Tipton-Haynes Summer Camp Revolutionary War Exhibit

As part of the Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site Summer Camp activities, chapter member John Neth III provided an educational exhibit of Revolutionary War weapons and accessories.

Tipton-Haynes State Historic Site offers a summer camp for children ages 6 to 14, giving campers a fun, hands-on way to learn about local history. Each session focuses on a different period, including Cherokee and prehistoric history, early settlement, the Civil War, and the twentieth century.

Campers enjoy historic games, craft activities, original and replica artifacts, and team challenges connected to the site’s historic structures. The camp also includes favorite activities such as “Carter’s Raid” and a historical drama performed by the campers for their families.

In The News - Tennessee's oldest town celebrates Statehood Day

John Neth, Bob Waugh and Rob Richmond, Chapter President
Photo Courtesy of Johnson City Press

Johnson City Press - June 9, 2026 - Jonesborough and Washington County celebrated Tennessee’s 230th Statehood Day last Friday outside the historic Washington County Courthouse.

State Rep. Rebecca Alexander and State Sen. Rusty Crowe attended the program, which was held ahead of the official June 1 anniversary to coincide with the display of the Washington County Unite Quilt.

Former Sessions Court Judge John Kiener discussed Tennessee’s formation and Jonesborough’s unique history as part of North Carolina, the short-lived State of Franklin, and Tennessee. Anne G’Fellers-Mason of the McKinney Center and Paul Harris of Jonesborough Tourism and the Heritage Alliance also shared local and county history.

“It’s always good to look back on our history and heritage and know why we are where we are,” Harris said.

The Washington County Unite Quilt features squares representing all 29 states containing a Washington County. Each square showcases its county while honoring George Washington. Created for America’s 250th anniversary, the quilt celebrates the shared heritage and community spirit of Washington Counties nationwide.

The quilt will remain on display at the courthouse for two weeks before continuing to its next destination.

The Children of the American Revolution Monument in Elizabethton, TN

ELIZABETHTON, TN - On June 6, 2026, The Children of the American Revolution Monument honoring the children soldiers who served in the Revolutionary War was dedicated. The monument is located at Mack and Nancy Cooke Family Park, it is the only known monument in the United States dedicated specifically to soldiers who fought under the age of 16.

The Tennessee State President of the SAR and former Chapter President, Ben Stonecypher, participated in the ceremony.

Celebration of 230th Statehood Day in Jonesborough, TN

 

Members of the Kings Mountain Chapter Color Guard participated in the celebration of 230th Statehood Day.

Memorial Day Celebration at Veterans Memorial Park in Abington, VA

 

The Kings Mountain Chapter Color Guard participated in the Memorial Day Ceremonies on May 25, 2026 at the Veterans Memorial Park in Abington, VA.

“American Salute” - Memorial Day Concert & Program at Sycamore Shoals Historic Park

American Salute” - Memorial Day Concert & Program on May 25, 2026: Chapter President Rob Richmond participated in the Memorial Day celebration at Sycamore Shoals Historic Park.

Grave Dedication Ceremony to honor Patriot Henry King (1752-1825) at the Monte Vista Cemetery in Johnson City, Tennessee

On May 23, 2026 the Kings Mountain Chapter and Heritage Alliance hosted a grave dedication ceremony to honor Patriot Henry King (1752-1825) at the Monte Vista Cemetery in Johnson City, Tennessee.

Henry King was born on 11 March 1752, possibly in Ireland. Little is presently known of his early life, though by the time of the American Revolution he was living on the Virginia frontier in Augusta County, an area that later became closely connected with the settlement of eastern Tennessee.

According to a transcript of the family Bible,1 he married Sarah Shields on 8 January 1778 in Augusta County, Virginia. They had the following known children:
Mary was born on 16 October 1778 and married Peter Harrington.
Elizabeth was born on 4 October 1780 and married James Barnes.
Thomas was born on 15 March 1783 and married Rebecca Little.
William Shields was born on 13 December 1784 and married Hester Cox.
Sarah was born on 23 October 1786 and married Mark Mears.
John was born on 4 October 1788 and married Anna Shields.
Henry Willis was born on 8 January 1792 and died young.
Willis was born on 5 March 1793 and died on 13 May 1819.
William “Billy” Frame was born on 27 March 1795 and married Ruth Little.
Henry was born on 13 September 1797 and married Elizabeth Tipton.

