Avery's Trace

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Avery's Trace, also called the Nashville Road, North Carolina Military Trace, North Carolina Road, or Cumberland Trace, was authorized in 1787 and opened in 1788 to connect Knoxville to Nashville, Tennessee. [[Image:

Avery's Trace connected East and Middle Tennessee to promote settlement. It was guarded by five forts.

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Historical Background

In 1787 the North Carolina legislature considered Tennessee part of its territory. They authorized and funded the blazing of a settlers' trail by Peter Avery, five forts, and 300 soldiers to protect that road from Cherokee Indians angry about a road crossing their land without permission. The first year 25 families headed west on the trace. The trail connected East Tennessee (Knoxville) with Middle Tennessee (French Lick, or Nashville).

Route

• South end of Clinch Mountain (near Blaine, Grainger, Tennessee)
• Knoxville, Knox, Tennessee
• Fort Southwest Point, Kingston, Roane, Tennessee
• Fort Blount, Jackson, Tennessee at a ford to the north side of the Cumberland River
• Bledsoe’s Fort, Castalian Springs, Sumner, Tennessee
• Mansker’s Fort, Goodlettsville, Davidson, Tennessee
• Fort Nashborough, Nashville, Davidson, Tennessee crossing to the south side of the Cumberland River

Settlers and Records

For partial list of settlers who used the Avery's Trace, see:

• Doug Drake, Jack Masters, and Bill Puryear, Founding of the Cumberland, The First Atlas 1779-1804, Showing Who Came, How They Came, and Where They Put Down Roots (Gallatin, Tenn. : Warioto Press, ©2009) [FHL 976.8 E7d]. Also see their Internet site below.

Internet Sites

• Bill Puryear, Jack Masters, and Doug Drake, Cumberland Pioneer Settlers 1779-1804 at http://www.cumberlandpioneers.com/averytrace.html (accessed 5 August 2010).