Cavet Station Greenway History

Cavet Station is also known as Covet’s Station, Covet Station, or Cavett’s Station.

In 1792, 200 Cherokee lead by John Watts marched on Knoxville, and a second group of Cherokee attacked Covet's Station in 1793. Knoxville settlers repelled both attacks. Knoxville settlers attacked the Cherokee several times as well. When the government invited the Cherokee's chief Hanging Maw for negotiations in 1793, Knoxville settlers attacked the Cherokee against orders, killing the chief's wife. Peace was renegotiated in 1794.

The Native Americans were delayed by their own dissensions, that they were unable to reach Knoxville before daylight, and therefore abandoned the attack. The question arose among them, whether they should massacre all the inhabitants of Knoxville, or only the men. Hanging Maw, less sanguinary than others, protested earnestly against an indiscriminate slaughter. They determined finally it was prudent to forbear the attack. They had marched all night, except the time consumed in debate, and about sunrise of the 25th of September (1793), commenced their attack on Covet's (Cavet's) Station, eight miles from Knoxville; but were received with such resistance by three men in a building, who alone were armed with guns, that two of their number were soon killed and three others wounded.