Comprehesive Management Plan

OVERMOUNTAIN VICTORY
NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL
COMPREHENSIVE MANAGEMENT PLAN
National Park Service
United States Department of the Interior
August 1982

I. INTRODUCTION

Purpose and Scope of Work

In 1978, Congress amended the National Trails System Act of October 2, 1968 (16 U.S.C. 1241 et. seq.) to give the Department of the Interior responsibility for studying the feasibility and desirability of including the Overmountain Victory Trail as a national scenic or historic trail in the National Trails System. The National Park Service issued an abbreviated draft feasibility report finding that the Overmountain Victory Trail qualified as a national historic trail but not as a national scenic trail. On September 8, 1980, before a final report could
be issued, Congress passed an Act to Improve the Administration of the Historic Sites, Buildings, and Antiquities Act of 1935 (94 Stat. 113) and to amend Section 5(a) of the National Trails System Act by establishing the Overmountain Victory trail as a national historic trail.

The route of the Overmountain Victory Trail is approximately 313 miles long and traverses portions of North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The purpose of its designation as a national historic trail is "the identification and protection of the historic route and its historic remnants and artifacts for public use and enjoyment" (Section 3 (c), National Trails System Act). This report is prepared pursuant to Section 5(c) of the National Trails System Act, as amended, which requires a comprehensive plan for the management and use of the trail. The Act directs the comprehensive plan to include:

1. Specific objectives and practices to be observed in the management of the trail; including the identification of all significant natural, historical and cultural resources to be preserved; details of anticipated cooperative agreements to be a consummated with state and local governmental agencies or private organizations; and
2. the process to be followed by the Secretary of the Interior to implement the marking requirements of the Act.

In accordance with the National Trails System Act, it is expected that trail related efforts will be a partnership effort among federal, state, and local agencies, and private interests. Accordingly this report outlines a procedural and management framework for the pursuit of joint efforts. The report also identifies the official historic route and recommends general developments and actions by affected agencies. Detailed planning and implementation will be the responsibility of public and private land managers along the trail route.

Legislative Constraints

Selected provisions of the National Trails System Act that influence planning and implementation are discussed below. The Act and a complete excerpt of legislative provisions pertaining to national historic trails are included in Appendices A and B. The National Trails System Act, as amended, provides for designated national historic trails whose developed or established trail segments may be disconnected. Only those segments on existing federal lands are established as the initial federally protected components of the national historic trail. Segments on non-federal lands may be certified by the Secretary of the Interior as additional federally protected components, provided that they are administered by non-federal
interests at no expense to the federal government. Public roads congruent or parallel to the historic route may be marked as part of the authorized trail. It is the intent of the legislation that no appropriated federal funds be used to acquire lands along the designated trail.

II. TRAIL HISTORY AND ANALYSIS

This section briefly discusses the history and the official primary route of the Overmountain Victory Trail, the methodology used in identifying the specific historic route, and the trail resource in its historical and modern day contexts.

HISTORIC OVERVIEW

The Overmountain Victory Trail commemorates the route used by upcountry patriots in their march to Kings Mountain, South Carolina, where on October 7, 1780, they defeated Loyalist forces, marking a turning point in the Revolutionary War.

The American Revolution had been in progress 5 years when England found itself stalemated in the the northern colonies and turned its military strategy toward conquest of the South. British General Charles Cornwallis had defeated a large American army at Charleston in May of 1780. Convinced that southern Whigs would flock in droves to the Loyalist camp if British strength were shown, Cornwallis ordered British Colonel Patrick Ferguson to foray into the Carolinas to recruit followers to the King's cause.Thus in the surrrner of 1780, Ferguson and his regiment of American Loyalists (who had also been recruited in New York and New Jersey) began to hunt out and harrass 11rebels 11 who continued to resist British authority.
Ferguson ranged up and down the Carolina upcountry all summer long engaging in small military actions with patriot militia regiments of 11 overmountain 11 men and patriots from east of the mountains and the piedmont of South Carolina. The overmountain men hailed from valleys west of the Alleghenies around the headwaters of the Watauga, Holston,and Nolichucky Rivers in the present States of North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. They were hardy people who had established remote little settlements a few years before in the frontier, independent of Royal domination of the eastern colonies. In the late summer of 1780, the overmountain men retired to their homes to rest and strengthen their forces before having another go at Ferguson. Cornwallis, in the meanwhile had devised a strategy with which he hoped to sweep the South and carry the war into Virginia to crush the American revolution. Cornwallis ordered a three pronged attack through the Carolinas--his right wing to the east would march through the coast to secure supply lines; Cornwallis would command
the main army in the center and drive through North Carolina to Virginia; and the western wing commanded by Colonel Ferguson would protect Cornwallis from the feisty overmountai n men. It was a strategy designed in bold confidence inasmuch as the American Continental Army had suffered many important and disappointing defeats and morale was low. Thus it was in late September of 1780 that Ferguson sent a message to the backwater men, as he called them, promising that "if they did not desist from their opposition to the British arms, he would march his army over the mountains, hang their leaders, and lay their country waste with fire and sword."

The overmountain men could not resist this challenge. Rather in late September of 1780, they took the initiative and gathered under Colonels Charles McDowell, John Sevier, Isaac Shelby, and William Campbell at Sycamore Shoals on the Watauga River in the present day State of Tennessee. They marched southward over the Blue Ridge Mountains and into
the warmer climate of the upper Catawba River valley of the Piedmont. There they were met by additional patriot militia forces from the east under Colonels Joseph Winston and Benjamin Cleveland of Wilkes and Surry Counties, North Carolina. They proceeded south to find that Ferguson ha fled Gilbert Town, a small hamlet near the present city of Rutherfordton, North Carolina. Aided by intelligence from South Carolina patriots, the overmountain men marched to Cowpens in South Carolina where they were joined by South Carolina troops under Colonels James Williams, William Hill, and Edward Lacey. From there the best and ablest among them pushed on through night and rain to reach Kings Mountain, South Carolina, on October 7, 1780.Here they found Ferguson and his Loyalist regiment of 1,100 men. At 3 o'clock that afternoon the battle began. When it was over, the overmountain men had killed Ferguson and soundly defeated his Loyalist troops.

Thomas Jefferson later called the Battle of Kings Mountain "The turn of the tide to success." As news of the victory spread, it revived the flagging patriot spirits and gave them confidence that they could win. The patriot victory delayed Cornwallis' plan for 3 months and allowed the Continental Army to organize a new offensive in the South. In December of 1780, General Nathaniel Greene replaced General Horatio Gates as Continental Army commander of the Southern Department and seized the military initiative in the Carolinas.
Cornwallis never regained the initiative in the South before he was forced to surrender at Yorktown, Virginia, a year later. Thus the Battle of Kings Mountain was a significant turning point leading to ultimate patriot victory in the American Revolutionary War.

OFFICIAL PRIMARY ROUTE

The march to Kings Mountain in South Carolina was a one-time historical event encompassing a period of 14 days more than 200 years ago. Little authoritative information remains to establish the exact route of the patriots. Also, the initial force of overmountain men
was joined by additional volunteers all along the route to Kings Mountain. Thus there are many feeder routes from local mustering sites to rendezvous points along the primary route. However, the official designated Overmountain Victory Trail focuses on the primary
southward route taken through Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina to Kings Mountain, South Carolina.

The official route is generally prescribed by the National Trails System Act: "from the mustering point near Abingdon, Virginia, to Sycamore Shoals (near Elizabethton, Tennessee); from Sycamore Shoals to Quaker Meadows (near Morganton, North Carolina); from the
mustering point in Surry County, North Carolina, to Quaker Meadows; and from Quaker Meadows to Kings Mountain, South Carolina" as depicted in the draft feasibility study report prepared by the National Park Service. The general route is reproduced from the
draft feasability report as the General Historic Route Map of this report.

To identify the historic route, the study team relied on the 1881 account of the march by historian Lyman C. Draper in Kings Mountain and its Heroes. Draper's work and supporting manuscripts represent the only available source of primary authoritative research on the
march route. However, Draper only identifies certain points on the trail. A chronology of major march locations appears in Table l. Other trail segments are the subject of conjecture. Such segments were plotted by the study team after consulting old maps of the territory and considering suitability of terrain for passage of an army. Many people in the study area, including local historians and descendants of battle participants, furnished valuable information on the location of historical road and trail traces. The detailed route identified is, therefore, considered the most probable historic route of the overmountain men based on authoritative research and terrain conditions.

The detailed historic route shown in Appendix C will serve as the official primary route of the Overmountain Victory Trail. Together with guidelines in this report, the official route will provide the basis for potential future establishment of trails within a one mile
planning corridor of the official primary route. The official historic route may be amended if new evidence warrants such change. Identification of the official primary route does not preclude the use of more convenient routes for reenactment purposes.

TABLE 1 CHRONOLOGY

September 12, 1780: Skirmish at Bedford Hill in North Carolina between troops
under Col. Charles McDowell and British Major Patrick Ferguson inspires the overmountainexpedition.
September 24 1780: Various overmountain troops from Nolichucky, Holston, and Watauga settlements muster and camp near the South Fork of the Holston River and at Rocky Mount.
September 25 1780: Overmountain men under Colonels William Campbell, Isaac Shelby, John Sevier, and Charles McDowell rendezvous and overnight at Sycamore Shoals on the Watauga River
September 26 1780: Overmountain troops camp at Shelving Rock near Roan and Yellow Mountains.
September 27 1780. Overmountain men reach Roaring Creek campsite. Troops under patriot Colonels Benjamin Cleveland and Joseph Winston proceed southward along Yadkin River to meet with initial overmountain force from over the Blue Ridge Mountains.
September 28 1780: Overmountain troops reach Grassy Creek campsite on the North Toe River.
September 29 1780: Overmountain troops split at Gillespie Gap in Blue Ridge
Mountains. Troops under Col. William Campbell proceed to Turkey Cove; remainder continue to North Cove. Troops under Colonels Cleveland and Winston reach Fort Crider.
September 30, 1780: Overmountain men rendezvous with Winston and Cleveland's troops at Quaker Meadows on the Catawba River.
October 1-2, 1780: Overmountain men reach head of Cane Creek and stay two nights due to hard driving rain. Col. Campbell of Virginia is elected chief commander.
October 3, 1780: Overmountain men camp near Andrews place on Cane Creek.
October 4, 1780: Overmountain troops reach mouth of Cane Creek and learn that British Colonel Patrick Ferguson has retreated from nearby Gilbert Town.
October 5, 1780: Overmountain troops reach Alexander's Ford of Green River.
Col. Edward Lacey of South Carolina meets them and provides intelligence on Ferguson's whereabouts. A number of weary men left behind at Green River. Of the 1400 troops reaching Alexander's Ford, about 700 of the best-armed and bestmounted pushed on in search of Ferguson.
October 6, 1780: Overmountain troops rendezvous with South Carolina militia
forces under Colonels Hill, Lacey, Williams, and Graham at Cowpens in South Carolina. Nine hundred horsemen and a squad of footmen selected to continue pursuit of Ferguson.
October 7, 1780: Battle of Kings Mountain.

