Blythe Ferry
National Register of Historic Places

Blythe Ferry

Birchwood, Meigs County, Tennessee
Listed
January 5, 1983
Type
Site
Period
Civil War
Ref No.
83003055

About this property

Blythe Ferry was a ferry across the Tennessee River in Meigs County, Tennessee, United States. In 1838, the ferry served as a gathering point and crossing for the Cherokee Removal, commonly called the Trail of Tears, in which thousands of Cherokee were forced to move west to Oklahoma from their homeland in the southeastern United States. While the ferry no longer exists, the ferry site is now part of the Cherokee Trail of Tears State Park, which was dedicated in 2005 and established as a state park in 2026. The park comprises a section of the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge, which is managed by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

Location

Birchwood, Meigs County, Tennessee
35.40960, -85.01540

Categories

TRANSPORTATIONNATIVE AMERICANEXPLORATION/SETTLEMENTMILITARYSOCIAL HISTORYPOLITICS/GOVERNMENT
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
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Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
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Nearby Historic Sites

Blythe Ferry (Boundary Increase)
Civil War
0.4 mi
Cowan, James, House
Industrial
5.1 mi
Broyles-Darwin House
Civil War
5.2 mi
Thomison, Dr. Walter, House
Industrial
5.3 mi
First Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church
Industrial
5.8 mi

Nearby Battles

Skirmish at Decatur, Tennessee
1863Civil War
14.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Blythe Ferry listed on the National Register?

Blythe Ferry was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 5, 1983.

What type of historic resource is Blythe Ferry?

Blythe Ferry is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Blythe Ferry?

The period of significance for Blythe Ferry is recorded as the civil_war era, specifically around 1838.

Can I research the history near Blythe Ferry?

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