Kenneth Palmer Papers
The material contains information about Fort Loudoun, TN and discusses the archaeological research that occurred there. The items from the mid to late 1900s consist of the research that was a part of the reconstruction. These items contain information about possible original layouts of the fort, and the natural resources surrounding the areas as of this time. The undated “Fort Loudoun Research Book” was presumably created around this time as well, and the index cards provide information on resources and specimens found around the Fort Loudoun area. The documents dated from the 1700s and 1800s provide information about the ownership of property in Knox County, TN around these times. More specifically, the Knox County court document and land deed were written regarding the Kern Estate in Knox County and the court document was signed by Colonel Francis A. Ramsey of Knoxville.
Dates
- 1797, 1816-1817, 1936-1964
Language
The material in this collection is in English.
Conditions Governing Access
Collections are stored offsite and must be requested in advance. See www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Conditions Governing Use
The UT Libraries claims only physical ownership of most material in the collections. Persons wishing to broadcast or publish this material must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants on www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Extent
0.5 Linear Feet (1 half box, 1 oversize box)
Abstract
This collection contains material collected during the excavation and archaeological research conducted of Fort Loudoun, TN in the 1950s and 1960s. In addition, there are a few documents from Knox County, TN from the late 18th century and the early 19th century concerning property and land ownership.
Biographical/Historical Note
Fort Loudoun (occasionally spelled Loudon) was a British colonial settlement that was located in what is now Monroe County, TN. It was built and occupied in the late 1700s. After tensions between European settlers and Cherokee Indians, the Fort was overrun by the Cherokee in 1760. The fort was finally rebuilt in 1960 after many excavations and archaeological research were held to gain insight for reconstruction. In 1935, the Fort Loudon Association and the Works Progress Administration launched the Fort Loudon Restoration Product. Historian and University of Tennessee alumni Hobart S. Cooper (1897-1959) supervised the archaeological digs beginning in February 1936. Cooper drew an archaeological plan in August of 1936, which is included in this collection. Ellsworth Brown, a president of the Fort Loudoun Association, supervised several small-scale excavations, which began in 1955. Brown hoped to locate the original position of the fort's flagstaff, and the quarters of the original construction supervisor, Captain Paul Demere. In addition, Brown sought to locate the eastern Rivergate entrance in 1957. Brown's drawings of the Fort Loudoun Forge and Embrasure Design were completed in the early 1960s, and are included in the collection. P. H. Kunkel was an archaeologist who also worked on the Fort Loudon projects, and he wrote about the archaeological findings of the area in his report "Fort Loudoun Archaeology: a summary of the structural problem," published in 1965.
In addition to these items concerning the Fort Loudoun Restoration Project, there are also a few legal documents concerning property within Knox and Grainger Counties. There is a land deed signed to Nicholas Kern on August 19, 1816. Nicholas Kern was related to the Kern/Karne family that was based out of Pennsylvania and Bedford County, VA. The deed concerns land in Grainger County. The court document that accompanies this collection also concerns the Kern estate, and includes the name Colonel Francis A. Ramsey (1764-1820), a founding trustee of Blount College which later became the University of Tennessee. His family became one of the most prominent in the Knoxville area as it was settled, and they ran a plantation at the Historic Ramsey House until the Civil War.
Repository Details
Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository