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Historic District Reliance, TN |
All Text & Images: Copyright (2021) |
|
Historic District Reliance, TN |
All Text & Images: Copyright (2021) |
| The community of Reliance developed in the latter 19th century when a water-powered grist mill and sawmill were constructed along the Hiwassee River. The railroad was constructed in the late 1880s, providing rail access to the Copper Basin. A ferry began operation in the center of the community east of the railroad around the same time. The ferry was replaced by a one-lane truss bridge in 1912; this bridge was subsequently replaced in 1992. |
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| The Hiwassee Union Church and Masonic Lodge joined forces around 1899 to build a two-story frame building with a porch across the front. |
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| The upper floor was used by the Masons, with the church meeting on the first floor. |
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| During the week, the church was used as a school for a short time. |
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| The Old Line Railroad bridge across the Hiwassee was built in 1890. In more recent times, the original stone piers were augmented with additional concrete piers. |
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| Wooden RR trestle leading to the bridge |
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| Wooden RR trestle |
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| The Vaughn-Webb house was built in the late 1880s. |
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| Vaughn-Webb house, from a slightly different angle... |
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| Vaughn farm barn, across the road from the old house. In addition to operating a grist mill, the Vaughn family grew corn and hay, raised cattle, hogs, and mules, and cut timber. |
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| Looking up at the Vaughn house from down in the farm, next to the old barn. |
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| An old rusty grader parked next to an overgrown shed near the Vaughn farm. |
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| Slightly more modern silo and barn, near the Vaughn-Webb place |
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| The Watchman's House Built in 1891 for use by the railroad watchman, who checked the railroad bridge for burning embers after the train passed over. |
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| The Higdon Hotel Built in 1878, the hotel was originally home for a woman named Harriet Dodson. The property was sold to the Calvin Higdon family in 1883. |
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| The Higdon Hotel in 1914 Photo from "The Thomas Higdon Family of Polk County, Tennessee" by William Garland Lillard. |
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| Higdon doubled the length of the building and turned it into a boarding house for railroad supervisors as tracks were laid through the town in 1890. |
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| Once the railroad was completed and passenger trains started rolling through, the large hotel with a two-story front porch operated as a resort until the 1930s. |
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| Apalachia Powerhouse Construction began in 1941; it generates via water that flows 8.3 miles through a 16 ft. diameter conduit from the Apalachia Dam. A note on spellings: The river is spelled "Hiwassee"; the town is "Hiawassee". If one looks at the Native American pronunciations that these names were derived from, Hiawassee is actually closer, having the extra syllable up front. Also, the different spelling of "Apalachia", with only one "p", for the lake, dam, & power station, is correct. |