Presents
Knoxville Historical Photos
These photos are from the Tennessee State Library & Archives. They represent time between 1920's - 1940's.
Knoxville History
Nestled in the valley of the Little Pigeon River’s West Fork and surrounded on three sides by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg has evolved from a largely uninhabited area to a rural hamlet & finally to a thriving gateway community.
For centuries, Cherokee hunters, as well as other Native American hunters before the Cherokee, used a footpath known as Indian Gap Trail to access the abundant game in the forests and coves of the Smokies. This trail connected the Great Indian Warpath with Rutherford Indian Trace, following the West Fork of the Little Pigeon River from modern-day Sevierville through modern-day Pigeon Forge, Gatlinburg, and the Sugarlands, crossing the crest of the Smokies along the slopes of Mount Collins, and descending into North Carolina along the banks of the Oconaluftee River. US-441 largely follows this same route today, although it crests at Newfound Gap rather than Indian Gap.
Settled in the early 1800's, it was first named White Oak Flats for the abundant native white oak trees that covered the landscape. It is believed that a middle-aged widow, Martha Jane Huskey Ogle, was the first official settler here. She came with her family to start a new life in what her late-husband described as a “Land of Paradise” in East Tennessee. Soon after, such now familiar family names as McCarter, Reagan, Whaley and Trentham took up residence along local streams and hollows.
Originally called White Oak Flats, there are many stories as to how Gatlinburg got its name, all involving a controversial figure. In 1854, Radford C. Gatlin arrived in White Oak Flats and opened the village’s second general store. Controversy soon surrounded him, and he was eventually banished from the community. However, the city still bears his name. As a self-sustaining community, Gatlinburg changed little in the first 100 years.
When the Civil War erupted, some locals joined the Union, while others the Confederacy. But, in general, the mountain people tried to remain neutral. Although only one Civil War skirmish was fought in Gatlinburg, countless raids were made by both sides to gather vital resources needed to sustain the war effort. As with much of the South, deprivation and hardship persisted long after the war.
In the early 1800s, education came to the area in the form of subscription schools, where parents paid for each child’s education. It was not until 1912 that a public settlement school was formed in Gatlinburg. Created by the Pi Beta Phi Fraternity, the school not only provided academic and practical education, it also contributed to a rebirth of Appalachian arts and crafts and the “cottage craft industry” movement.
It all started with a woman named Martha Ogle. Martha was a strong-willed widow who raised her family here in the early 1800s. She arrived with her family in this area in 1807. You can still visit her cabin today. Her husband William Ogle first entered the area from South Carolina and called this a “land of paradise”. Cherokee helped Ogle get his cabin built and he returned to South Carolina where he was going to make some final preparations for moving his family to Tennessee. Unfortunately he died of malaria, but Martha was determined to live in the favored land he had found for his family. Before our city was named Gatlinburg it was known by another name in these early days. What was that first name? Hint: It was named after a type of tree common to the area.
As the years passed more settlers came, but our area was just a small settlement then; far from the active and growing city it is today. Then in 1854 a colorful figure settled here who had a definite influence on Gatlinburg. He was an ostentatious man who quickly made himself well-known around town. He established his own Baptist church and also opened the second general store here. The most interesting fact about him was he was banished from the area.
Mary Noailles Murfree, considered the first significant Appalachian female writer was from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. She brought fame to the Smoky Mountain region with her book In the Tennessee Mountains (1884) (eight stories on the life and character of the Tennessee mountaineer). Mary Noailles Murfree published this book initially under the pseudonym “Charles Egbert Craddock,” but later revealed her real name and identity in 1885. Horace Kephart, a prolific writer and naturalist wrote about his life near Hazel Creek in what would later become the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. His writings about his experiences living in the great wilderness of the Smokies were first published in Field and Stream and Camping and Woodcraft in 1906. Horace Kephart would later to be known as one of the fathers of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Both the writing of Mary Noailles Murfree and Horace Kephart bought the first tourists to the Gatlinburg area around the turn of the century.
