Hiwasee River Heritage Center visitors read panels detailing the impact of the Civil War on the area. In the background hangs a large painting by renowned historical artist Don Troiani, depicting Union Gen. William T. Sherman as he departs the Henegar House, a Charleston landmark. Sherman used the home as a one of his headquarters during military operations in East Tennessee in late 1863.CHARLESTON, Tenn. – On Friday, the Hiwassee River Heritage Center – the product of the Charleston-Calhoun-Hiwassee Historical Society’s two-year journey to create a site dedicated to preserving the region’s history and culture – held its grand opening.
Inside the center, visitors packed in to review panels that interpret the impact of natural resources, the Cherokee Nation, the Civil War and industrialization on the area. Outside, nearly a hundred people gathered in the afternoon sun to celebrate the center’s creation and future.
“This is a story of heroes, because it began with the Cherokees who were gathered here under the watchful eye of the federal government to force them to leave their homeland and go west,” said Dr. Carroll Van West. He is executive director of Middle Tennessee State University’s Center for Historic Preservation, which partnered with the historical society to launch the center.
The story of Fort Cass, which was in the Charleston area and was a headquarters for Cherokee removal operations in the late 1830s, is “one of the most nationally significant stories we have in Tennessee,” West said.
The Hiwassee River Heritage Center is an educational tool for residents and visitors, said Melissa Woody, vice president of the convention and visitors bureau of the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce. It will function as a welcome center and a gateway to other regional historic sites.