Blackwater Creek in Vardy Valley

Blackwater Creek, Vardy Valley
Hancock County, Tennessee

"You must know that within ten miles of this owl's nest, there is a watering-place, known hereabouts as 'black-water Springs.' It is situated in a narrow gorge, scarcely half a mile wide, between Powell's Mountain and the Copper Ridge, and is, as you may suppose, almost inaccessible. A hundred men could defend the pass against even a Xerxian army. Now this gorge and the tops and sides of the adjoining mountains are inhabited by a singular species of the human animal called MELUNGENS. The legend of their history, which they carefully preserve, is this. A great many years ago, these mountains were settled by a society of Portuguese Adventurers, men and women."
--Littell's Living Age, 1848.

For some other creeks, rivers and streams of interest: Click Here.

Note: This post is lifted almost word for word from the Historical Melungeons Blog, which can be found in the MHS Blog's "Links of Interest" section, a link to which is on the sidebar to the right.