A Touch of the 18th Century By James Brannon Photos by John
Froeschauer In September, as the summer heat slowly begins to
give way to the coolness of fall, a small piece of the 18th
century returns to East Tennessee. There, in the shadow of the
Great Smoky Mountains on the banks of the Little Tennessee
River, Fort Loudoun State Historic Area in Vonore will host its
fourth annual 18th Century Trade Faire, September 12-13. "Trade
Faires" were common sights throughout the 18th century, both in
England and in most American colonies. In the early days of the
century, these trade fairs were mainly commercial. In England,
important fairs were held in London, Bristol, Oxford, Bath and
in many other towns. One early trade fair was known as St.
Bartholomews Faire. This fair started mainly as a cloth fair
with merchants exhibiting their cloth in the town Priory. This
fair, like other English fairs, grew into a more generalized
market fair as the century progressed. Streets were filled with
booths exhibiting lace, metal