When I was a student growing up in East Tennessee, one of my favorite places to take a class trip was the small town we're showcasing today. Established in 1779 almost two decades before Tennessee was granted statehood, Jonesborough is known as the oldest town in the state.
At the time, this was the western frontier settled by folks from Virginia and North Carolina. By the mid-1780s, it had become a capital city for the autonomous short-lived State of Franklin. It existed just under five years more as a republic and was never admitted into the union by Congress. The Lost State of Franklin became a footnote in American history.
During the early 1800s, Jonesborough became an epicenter for the movement to end slavery. An influential, widely-circulated newspaper that became known as The Emancipator was published in a building that once stood on Main Street. It was the first American periodical dedicated exclusively to the issue of abolition.
Local preservation efforts over the last century have managed to maintain the early American look and vibe of this small town of just under 6,000 residents. A few buildings still stand from the late 1700s. Jonesborough has become a destination for heritage tourism attracting people from all over the world who admire the architecture and want a glimpse into a bygone era.
On this episode, Chad Gallivanter highlights the top 10 things to see and do in Jonesborough, Tennessee’s Oldest Town.
#Jonesborough #Tennessee #OldestTown
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