THE TRAIL TODAY

The Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail passes through a four state area encompassing the eastern Appalachian and western Piedmont regions. Agriculture and the manufacture of textiles, furniture, and lumber products dominate the area, but mining and tourism also play a significant role in the northwest section of the trail. In 1980 approximately 3.7 million people lived within a 1-hour's drive of some portion of the historic route and by 2000 the population is expected to grow to 4.6 million. Metropolitan cities
of the region include Bristol, Virginia-Tennessee; Kingsport, Tennessee; Asheville, Charlotte, Gastonia, and Statesville, North Carolina; and Greenville and Spartanburg, South Carolina. Major highways linking points along the historic route include Interstates 85 and 40; and U.S. Highways llE, 19E, 64, 74, 221, 321, and 421.

The 1980 population in the 14 counties immediate to the historic route was 850,000 people. Principal towns along the route and their 1970 populations (1980 data not yet available) are: Abingdon (4,376), Virginia; Elizabethton (12,269), Tennessee; Morganton (13,625),
Lenoir (14,705), North Wilkesboro (3,358), Wilkesboro (1,974), and Rutherfordton (3,247) North Carolina; and Gaffney (13,253), South Carolina.

Only about 10 miles, or about 3 percent, of the approximately 310 mile long historic route lies on federal lands. These miles are divided among disjunct segments which range in length from 3 miles to less than a mile. These segments involve lands of the Cherokee
National Forest in Tennessee, Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina, Cowpens National Battlefield and Kings Mountain National Military Park in South Carolina, Blue Ridge Parkway and W. Kerr Scott Reservoir in North Carolina. The route also crosses rights-of-way
associated with the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina and Tennessee.

On non-federal lands the historic route passes through contrasting scenes of urban and agricultural developments, highways, railroads, and forested mountains. About 60 percent of the route is overlain by modern roads and active railroads and there are no roadless overland (natural area) miles on the historic route of a length sufficient to sustain a full day's walk. There are, however, several opportunities for short, discontinuous trail segments linking to the historic route. Non-federal public lands along the route are found in
Tennessee and include Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area, Roan Mountain State Park, and a small riverside city park in Bluff City. Table 2 below summarizes land ownership along the historic route. Public road rights-of-way have been excluded.

Table 2
Historical remnants relating to the Overmountain Victory Trail include two traces of road ruts extending about 75 feet in combined length, a number of graves, five structures, and numerous area locations. No artifacts relating to the 1780 march have been
authenticated. There are a total of 38 historic sites identified in the study corridor. Many of these relate only indirectly to the 1780 historical event. For this reason, these sites are not on the historic route.

Table 3 below summarizes the number of historical sites and segments by state and their ownership.

Table 3
Brief descriptions of the historic route in each state follow.

Virginia
In Virginia the trail passes through Washington County--Congressional District No. 9. The route begins in Abingdon at a muster site on Wolf Creek and moves southward through the Great Knobs and into the Watauga and Holston Valleys east of the Tennessee Valley Authority's South Holston Lake. Only 1 mile of the 11.5 miles in Virginia is not overlain by a modern public road.

Tennessee
In Tennessee the route passes through Sullivan and Carter Counties-Congressional District No. 1. Elizabethton is a major city along the route. The route proceeds southward through the Holston Valley and across the South Fork Holston River at Bluff City, Tennessee. The route then veers southeastward through steep forested slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains and past scattered valley farmlands and houses to Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area in Elizabethton. The course continues south of Elizabethton through Roan Mountain State Park and past private farms before crossing a 1/2-mile section of the Cherokee National Forest on the Tennessee - North Carolina line. About 38.5 miles of the 42.5 total miles in Tennessee, or over 90 percent of the route, is overlain by modern public roads.

North Carolina
In North Carolina the route passes through Avery, Mitchell, McDowell, Surry, Wilkes, Caldwell, Burke, Rutherford, and Polk Counties-Congressional Districts Nos. 5, 10, and 11. Major cities along the route include: North Wilkesboro, Wilkesboro, Lenoir, Morganton, and Rutherfordton. The route in North Carolina assumes a general "Y" shape with segments extending from the North Carolina state line in Avery County to Morganton, from the Surry County western boundary to Morganton, and from Morganton to the state line in Rutherford County. About 43 percent of the route in North Carolina is overlain by modern public roads or active railroads.

The route proceeds from the North Carolina-Tennessee state line in Avery County through a small section (about 1 mile) of the Pisgah National Forest over Yellow Mountain, crossing the Appalachian National Scenic Trail within the forest. The trail proceeds through
private lands and across the Blue Ridge Parkway at Gillespie Gap, where the trail splits. The western and eastern routes continue through the Blue Ridge Mountains, with the eastern leg crossing a 2.5-mile section of the Pisgah National Forest over Linville
Mountain. The trail rejoins in the area of Duke Power Company's Lake James, a hydroelectric and recreational reservoir. The trail continues eastward from Lake James to Quaker Meadows, a floodplain area on the Catawba River in western Morganton.

The eastern fork of the Overmountain Victory Trail begins at Elkin in Surry County, North Carolina, and continues along the north bank of the Yadkin River through Wilkesboro and North Wilkesboro, North Carolina. The trail passes through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' W. Kerr Scott Reservoir, a lake available for public recreation and other purposes. The route then proceeds southward through Lenoir, North Carolina, to Quaker Meadows in Morganton. The route in the eastern fork is dominantly rural with railroads and highways closely following much of the trail. From Quaker Meadows in western Morganton, North Carolina, the route proceeds southward through farmlands and small roadside communities. The trail passes in the vicinty of Pilot's Mountain and Marlin's Knob, two landmark elevations in Burke, McDowell, and Rutherford Counties. The trail moves southward through Rutherfordton, to the North Carolina-South Carolina state line northwest of Chesnee, South Carolina.

South Carolina
In South Carolina, the trail passes through Spartanburg and Cherokee Counties--Congressional District Nos. 4 and 5. Principal cities along the route include Gaffney and Chesnee, South Carolina. The trail proceeds from the North Carolina-South Carolina state line through Chesnee and into Cowpens National Battlefield Site. The trail proceeds eastward through level Piedmont farmlands and through Gaffney to Kings Mountain National Military Park. Forty-one of the 45 total miles in South Carolina, or over 90 percent of the route, is overlain by modern public roads.

Related Resources

The following describes 34 non-federal historical resources which are directly or indirectly related to the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail. Federal historical resources related to the trail are discussed in Part III, The Plan.

Virginia
Gravesite of Colonel William Campbell . Colonel William Campbell led over 400 militia troops from Washington County, Virginia, and was chief commander of all the patriot forces at the Battle of Kings Mountain. This gravesite is designated a Virginia Historical Landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Commemorative plaques for each of these designations are to be mounted on the stone wall surrounding the cemetery. A marker at the grave relates Colonel Campbell's significance to the Battle of Kings Mountain. No further commemoration is recommended.

This site is located at Colonel Campbell's home site in the Aspenvale cemetery off VA. S.R. 642 at the Community of Seven Mile Ford (U.S.G.S. 7.5' Chilhowie, VA map). Access is via S.R. 642 and a public right-of-way along a gravel road to the cemetery. Ownership: private. Management responsibility: The Masonic Order of Marion, Virginia, in cooperation with the Historical Society of Washington County, Virginia, and private owner.

Craig's Meadows, also known as Dunn's Meadows, was the muster site for the Washington County, Virginia, militia on their way to Kings Mountain. The site is a picturesque grassy meadow through which a branch of Wolf Creek flows. This historical setting should be
maintained in its present form. An interpretive historical marker should be placed on the road fronting the site. The site is located at 702 Colonial Road, S.W. in Abingdon, Virginia (U.S.G.S. 7.5 1 Abingdon, VA map). Ownership: private. Management responsibility: The
Historical Society of Washington County, Virginia in cooperation with private owner.

Tennessee
Pemberton Oak. This massive oak was a mustering point for additional men coming to join the overmountain patriot forces. The oak is still standing and is thought to be over 500 years old. The oak is on the National Register of Historic Places. A D.A.R. commemorative plaque is embedded in its trunk. This site is located on Pemberton Road near the intersection of U.S. Highway 421 and TN S.R. 44 about 9 miles east of Bristol, Tennessee, in Sullivan County (U.S.G.S 7.5 1 Holston Valley, TN-VA map). Ownership: private. Management responsibility: Sullivan County HistoricalSociety in cooperation with private owner.

Fort Womack. This was once the site of a fort used to protect the overmountain people from Indian attacks. No historical remmants of the fort remain and the site is now in pasture. A state historical marker interpreting the site is located on Weaver Pike Road 1 mile northeast of Island Park. The actual historic site lies 2.2 miles north of the U.S. Highway 19 bridge at Bluff City on Silver Grove Road in Sullivan County (U.S.G.S 7.5 1 Keenburg, TN map). Ownership: private. Management responsibility: Tennessee Historical Commission.

Choates Ford. This was the ford used by the overmountain men across the South Holston River on the old Watauga Road that led from Abingdon, Virginia to Sycamore Shoals. A state historical marker is located on the unnamed main street which follows the river through Bluff City, Tennessee. The ford site is now covered somewhat by waters from the mTennessee Valley Authority's South Holston Lake. Bluff City operates a city park about 200 yards downstream of Choates Ford in the sandy floodplain of the South Fork Holston River. It is recommended that the city work with the Tennessee Historical Commission to develop an interpretive historical marker to erect at the city park. This would rnake residents more aware of the historical importance of Choates Ford to the Overmountain Victory route. Ownership and management responsibility: city of Bluff City, Tennessee.

Rocky Mount Museum. This site was the home of William Cobb and also the site of the first capitol of the Territory of the United States South of the River Ohio. Tradition relates that William Cobb, a man of substance in the community, outfitted over 900 of the overmountain men with bacon, horses, bullets, and slave labor for their journey to Kings Mountain. Likewise, it is thought that this group of overmountain men camped here on September 24, 1780. William Cobb 1s son, Pharoah, participated in the Battle of Kings Mountain. Many of the principal men of the area, including John Sevier, William Campbell, and Isaac Shelby--all leaders in the Kings Mountain battle--had occasion to visit the Cobb home. Between 1790 and 1792, the site was capitol of the Southwest Territory and the Cobb home was on the old stage coach road that led from Abingdon, Virginia.

Today the Cobb home, also known as the Cobb-Massengill home, has been beautifully restored. Built in 1770, it is a two story log home with nine rooms. Outlying buildings include a newly built log kitchen. The complex boasts a museum and new visitors center with displays illustrating the history of the area, methods of making gun powder, and other historical aspects. Three interpretive exhibits on the overmountain men and the historic march and battle will be included. The 13-acre museum complex is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Rocky Mount is located off U.S. Highway llE about 1.9 miles southwest of Piney Flats, Tennessee, in Sullivan County (U.S.G.S. 7.5 1 Bluff City, TN map). Ownership and management responsibility: Tennessee Historical Commission in cooperation with Rocky Mount Historical Association.

