National Register of Historic Places

Toqua Site

Vonore, Monroe County, Tennessee
Listed
November 16, 1978
Type
Site
Period
Listed
Ref No.
78002618

About this property

Toqua (Cherokee: ᏙᏉ, romanized: Toquo) was a prehistoric and historic Native American site in Monroe County, Tennessee, located in the Southeastern Woodlands. Toqua was the site of a substantial ancestral town that thrived during the Mississippian period (1000-1600 CE). Toqua had a large earthwork 25-foot (7.6 m) platform mound built by the town's Mississippian-era inhabitants, in addition to a second, smaller mound. The site's Mississippian occupation may have been recorded by the Spanish as the village of Tali, which was documented in 1540 by the Hernando de Soto expedition. It was later known as the Overhill Cherokee town Toqua, and this name was applied to the archeological site. In 1967 an archeological survey was conducted at this site prior to completion of the Tellico Dam, as that project would result in Toqua's inundation by Tellico Lake. The Toqua site was important as one of the last remaining Dallas-phase platform mound sites in the valley. In 1978 the archeological site was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 1979 the Toqua site was submerged after the Little Tennessee River was dammed. The lake is managed by the Tennessee Valley Authority. The shoreline above the Toqua site is now a recreational area managed by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency.

Location

Vonore, Monroe County, Tennessee

Categories

PREHISTORICHISTORIC - ABORIGINAL
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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Everything a full report reveals about Toqua Site

This page lists Toqua Site. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
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
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Questions about this property

When was Toqua Site listed on the National Register?

Toqua Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 16, 1978.

What type of historic resource is Toqua Site?

Toqua Site is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Toqua Site?

The period of significance for Toqua Site is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Toqua Site?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Toqua Site will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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