By JOSH AULT
6 News Reporter
MORRISTOWN (WATE) - The life of Davy Crockett is about to get some national exposure and tourism officials in East Tennessee are thrilled.
Gary Foreman and Carolyn Raine-Foreman, who have produced shows for the History Channel, were in Morristown this week to pitch a new idea.
They are developing the Davy Crockett Heritage Trail.
One site that will be featured in this trail is the Crockett Tavern Museum in Morristown.
Sally Baker has been the site director at the museum for the past 20 years.
"Davy Crockett is a national hero," said Baker. "He is a world wide hero. We have folks who come here from Europe that read about him in a folklore books and didn't know if he was a real person."
Davy Crockett was born in what is now Greene County and moved to Morristown when he was nine. He lived there until he was in his twenties.
Baker says 3,500 people visit this attraction each year. She hopes those numbers will increase with this new idea.
"All the sites have been slipping and we felt that America is in great need of reclaiming its heroes," said Native Sun Productions president and CEO Gary Foreman. "It's values, understanding what made this country."
Foreman hopes to make Davy Crockett's life real to visitors, and hopes this new trail will do that.
"Our plan is the remainder of this year is grow it in your region," said Foreman. "Around the Knoxville area, our first location to show some changes will be at the Crockett Tavern in Morristown."
Foreman says he eventually hopes to highlight 15 to 20 Davy Crockett sites across the country.
"We are really excited the folks associated with the History Channel are interested in Davy Crockett, which is a big part of the heritage for our community," said Morristown Area Chamber of Commerce Tourism Director Lila Wilson.
Wilson feels the Davy Crockett Heritage trail could double the amount of visitors who come to Hamblen County.
"The fact is that a lot of people from East Tennessee, and even Morristown, have never visited here," said museum volunteer Jim Claborn.
They hope the proposed Davy Crockett Heritage Trail will change that.
Foreman met with Tennessee tourism officials on Monday to outline his plan. He hopes by working with local tourism officials that the project will be successful.
For more information on Davy Crockett historical sites in Morristown, call (423) 586-6382.