Fort Watauga Historic Site. Fort Watauga was an outpost against Indian attacks for settlers in the Watauga region. The original historic site is commemorated by a D.A.R. stone monument with an interpretive marker on a small steeply banked hill. The site is overgrown with vegetation and in need of landscape maintenance. Surrounded hy residential and commercial development, the site is too small and steep to lend itself to recreational or further interpretive use. However, the grounds should be maintained. The site is located on the corner of Monument Place and West G Street in Elizbethton, Tennessee (U.S.G.S. 7.5 1 Johnson City, TN map). Ownership and management responsibility: City of Elizabethton, Tennessee.

Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area.Sycamore Shoals, on the Watauga River was the major appointed rendezvous site for upcountry patriot forces on September 25, 1780. It was here that an estimated 1,100 men gathered under the commands of Colonel William Campbell, Colonel Isaac Shelby, Lt. Colonel John Sevier, and Major Joseph McDowell. Syacamore Shoals is also significant as the site of the 1775 Transylvania purchase from the Cherokee Indians;as the first permanent American settlement outside the 13 original
colonies; and as the site where in 1772 the Watauga Association--the first majority rule system of American democratic government--was formed. The historic complex includes a visitor center, a reconstruction of Fort Watauga, a short scenic loop trail along the banks of the Watauga River, and picnic facilities. The visitor center includes an exhibit on the overmountain victory march and a film on the overmountain people.

The historic complex has the potential for being the state's major interpretive facility and visitor center for information on the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail. Interpretive exhibits more accurately showing the historic route with expanded identification
of pertinent historic sites are recommended. Additional exhibits on trail segments and on the history of the area during the Revolutionary War period would be appropriate. Also, it is recommended that a scenic easement be obtained to protect the background view of reconstructed Fort Watauga. Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area is on the National Register of Historic Places. The area is located on U.S. Highway 321 on the western edge of Elizabethton, Tennessee (U.S.G.S 7.5 1 Johnson City, TN map). Ownership
and management responsibility: Tennessee Division of Parks and Recreation.

Shelving Rock. On September 26, 1780, the army of overmountain men made camp near this rock and used the shelter of its overhanging ledge to store their powder, meal, and other supplies. This rock ledge, also know as "the Resting Place", measures about 14 feet wide and about 10 feet above the ground and is enveloped in the side of a hill. A D.A.R. historical marker commemorates the site. Shelving Rock is located on a bend of S.R. 143 within Roan Mountain State Park about 1 mile south of the Roan Mountain community in Carter County, Tennessee (U.S.G.S 7.5 1 White Rocks Mountain, TN-NC map). Ownership and management responsibility: Tennessee Division of Parks and Recreation.

Roan Mountain State Park. The probable historic route of the overmountain army traverses this state park. The park consists of 2,104 acres with cabins, campgrounds, picnic areas, four short day-use trails, and swimming and tennis facilities. The park exhibits the
world 1s largest natural stand of rhododendron on the summit and slopes of Roan Mountain (Roan High Knob outside state park boundary: elevation 6,285 ft.m.s. l.). Roan Mountain is listed on the National Register of Natural Landmarks. A stone monument at the entrance to the park's visitor center commemorates the victory of the overmountain men. It is recommended that portions of the park's existing trails be considered for certification as part of the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail. These existing trail portions should be selected on the basis of proximity to the probable historic route and possible linkage with potentially certifiable foot and/or horse trails outside the park boundaries.

Roan Mountain State Park is located on S.R. 143 about 2 miles south of the community of Roan Mountain and about 20 miles southeast of Elizabethton in Carter county, Tennessee (U.S.G.S. 7.5 1 White Rocks Mountain, TN-NC). Ownership and management responsibility: Tennessee Department of Conservation.

North Carolina
Bright's Trace. On September 27-28, 1780, the overmountain men's journey followed a local footpath called Bright'ss Trace across Yellow Mountain and Roan Mountain down Roaring Creek and the North Toe River to the place of a settler named Bright. According to Lyman C.Draper's Kings Mountain and Its Heroes, the trace followed a gap between Yellow and Roan Mountains and descended into Elk Hollow and thence along Roaring Creek, a tributary of the North Toe River. Draper says that in traversing the mountain, they marched through snow "shoe mouth deep" and reached "the Bald Place" or "Bald of the Yellow," a large grassy spot where they paraded and ate. Here it was also discovered that two of Sevier's men had deserted. Suspecting they had gone to forewarn the enemy, the overmountain men switched to a new, more northerly route for their journey. While the complete path of the trace is unknown, a marker commemorates the route. The marker is located at the intersection of US Highway 19E and S.R. 1132 near the confluence of Roaring Creek and the North Toe River (U.S.G.S. 7.5 1 Carver's Gap, NC-TN maps). Ownership: private. Commemorative management responsibility: North Carolina Department of Archives and History in cooperation with Avery County Historical Society.

Roaring Creek historic campsite. On September 27, 1980, the overmountain men made camp "at a fine spring flowing into Roaring Creek," according to historian Lyman C. Draper. The campsite is thought to be located on Yellow Mountain off S.R. 1132, a gravel road
which follows Roaring Creek (U.S.G.S. 7.5 1 Carver's Gap, NC-TN map). A deteriorated D.A.R. marker commemorates the site. It is recommended a new commemorative marker be placed at the site. Ownership: private. Commemorative management responsibility: Avery County Historical Society.
Old Yellow Mountain Road section in Avery County. The overmountain men most probably used the route of the old Yellow Mountain Trail to negotiate the mountainous terrain in present day North Carolina. The Yellow Mountain trail was the earliest connecting link between the Piedmont and the Watauga settlement. Only two traces of the old Yellow Mountain Trail are visible today. One visible set of road ruts can be seen off U.S. Highway 19E in Avery County about 4.4 miles northeast of Spruce Pine, North Carolina (U.S.G.S. 7.5 1 Spruce Pine, NC map). These ruts extend about 50 feet up a moderate slope in a northwesterly direction not far from the edge of US Highway 19E. Private homes and a store fronting along US Highway 19E impede access to the historic ruts. A marker commemorating the Yellow Mountain Trail is located on the highway edge less than 100 feet south of the ruts.

Steps should be taken to provide public access to these rare trail traces. A narrow public right-of-way to the ruts from US Highway 19E and a public parking space could be acquired through lease or purchase. Interpretive signing at the ruts and care for the immediately
surrounding vegetation should be included in preservation efforts. Extensive mining operations at beginning of the historic ruts have a negative impact on the historic scene.

Interpretive signs should relate the historical importance of the trail to the area's early development and also its use by the overmountain men journeying to Kings Mountain. It is recommended that the Avery County Historical Society cooperate with the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources and private owners to make the site available to the public.

Davenport Springs. On September 28, 1780, the army of overmountain men made their way to Davenport's place where they rested at noon by the spring there. It is said that a sword was found at the spring around 1850 and it is thought that this was lost by one of the overmountain men. While the whereabouts of the sword are unknown, the spring is located on private land about 4.0 miles northeast of Spruce Pine, North Carolina in Avery County (U.S.G.S. 7.5' Linville Falls, NC map).

The spring issues from underneath the shade of a tree in the midst of leased farmland owned by the Harris Mining Company. The spring needs to be cleaned out. The site is accessed from U.S. Highway 19E about 100 yards north of US 19E bridge over the North Toe River via a private gravel road, a dirt road, and then by foot across cultivated land for about 1.1 miles. Due to its private ownership and the nature of the land use, it would be difficult to make this site accessible to the general public. Interested groups could
achieve access to the site through agreement with the owner. Ownership and management responsibility: Harris Mining Company.

Captain Robert Sevier's Grave Site. Captain Robert Sevier, brother of Lt. Colonel John Sevier of the Nolichucky and Holston settlements, commanded a militia company at the Battle of Kings Mountain. Mortally wounded during the battle, Robert Sevier died on the journey home and was buried on October 16, 1780, near the southern Bright's Place on the North Toe River. The grave site is thought to be located not far from Davenport Springs on Harris Mining Company land 4.0 miles northeast of Spruce Pine, North Carolina (U.S.G.S. 7.5 1 Spruce Pine, NC map). The grave is accessed via a private gravel and dirt road 100 yards north of the U.S. Highway 19E bridge over the North Toe River and then by foot across cultivated land.

A D.A.R. stone marker locates the grave amid a small cluster of unmarked graves in a wood thickett. The grave has been vandalized by diggers. The grave site should be further researched to determine its authenticity and to verify its contents. Protection is needed to
prevent further vandalism. The site is also in need of grounds maintenance.

Due to the area's private ownership and the extensive crop land around the site, general public access to the grave would be difficult. The immediate area does not lend itself to recreational or interpretive visitor use. Individual and group access by interested parties should be arranged through agreement with the owner. It is recommended that the Avery County Historical Society work with the North Carolina Division of Archives and History and private owners to preserve the site.

Cathey's plantation--Grassy Creek historic campsite. This site, also known as Cathey's plantation and later Cathey's mill, is where the overmountain men camped on September 28, 1780. Located near the mouth of Grassy Creek on the south bank of the North Toe River, the site is about 0.9 miles south of Spruce Pine, North Carolina (U.S.G.S. Spruce Pine, NC map) and is accessed via an unpaved road off State Highway 226. A commemorative marker should be placed near the site on State Highway 226 to inform the interested public of its historical significance. Ownership: private. Management responsibility: North Carolina Division of Archives and History.

Turkey Cove campsite. Having split its forces at Gillespie Gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains, part of the overmountain army made its way to the place of a Henry Gillespie and Colonel William Wofford's fort in Turkey Cove, the name of the bottomland area of Armstrong Creek, a tributary of the North Fork Catawba River. Under the command of Colonel William Campbell, this contingent had sought to gain intelligence from Henry Gillespie. They made camp on September 29, 1780, at William Wofford's fort. While the exact site of the camp is unknown, a marker may be placed near the intersection of U.S. Highway 221 and N.C. Highway 226 in the vicinity of Armstrong Creek to commemorate the site (U.S.G.S. 7.5 1 Little Switzerland, NC map). Management responsibility: North Carolina Division of Archives and History.

North Cove campsite. From Gillespie Gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the overmountain men under Sevier, Shelby, and McDowell followed an easterly route to the confluence of Honeycutt Creek and the North Fork Catawba River in the area called North Cove. There they made camp on September 29, 1780. This site is located at the confluence area on the east side of S.R. 1569 at the community of North Cove on U.S. Highway 221 (U.S.G.S. 7.5 1 Ashford, NC map). Farm lands and houses occupy the site and surrounding area. A commemorative sign should be placed on U.S. Highway 221 to inform the public of its historical significance. Ownership: private. Management responsibility: McDowell County Historical Association in cooperation with North Carolina Division of Archives and History.

