Manchester in Coffee County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

The Uses of Water in Different Cultures

— The Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park —

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, June 28, 2025

1. The Uses of Water in Different Cultures Marker

Inscription. "Big Falls," the largest single drop on the Big Duck River, would have been of particular significance to the builders of the Old Stone Fort.

While water was sacred to prehistoric Native Americans, by the 1800s it was the primary power source for industry. This was the location of one of the large paper mills in the industrial period. The mound wall would have begun again here, after the ending of the sheer cliffs and the rise of the riverbed above the falls. It is likely that it angled up from the last sheer cliff immediately below the falls and then turned back towards the eastern terminus. Some apparent stone construction debris strengthens this view.

There are only slight traces of the mound between the two mill foundations however, once past the second large paper mill remains, the surviving ancient wall will be more obvious again. You will have an opportunity to choose to walk above the wall inside the enclosure or below the wall above the river.

Erected by Tennessee State Parks. (Marker Number 10.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Industry & Commerce.

Location. 35° 29.069′ N, 86°

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6.491′ W. Marker is in Manchester, Tennessee, in Coffee County. It can be reached from Stone Fort Dr south of U.S. 41, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Manchester TN 37355, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Middle Tennessee

and in the Highland Rim.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Mills Interrupt the Walls (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Old Stone Fort and the Stone Fort Paper Co. (about 700 feet away); The Mound Walls Meet the Cliffs (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Bark Camp Fork or Little Duck River (approx. ¼ mile away); The Wonders on the Frontier (approx. ¼ mile away); Patterns in Mound Wall Construction (approx. ¼ mile away); The Enclosed Grounds (approx. ¼ mile away); Powder Production (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Manchester.

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, June 28, 2025

2. The Uses of Water in Different Cultures Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on July 8, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 6, 2025, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 86 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 6, 2025, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.