This is the third of a series of historic site caches we have
placed along Emory Road.
Nicholas Gibbs was born in 1733, in Germany, and is believed to
be descended from English people who fled to Germany to escape
political and religious problems. He came to America about 1749,
eventually living in Orange County, NC, where his 11 children were
born. He served in the French and Indian War, and then in the
American Revolution. In 1792, he built a homestead on 450 acres,
along Emery Road (today spelled Emory Road). He died there in 1817
(Groover, 2003; RootsWeb, n.d.
The house remained in the Gibbs family, passing through five
generations, until 1971. It passed from Nicholas Gibbs to Daniel
Gibbs, then Rufus Gibbs, John Gibbs, and Ethel Gibbs Brown, being
operated as a rental home between 1913 and when it was sold. The
home passed between several non-Gibbs individuals, until, in 1986,
it was purchased by the Nicholas Gibbs Historical Society
(http://www.nghsoftn.org/).
Descendents of Nicholas Gibbs are eligible for membership in the
society, and must pay dues of $20 per year. The home now is on the
National Historic Register.
An extensive, multi-year archaeological research project at the
Gibbs homestead began in 1987, led by Charles Faulkner, of the
University of Tennessee (Groover, 2003, Groover, n.d.). This was
encouraged by Joe Longmire, a Gibbs descendent and current
president of the Society. Several members of the Society give free
tours of the homestead, and their phone numbers are posted in the
window of the house. However, we feel sure some advance notice
would be appreciated if you want a tour, so, with permission, here
are the names and numbers (all 865 area code) on the notice: Sonja
Collins, 687-1028; Fern Whited 687-687-0858; Lynne Hutton,
687-4181; Joe Longmire, 687-0314; Leonard Wolfenbarger,
922-8836.
The cache is a large lock and lock container, located a short
distance down the driveway from the road. We advise that you go
ahead and drive down the driveway and turn around by the house,
rather than try to back out onto Emory Road. Please get this cache
during daylight hours.
There also is a letter box hidden at this location. Do not
mistake the letter box for the geocache. Do not take the rubber
stamp out of the letterbox.
References:
RootsWeb (n.d.). Descendents of Nicholas Gibbs 1733 – 1817.
Retrieved 7/6/2008 from
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~jeffcotham/Nicholas%20Gibbs/pafn01.htm.
Groover, M.D. (2003). An archaeological study of rural
capitalism and material life: The Gibbs farmstead in southern
Appalachia, 1790-1920. New Your: Springer Publishing.
Groover, M.D. (n.d.). The Nicholas Gibbs Farmstead, Knox County,
East Tennessee. Retrieved 7/6/2008 from
http://mdgroover.iweb.bsu.edu/GPR%20Gibbs.htm.