Then the formation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, tourism boosted the area’s economy.
Many of the displaced mountain families moved into town, either developing new enterprises or taking jobs in new hotels, restaurants and service facilities to meet the needs of the burgeoning tourist industry. Progress slowed considerably during World War II. But, by war’s end, tourists returned with a vengeance, and the sleepy little village of Gatlinburg expanded to meet the demands. Incorporated in 1945, it has since developed into a four-season resort and convention mecca.
Along with this growth and expansion commercially, Gatlinburg has retained its rich history of being the gateway to hiking in the Smokies, as we see in the picture to the left. Perhaps you have visited Gatlinburg every year and never stopped to think about how the city got its name. Or maybe you have been quite aware of the area’s rich heritage, but always wanted to know more. Either way you will surely learn about some colorful characters and unusual events when you delve into the history of Gatlinburg.
Nearly one hundred years go by and Gatlinburg grows into an actual town. More settlers came; many of whom settled here after their service in the Civil War. Gatlinburg was initially neutral in the war then sided with Union troops to drive out Confederate soldiers. Various entities had offered subscription schools in town but there were no public schools until 1912. Other modernities and changes came to the area at the dawn of the century; including the influence of the timber industry, spurred on by the big lumber companies buying up logging rights in the forests surrounding the Smoky Mountains.
In 1937 the Arts & Crafts Community was established in Gatlinburg. With over 100 artists and craftsmen, Gatlinburg’s Arts & Crafts Community is a living, breathing tribute to the history of Tennessee. The carvers, weavers, watercolor artists, casters, soap makers, potters, silversmiths and dozens of other artisans exhibit their skills before thousands of visitors. The community is set on an 8 mile loop road that’s designated a Tennessee Heritage Arts & Crafts Trail. Today it is a highly popular stop for visitors to Gatlinburg.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park was officially dedicated in 1940. The park offers visitors the opportunity to immerse themselves in some of the most beautiful and varied natural surroundings on the East Coast. With miles of trails, multiple waterfalls, dozens of old homesteads and historical buildings and an abundance of wildlife (some species only found here in the park) on the ground, in the water and flying overhead, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the setting for many of the most enjoyable activities that visitors can enjoy in our area. Camping, horseback riding, nature walks, children’s educational programs and weddings are just some of the many experiences people enjoy in the park. Thousands of visitors return every year, drawn by the parks’ commitment to preservation of this area’s historical buildings and natural treasures. Did you know that there are over 80 historical buildings in Great Smoky Mountains National Park?
All of this history leads us to where we are today and Gatlinburg owes so much to brave native people and subsequent settlers. The bravery and industry of these people can be admired almost everywhere you look.
Gatlinburg, TN is one of the most popular vacation spots in the United States! However, this wasn’t always the case. Over the past 200 years, our Smoky Mountain city has transformed from a small pioneer community into a can’t-miss destination that is visited by over 11 million people each year.
The Ogles were the first Euro-Americans to permanently settle the land that would become Gatlinburg. William Ogle came to the Smoky Mountains from South Carolina in 1802. He considered East Tennessee to be a “Land of Paradise,” and decided to lay the groundwork for a cabin by cutting down local timber and fashioning it into logs. William then returned to South Carolina to collect his wife, Martha Jane, and their seven children. Tragically, William fell ill and passed away in 1803 before he could return to the Smokies.
William’s efforts were not in vain, however, because Martha Jane and the rest of the family finally made it to the Land of Paradise in 1807. The Ogles finished building the cabin that William had started and became the founding members of a new community in the Smokies. Visitors can still see the Historic Ogle Cabin today at the Gatlinburg Welcome Center.
