The Hamilton County Committee will commemorate the significance of Poe’s Tavern in early county history on its 'Happy 200th Birthday," Saturday from 9-11 a.m. Tours and a display of artifacts associated with the tavern’s history will be provided. A special ceremony will occur at 10 a.m. at the reconstructed site of the tavern in Soddy-Daisy and the public is invited.
The ceremony will feature the history of the tavern and its importance to regional history, by Steve Smith, president of the Soddy, Daisy and Montlake Historical Society, and a spotlight on the Poe family’s long relationship to the community, by Rohn Poe.
Hamilton County Commissioner. Greg Martin will bring greetings from county government, while Mayor Gene Shipley, along with invited commissioners, will represent Soddy-Daisy.
“Poe’s Tavern was the first seat of government for Hamilton County and the site of the first court. As we commemorate the 200th anniversary of Hamilton County’s creation by Tennessee General Assembly charter, it is most appropriate to commemorate the Tavern’s historical significance in our county’s history and its own legacy,” noted Chattanooga and Hamilton County Historian Linda Moss Mines, chair of the 200th Birthday celebration. “Many area residents may not be aware that the Tavern served as a gathering point for hundreds of Cherokee Nation members prior to their departure on the Trail of Tears. Additionally, the tavern was commandeered into use as a military hospital by both Confederate and Union forces, at different times, during the U.S. Civil War. While the original tavern was demolished in the early 20th century, the reconstructed site duplicates, in exacting detail, the features of the original.”
Other participants in the commemorative event include 200th Birthday Committee Vice-Chairs Sam Elliott and Jim Frierson and Immediate Past Regent Jessica Dumitru, Chief John Ross Chapter, NSDAR, who will recognize the city and the Poe family for their commitment to historical preservation.