The Cumberland Plateau represents an aspect of our national heritage which is central to the entire American experience - the story of the frontier: how the wilderness environment appeared to the first pioneer explorers and settlers, how early settlers interacted and often clashed with the contrasting plantation and industrial cultures of the lowlands, how the idea of the vanishing "unspoiled frontier" inspired a wide variety  of idealistic enterprises, and how understanding and appreciating of the frontier commons and the culture that it has supported have evolved over time. The Cumberland Plateau is one of the few remaining places where the role of Southern Appalachia frontier in our history and heritage can still be experienced, interpreted, studied, and preserved.

Scholarly research indicates a substantial body of traditions and folkways derived from the region's valuable frontier heritage which have been passed down and are still practiced in the corridor. These include hunting and foraging in the forest commons, pioneer era skills and crafts, old-time music, and strong traditions of faith.

-from the National Heritage Corridor Feasibility Study

by Edwin Gardner