Major Joseph McDowell House. This house, known as "Pleasant Gardens", was built in the late 1780's by Major Joseph McDowell, cousin to Col. Charles McDowell who led troops from the upper Catawba Valley at the battle of Kings Mountain. Joseph McDowell also fought at Kings Mountain and was reknowned as an Indian fighter and statesman. McDowell County is named after him.

The house is a large two story frame structure in the style of the federal period. The house is presently used as a clothing store and tax service and the structure has been significantly altered to accommodate these uses. Display windows in the front of the house and
a wood and brick wing add-on are the major exterior alterations. The house sits on a small site surrounded by commercial and residential development. A state historical roadside marker in front of the house commemorates Joseph McDowell. The house is on the state study list for potential nomination to the National Register of Historic Places.

Despite its alterations, the house is in good condition and with care its historical integrity could be restored. The McDowell County Historical Association and officials of McDowell County should consider consider acquisition and restoration of the site with possible assistance from a State Historical Preservation and Restoration grant. The site could be a major attraction for visitors.

The house is located on U.S. Highway 70 about 0.1 mile west of the intersection of U.S. Highway 221 and U.S. Highway 70 in the Pleasant Gardens community near Marion, North Carolina (U.S.G.S. 15' Marion, NC map). Ownership: private.

Col. Charles McDowell and Major Joseph McDowell House. On September 30, 1780, the overmountain men reached the estate of Col. Charles McDowell and made camp in the surrounding fields called Quaker Meadows. Col. McDowell and his brother Major Joseph McDowell (both cousins to the Joseph McDowell of Pleasant Gardens) made the overmountain army as comfortable as they could. Joseph in particular urged them to use the fence rails around the estate to make their campfires.

The Charles McDowell house in western Morganton, North Carolina, is not the original house visited by the overmountain men in 1780. That house is no longer extant. However, the house that stands is in the vicinity of the original homesite and is historical in its own right. A brick in the west facade near the entrance doors bears a date of 1806 and Charles McDowell is thought to have lived there from 1806 until his death in 1815. The house is a two-story brick structure with gable roof and chimneys at either end. The house has been considerably altered, notably through the removal of the porch which once extended completely around the house and through the construction of contemporary additions. The house is currently used as a private residence and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

A state interpretive marker, detailing the McDowell's participation in the battle of Kings Mountain and the site's relation to the overmountain march, should be placed at the site. With restoration the site has the potential for serving as a museum and visitors center for information on the overmountain men and the trail. The site is located in western Morganton, North Carolina, on St. Mary's Church Road a few hundred yards from its intersection with NC Hwy. 181. Ownership: private.

Quaker Meadows. Quaker Meadows is a broad floodplain meadow adjacent the west bank of the Catawba River in western Morganton, North Carolina. This was the homesite of Col. Charles McDowell and his brother Major Joseph McDowell (cousins to the Joseph McDowell of Pleasant Gardens). On September 30, 1780, the overmountain men under Shelby, Campbell, Sevier, and McDowell reached Quaker Meadows and made camp there for the night. With the McDowell's as hosts (Quaker Meadows was part of Col. Charles McDowell's estate), the overmountain men were made comfortable on this part of their journey. Here, also, they were joined by troops under Col. Benjamin Cleveland and Col. Joseph Winston of Wilkes and Surry Counties, North Carolina, so that the army of overmountain men swelled their ranks to just under 1400 men.

Today Quaker Meadows is leased as a county fairground and golf course. AK-Mart shopping center and office buildings encroach upon its southwestern edge and residential and commercial development borders its western boundary. A state historical marker commemorating the area is located on NC Highway 181. A stone monument with a D.A.R. plaque interprets the history of Quaker Meadows and is located on the corner of Bost Road and NC Hwy. 181. Quaker Meadows is on the National Register of Historic
Places.

Neither the State roadside marker nor the D.A.R. monument are situated so that the public can easily achieve access to them to read their inscriptions. Moreover, due to the markers' locations adjacent to commercial and office development, it is difficult to visualize the
encampment of the overmountain men at Quaker Meadows. The city of Morganton and Burke County should consider development of a small wayside interpretive pull-out nearer the fairgrounds and golf course. It should be located so that visitors can visualize the encampment of the 1400 overmountain men in the fields of Quaker Meadows and it should include an exhibit interpreting the significance of the area. The exhibit should also direct visitors to the nearby homesite of Charles McDowell.

Quaker Meadows is generally bounded by the west bank of the Catawba River, NC Highway 181 and Bost Road in western Morganton, North Carolina. Ownership: private.

Quaker Meadows Cemetery. This cemetery contains the graves of Col. Charles McDowell, one of the leading organizers of the historic march, and his brother Major Joseph McDowell, who fought at Kings Mountain and assumed his brother's command of militia troops from the Upper Catawba River valley. The cemetery is located on S.R. 1216 off N.C. Hwy. 181 just west of Morganton, North Carolina (U.S.G.S 7.5 Morganton North, NC map).

Bedford Hill. This small round hill protrudes at an elevation of 1200 feet about a mile east of the South Mountains and west of upper Cane Creek in McDowell County. This hill was a strategic military site during the Revolutionary War as it commanded Cowan's Ford (also known as the Upper Crossing) on Cane Creek. In the fall of 1780 before the battle of Kings Mountain, Col. Charles McDowell assemblecl militia troops, numbering about 160 men, with the intent of ambushing British Major James Dunlap and Major Patrick Ferguson (leader of Loyalist forces at the battle of Kings Mountain) who were then encamped at White Oak Springs. On September 12, 1780, McDowell's troops met Loyalist forces at Bedford Hill and an indecisive skirmish took place in which Major Dunlap was wounded. The event was significant in that news of the fight spread among the overmountain people and among patriots in Wilkes and Surry Counties and inspired their determination to later seek out British Major Patrick Ferguson at Kings Mountain.

Bedford Hill has forested slopes and a small meadow clearing on its knoll. The site is undeveloped except for a small abandoned shed on the western edge of the meadow. A narrow dirt access road extends from NC Hwy. 226 about 800 feet to the top of the hill. The hill has some potential as a small picnicking area for use by local residents and social clubs. Parking would have to be developed off-site on NC Hwy. 226. The area is suitable for development by local organizations or the McDowell County Recreation Department. It is recommended that the NC Division of Archives and History place a state roadside interpretive marker about Bedford Hill at the intersection of NC Hwy. 226 and U.S. Hwy . 64.

Cane Creek On October 3, the army made its way slowly down Cane Creek and tradition says they camped for the night at the place of a Whig sympathizer named Samuel Andrews. On October 4, the army proceeded down Cane Creek, fording it many times until they reached its mouth. There they made camp on October 4, 1780, and learned that Ferguson had retreated from nearby Gilbert Town for the purpose of evading engagement with the upcountry army.

Cane Creek is a narrow stream of about 65 miles in length and tributary to the Second Broad River in Rutherford County. The stream courses through a flat 1000-1500 foot wide valley bottom between a ridge of hills which rise gently about 100-150 feet above the valley floor. The creek is readily distinguished by the thick tall stand of · cane which lines its banks. The valley is dotted by several farms, including that of the descendants of Samuel Andrews. No remnants of the original Andrew's house remain.

A prominent landmark of the valley is Marlin's Knob, which rises 1100 feet above the valley to an elevation of 2138 feet. Draper references this mountain as a distinguishing landscape feature well known to travelers during the Revolutionary War era.

The Cane Creek valley offers a picturesque landscape with a rich history. While farming development precludes any major recreational development, there is potential for a walking trail on Marlin's knob overlooking the valley. A state roadside marker commemorating the valley's history in relation to the trail may be placed at the intersection of U.S. Highway 64 and S.R. 1701. Marlin's Knob and valley lands are in private ownership.

New Brittain Church Cemetery. This church contains a number of graves of patriot soldiers who fought at Kings Mountain. The graves have been marked with bronze plaques by the D.A.R. The church itself was organized in 1768 but the present church building dates from 1852. The church is located on U.S. Hwy. 64 just north of the Westminster community and about 6.5 miles northeast of Rutherfordton, North Carolina (U.S.G.S 7.5 1 Rutherfordton North, NC map).

Gilbert Town. This was the first county seat of Rutherford between 1780 and 1785. Major Patrick Ferguson and his Loyalist troops camped here several times during the Revolutionary War, the last time being September 27, 1780, when he left in alarm at the approach of the overmountain men. The overmountain army also camped at Gilbert Town on October 11, 1780, after their victorious battle at Kings Mountain. Lt. Allaire, one of Ferguson's officers, related in his diary that Gilbert Town consisted of "one dwelling house, one barn, a blacksmith's shop
and some outhouses." *Isothermal Planning and Development Commission, Historic Sites Inventory for Retion C. Isothermal Planning and Development Commission. Rutherfordton,
North Carolina, 1976. p. 51.

The site of Gilbert Town is located on Oak Springs Road (S.R. 1520) about a half mile north of Rutherfordton, North Carolina. The site is now a soybean field and has been extensively leveled and plowed over a period of 150 years. The area has been well known to local collectors who have used metal detectors in search of Revolutionary War artifacts. Surveys by the North Carolina Division of Archives and History have recovered some late Eighteenth Century ceramics at the site. Further tests would have to be conducted to determine the location and extent of any remnants of Gilbert Town.

A Boy Scout panel commemorates Gilbert Town's historical significance onsite. This could be supplemented by an interpretive panel offering a more indepth interpretation of the site's significance and its history associated with the Kings Mountain campaign. A state roadside historical marker on Gilbert Town is located on U.S. Hwy. 221 north of Rutherfordton. Ownership: private.

Biggerstaff's Old Fields. Returning from Kings Mountain, the overmountain men reached Biggerstaff's (also Bickerstaff's) Old Fields on October 14, 1780, with Tory prisoners. Alleging that some of the prisoners were murders, plunderers, and arsonists, Col. Campbell convened a court-martial presided over by two magistrates, in accordance with North Carolina law, and convicted 30 to 40 men of criminal offences. Nine were hung on an oak tree by the road before the Whig officers decided to pardon the rest. The oak was known for many years as The Gallows Oak.

Biggerstaff's Old Fields is today in farming use and the Gallows Oak no longer stands. An interpretive marker should be placed at the site. The site is located at the intersection of S.R. 1713 and S.R. 1538 in the Sunshine community in Rutherfordton County about 7 miles northeast of Rutherfordton (U.S.G.S. 7.5' Sunshine, NC map). Ownership: private. The marker is suitable for erection by the North Carolina Division of Archives and History in cooperation with the Rutherford County Historical Society.

Alexander's Ford of the Green River. On October 5, 1780, the overmountain men numbering 1400, reached Alexander's Ford of the Green River after marching 12 or 13 miles that day. The weary band decided to select only their best men, horses, and rifles to continue the pursuit of the retreating Ferguson. Seven hundred men set off for an engagement with the opposition. Here at the Green River campsite Colonel William Lacey of South Carolina met the overmountain men and informed them of Ferguson's position and strength. He heartened the men in their objective and set a a rendezvous point for them with the South Carolina patriot militia at Cowpens the next day. Reference U.S.G.S. 15' Lake Lure, NC map.

Round-About Homesite. This is the homesite of Colonel Benjamin Cleveland, leader of Wilkes County militia forces which rendezvoused with the overmountain men at Quaker Meadows and fought with them at Kings Mountain. The original house no longer exists and the site is now occupied by a mansion from a much later period. The site is located on Chatham Road in Ronda, North Carolina (U.S.G.S.7.5' Ronda, NC map). Ownership: private.

Tory Oak. From this oak tree, patriots during the Revolutionary War hung many Tories. The tree has been considerably pruned but has been set aside by a low brick wall around its trunk. A commemorative D.A.R. marker records its significance. The tree is located at the intersection of Broad and North Streets in Wilkesboro, North Carolina (U.S.G.S.7.5. 1 Wilkesboro, NC map). Ownership: city of Wilkesboro, North Carolina.

Fort Defiance. This is the homesite of William Lenoir, who fought at Kings Mountain under Colonel Cleveland and later rose to the rank of general. The house was not yet built when Cleveland's troops passed this way enroute to Kings Mountain. Rather, there was at that time an old Indian fort, no longer extant, on the same site. The house took its name from the fort.

The house dates from about 1788 and has been beautifully restored as a private historic area. It is a large two-story house with wood siding and shingles. The house has 152 pieces of furniture belonging to the Lenoir family and also an extensive clothing and manuscript collection. The clothing collection includes some rare examples of day and formal wear and it should be catalogued and professionally preserved as a resource for historical research. Also on the grounds are the graves of William Lenoir and his family.

The site is open to the public on the first and third Sundays of each month. An entrance fee is charged. Fort Defiance is located off NC Hwy 268 about 0.7 miles southwest of the Yadkin Valley community in Caldwell County (U.S.G.S.7.5.' Grandin, NC map). Ownership and Management: Fort Defiance, North Carolina

Fort Crider. This was the site of an old Indian lookout fort which the men under Colonels Cleveland and Winston passed on their way to Quaker Meadows. The site is now occupied by Lenoir High School. A D.A.R. marker commemorates the site. The site is located on College Avenue in Lenoir, North Carolina (U.S.G.S. 7.5' Lenoir, NC map). Ownership: city of Lenoir, North Carolina.

South Carolina
Cherokee Ford. Cherokee Ford on the Broad River was used as a crossing point for the overmountain men on October 7, 1780, on the final leg of their journey. While their route from Cowpens would have naturally led to a ford further up stream, they detoured to Cherokee Ford to avoid the possibility of an ambush.

The Cherokee County Recreation District owns about 77 acres of land on the west bank of the Broad River at the ford. The area is developed for active recreation. The Cherokee County Historical Commission owns an adjoining 45 acres at the ford. This area is undeveloped. It includes the ruins of old iron works that date from a period after the Revolutionary War. The area is largely forested and suitable for the development of pleasure walking trails. A looped trail could be developed to interface the recreational and historic areas or to
provide internal circulation to the historic area alone. An interpretive marker commemorating the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail should be placed on the trail at the river crossing. The trail would be suitable for development by the Cherokee County Historical Commission.

Cherokee Ford located about 1.3 miles downstream of the US Highway 29 bridge on the Broad river east of Gaffney, South Carolina (U.S.G.S. 7.5' Blacksburg South, SC map).

Gravesite of Col. James Williams. Col. Williams led a contingent of South Carolina militia at Kings Mountain. His grave is recognized by a D.A.R. commemorative marker. The site is located on the corner of Limestone Street and Baker Boulevard in Gaffney, South Carolina (U.S.G.S. 7.5' Gaffney, SC map). Ownership: Cherokee County Council.

III . THE PLAN

PLAN OVERVIEW

The trail study report and this comprehensive plan recognize that much of the Overmountain Victory Trail route has been substantially altered by modern development so that only scattered fractions of the route remain essentially as the patriots saw the land. Historic sites related to the trail are in varying condition and some are only indirectly related to the trail's history. There are no roadless natural miles of the route of a sufficient length to sustain a full day's walk. However, there are opportunities for developing shorter day use trails on various private lands along the route.

Due to both resource and legislative constraints, the scope of feasible and desirable federal actions is limited. However, non-federal efforts may supplement federal efforts and contribute significantly to implementation of national historic trail components. This is especially true in the area of establishing developed trails on private lands.

The Overmountain Victory Trail Association, a private non-profit group, has the potential for contributing greatly to implementation efforts. The association numbers over 250 members from five states. Members have walked and driven the general historic route annually for 6 years, faithful to the dates of the historic event. Their reenactment march route is shown along with the historic route in Volume II.

The plan set forth in subsequent sections proposes a commemorative and interpretive effort to enhance public appreciation of the significance of the overmountain victory march. Proposals encompass development on certain federal lands crossed by the historic route and marking of a commemorative motor route. Also proposed are management procedures and practices to provide for certification of non-federally developed trail segments and for continuing administration of the trail.

FEDERAL SEGMENTS

The National Trails System Act establishes only those segments of the trail on existing federally-administered lands as initial components of the national historic trail.

Very few miles of the official historic route lie on federal lands. These miles are divided into short, scattered segments administered by three federal agencies. Some of these segments do not provide a sufficient base to establish a satisfactory trail experience due to their short length, terrain conditions, or relationship to existing developments. Such scattered parcels are not recognized or established by this plan as segments of the trail. However, in identifying initial protected segments, the plan considered short segments that offered potential for linkage with adjoining private lands which could be acquired by nonfederal interests for trail purposes. The plan also considered short segments having prime access and visitation suitable for an interpreted historical experience.

The plan establishes four initial protection segments totaling some ten miles and also one initial protection site. (These areas are identified on the maps in Volume II). The cooperating federal agencies are the Army Corps of Engineers, Forest Service and National Park Service.

Trail right-of-way in these areas would be established pursuant to an agreement between the heads of the managing federal agency and the Secretary of the Interior. Generally a right-of-way width will be established in accordance with the limitations of the management practices of the area through which the trail passes, while providing sufficient space to insure the integrity of the trail. The initial protected segments and site are described on following pages along with recommended actions. Implementation of recommended actions would be
the responsibility of the federal land managing agency unless otherwise noted.

There are also private lands adjacent to these federal segments that offer potential for trail development. If in the future such lands are acquired in federal ownership consistent with existing objectives of the area, those lands also become part of the national historic trail. These potential interests in adjacent lands should be considered in specific planning efforts carried out by each federal agency managing an initial protected segment.

Yellow Mountain Segment - U.S. Forest Service

The overmountain men crossed Yellow Mountain on September 27, 1780, following Bright's Trace, a common local footpath. On that day, snow covered the mountain "shoe mouth deep." On a grassy bald near the summit, the troops paraded and discharged their rifles.

This segment of the historic route involves a 2 mile section of the Cherokee and Pisgah National Forests in North Carolina and Tennessee. These forests adjoin each other at the North Carolina-Tennessee State line. About 0.8 miles of the route lie on the Unaka District of the Cherokee National Forest in Carter County, Tennessee, and about 1.2 miles lie on the Toecane District of the Pisgah National Forest in Avery County, North Carolina (Reference U.S.G.S. 7.5 1 White Rocks Mountain and Carvers Gap, TN-NC maps).

The trail route in this segment follows a dirt road and path that crosses the Appalachian Trail, which follows the North Carolina Tennessee State line in this area . The trail route assumes a 30 percent grade through a grassy bald and forested landscape. Access is achieved via a light duty road following Hampton Creek on the Tennessee side and Roaring Creek Road on the North Carolina side.

Alone this segment offers potential for light use. However, there may be potential for linkage with adjoining private lands on the Tennessee side if public right-of-way were acquired.

Recommended Actions:
-Improve and maintain trail tread
-Mark trail with official markers
-Develop and erect an interpretive sign on the 0VNHT to be coordinated with Appalachian Trail sign

Linville Mountain Segment--Forest Service

It is thought that overmountain troops under Colonels Sevier, Shelby, and McDowell used the old Yellow Mountain Road in passing through this area on September 30, 1780.

This segment involves 3 miles of established trail over Linville Mountain in the Grandfather District of the Pisgah National Forest in McDowell and Burke Counties, North Carolina (reference U.S.G.S. 7.5 1 Ashford, NC map).

The trail was established by the Forest Service in time for the two hundredth anniversary of the battle of Kings Mountain. The trail crosses over steeply graded, forested terrain. About 1.4 miles of the trail follows the old Yellow Mountain Road and then continues on Forest Service Road 493. An interpretive station has been developed off the developed trail to give visitors a view of the original Yellow Mountain Road ruts which parallel the developed trail. Access is achieved via S.R. 1560 on the northern terminus and via Old N.C. Hwy 105 on the
southern terminus. Trailhead parking and a connector trail are provided at N.C. Hwy. 105.

The trail is available for public use in cooperation with several adjacent landowners. A small inholding, encompassing about 0.5 miles of the trail, lies in the middle of this segment. Landowners adjacent to the Forest Service boundaries near the trail termini permit public access and trail development through informal agreement.

Recommended Actions:
-Establish public access to the trail through written cooperative agreements, land donation, or exchange with adjacent landowners
-Encourage adjacent landowners to seek certification of trail segments on their lands.
-Erect official Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail markers on trail.
-Upgrade interpretive sign content.

W. Kerr Scott Reservoir--U.S. Army Corps of Enqineers

According to historian Lyman C. Draper, troops under Colonels Joseph Winston and Benjamin Cleveland of Wilkes and Surry Counties, North Carolina, crossed the Yadkin River at the mouth of Warrior Creek on September 28, 1780, enroute to Quaker Meadows.

Warrior Creek and adjoining sections of the Yadkin River are inundated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 1,470 acre W. Kerr Scott Dam and Reservoir in Wilkes County, North Carolina (reference U.S.G.S 7.5 1 Grandin, Boomer, and Wilkesboro, NC maps). The reservoir offers boating, swimming, camping, fishing, and picnicking facilities and a visitor center.

While much of the historic route within the reservoir boundaries is inundated, portions of the route cross Warrior Creek Park, a developed Corps of Engineers public use area on the southwestern edge of the reservoir. An existing 4 mile recreational trail at the park offers an opportunity to commemorate the historic route. In addition, the project visitor center offers interpretive exhibits of the area's history, including an exhibit on the overmountain men and the battle of Kings Mountain.

Recommended Actions:
-mark, and maintain the existing 4-mile trai at Warrior Creek Park as a protected segment of the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail.
-include interpretive literature on the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail at the reservoir's visitor center.

Cowpens Nation al Battlefield--National Park Service

On October 6, 1780, the overmountain men marched by way of a ridge road some 21 miles from their campsite at Green River to Cowpens, South Carolina, where they rendezvoused with South Carolina militia under Colonels William Hill, William Lacey, James Williams, and William Graham. The army bivouacked there that evening. At Cowpens, the full complement of the patriot force nurroered approximately 1,100 men. Of these, about 900 of the best-armed and best-mounted troops were selected to push on in pursuit of British Colonel Patrick Ferguson.

Cowpens is an 845 acre park commemorating a later Revolutionary War battle in 1781 which helped drive British forces from the South. The park includes a visitor center, foot trails, and a picnic area. Existing interpretive exhibits focus on the 1781 battle. Cowpens is located 6 miles west of Gaffney, South Carolina, on S.C. Hwy 11 (reference U.S.G.S 15 1 Cowpens, SC-NC map).

It is probable that the overmountain army marched through Cowpens by way of the Green River Road, traces of which extend about 1 mile through the center of the park. Existing recreational developments and exhibits related to Cowpens' main interpretive theme closely adjoin the Green River Road. Any Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail commemorative signs and exhibits should be placed at some distance from existing interpretive facilities to avoid visitor confusion over the two events.

Recommended Actions:
-Establish a small wayside (less than 10 cars) OVNHT interpretive station on park land on S.C. Hwy. 11 opposite the Cowpens main entrance.
-Erect three OVNHT interpretive exhibits at the picnic area which lies at the end of the Green River Road trace.
-Erect official trail markers on the Green River Road.
-Include OVNHT literature at the park visitor center.

Kings Mountain National Military Park--National Park Service

Kings Mountain National Military Park is an approximately 4,000 acre park administered by the National Park Service and located on S.C. Hwy. 216 about 11 miles northeast of Gaffney, South Carolina (U.S.G.S. 7.5' Grover, Kings Mountain and Kings Creek, SC-NC maps).

The park is dedicated to commemorating the overmountain men's October 7, 1780, victory over British Colonel Patrick Ferguson and his Loyalist regiment at Kings Mountain. The park is established as an initial protection site.

The park features an obelisk monument to the battle participants, a visitor center, and self-guided interpretive trails. The sites where Ferguson was wounded and buried are marked.

Recreational opportunities such as camping, horseback riding, and water related sports are available at the adjacent Kings Mountain State Park.

While the overmountain men may have entered the area following an old road no longer used, the overmountain army soon fanned out to attack Ferguson'ss position on Kings Mountain from all sides. Thus there is no single historic route within the park.

The park represents a major opportunity for interpreting the history of the overmountain march and for providing information on the Ove rmountain Victory National Historic Trail. Information on the trail as a whole may be integrated into the park 1s existing displays and se rv ices. The park also provides a focal point for research on the history of the march.

Recommended Actions:
-Erect off icial markers at the entrance station and visitor center
-Include literature on the trail at the visitors center.
-Develop Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail exhibit at visitor center.

CERTIFIABLE RESOURCES ON NON-FEDERAL LAND

There are opportunities for establishing short walking trails on scattered sections of the historic route. State, local, or private entities may wish to consider the acquisition and management of such trails or historic sites related to the trail.

State, local, or privat ely owned sites and segments of the historic route may be certif ied as protect ed segments of the official Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail. Certified sites and segments may be marked with the official trail marker. Certification would protect such sites and segments from adverse federal or federally assisted actions to the extent that there are prudent and feasible alternative actions available. Section 3(c) of the National Trails System Act requires that certified national historic trails must be "administered without expense to the United States."

Certified sites and segments must meet the criteria listed in Section 5(b)(ll) of the National Trails System Act, as amended and, consistent with Section 3(c) of the Act, must also meet the supplementary criteria prescribed for the trail. These criteria are contained in Appendices A and E.

It is anticipated that nonfederal interests, particularly the Overountain Victory Trail Association, may work toward establishing public use trail segments on existing private lands along the historic route. Trail segments which meet the established criteria and which are located within a one mile planning corridor of the historic route would be eligible for certification. The width of the trail right-of-way would be consistent with the limitations of the management practices of the land through which the trail passes, while providing sufficient space to insure the integrity of the trail. Trail segments which link to certified or initial protection segments, but which lie outside the mile historic route corridor would not be certifiable and are considered "connecting trails" under the National Trails System Act. Such connecting trails may, however, be established as Overmountain Victory National Recreation Trails.

Application for certification must be made by the owner or administrator of the site or segment. Application is made to the Southeast Regional Office of the National Park Service, of the lead federal agency administering the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail. Applications would be reviewed for qualification under the criteria and plan soundness. Certification is done by the Secretary of the Interior.

In the case of privately owned sites and segments, the application for certification would constitute the agreement by the landowners as to proper protection and public use of the resource. In the case of State or local government owned sites and segments, application for certification would be made pursuant to a written cooperative agreement with the Secretary and would include a management plan similar to the application format for privately owned sites. A sample application format is included in Appendix E.

The following resources are recommended as potentially certifiable segments and sites of the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail. Sites and segments were selected on the basis of historical qualifications consistent with the applicable criteria. Management related criteria would need to be met before certification. Resource descriptions were included in the section Related Resource in Part II, Trail History and Analysis.

Virginia
l. Craig's Meadows

Tennessee
l. Pemberton Oak
2. Choates Ford
3. Cobb-Massengill House at Rocky Mount
4. Existing trails and shoal site at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area
5. Shelving Rock
6. Roan Mountain State Park

North Carolina
1. Old Yellow Mountain Road rut section in Avery County
2. Davenport Springs
3. Captain Robert Sevier's gravesite
4. Col. Charles McDowell and Major Joseph McDowell House
5. Bedford Hill
6. Marlin's Knob
7. Alexander's Ford of Green River
8. Fort Defiance

South Carolina
l. Cherokee Ford

A total of 15 sites are recommended as potentially certifiable resources if appropriate steps are taken by non-federal interests to protect them and make them available to the public. Owners may apply for certification for other sites and segments not listed in this section.

Commemorative Motor Route

Since much of the historic route follows modern public roads, it is proposed that a commemorative motor route be designated through Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina to enhance public appreciation for the trail 's historical significance. As depicted in the Commemorative Motor Route Map, the route utilizes existing primary and secondary public roads which lie on or closely parallel to the historic route. In many cases, the roads are identical to those used in reenactment marches conducted by the Overmountain Victory Trail Association.

THE MARKING PROCESS

The official Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail syrmol will utilize an overmountain man motif similar to that depicted in Figure l. The offical marker utilizes the convex-sided triangular shape that is standard for all components of the National Trails System. This symbol was selected in consultation with affected federal land managers, state agencies, local historical societies, the Overmountain Victory Trail Association, and the trail 's Advisory Council. The official marker will be used to mark all initial protection segments, certified sites
and segments and the commemorative driving route.

The official marker will be produced in three sizes for use as follows: 3 1/2" height for developed trail marking; 9" height for marking trail heads and certified sites; 18" height for signing where a certified trail segment crosses a public highway and also for marking the commemorative motor route. Highway markers will be in conformance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.

Each land managing agency and organization will be responsible for erecting and maintaining markers on their respective segments of the authorized trail. Where the developed trail crosses other national, State, or local government trails, sign installation will be coordinated and directional signing added. At certified historical sites, signs should be coordinated
with any existing site entrance or interpretive signs or, if no other signs exist, be established as entrance signs.

The official Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail symbol will be registered. The National Park Service will be responsible for monitoring and protecting use of the official marker symbol.

ADMINISTRATION

Lead Federal Agency

The National Trails System Act calls for administration of the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail to be under the Secretary of the Interior. This plan recommends that the National Park Service be the Secretary's designated lead federal agency for trail administration.

The role of the National Park Service will be primarily as a coordinator rather than as a land manager. The Service will coordinate trail activities of the land managing federal, state and local agencies and private organizations. The lead federal agency will provide a focal point for interagency communication and technical assistance on mutual issues and provide direction on common objectives. The Service will be the Secretary's direct link with the trail's Advisory Council (see subsequent section).

Specific functions and actions of the National Park Service will be to:
1. Establish trail resource inventories and provide for monitoring of trail use and impacts.
2. Provide for the periodical review of developed trail segments to assure compliance with the intent of the National Trails System Act and trail comprehensive plan.
3. Review state and local agency and private trail plans and recommend to the Secretary segments and sites for certification.
4. Seek cooperative agreements or memoranda of understanding with appropriate federal, state, and local agencies and private organizations and individuals that will assure accomplishment of the purposes of the trail.
5.. Encourage all agencies, states, and organizations to adopt the official logo in their signing program and to use it when replacement is needed or as their maintenance program allows.
6. Coordinate the development of visitor information, visitor access, and overnight facilities on extended trail segments involving two or more land managers through the review of detailed trail segment plans submitted by land administering entities.
7. Develop, in consultation with land managers and interested organizations and individuals, a unified program of onsite and off-site interpretation and visitor information.
8. Provide for the development of interpretive literature, maps, and similar materials dealing with the overall trail resource.
9. Be a primary source of information to the public on trail resources.
10. Provide for technical assistance to land administrators on trail issues through direct assistance and provision of mechanisms for information exchange.
11. Coordinate marking of developed and authorized trail segments and the commemorative motor route.
12. Act as a repository of information available to the public for historical research on the trail and its resources.

The National Park Service's Southeast Regional Office will administer the trail. Certain responsibilities would be delegated to the Superintendent of Kings Mountain National Military Park, Cowpens National Battlefield, and the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Advisory Council

The National Trails System Act requires the Secretary of the Interior to appoint a trail advisory council to advise the Secretary on trail related matters.

Membership on the council is limited to 35 persons who serve for a term of 2 years. Membership will include one representative from each affected federal agency, one member from each state through which the trail passes, and one or more members appointed to represent private organizations, including landowners and land users with an established interest in the trail.

The charter for the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail Advisory Council is included in Appendix F. Costs of federal agency participation will be borne by each federal agency involved. Costs of participation by other entities would be provided for by the Secretary.

MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES

In coordinating actions by federal, state, and local agencies, the trail 's long-term management objectives shall be:
To protect the historic route and its historic remmants for public use and enjoyment.
To provide to the general public safe and enjoyable visitor access and use of established trail segments and significant historical resources in cooperation with land managers and owners.
To commemorate the trail 's historical significance by promoting efforts that enhance public appreciation of the historical event.
To encourage state and local governments and private interests to participate in commemorating and preserving the trail 's historical resources for public use and enjoyment.
To minimize adverse effects on adjacent landowners and users.

MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

The following practices will apply to administration of initial protection segments and certified resources.

Planning
l . Joint use trail rights-of-way and facilities will be utilized where national historic and national scenic trails cross or coincide.
2. Land managers and owners will be responsible for detailed planning and establishment of initial protection segments and certified resources.
3. Land managers will be encouraged to coordinate with public highway agencies, adjacent landowners and users, and similar entities regarding
appropriate uses or crossings of the trail.
4. Trail plans and their implementation will be designed to harmonize with and complement existing multiple use plans for specific areas.
5. States will be encouraged to include the Overmountain Victory Trail in Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plans as required for state and local share Land and Water Conservation Fund eligibility.
6. Planning for federal areas involved in the trail rights-of-way should recognize the trail 's purpose and uses and recognize opportunities for extended trail development in coordination with trail initiatives on non-federal lands.
7. Detailed plans for trail development, use, and interpretation shall be in conformance with the comprehensive plan.
8. Land managers shall seek the advice of the Overmountain Victory
National Historic Trail Advisory Council in early planning phases for initial protection segments and proposed certified segments and resources.

Uses
1. The comprehensive plan favors walking, horseback riding, and bicycling use of trails established as initial protection segments or certified segments.
2. Motorized vehicle use by the general public on hiking and horseback riding trail segments would be prohibited. This does not preclude landowners from using motorized vehicles on trail rights-of-way from time to time as necessary to carry out operations on adjacent lands in accordance with established regulations for the trail.
3. All uses of trail rights-of-way and certified sites will be consistent with the purpose for which the trail was designated.
4. Timber management practices shall be allowed within established trail right of-way for purposes of maintaining the vigor of natural resources.
5. Trail uses and developments shall be designed to minimize adverse affects upon adjacent landowners and users.
6. Land managing agencies and organizations have responsibility for resolving issues relating to competing uses in proximity to trail sites and segments.

Development
1. The trail may contain campsites, shelters, and other related public facilities which do not interfere with the purpose and uses for which the trail was designated. Developed trails and certified sites should be provided with suitable parking areas, restrooms, and orientation devices.
2. Federal and state standards will apply to trail and facility construction.
3. Public use facilities should be rustic in design as is consistent with the historic experience.
4. Land managing entities will be encouraged to use energy efficient processes in all aspects of the trail's management, construction, and maintenance.
5. Federal, state, and local agencies are encouraged to utilize existing federal funding sources for assistance in developing visitor use facilities within the trail rights-of-way.
6. Trail routing and construction will be implemented in a manner designed to avoid or minimize adverse effects upon the natural, cultural, and historical resources in the trail rights-of-way.

Acquisition
l. No private lands will be acquired for purposes of the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail through condemnation procedures or by fee purchase with appropriated federal funds.
2. State and local governmental agencies and private organizations are encouraged to acquire trail rights-of-way through the use of existing Federal, state and local government funding sources, donation, and exchange.
3. On certified segments and sites, acquisition in fee and perpetual easements for public use and resource protection shall be emphasized over acquisition of lesser interests and cooperative agreements.
4. Land managing agencies and organizations will be responsible for establishing site and segment boundaries consistent with the comprehensive plan.

Marking and Signing
l. Land managers will be encouraged to uniformly mark sites and segments using the official Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail marker.
2. Where the authorized trail crosses other public trails, markers shall be coordinated and appropriate directional signing provided.
3. Signs and exhibits not providing information, direction, or interpretation directly related to the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail and its natural, cultural, and historic resources shall be prohibited.
4. Use of the official Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail marker symbol shall be permitted only upon approval of the National Park Service.
5. Signs shall be placed at appropriate, regular intervals along the historical and motor routes.

Interpretation
1. The National Park Service administering the trail will be responsible for developing a coordinated interpretive program related to the trail and for assisting land managers in the development of interpretive signs and exhibits. It should act as a clearinghouse to maintain historical integrity of content, continuity, and quality control.
2. Interpretation will emphasize authenticated information relating to the themes outlined in the comprehensive olan.

Visitor Services
1. The National Park Service will assure that each managing entity develop and administer segments of the trail in a manner that protects the health and safety of the visitors and employees.
2. Publications, maps, and other material for interpreting the trail should have priority over development of facilities. The Park Service agency shall have primary responsibility for the development of outreach interpretive publications and similar material.
3. Land managing agencies will be responsible for development and maintenance of interpretive signs, exhibits, and other visitor information facilities onsite. The Park Service will assist land managers in developing authentic interpretive content and act as the focal point for interpretive activities.
4. States, local governments and private entities are encouraged to participate in the funding and distribution of interpretive literature.
5. Visitor information will rely on signs, exhibits, and similar unmanned facilities within the trail rights-of-way and at public areas.

Regulations
1. Land managing entities shall issue such regulations as deemed necessary for protection and administration of initial protection segments and certified protection segments following consultation with the trail 1s advisory council.
2. The National Park Service will publish regulations issued for various segments of the established trail.
3. The Park Service will seek to coordinate and resolve any conflicts among regulations governing various initial protection segments and certified protection segments.

COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS

In accordance with Section 7 of the National Trails System Act, administration, management, and development of the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail will be accomplished by virtue of cooperative agreements consummated between the Secretary of the Interior and the various state and local governments or private interests involved. In the case of federal interests, interagency agreements will be established between the Secretary and other federal departments.

The Overmountain Victory Trail Association shall serve as the prime citizen group to carry out many of the activities identified for private organizations and individuals. Its role is particularly significant in negotiating the public use of trails on private property. Details of cooperative agreements and interagency agreements are presented in the following tables.

Cooperative Agreements will be pursued with the following entities in regard to implementing the comprehensive plan.

Federal Agencies
National Park Service
Forest Service
Corps of Engineers

States
North Carolina
South Carolina
Tennessee
Virginia

Urban Areas
City of Lenoir, North Carolina
City of Morganton, North Carolina
City of North Wilkesboro, North Carolina
City of Wilkesboro, North Carolina
City of Rutherfordton, North Carolin a
City of Gaffney, South Carolina
City of Elizabethton, Tennessee
City of Abingdon, Virginia

Organizations
Overmountain Victory Trail Association
Fort Defiance, Inc.
Watauga Historical Association
Sons of the American Revolution
Daughters of the American Revolution
County Historical Societies

OVERMOUNTAIN VICTORY NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

Details of Memoranda or Agreements

OVERMOUNTAIN VICTORY NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN

Details of Memoranda or Agreement

OVERMOUNTAIN VICTORY NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
DETAILS OF MEMORANDA OR AGREEMENTS

OVERMOUNTAIN VICTORY NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
DETAILS OF MEMORANDA OR AGREEMENTS

APPENDIX A
National Trails System Act

The National Trails System Act has been amended over the years. Click here to view The National Trails System Act.

APPENDIX B
Excerpts of National System Act

The following summarizes legislative directives and constraints for National Historic Trails

l. Designation of national historic trails or routes shall be continuous, but the established or developed trail, and the acquisition thereof, need not be continuous onsite.

2. National historic trails shall have as their purpose the identification and protection of the historic route and its historic remnants and artifacts for public use and enjoyment.

3. Only those components of an historic trail which are on federally administered lands and which meet the national historic trail criteria established in the National Trails System Act, as amended, are established as initial federal protection components.

4. Non-federal segments of an historic trail may be certified as federally protected segments if they meet criteria of the Act and supplementary criteria as the Secretary may prescribe and are administered at no expense to the United States.

5. The Secretary shall establish a trail advisory council which shall function for a period of 10 years and which shall advise the Secretary on matters related to the trail. Membership on the council shall not exceed 35 persons and members serve for a term of 2 years.
Membership will include one representative from each affected federal land-managing agency, one representative from each state through which the trail passes, and one or roore members appointed to 97 represent private organizations, including landowners and land users, with an established interest in the trail. The Secretary shall appoint a chairman of the Advisory Council.

6. Connecting or side trails within park, forest, and other recreation areas administered by the Secretary of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture may be established, designated, and marked as components of a national historic trail.

7. Connecting or side trails may be located across lands administered by interstate, state, or local governmental agencies with their consent, when no federal land acquisition is involved--provided that such trails provide additional points of public access to the national historic trail.

8. The Secretary shall select the trail rights-of-way and publish them in the Federal Register. In selecting rights of way, full consideration shall be given to minimizing the adverse effects upon the adjacent landowner or user and his operation.

9. Development and management of each trail segment shall be designed to harmonize with and complement any established multiple use plans for a specific area in order to ensure continued maximum benefits from the land.

10. The location and width of rights-of-way across federal lands under jurisdiction of another federal agency shall be by agreement between the head of that agency and the Secretary.

11. In selecting rights-of-way for trail purposes, the Secretary shall obtain the advice and assistance of states, local governments,private organizations, and landowners and land users concerned.

12. The Secretary may relocate segments of a national historic trail right-of-way, with concurrence by the head of the federal agency having jurisdiction over the lands involved, upon detennination that
(a) such relocation is necessary to preserve the purposes for which the trail was established or
(b) the relocation is necessary to promote a sound land management program in accordance with established multiple use principles.

Substantial relocations of rights-of-way shall be by Act of Congress.

If the Secretary permanently relocates the right-of-way and disposes of all title or interest in the land, the original owner, or his heirs and assigns, shall be offered the right of first refusal at the fair market price.

13. The trail may contain campsites, shelters, and related public use facilities. Other users which do not substantially interfere with the nature and purposes of the trail may be permitted.

14. Reasonable efforts shall be made to provide sufficient access to the trail and, to the extent practicable, efforts shall be made to avoid activities incompatible with the trail 's purpose.

15. Private lands included in the national historic trail by cooperative agreement of a landowner shall not preclude such owner from using motorized vehicles on or across the trail or adjacent lands from time to time in accordance with regulations established by
the Secretary.

16. Where the national historic trail follows existing public roads, developed rights-of-way or waterways, and similar features of man's nonhistorically related development, approximating the original location of the historic route, such segments may be marked to
facilitate retracement of the route.

Where the trail parallels an existing public road, such road may be marked to commemorate the historic route.

17. The Secretary, in consultation with appropriate governmental agencies and public and private organizations, shall establish a uniform marker with a distinctive symbol for the trail.

The agency administering the trail shall erect and maintain markers where the trail crosses federally administered lands. It is the responsibility of cooperating non-federal agencies to erect and maintain trail markers in accord with established standards where
the trail crosses non-federal lands, subject to written cooperative agreements. The Secretary shall provide the initial markers.

18. Direct federal acquisition for trail purposes is limited to those areas indicated by the trail study report or by the comprehensive plan as high potential route segments or high potential historic sites.

Within the exterior boundaries of areas under their administration that are included in the trail right-of-way, federal agencies may use lands for trail purposes and may acquire lands or interests in lands by written cooperative agreement, donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, or exchange.

Outside the boundaries of federally administered areas the Secretary shall encourage the states or local governments involved:

(1) to enter into written cooperative agreements with landowners, private organizations, a~d individuals to provide the necessary public rights- of-way, or
(2) to acquire such lands or interests therein.

Provided that if the states or local governments fail to enter into such written cooperative agreements or to acquire such lands or interests after notice of right-of-way selection is published in the Federal Register, the Secretary may:
(1) enter into such agreements with landowners, States, local governments, private organizations or individuals for use of lands for trail purposes, or
(2) acquire private lands or interests therein by donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds or exchange.

The lands involved in such rights-of-way should be acquired in fee if other methods of public control are not sufficient to assure their use for the purpose for which they are acquired. Money appropriated for federal purposes from the Land and Water Conservation Fund shall, without prejudice to appropriations from other sources, be available to federal departments for the acquisition of lands or interests in land.

