SOUTHERN CITIES EDITION: Jonesborough, TN

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"Tennessee's Oldest Town"

This quaint southern town was founded in 1779 and established 17 years before Tennessee actually became a state. It was named after Willie Jones, a North Carolina legislator who supported westward expansion over the Appalachian Mountains of NC.

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SOUTHERN CITIES EDITION:
​JONESBOROUGH, TN URBAN EXPLORATION

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​BY:  ALLIE BYNUM

A Sense of Community

The rise of local business in Jonesborough continues to strengthen the sense of community for residents and tourists alike. It is a marvel to walk down the brick layered sidewalks and bop into the local shops. The atmosphere is warm and inviting with each door you walk through. The tone of Jonesborough is set by a friendly southern greeting with hints of historical attributes like the old concrete steps used for carriage rides.

Trail Blazers

Photo By:  History.com

Daniel Boone, Andrew Jackson, and David Crockett have walked through Jonesborough, just as visitors come and go throughout this little slice of Heaven town nestled in Appalachia. Daniel Boone worked for The Transylvania Company who made a land purchase from the Cherokees. He blazed a trail from Virginia through the mountains of the Cumberland Gap and opened the land to settlement.

Historical

In the early 1800s, Jonesborough was home to several trades and occupations setting the foundation for small businesses and local community. Jacob Howard's print shop stood on a corner of Main Street and housed a periodical dedicated to the abolition of slavery- The Emancipator. Physicians, lawyers, and tradesmen like bricklayers and shoemakers provided business among the town.
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Storytelling

Photo By:  Jonesborough.com

Every October, Jonesborough hosts the National Storytelling Festival. This year the event will be held fully online. Known as the Storytelling Capital of the World, this town is base to the International Storytelling Center. Folks travel from all over the world to gather each year to tell stories, listen, love, and laugh together for this very special and unique occasion.

Support Local Business

Downtown Main Street Jonesborough is home to several locally owned businesses. It is these small shop owners that bring a true sense of community and gathering to the area. From the moment you walk in their doors, you will feel like family. East Tennessee Hemp Company is a family-owned business and East Tennessee's first cannabis dispensary. Their products contain legal, industrial hemp and are sourced right from farms here in the Appalachian Mountains!

A few doors down is the Tennessee Tails Pet Boutique. They carry a variety of quality pet products like Ruffwear ​harnesses to get your pup ready for the rugged outdoor trails along with handmade vegetarian dog treats. Their sister-shop, Gabriel's Christmas, is the only year-round Christmas shop in the Tri-Cities and sure to get you into the spirit!

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Fall time is near, and you don't want to miss the spectacular sense of community in the town of Jonesborough just in time to see the colorful array of leaves changing in Appalachia!

And here's how to experience northeast tennessee like a local.