East Tennessee Historical Society Honors one Jefferson County Initiative with Award of Excellence in History

The East Tennessee Historical Society’s (ETHS) annual Awards of Excellence were presented at the organization’s Annual Meeting on May 14, 2019, at the Foundry on the World’s Fair Site in Knoxville.  Since 1982, the Society has annually recognized individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the preservation, promotion, programming, and interpretation of the region’s history. One Jefferson County initiative was among the 44 awards presented.

·         David Needs was the recipient of a Community History Award. David’s interest in the Civil War Battle of Mossy Creek began when he enlisted the help of his athletic team to clear the creek banks. Mr. Needs has since engaged his history class in a research project to identify the individual soldiers of both sides who fought there, to identify those killed in battle, and to locate the final resting places of those whose bodies were buried nearby. Phase two of his project is to place interpretive signage, with phase three creating walking trails and to place benches for visitors.