| H'haid's Corner: About that big log cabin |
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By: Posted by Mike West
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Think of this as a historical footnote to the news reports about the series of tornadoes that caused so much tragedy this week in Tennessee.
You may have read/seen the news about significant damage to Wynnewood, a historic structure in the Castalian Springs community in Sumner County. The building, the largest extant log cabin in Tennessee, dates back to 1828, according to the Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture. It was constructed as a stage coach inn between Nashville and Knoxville and was known for its mineral springs, which still exist as well.
The huge log inn survived the Civil War with troops from both North and South visiting it to see the stump of a famous sycamore tree … famous because of Bigfoot.
No, not the Bigfoot, Sasquatch, of legend.
They wanted to visit the spot where famous backwoodsman, Thomas S. “Big foot” Spencer, lived when he became the first permanent white settler in what would later be Tennessee. Spencer spent the winter of 1778-79 in the hollow of that giant sycamore.
Spencer, a huge, powerful man, followed … so to speak … in the footsteps of Virginia long hunter Issac Bledsoe, who first discovered the salt lick and mineral springs in 1722.
Issac was also followed by his brother, Anthony Bledsoe, a surveyor, soldier and soon to be leader of the Cumberland communities.
Life was hard on the frontier. Despite building a fort, Anthony was killed by Indians, as was his brother, Issac, his two sons, his nephew and his two brothers in law.
Native Americans, naturally had first discovered the springs and salt lick. Two easily accessible Indian mounds are located near the lick, which attracted deer, elk and other game even back into prehistory.
We just wanted to let you know something about that big log cabin.
Naturally, Wynnewood (and Castalian Springs) is closed while the tornado clean up continues.
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