The town that the Ogles established was originally known as White Oak Flats, but this changed with the arrival of a new resident in the mid-19th century. Radford Gatlin came to town in the 1850s and decided to set up a general store. When the area’s first post office was established in Gatlin’s store, people started referring to White Oak Flats as “Gatlinburg.” Although Gatlin had the most famous name in town, he was hated by his neighbors for his pro-secession views and constant bickering with the Ogle family. In 1859, Gatlin was finally chased out of the town bearing his name.
The Civil War was a difficult chapter in the history of Gatlinburg. Although Tennessee joined the Confederacy in 1861, the Smoky Mountain area was staunchly pro-Union. Gatlinburg tried to stay neutral during the war, but the Confederate Army eventually invaded and occupied the city. Gatlinburg had strategic value because of its proximity to Alum Cave, where the Confederates mined saltpeter (an important ingredient in gunpowder). The Union Army drove the occupying Confederate forces out in 1863 during the Battle of Burg Hill.
In 1934, Gatlinburg found itself at the doorstep of the newly established Great Smoky Mountains National Park. For the first time ever, people from across the country were traveling to East Tennessee to see all of the spectacular scenery in the Smokies. Tourism in the Smoky Mountain area was also aided by improvements made to U.S. Route 441. When President Franklin Delano Roosevelt officially dedicated the national park in 1940 at the Rockefeller Memorial along Newfound Gap Road, he ushered in a new era for Gatlinburg.
In the years following the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Gatlinburg has really come into its own. Gatlinburg’s bustling downtown area, known as “The Strip,” is home to a seemingly endless variety of shops, restaurants, and world-class family attractions. Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, a major destination in Gatlinburg, has been voted the best aquarium in America by the readers of USA Today. When you see all of the excitement on The Strip, it’s hard to believe that Gatlinburg was once a small slumbering town.
Special Historical Place Here
The Mill was built in 1925 by Andrew Jefferson Ely (1881-1967). Located at the end of Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail.Known as "Old Man Ely", he was a Yale law school graduate, a practicing Tennessee lawyer and a printer. Disenchanted with city life after the death of his wife, he bought this 25 acre tract in an effort to live a healthy life. He preached against smoking and strong drink--coffee, tea, alcohol--along with the evils of various foods: milk, salt, white bread, and "store-bought" food. He advocated eating fresh vegetables, bananas, buttermilk and lots of spring water. For years, the old Lines Bakery made a special bread from his flour. There was no subject he felt lukewarm about, be it politics, taxes, marriage, youth, religion, or the like. It's been told that if he liked you he'd talk for hours, but if he didn't approve of you, he'd take the whole afternoon off just to tell you so.
He hired local craftsmen to build the mill and showroom to display their wares. Initially called the Water Wheel Craft Shop, the mill featured weaving and local crafts, made solid wood furniture and sold antiques. The water wheel powered the machinery in the furniture shop- beltsanders,lathes,planers,saws- by a system of pulleys and belts The wheel itself is almost 30 feet in diameter and 8 feet wide. It was supplied with water from a race which came over the top of the buildings and began 800 feet upstream. A second mill was located 800 feet downstream to do the grinding of corn and wheat.
As the place grew, more buildings were added: barns for livestock, sheds and chicken houses. A caretaker family lived here also to tend the garden, keep bees and manage the animals and grounds. A hammer mill was built to crush and mix feeds. A blacksmith shop was added to repair tools and make parts. When the building was completed in the 1940's, Ely's Mill had grown to almost twenty buildings.
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Registered Gatlinburg Historic SitesFirst Methodist Church, Gatlinburg: Designed by Charles I. Barber in Late Gothic Revival style.
Settlement School Community Outreach Historic District: Phi Beta Pi established a settlement school in the area in 1912. This part of the designated historic district includes the Jennie Nicol Health Clinic Building, the Arrowcraft Shop, the Ogle Cabin, Cottage at the Creek, and Craftsman's Fair Grounds and School Playground. The Settlement School Dormitories and Dwellings Historic District consists of Helmick House (Teacher's Cottage), Stuart Dormitory, Ruth Barrett Smith Staff House, Old Wood Studio, a chicken coop, and a stock barn.
