home sites were also documented as part of what will hopefully be an ongoing project for the 4-Hers. A map of these home sites is available on the Blount County Extension 4-H website. The next step for the 4-H members was to document who was buried in the cemetery at the Happy Valley Missionary Baptist Church. 4-H members completed the first four rows. They were surprised at the number of infants and young children in the cemetery and learned how isolation from medical services and other amenities they are used to today made life very difficult for early settlers of this area. At the end of the camp, 4-H members learned how technology can help us connect to the past and keep it for future generations to come. Downoad the way points or the PDF map.  L to R : Jacob Clabough and Callie Lawson write down information found at cemetery sites. |
||||||
|
|
|
|
Copyright ©2003 The University of Tennessee ·
Institute of Agriculture · Knoxville Tennessee 37996-4505
· 865/974-7342 Contact the Webmaster at webmaster@ext1.ag.utk.edu · Disclaimer/Indicia |
|