Ducktown: Mining History and Greenway

Ducktown can be explored through several distinct lenses: its copper-mining heritage, historic buildings and districts, the Ducktown Greenway, and the Ocoee Scenic Byway. These topics highlight different aspects—from the town’s development and mining-related landmarks to opportunities for exercise and recreation. If you’re planning a hotel stay in Ducktown, you can tailor it to your interests: would you like to explore the mining history through historic districts and museum objects, or are you also interested in exercise, nature, and routes?

Mining History and Historic Districts

The Burra Burra Mine site in Ducktown is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Buzzard's Roost Historic District is associated with the mining industry. Its development in 1904 responded to a housing shortage in Ducktown. By contrast, the Ducktown Historic District includes a mix of residential and commercial buildings dating from approximately 1900 to 1940.

The two districts highlight different aspects: Buzzard's Roost focuses on a specific historical circumstance and its connection to the mining industry, while the Ducktown Historic District is characterized by its mix of buildings and their approximate time period. This offers a way to understand the town’s history both through its development at the time and through the buildings described.

The Burra Burra site also brings together historical objects and a visible part of the mine workings. The mine’s old office building now houses artifacts and keepsakes from these mining operations. From the museum’s overlook, you can see the collapsed and flooded part of the mine workings. These offer two distinct perspectives: exhibits in the office building and a visible part of the mine workings.

Greenway and Historic Route

The Ducktown Greenway offers opportunities for environmental and historical interpretation, exercise, and connection with nature. It is also associated with the historic route of the Tennessee Copper Company Railroad. The Greenway thus brings together recreational and historical connections without reducing the trail to just one of these themes.

Currently, the existing Ducktown Greenway extends 3,000 feet northeast from the Greenway parking area. Its current configuration may change. So if you plan to include the Greenway in your itinerary, check the current route before your visit. The Greenway can be distinguished from the historic districts in that it brings exercise and nature into focus as distinct themes.

Ocoee Scenic Byway and Regional Context

The Ocoee Scenic Byway was once part of the Old Copper Road, which was used to transport copper ore from Ducktown to Cleveland, Ohio. This route therefore highlights the former transportation of ore. At the Ocoee Scenic Byway, Parksville Lake offers opportunities for swimming, boating, fishing, and camping. Recreational opportunities at the lake may change depending on operations; check current conditions before your visit. The byway thus combines a historical route connection with the recreational opportunities at the lake listed above.

On a broader regional scale, the Copper Basin Mining District is in southeastern Polk County, between Ducktown and Copperhill, Tennessee. The district includes a 26-mile stretch of the Ocoee River that was affected by historical mining activities. This connection adds a regional perspective to the town’s history: mining shaped not only the themes of the historic districts but also affected a section of the river.

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