Settlement School Community Outreach Historic District: Phi Beta Pi established a settlement school in the area in 1912. This part of the designated historic district includes the Jennie Nicol Health Clinic Building, the Arrowcraft Shop, the Ogle Cabin, Cottage at the Creek, and Craftsman's Fair Grounds and School Playground. The Settlement School Dormitories and Dwellings Historic District consists of Helmick House (Teacher's Cottage), Stuart Dormitory, Ruth Barrett Smith Staff House, Old Wood Studio, a chicken coop, and a stock barn.
Text Source Credit: Bearskin Lodge website, Ely Mills website, Wikipedia website & Elk Spring Resort website.
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Football field long underwater tunnel, penguin playhouse, glass bottom boat ride, play center & more
88 River Road 888.240.1358 https://www.ripleyaquariums.com/gatlinburg/
Hours: Memorial-Labor Day
Mon-Thur 9:00am to 10:00pm, Fri-Sun 9:00am to 11:00pm
Labor Day – New Year’s Day
Mon-Thur 9:00am to 9:00pm, Fri-Sun 9:00am to 10:00pm
Voted Best U.S. Aquarium! Marvel at 12-foot sharks, a giant sea turtle, thousands of exotic sea creatures and playful penguins in State-of-the-Art Underwater Tunnels! Touch Horseshoe Crabs, Jellyfish & Stingrays! Hourly Dive/Feeding Shows and more!
Experience Sleeping With the Sharks, Behind the Scenes Tours, Educational Programs, Splashing With the Stingrays, Penguin Encounter and Painting programs! Marvel at 12-foot sharks, a giant sea turtle, thousands of exotic sea creatures and playful penguins as you enjoy the Most Spectacular, State-of-the-Art Underwater Tunnels! Touch Horseshoe Crabs, Jellyfish & Stingrays! Play in the New 3-Story Discovery Treehouse & Play Center! Experience a ride over Shark Lagoon in the New Glass Bottom Boat! See Mermaids swimming June & July! Family Fun, Interactive, Hourly Dive/Feeding Shows and much, much more! Open 365 days a year.
PENGUIN PAINTING EXPERIENCE: See the Aquarium’s Most Adorable Creatures Paint! Would you like to see one of our African Penguin artists in action? Join us in our Penguin Painting Experience and take home a one-of-a-kind piece of art that you helped create!
SPLASHING WITH THE STINGRAYS: This unique experience takes you into Touch-A-Ray Bay where you will get in the water with our stingrays. This experience is available from Memorial Day until Labor Day.
COST & INCLUDES
• Cost Per Person – $29.99 (Admission sold separately)
• Behind-The-Scenes Tour • Souvenir T-Shirt
General info.:
Days – Tuesday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday, Available from Memorial Day until Labor Day.
Time – 11:00am
• Bathing suits are required • Aquarium will provide towels • Must be 40″ tall to participate
• Perfect for adventurers over the age of 5!
SLEEPING WITH THE SHARKS
Do sharks sleep? Find out for yourself when you spend the night at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies. After a fun-filled night including a dive show, scavenger hunt and late night activity, drift off to sleep while sharks keep a watchful eye on you!
GROUPS
Offered every night of the year, upon availability
Non-refundable Deposit – $150
Monday – Thursday – $60.84 +tax per person
Friday – Sunday – $68.45 +tax per person
1 FREE Chaperone per 10 paid kids
Minimum – 12 Children
Maximum – 120 Total People
The minimum age for participation is 5years old
FAMILY**
2019 Dates: March 8th, April 6th, June 8th, August 10th, September 21st, October 12th & December 28th.
Open to families who cannot meet Group requirements
Inclusive Cost Per Person – $75
Non-refundable Deposit – 50%
Maximum – 40 Total People
The minimum age for participation is 5 years old
**Family Edition programs require a minimum of 10 total participants in order to be held. If your program gets cancelled due to low attendance, we will refund or transfer monies to a different program date.
