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New Series: Comparing Watauga Lake and Butler
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The W.S. Stout Store Finds a New HomeThe Butler Museum has a new addition. The W. S. Stout Store was originally 1 ¼ mile from Old Butler. Just before Watauga Dam was completed in 1948 it was moved to a location between the relocated town of Butler and Mountain City on Highway 67. On November 4 of this year it was moved again back to the place where the memories of "Old Butler" are kept alive. Click here to learn more . . |
The Dedication of the Veterans´ Memorial at the Butler MuseumOn Sunday August 9 members of the Butler Museum dedicated a new Veterans´ Memorial on the grounds of the museum. The Memorial honors Butler Tennessee area veterans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Click here to learn more . . |
The Butler Museum 2009 Season
The Butler Museum opened for its 2009 Season on Saturday May 16. Museum Board members, local authors and others gathered to begin another year of tours to locals and visitors. The museum has new exhibits featuring maps of the area before and after the completion of the Watauga Dam and the beginning of Watauga Lake. It also has a new "American Veterans Memorial Walk" . . . |
Photos from 1948: Watauga River Bridge
In 1948, the area was preparing for the completion of the Watauga Dam. The 3 primary sources of water, the Watauga River, the Elk River and Roan Creek were soon to merge as one, the Watauga Lake in and around the old Butler Tennessee. The TVA had to add or move roads and build bridges before the dam was completed. Local resident Mary Kay Potter provided some memorable photos of the area now known as Pioneer Landing and other bridges on the lake to Dan and Deanna Livorsi, owners of Pioneer Landing . . . |
60th anniversary: Dec. 1948 The Gates of Watauga Dam Close
60 years after the closing of the gates of the Watauga Dam and the creation of Watauga Lake, the area retains its rural and scenic appeal. The history of the Dam and Lake and the area's citizens is still alive through many books and the Butler Museum. |
Tennessee Honors Old Butler with Historical Marker
After considerable work with the Board of the Watauga Academy and Butler Museum, the State of Tennessee honored Old Butler and the Watauga Academy with an historical marker in a beautiful setting just above the new Butler, Tennessee. . . |
The Tipton-Haynes Historic Site
Just 20 minutes from Watauga Lake is the Tipton-Haynes Historic Site. It is a beautifully-restored house, outbuildings and property where a significant event in East Tennessee history occurred in 1788. In addition, look in their cave where early explorers along the Buffalo Tail stayed on their journeys. One of those visitors may have been Daniel Boone . . . Read more . . . |
"Butler; Old, New and Carderview" by Herman Tester
Floods, wars, bootlegging, Daniel Boone, stunning natural beauty and more! The history of Butler, Tennessee and the Watauga Lake area contains all of these. The events surrounding the settlement and transformation of the area are the subjects of Herman Tester's new book, "Butler; Old, New and Carderview". . . Read more . . . |
Click here to learn about The Butler Museum in Butler Tennessee
The Watauga and Elk River valleys have been the scenes of many floods. The last major one, 1940, started the process which led to the building of the TVA Watauga Dam and the creation of Watauga Lake. Before there was a Watauga Dam and Watauga Lake there were communities, families and individuals living on land now under the lake. Learn about the story of these people and their sacrifice of the community of Butler (now know as Old Butler). Get a feel for the community life of Old Butler in this wonderful museum in "new" Butler Tennessee. . . . |
Click here to learn about Colonel Roderick Butler
After years as Smith's Mill, the town was renamed Butler, Tennessee after Colonel Roderick Butler of Mountain City. Roderick Butler was a commander in the 13th Volunteer Cavalry. Learn about his life, see his beautiful home now fully restored in Mountain City, Tennessee and visit the graveyard where he and his family are buried. . . . |
Click here to learn more about Old Butler Days
"The town that wouldn't drown"? That is Butler, Tennessee. Today's "new" Butler Tennessee was created when the TVA decided to take steps to improve flood control in the Watauga River and Roan Creek Valleys of far Eastern Tennessee by building the Watauga Dam and creating the Watauga Lake. Unfortunately the town of Butler, now known as Old Butler, was sacrificed for this project.. |
Click here to learn more about Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area
"Established near the Shoals in 1772, the Watauga Association was for all practical purposes independent of the British Crown ~ more than 4 years before the Declaration of Independence. When the settlers, who thought they had settled in Virginia, learned they were living under the authority of the royal government of North Carolina and beyond the Indian Treaty Line, they formed their own government. . ." ~ State Historic Marker at Sycamore Shoals State Historic Area |