During the Revolutionary War, Henry King served in the Washington County Regiment of the North Carolina Militia. His patriotic service is documented by Certificate of Pay No. 2913, dated 16 August 1782, which reflects service in the Washington and Sullivan County region along the North Carolina frontier, an area frequently threatened during the war years by Loyalist activity and conflict associated with the western frontier.

Henry King prepared his will on 30 September 1824. In it, he named all ten of his children, noting that four had preceded him in death.2 The document provides important confirmation of the family structure and reflects the extensive King family connections in early Tennessee.

He died before October 1825. Henry was originally buried on his property in the King-Little Cemetery on East Fairview Avenue. Before the death of his great-grandson, William C. King, in 1939, Henry’s remains were removed and reinterred at Monte Vista Burial Park.

 

Grave Marking at Monte Vista Cemetery to honor Patriot Henry King (1752-1825)

 

Grave Marking at the Monte Vista Cemetery on May 23, 2026 to honor Patriot Henry King (1752-1825).

Meeting - May 14, 2026

 

On May 14, 2026, the Kings Mountain Chapter was entertained and enlightened by historical interpreter Linda S. Turner, who portrayed Mercy Otis Warren (1728–1814).

Mercy Otis Warren was an American patriot, poet, playwright, political writer, and historian whose work helped shape Revolutionary-era public opinion. Born in Barnstable, Massachusetts, she was the daughter of Colonel James Otis and the sister of patriot leader James Otis Jr. Although women of her time rarely received formal education, Warren was encouraged by her family and developed into a serious intellectual and influential writer.

Before and during the American Revolution, Warren wrote political plays and poems criticizing royal authority and British policies in Massachusetts. She corresponded with many leading figures of the Revolution, including Abigail Adams, John Adams, Samuel Adams, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson. In 1788, writing as “A Columbian Patriot,” she opposed ratification of the Constitution without a Bill of Rights. In 1805, she published her three-volume History of the Rise, Progress, and Termination of the American Revolution, one of the earliest histories of the Revolution written by a contemporary participant. She died in 1814 and is buried at Burial Hill in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The chapter also recognized Mr. Joseph Jefferson with a plaque listing the names of 16 of his Patriot Ancestors.

In addition, Chapter President Rob Richmond administered the oath of membership to four new Kings Mountain Chapter members. Welcome to Don Gouge, Steve Richardson, Chase Milner and David Puls.

Meeting - Linda S. Turner, Historian and Storyteller - May 14th

Please join the Kings Mountain Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution, for our next meeting on Thursday, May 14th, at 6:00PM in the Tipton-Haynes Historic Site, 2620 S Roan St, Johnson City, TN, when we welcome Linda S. Turner, Historian and Storyteller, as our guest speaker.

A fifth-generation Texan and now a transplanted Tennessean, Linda Turner has been telling stories all her life—some true, and some perhaps open to debate. After God, family, and country, her greatest passion is history, especially American history and, most especially, women’s history.

A retired schoolteacher, Linda found her way into costumed historical interpretation quite by accident. As she puts it, if you cannot play the fiddle or piano, sing on key, or dance like a professional, then dress like one of history’s characters and tell their story.

Linda is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the United States Daughters of 1812. She has served as a teacher and performer in Vacation Liberty Schools in Texas, as well as in museum education and summer museum programs. Her engaging performances have earned her recognition and awards from a variety of organizations.

Over the years, Linda has portrayed suffragettes, women spies, soldiers, nurses, a famous seamstress, a sharpshooter, and a Revolutionary-era propagandist, among many others. History offers an endless supply of stories, and Linda brings them to life in a memorable and inspiring way.

In the words of Abigail Adams: "I desire you would Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors."

And so we shall.

A Buffet Dinner is served $20/person (pay at door - cash or CC).  All Members and Guests are Welcome.  Please contact David Carr to make Reservations.