John Craig’s Fort

John Craig’s Fort is a Tennessee historical marker in Blount County.

Blount Co, In Maryville, on Church St. Extension at southwest corner of Washington St.

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Site of the original settlement of Maryville. Here Captain John Craig in 1785 erected a fort on Pistol Creek to protect settlers from Indian raids. In 1793 as many as 280 men, women, and children lived within its walls for several months, surviving an attack by 500 Indians. New Providence Presbyterian Church was organized here in 1786 by the Reverend Archibald Scott.

Maps this old were drawn largely by eye, so places on them can sit miles from where they really are. The pin is ours and marks the marker's location today.

TodayHistorical map

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David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

Historical maps covering this location

1794 · Map of the Tennessee Government. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1796 · Map of The Tennassee (sic) Government. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1797 · Tennassee Government. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
1814 · Kentucky (Mathew Carey, 1814) (Barry Lawrence Ruderman Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
Historical map (University Library, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)

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Marker text and location from the Tennessee Historical Commission, as the Commission publishes them on its marker map.

John Craig’s Fort

Historical maps covering this location

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