9th Thursday – Set out after Breakfast & Stayed all night at Co. Rogers ⁽¹⁾ at Rogersville rodes (roads) fine made 23 miles – Cost – at Rogersville 3.75, servant .12. The road Clark was following is the corridor for today’s US 11-W, designated as a Tennessee Scenic By-Way. The Holston River was to their right with the Clinch Mountain range on their left. The wide valley is picturesque today with a fine road. 

This area of East Tennessee was organized as the independent State of Franklin in 1784 till 1789, negotiating treaties with the Overhill Cherokee and other Tribal People. Today the eight eastern counties of Tennessee compose the bulk of the State of Franklin.⁽²⁾

Joseph Rogers was an Irish- born veteran of the Revolutionary War and supporter of the State of Franklin. After the State of Franklin collapsed, Joseph, along with support of his father-in-law Thomas Amis, founded Rogersville.⁽³⁾

Col. Joseph Rogers Tavern is one of the few extant structures that Lewis or Clark visited or stayed in 1803-1810. The Tavern, built circa 1800 is a recognized landmark in Tennessee History and is recorded in William Clark’s 1809 Journal which adds to the history of the tavern and the city of Rogersville, TN.⁽⁴⁾ Joseph Rogers Tavern is within the historic Rogersville, TN district listed in the National Register of Historic Places, authorized by the National Preservation Act of 1966.⁽⁵⁾ In September 2019, the historic structure was evaluated by Dr. Carrol Van West and Ms. Savannah Grandey, CHP, Middle Tennessee State University Center for Historic Preservation. The recommendations verify the building’s historical significance and that the structure has potential for restoration to the 1800-1810 appearance. A later addition has potential for modern day use to sustain the historical structure. A copy of the full report is available from CHP MTSU Center for Historic Preservation, the Lewis and Clark Trust or Rogersville Heritage Association.