The Great Stage Road was a stagecoach route from Washington D.C, south to Knoxville, TN, and west to Nashville, TN. The road included several established routes such as the Great Valley Road, the Knoxville Road, the Nashville Road, and the Old Walton Road. The road followed much of today's U.S. Route 11.
Purpose
By 1750, colonial fur traders and explorers began to cross over the Appalachians into Kentucky and Tennessee and return to many eastern communities with stories about rich lands to the west. The Great Stage Road and other stagecoach routes provided an efficient way to travel between the mountain range through the Cumberland Gap, a pass in the mountains where travel was easier. The Great Stage Road, along with many other stagecoach roads connected early American cities and towns. The Great Stage Road in particular was an essential route for everything from postal deliveries and newspaper circulation to places of rest for those on longer journeys.
The Hale Springs Inn
Along the Great Stage Road, there were many towns and settlements. In these towns were Inns, where travellers could rest after a long day before preparing for their remaining journey. The Hale Springs Inn was built in 1824 in Rogersville, TN, and located only a few hundred feet off the Great Stage Road. During the nineteenth century, the inn hosted many notable people relevant in American history including those listed below.
Historic Figures who Traveled Along the Road
Many relevant figures in American History traveled along The Great Stage Road, including:
- William Blout, one of many signers of the United States Constitution
- Andrew Jackson, former President of the United States
- Dr. Thomas Walker, surveyor and explorer
- Bishop Francis Asbury, founder of the Methodist Religion in America
- Governor John Sevier
- Daniel Boone
- Botanist Andre Michaux
- Captain William Walton, who would later construct a road from East Tennessee to Nashville
- James K. Polk, former President of the United States
- Andrew Johnson, former President of the United States
References
- "Historic Trails, Roads and Migration Routes". Freepages. March 1, 2013.
- "Historic Trails, Roads and Migration Routes". Freepages. March 1, 2013.
- "Historic Trails, Roads and Migration Routes". Freepages. March 1, 2013.
- David Ray Smith (March 1, 2018). "Historic Trails". Tennessee Encyclopedia. Tennessee Historical Society.
- "Cumberland Gap". Misplaced Pages. November 14, 2024.
- Christ Hill (June 23, 2022). "Highway See: Stagecoach Roads to Interstates in Tennessee" (Podcast). Retrieved Dec 1, 2024.
- "Hale Springs Inn". Misplaced Pages. June 29, 2024.
- Christ Hill (June 23, 2022). "Highway See: Stagecoach Roads to Interstates in Tennessee" (Podcast). Retrieved Dec 1, 2024.
  | This article relating to the history of the United States is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |