Forgotten Friend of the Cherokee 

The Tellico Blockhouse was an active United States fort located in Vonore, Tennessee from 1794 through 1807. Its purpose was to provide a check against encroaching white settlers on Cherokee land, and to teach the native peoples skills helping them assimilate after the gatekeeping eventually failed. When the Blockhouse closed, it was forgotten and buried under farmland. Even today, very little is done to maintain or promote it. This little-known gem has a story to tell and needs to be brought back to life. Joseph Blanco persuaded the lead archaeologist of the Blockhouse to come out of retirement and spent hours with him exploring, documenting and learning. He read letters, diaries, military documents and scoured three museums for artifacts. That knowledge is shared with you, via this multimedia show, by resurrecting the excavated graveyard of historic foundations through stories and images. Join historian, Joseph Blanco, as you hear about this forgotten little-known American military site and learn some local Cherokee history and a few Cherokee words along the way.