Old Copper Road

Old Copper Road

The Old Copper Road was painstakingly built in 1853 to connect the copper mines in southeastern Tennessee’s Copper Basin to the railroad terminus at Cleveland, Tennessee. John Caldwell hired local Cherokee Indians and whites to build the road, an arduous task completed in two years. Upon completion, copper haulers drove teams of oxen and mules over the road for two…

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Burra Burra Copper Mine

Burra Burra Copper Mine

Copper mining took place in the Ducktown Basin (Copper Basin) from 1850 to 1987, with more than a dozen mines operating at one time. The Burra Burra Mine, located in Ducktown, Tennessee, operated from 1899 until 1959. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the site includes the Mine Office, Shops, Change House, Hoist House, and Powder House. The…

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