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Before Tennessee had a history, it had a name — and that name began right here in Monroe County. Rooted in the historic Cherokee town of Tanasi, this remarkable area near Vonore offers visitors a chance to stand where the story of Tennessee itself first began. Overlooking the waters of Tellico Lake, the memorials and historic sites preserve the rich Cherokee heritage, culture, and legacy that gave our state its very identity.
Just outside of Vonore Tennessee a quiet memorial marks the site of the historic Cherokee town of Tanasi — the very place that gave Tennessee its name.
Long before Tennessee became the Volunteer State, European settlers met with the Cherokee here along the Little Tennessee River, recording the village name in many forms including Tanasi, Tenasi, Tenassee, and Tunissee. One of the earliest known maps by Henry Timberlake even labels the area as “Tenneſsee,” using the old-style long “S.” Referenced in the map above.
Today, these peaceful memorials overlooking Tellico Lake preserve the rich Cherokee heritage and the remarkable origin story of Tennessee itself — making Monroe County one of the most historically significant places in the state.
This memorial marks the site of Tanasi, the Cherokee village from which the state of Tennessee got its name.
Tanasi ~ ᏔᎾᏏ
Capital of the Cherokee Nation
1721-1730
Origin of the Name for the State of Tennessee
The site of the former town of Tanasi, now underwater, is located about 300 yards west of this marker. Tanasi attained political prominence in 1721 when its civil chief was elected the first “Emperor of the Cherokee Nation”. About the same time, the town name was also applied to the river on which it was located. During the mid 18th century, Tansi became overshadowed and eventually absorbed by the adjacent town of Chota, which was to the immediate north. The first recorded spelling of Tennessee as it is today occurred on Henry Timberlake's map of 1762. In 1796, the name Tennessee was selected from among several as most appropriate for the nation’s 16th state. Therefore, symbolized by this monument, those who reside in this beautiful state are forever linked to its Cherokee heritage.
That plaque and map are not the full story. While the Cherokee are the most famous indigenous people of this region, they were not the first. By the end of the first millennium, there were communities throughout this region, especially in the river valleys. This was during what is called the Mississippian Culture seen across all the land east of the Mississippi River from 800-1600 AD.
In the early 1540s, Hernando de Soto lead the first army of conquistadors into this region. Here, he first encountered the Mississippian culture. This was the first wave of colonization as he was followed by other Spanish colonizers including Tristan de Luna and Juan Pardo. When the French and English arrived 150 years later, those river valley communities were gone.
When the Spanish arrived, they brought diseases that the indigenous communities did not have immunity to, resulting in epidemics which killed many of the people. The Yuchi were some of the last people in the region until they were driven out by the Cherokee in the early 1700s. The Yuchi moved south into Georgia. Some theorize that Tanasi was originally Yuchi.
The Cherokee established communities along many of the rivers in the region, including the Hiwassee and Little Tennessee. As they were building their homes, the Europeans came to exploit the land for its resources. The Europeans traded with the Cherokee, but this led to more exploitation and more conflicts, both against Europeans as well as intertribal wars.
(Source: Tennessee Blue Book)
Chota ~ ᎢᏣᏘ
Mother Town
1740 -1780
Along the shore of Tellico Lake near the Tanasi Memorial sits the Chota Memorial, honoring one of the most important Overhill Cherokee towns and the former “mother town” of the Cherokee Nation. Chota became a center for Cherokee leadership and diplomacy during the 1700s and was home to several prominent Cherokee leaders, including Nancy Ward and Oconastota. Today, the memorial’s eight stone pillars symbolize the seven Cherokee clans and the Cherokee Nation as a whole.
Like Tanasi, the original town site was flooded by the TVA during the creation of Tellico Lake, though the memorial now stands above the preserved historic site.
Oconostota is historically believed to have been buried at the original town site of Chota, which is now beneath Tellico Lake.Oconastota is best known for his leadership during the Anglo-Cherokee War (1758–1761), where he initially led resistance against British forts and settlements but later became a key figure in peace negotiations.He served as a skiagusta, or “war chief,” and later as an important diplomatic leader for the Cherokee during a period of intense conflict and negotiation with British colonial forces.
TRAVEL TIP :
Visit the memorials for a peaceful, scenic stop along the lake. Bring a picnic or grab takeout from Pizza Venti and enjoy it while overlooking the water and reflecting on the Cherokee history of the area.
Tanasi is easily accessible from Bacon Ferry Road, while Chota requires a short five-minute walk on a mostly flat dirt trail that may be more difficult for some visitors.
Cherokee Burial Memorial
Just outside the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum is a burial mound which is the final resting place of 191 Cherokee people who lived in Chota and Tanasi in the 17th century and whose original graves were disturbed by the TVA when they flooded the valley. The burial mound includes a map of the region and the insignia of the different clans.
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