Pigeon Forge

Pigeon Forge, located five miles north of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, this town received its name from one of the first businesses in East Tennessee, a furnace and iron forge built by Isaac Love sometime around 1820. Iron was hard to come by and had to be brought in from other states so the Tennessee state legislature passed a law saying land that was not able to be farmed could be purchased tax free as long as it was used for iron works. So Love purchased 70,000 acres and built his furnace and iron forge. The iron forge got its name (Pigeon Forge) because it sat beside the Little Pigeon River.  Pigeon Forge sits in a valley between Sevierville and Gatlinburg and is surrounded on three sides by mountains; to the west there is Pine Mountain, to the east Shields Mountain, which contained ore banks that was part of Loves 70,000 acre purchase and to the south Cove Mountain.

For centuries the Cherokee Indians used this valley as their hunting grounds, a foot path was created called Indian Gap Trail. They would travel from North Carolina, cross the Smokies and go through the Pigeon Forge Valley. The Indian Gap Trail brought the Europeans, hunters and trappers from North Carolina, and traders from Virginia to the Pigeon Forge area. But it was sometime around 1781 – 1783 that the first permanent resident moved into the area, Colonel Samuel Wear. He was a veteran of the American Revolution and fought at the Battle of Kings Mountain. He built a fort where Walden Creek and the Little Pigeon River join together, which is still a historical site today.  The location of this fort made it a prime target for the Cherokee’s to attack. After being attacked in 1793 Colonel Wear gathered a small party of 60 men and went into the Overhill Cherokee area, they attacked and destroyed the town of Tallassee, killing fifteen and capturing several other Cherokees. A year later the Cherokees spotted Colonel Wear and his two sons, they fired upon them but the Wears got away unharmed.  Colonel Wear also sat on the committee that drafted Tennessee’s State Constitution.

The Treaty of Dumplin was signed by the Cherokee in 1785; this treaty surrendered much of what is now Sevier County to the United States Government. Things in the area began to calm down; there were a few encounters between the Indians and settlers but nothing major, until 1800 when the son of a couple was killed by a Cherokee warrior.  The new Governor Archibald Roane had to be called upon to intervene and stop any reprisal from the locals.

It wasn’t long until tourism started playing a part in the Pigeon Forge area; kind of…… in the 1870’s there was a health spa established at Henderson Springs. It was nearby Colonel Wear’s fort, people from urban areas would visit the springs thinking the water had medicinal powers. This has never been proven but I am sure they felt better when they left.

In the 1900’s Pigeon Forge was still pretty much a small rural community it was reported in 1907 the population was only 154, there were no major roads and the closest railroad station was in Sevierville. In the 1950’s great improvements were made to US-441 now known as the Parkway, which was not opened for tourist vehicles until 1969. This led to a few campgrounds and lodges to open, nothing like we have today but it was a beginning.  Because the neighboring town of Gatlinburg was controlled largely by a couple of families and they did not want outsiders coming in, so anyone wanting to open a business had to look elsewhere so Pigeon Forge became the next best thing. In 1961 the town of Pigeon Forge became incorporated, and this opened the way for tourism. Two brothers from North Carolina opened a railway theme ride in the Middle Creek area called Rebel Railroad. It depicted a confrontation between the confederates and union soldiers. When the Civil War was coming to an end they renamed it to Goldrush Junction with a Wild West theme which was so successful they decided to open a log flume ride on their property in 1967 trying to create an amusement park. The park changed hands a couple of times and in 1976 was sold and renamed Silver Dollar City. Later in 1985 Dolly Parton became a partner in the enterprise and it was renamed Dollywood.  In the 1980’s Pigeon Forge was becoming a force to be reckoned with in the tourism market. From theme parks, lodging, restaurants to outlet malls, live music, and museums if you are looking for it, it can be found in the Pigeon Forge area.

According to the US Census Bureau as of 2000 the population in the City of Pigeon Forge was 5,083. I am sure back in the 1700’s the original settlers would have never expected the growth and prosperity that this area has experienced.

But as always with fame and fortune there is going to be some draw backs. Because of the tourism boom land values went through the roof, because of this many small farmers could not keep up with the ever increasing property taxes and had to sell their land. A lot of these farms had been handed down through generations. Some of these families would unfortunately move out of the area others would find ways to cash in on the areas prosperity.