Editing Crab Orchard, Tennessee (section)

==History==
Crab Orchard's position in a gap in the Crab Orchard Mountains made it a gateway to the Cumberland area as early as the late 18th century. Pioneers passing through the area named it for its abundance of wild [[Malus|crab apple]] trees.<ref>Helen Bullard and Joseph Krechniak, ''Cumberland County's First Hundred Years'' (Crossville, Tenn.: Centennial Committee, 1956), 122.</ref>  In the 1780s, a road was built through the gap to help provide protection for travelers migrating from East Tennessee to the Nashville area.<ref>J.G.M. Ramsey, ''The Annals of Tennessee'' (Johnson City, Tennessee: Tennessee Overmountain Press, 1999), 500-501.</ref>

The historian [[J. G. M. Ramsey]] reported several [[Cherokee]], [[Muscogee (Creek)|Creek]], and [[Shawnee]] attacks at "the Crab-Orchard" during a period of heightened tensions between [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] and encroaching Euro-American settlers in the early 1790s. Around 1792, a small band of troops led by Captain Samuel Handley was attacked by a mixed group of Cherokee, Creek, and Shawnee at Crab Orchard, ending in Handley's capture.<ref>Ramsey, ''Annals of Tennessee'', 571-572.</ref>  In April 1794, a group of travelers was ambushed by a band of Creeks, killing early Cumberland County settler Thomas 'Big Foot' Spencer. A few weeks later, a Lieutenant McClelland was attacked and routed by a band of Creeks at Crab Orchard.<ref>Ramsey, ''The Annals of Tennessee'', 591-595.</ref><ref>Michael Boniol, "[http://www.upper-cumberland.net/users/mboniol/ Cumberland County History]," 2003. Retrieved: January 2, 2008.</ref>

[[File:Crab-orchard-tennessee-franklin-mine1.jpg|left|220px|thumb|Lhoist North America mine and plant in Crab Orchard]]

In the late 18th century, as Cherokee attacks subsided, the '''Walton Road''' was built as part of the stage road system connecting the Knoxville and Nashville areas. The road passed through Crab Orchard, bringing a steady stream of travelers and migrants to the area. Around 1800, Sidnor's Inn opened at Crab Orchard, with [[Francis Asbury|Bishop Francis Asbury]] being among its earliest guests. In 1827, Robert Burke, whose wife operated a tavern at what is now [[Ozone, Tennessee|Ozone]] established the Crab Orchard Inn, which remained open until the early 20th century.<ref>Bullard and Krechniak, ''Cumberland County's First Hundred Years'', 21, 122.</ref>

Crab Orchard received its fame from a rare type of durable [[sandstone]] found in its vicinity. First used in local structures and sidewalks in the late 19th century, the Crab Orchard stone gained popularity in the 1920s when it was used in the construction of Scarritt College in Nashville. Numerous buildings in Crossville have been constructed with Crab Orchard stone.<ref>Carroll Van West, "[http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entry.php?rec=326 Crab Orchard Stone]."  ''The Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture'', 2002. Retrieved: January 2, 2008.</ref>

Crab Orchard is home to a large [[limestone]] mine operated by Lhoist North America. The mine and its accompanying plant dominate the south side of the Crab Orchard gap along Interstate 40 and US-70.{{citation needed|date=August 2013}}