19. No land or site located along the designated trail shall be subject to the provisions of Section 4{f) of the Department of Transportation Act (49 U.S.C. 1653 (f)) unless such land or site is deemed to be of hi storical significance under appropriate historical
criteria such as those for the National Register of Historic Places.

20. The Secretary shall provide for the development and maintenance of trails within federally administered areas and shall cooperate with and encourage the states to operate, develop, and maintain portions of such trails located outside federally administered areas.
When deemed to be in the public interest, the Secretary may enter written cooperative agreements with the states or their political subdivisions, landowners, private organizations, or individuals to operate, develop, and maintain any portion of the national historic
trail either within or outside a federally administered area.

21. The Secretary may, with the concurrence of federal agencies administering lands through which the trail passes, and after consultation with the concerned states, local governments, and organizations, issue regulations governing the use, protection, management, development, and administration of the trail.

APPENDIX C
Federal Costs

Federal Costs
1982 Prices

Annual Operating Costs

APPENDIX D
Supplementary Criteria

Supplementary Criteria
0vermountain Victory National Historic Trail
Certified Protected Components

Qualification
Certified protected sites and segments must have at least one identifiable facet of historical significance relating directly to the 1780 overmountain march. The segment or site may also have one or more facets relating to secondary themes or to recreation use.

Certified sites and segments must retain an integrity of historical values, or be restored to that condition, so that the site or segment is capable of providing a quality visitor experience related to historical interest. Sites and segments should reasonably approximate the historical condition in those aspects that contribute to an appreciation and understanding of this historical experience.

Access
A certified site or segment must be reasonably accessible for public use. Access may be subject to payment of a fee, available only through guided tours, limited to day use only, or subject to similar restrictions which do not unduly limit public use and which are necessary to proper management of the resource.The managing public agencies or private entities must assure that the segment will be available for public use upon certification for a period of 10 years in the case of public agencies or 5 years in the case of private
interests. Such assurance should be supported by documents, legal citations or references.

Size
The size of a certified protected segment or site may vary depending on use and purpose, but must be of a reasonable area to protect significant resources, or to offer an opportunity for interpreting some aspect of the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail, or to accommodate recreational use based on historical interpretation and appreciation.

Location
A certified protected segment must fall within the one mile planning corridor encompassing the official historic route.

Design and Use
Certified protected segments and sites must be developed according to accepted design and construction standards commensurate to the type of use the trail or site will receive. Visitor safety and the protection of natural, cultural, and historical values will be primary considerations in all such designs and use programs.

Connecting Side Trails

Connecting or side trails which provide additional points of public access to certified sites and segments must be available for public use and designed and constructed in conformance with the corresponding criteria for certified protected sites and segments. However, connecting or side trails may not be certified as protected segments of the historic trail.

Management
Certified protected segments and sites must be managed in a manner consistent with the purposes and practices identified in the comprehensive plan.

APPENDIX E
Sample Application Format

APPENDIX E
Sample Application Format
Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail
Protected Segment Certification

I. Name of Segment or Site

II. Agency, Organization or Individual responsible for

III. Description
1. Location -- Attach map of appropriate scale showing location of segment, access, and general location of public use facilities.
2. Describe the segment length or site acreage and related features, including vegetation, terrain, public use facilities, developments and improvements, any significant natural and cultural features, environmental intrusions etc.
3. Describe adjacent land uses and measures to avoid conflicts with adjacent land uses.
4. Describe ownership of segment. If under lease or cooperative agreement, describe terms and special terms of lease or agreement. Include copy of supporting documents, citations or references. In the case of private lands, agreements for public access must be documented. (Note: the segment or site must be ready and available to the public for use at least 10 consecutive years after certification in the case of public lands, and for 5 years in the case of private lands).
5. Briefly describe design and construction standards used (e.g.,width of right-of-way, tread or road width and surfacing, safety features, structures and facilities, etc.).
6. Use--Discuss types of uses of segment and terms of use (e.g., dayuse, guided tours, restrictions, etc.).
7. Interpretation--Include a description of interpretive facilities and materials to be used on the site or segment, if any, and the content of interpretation.

IV. Administration and Management
l . Indicate if user fee is charged and, if so, state amount of the fee.
2. Describe the management plan for the segment including entities responsible for management aspects (e.g., maintenance, rules and regulations, fire protection, police surveillance, trash removal,etc.).
3. Discuss major existing or potential impacts or problems related to resource or adjoining land uses, including probable solutions.

V. Other
Include a sample of photographs depicting the segment or site.

VI. Affirmation
Include the following:
I hereby affirm that {l) I am duly authorized to represent the agency or organization noted below; (2) the segment is in existence and will be ready and available for use by the public regardless of race, color, or creed for at least 10 consecutive years in the case of public lands, and 5 years in the case of private lands, beyond the date it is certified as a protected segment or site of the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail; {3) That the lands will be administered without expense to the United States; and (4) that the segment or site will be identified by the official uniform marker sign for the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail, such sign to be initially furnished by the Secretary of the Interior; and (5) that the site or segment will be developed and managed consistent with the objectives and practices established in the comprehensive plan for the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail and consistent with such rules and regulations established for the trail by the lead federal agency administering the trail.

Applicant (Agency) _______________ Date __________
by ________________________
Title ______________________
Address ___________________

VII. Certification
On behalf of the Secretary of the Interior, I certify that the lands described in the above application {l) meet the criteria for national historic trails as given in Section 5{b){ll) of the National Trails System Act, as amended; (2) meet the supplemental criteria prescribed in the Comprehensive Plan for the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail; and (3) will be administered without expense to the United States. The lands so described are hereby certified as protected segments of the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail.

By ___________________ (Signature)
Title: _________________
Date: _________________

APPENDIX F
Advisory Council Charter

Advisory Council Charter
OVERMOUNTAIN VICTORY NATIONAL HISTORIC TRAIL ADVISORY COUNCIL

1, The official designation of the committee is the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail Advisory Council.

2. The purpose of the Council is" to consult w-ith the Secretary of the Interior in regard to matters relating to the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail, including the selection of rights-of-way, standards for the erection and maintenance of markers along the trail, and the administration of the trail.

3. The Council will require approximately ten years to complete its work.

4. The Council reports to the Regional Director, Southeast Region, National Park Service, 75 Spring Street, S.W . , Atlanta, GA 30303

5. Support for the Council is provided by the National Park Service, Department of the Interior.

6. The duties of the Council are solely advisory and are as stated in paragraph 2 above.

7. The estimated annual operating cost of t:lis committee is $15,000, which includes the cost of 1/4 man-year of staff support.

8. The committee meets approximately 3 times a year.

9. The Council will terminate 10 years from the date of its establishment.

10 . The members of the advisory council shall not exceed 35 in number, each appointed for a term of 2 years by the Secretary of the Interior as follows:
a. a member appointed to represent each Federal department or independent agency administering lands through which the trail passes, and each appointee shall be the person designated by the head of such department or agency;
b. a member appointed to represent each State through which the trail passes, and such appointments shall be made from recommendations of the Governors of such states;
c. One or mere me~bers appointed to represent private organizations, including corporate and individual landowners and land users, that, in the opinion of the Secretary, have an established and recognized interest in the trail, and such appointments shall be made from recommendations of the heads of such organizations.

The Secretary shall designate one member of the Council to be chairman.

Any vacancies on the Council shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.

11. The members shall serve without compensation as such, but the Secretary may pay to non-federal members, upon vouchers signed by the chairman of the Council, the expenses reasonably incurred by the Council and its members in carrying out their responsibilities.

12. The Council is established pursuant to the National Trails System Act, as amended, and Section 14 of Public Law 96-344.

//Signed// by Cecil D. Andrus
Secretary of Interior
Date Signed: illegible
Date Charter Filed: Nov 28, 1980


United States Department of the Interior
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
SOUTHEAST REGIONAL OFFICE

Memorandum
To: Chief, Office of Cooperative Activities,
Attention : Chief, Advisory Boards and Commissions
From: (Acting) Regional Director, Southeast Region
Subject: Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail Advisory Council
Pursuant to Public Law 96-344 and the National Trails System Act, we are submitting the addresses of nominators for designees to nOvermountain Victory National Historic Trail Advisory Council.

1. One member to represent each Federal Department or independent agency administering land:
Chairman S. David Freeman
Tennessee Valley Authority
Knoxville, Tennessee 37902
Secretary Bob Bergland
U. S. Department of Agriculture
The Mall between 12th and 14th Streets, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20250

2. One member to represent each state through which the trail passes (from recommendations of the Governor of such states):
Georgia
Governor George Busbee
State Capitol
Atlanta, Georgia 30334

North Carolina
Governor James B. Hunt
Administrative Building
116 W. Jones Street
Raleigh, North Carolina

South Carolina
Governor Richard Riley
27611
P .0 . Box 11450
Columbia, South Carolina 29211

Tennessee
Governor Lamar Alexander
State Capitol
Nashville, Tennessee 37219

Governor John Dalton
State Capitol
Richmond, Virginia 23219

3. One or more members appointed to represent private organizations, including corporate and individual landowners arid land users, that in the opinion of the Secretary have an established and recognized interest in the trail (appointments from heads of organizations):

Private organizations:

Mr. Robert Collins, President
Overmountain Victory Trail Association
P.O. Box 57
Roone, North Carolina 28607

(Recorranended three members)

Ben Robinson
Vice President Operations
Harris Mining Company
P.O. Box 628
Spruce Pine, North Carolina 28777

Harris Mining Company is a subsidiary of the Blue Diamond Coal ,Company, Knoxville, Tennessee.

At present there are no user organizations. We expect, however, that the designation of the trail as a National Historic Trail will spur the formation of user groups. We reserve the right to suggest additional appointees when that time arrives.

After nominations have been submitted by Governors and heads of organizations we will submit additional nominations for membership and recommendations for chairperson.

//Signed// L. Boyd Finch

APPENDIX G
Planning Team

APENDIX G
PLANNING TEAM

Rich Sussman
Team Captain
Southeast Regional Office

Paul Swartz
Chief, Planning and Compliance Division
Southeast Regional Office

James Anderson
Historian
Kings Mountain National Military Park

Ron Gibbs
Historian
Blue Ridge Parkway

William Springer
Environmental Specialist
Southeast Regional Office

Consultants:
Overmountain Victory Trail Association
Lu Winsor, Volunteer in the Park
Sabina Joe, Former Team Captain, Southeast Regional Office
James Kretschmann, Former Planner, Southeast Regional Office

APPENDIX H
Bibliography

Bibliography
South Carolina Appalachian Council of Governments, "Historic Places in the South Carolina Appalachian Region," South Carolina Appalachian Council of Governments, Greenville, South Carolina 1972.

National Park Service, "Master Plan: Kings Mountain National Military Park and State Park" National Park Service/United States Department of the Interior.

National Park Service, Final Environmental Statement on the Master Plan/Development Concept Plan for Cowpens National Battlefield, 11975.

"National Park Service, Draft National Scenic/Historic Trail Study of the Overmountain Victory Trail," National Park Service, November 1980.