The Big Barren Buffalo Road

The Big Barren Buffalo Road. The Tahlonteeskee Trail. , The Buffalo Road, which is a branch of the Great Buffalo Road, enters Macon County at the extreme southeast corner and travels northward following Wartrace Road (State Route 56) to the Willette Road (State Route 262). This section was called the War Trace Branch. The war trace was so named from its use by warring Native American parties as they navigated this path to launch attacks. It then traveled to the Gibbs Cross Roads and Milltown area following State Route 56 thru Red Boiling Springs and meandering with Salt Lick Creek exiting the Northern border of Macon county into Kentucky. This section was called the Big Barren Buffalo Road. The entire Buffalo Road was later referred to as the Tahlonteeskee Trail so named for Cherokee Chief Tahlonteeskee who was the principal chief of the Southwest Cherokee Indian Nation from 1809-1819. Early White settlers named this the Cumberland Trace which is a nationally designated Indian trail., The nutrients of the salt licks, which gave Salt Lick Creek its name, attracted the buffalo to this area. The Native Americans followed the animal trails which were sometimes a foot deep worn down by the buffalo hoof. When this area was settled by White settlers in the late 1700's, the entrance into this uncharted territory was via these animal and Indian trails. Daniel Boone used this same route as he explored this region making his way into Kentucky in 1775. He left his initials on at least three trees in what was to become Macon County., The Great Buffalo Road ran through the uppermost Northeast corner of Macon county.