My assignment was to visit Sam Davis home, Smyrna in Tennessee. Before carrying on with the tour, I prepared myself thoroughly to make the stay successful. Primarily, I researched thoroughly about the site through numerous readings. I went to the library to find articles and resources that have information on the historic site that I was about to visit.
I searched the internet on their home website where I got the right directions leading to the place. I noted down the important points regarding the site on my notebook as it helped me in tracing the site and briefing me on the information on the place (Harte et al. 31). I gathered enough finances that would sustain me throughout the visit, and I made the early request to the authorities through the site website concerning my visit and intentions of travelling to the historic site in Tennessee.
The Sam Davis site is so historic because of its rich history, it bears and the fact that it was named after an individual called Sam Davis born in the country of Rutherford. Sam Davis joined the army during the civil war before Tennessee succeeded from the Union and became one of the members of Coleman's Scouts. He and other members became enemies of the nation and collected information on the movements of the Union forces while disrupting communication lines. He was later captured by the general of the union and admitted for being a courier though pleaded that he was not guilty of spying charges but was hanged in 1863.
People came to visit the historic site of Sam Davis home and plantation that contains more than a hundred original family pieces. The originality is evidenced by the floors, doors, and woodwork which are original I nature. The site is located on a 160-acre land where cotton is mostly grown, and it was purchased by the Tennessee state in 1927 and officially opened for tour services in 1930.
The historic site has two homes, family cemetery, some outbuildings and several personal effects belonging to the Davis' family. People who get the chance to visit the site get a chance to see the items on the display and get a glimpse of how life was during the 19th century times.
The site preserves the life history of Sam Davis and his family who worked on the farms of Tennessee before, during and after the civil war. It displays the historic home, the farmland that was preserved, which is a useful resource for visitors to learn about their history and the relevance it has imparted in their present day lives.
The site also has a reputation for being haunted that is thought to have begun when visitors and workers at the home reported being seeing and hearing voices of ghost workers on the site's premises. The main home of the location is the living museum and is open to all tourists globally (Harte et al. 45). The strange voices are said to come from the place where Sam was buried. During the visit, I heard some footsteps from one of the homes and I was told that such incidences often occur.
During the visit, I had mixed feelings concerning the place. First, I was much impressed by the rich history of the historic site. I have to learn about the life during the 19th century and information concerning the world war in which Sam Davis participated. The preserved farmland also made me understand the lifestyle the past people lived and the changes that have taken place since then up to the current world. The beauty of the site also surprised me. The homes were made of beautiful locations where weddings and reception were regularly held and it is a great tourist attraction that makes people travel vast distances to come and witness the beauty of historical events.
Besides the many surprises, I also had a terrible feeling when we were told of the haunting history of the site. It is so scary, but that happening is related to the horrible war times and the death of the main opposition leader of the state government.
I would greatly recommend the site to a friend because there is much to learn from the location regarding the historical events that took place in the past century. One would get to learn and gain knowledge on the advancement of lives that happen each day and get to appreciate what nature has in store for them (Harte et al. 41). I would also recommend a friend to visit the site so that they can witness the beauty of the place and to consider holding their events like the weddings and reception there.
The site should continue being preserved for the future generations because it has a rich history of what happened in the past, especially on the occurrence of the world war that most generations did not witness. This will help in harnessing awareness of maintaining a culture and appreciating the past generations for having fought hard to free their countries and bring peace being enjoyed by the present generations and others to come.
Work Cited
Harte, Bret, Lawrence I. Berkove, Gary Scharnhorst, and Sam P. Davis. The Old West in the Old
World: Lost Plays by Bret Harte and Sam Davis. Albuquerque: the University of New
Mexico Press, 2006. Print