Source Credit: Ripley's Aquarium website.
88 River Road 888.240.1358 https://www.ripleyaquariums.com/gatlinburg/
Hours: Memorial-Labor Day
Mon-Thur 9:00am to 10:00pm, Fri-Sun 9:00am to 11:00pm
Labor Day – New Year’s Day
Mon-Thur 9:00am to 9:00pm, Fri-Sun 9:00am to 10:00pm
Voted Best U.S. Aquarium! Marvel at 12-foot sharks, a giant sea turtle, thousands of exotic sea creatures and playful penguins in State-of-the-Art Underwater Tunnels! Touch Horseshoe Crabs, Jellyfish & Stingrays! Hourly Dive/Feeding Shows and more!
Experience Sleeping With the Sharks, Behind the Scenes Tours, Educational Programs, Splashing With the Stingrays, Penguin Encounter and Painting programs! Marvel at 12-foot sharks, a giant sea turtle, thousands of exotic sea creatures and playful penguins as you enjoy the Most Spectacular, State-of-the-Art Underwater Tunnels! Touch Horseshoe Crabs, Jellyfish & Stingrays! Play in the New 3-Story Discovery Treehouse & Play Center! Experience a ride over Shark Lagoon in the New Glass Bottom Boat! See Mermaids swimming June & July! Family Fun, Interactive, Hourly Dive/Feeding Shows and much, much more! Open 365 days a year.
PENGUIN PAINTING EXPERIENCE: See the Aquarium’s Most Adorable Creatures Paint! Would you like to see one of our African Penguin artists in action? Join us in our Penguin Painting Experience and take home a one-of-a-kind piece of art that you helped create!
SPLASHING WITH THE STINGRAYS: This unique experience takes you into Touch-A-Ray Bay where you will get in the water with our stingrays. This experience is available from Memorial Day until Labor Day.
COST & INCLUDES
• Cost Per Person – $29.99 (Admission sold separately)
• Behind-The-Scenes Tour • Souvenir T-Shirt
General info.:
Days – Tuesday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday, Available from Memorial Day until Labor Day.
Time – 11:00am
• Bathing suits are required • Aquarium will provide towels • Must be 40″ tall to participate
• Perfect for adventurers over the age of 5!
SLEEPING WITH THE SHARKS
Do sharks sleep? Find out for yourself when you spend the night at Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies. After a fun-filled night including a dive show, scavenger hunt and late night activity, drift off to sleep while sharks keep a watchful eye on you!
GROUPS
Offered every night of the year, upon availability
Non-refundable Deposit – $150
Monday – Thursday – $60.84 +tax per person
Friday – Sunday – $68.45 +tax per person
1 FREE Chaperone per 10 paid kids
Minimum – 12 Children
Maximum – 120 Total People
The minimum age for participation is 5years old
FAMILY**
2019 Dates: March 8th, April 6th, June 8th, August 10th, September 21st, October 12th & December 28th.
Open to families who cannot meet Group requirements
Inclusive Cost Per Person – $75
Non-refundable Deposit – 50%
Maximum – 40 Total People
The minimum age for participation is 5 years old
**Family Edition programs require a minimum of 10 total participants in order to be held. If your program gets cancelled due to low attendance, we will refund or transfer monies to a different program date.
Source Credit: Ripley's Aquarium website.
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Excellent Publishing, publisher of Is Your Vacation City, is a part of the RASBiz, Inc. family of companies and is a member of affiliate marketing programs. This means that when you click on some links in isyourvacationcity.com, a small commission on your purchase, if made, will be received by us. The price is the same to you and this allows us to supplement our income which helps us to keep providing you with the best information for free.
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