Sevierville

In the early 1700’s this area was mainly controlled by the Cherokee Indians, the assorted trails they created across Sevierville guided the first traders and hunters into the area in the mid 1700’s. One European trader in particular Isaac Thomas came into the area and quickly earned the respect of the Cherokee. He like most other traders and hunters were in search of animal furs to trade for other goods.

But as more people came into this area tension between the Cherokee and the settlers became unfriendly. The Cherokee began attacking the settlements in the Tennessee Valley. In December of 1780 Colonel John Sevier attacked Cherokee villages along the Little Tennessee River destroying them. James White was able to negotiate a truce between the settlers and Indians in 1783, this truce led to a steady flow of settlers into the French Broad area.

In 1782 one of the first forts built was "Henry's Station" by Hugh Henry. This would become one of the most important spots in the county's history, as it became the starting point for settlers heading south of the French Broad River. Henry’s Station was also known for the spot where the “Treaty of Dumplin” was negotiated and signed in 1785. The Treaty of Dumplin stipulated the Cherokee were giving up any rights they had to the land now called Sevier County.

By 1785, "Forks of Little Pigeon" had blossomed into a fairly large settlement; Isaac Thomas had built a trading post, tavern and established a farm at the mouth of West Fork and the Little Pigeon River.

In 1794 “Forks of the Little Pigeon” became Sevier County (named after Colonel John Sevier); it also became established by the territorial legislature as the county seat in 1795 and renamed Sevierville. James McMahan, Sevier County's second register of deeds, received a 400 acre land grant that commissioners acquired as the county seat.  He also provided 25 acres to build a town square; the land was cut into ½ acre parcels where the buyer was mandated to construct a brick, stone or frame building. Today, most of these 400 acres is now the heart of downtown Sevierville.

Sevier County received its first courthouse in 1796. A local story told by some of the old-timers is that before they had an actual courthouse court was held in an old deserted stable. It was nasty and the stench was terrible especially during the hot summer months, so some of the lawyers got together and offered an unmentioned individual a bottle of whiskey to burn the stable to the ground. They were certain this would force the county to build a suitable courthouse. Also in the early 1790’s Thomas Buckingham became the county’s first sheriff, he had established a rather large farm between Boyd’s Creek and Sevierville.

In 1793 James Hubert lived beside Dumplin Creek, he started “Hubert’s Flat Landing” to do business with the flatboats (a large boat with a flat bottom used for moving goods on shallow waterways) traveling up and down the river. Business was booming for everyone by the 1800’s, simple roads were being constructed which really grew things in Sevierville due to their proximity to these roads. By 1833 the town had a couple of carpenters, grain mills, doctors and taverns. They also had several stores, a shoemaker, tanner (somebody who tans animal skins) and a hat maker. There were a grand total of 150 people living in Sevier County at the time.

 It wasn’t long after the town began to thrive that tragedy struck the community, in 1856 fire swept through this little town destroying 41 homes, several stores, and the courthouse. With the destruction of the courthouse came the loss of a great deal of history, the very important records of the early settlers were ruined.

The people of Sevierville survived the fire rebuilt and managed to make it through the Civil War even after being looted and harassed by both the union and confederate soldiers during 1863 to 1864. By the late 1800’s the commercial district had grown somewhat and the tourist industry was beginning to develop. The mountain springs drew in the first tourists, resorts were popping up everywhere with the hopes of luring in people looking for the supposed health restoring benefits of the mountain spring water.

Also after the war there was a construction boom in the area, there was a gentleman, an African-American man named Lewis Buckner he was an architect. He designed numerous homes 15 of which still stand today. There was another man Isaac Dockery he was a brick mason, he erected the New Salem Baptist Church and the Sevier County Courthouse in the late 1800’s both of which still stand today.

In 1910 the railway was finished called the Smoky Mountain Railroad, it offered rides from Knoxville to Sevierville. This generated more traffic for the Sevierville area, then when the National Park opened in 1934 thousands of tourists began coming to or at the least passing through the area, and it hasn’t slowed down yet.

 The American Revolution Bicentennial Administration designated Sevier County as an official U.S. Bicentennial Community on August 16, 1974, becoming the fifth community in Tennessee to attain Bicentennial status. On April 19, 1975 Sevier County celebrated it's Bicentennial with the dedication of the newly restored courthouse.

A big part of the city's heritage has been in hosting travelers, so it seems natural for tourism to be one of the biggest occupations today. The atmosphere in Sevierville is friendly, relaxed, and fun. Downtown features a beautiful brick courthouse with a four-sided Seth Thomas clock that still chimes every half hour. A bronze statue of Sevierville's own Dolly Parton adorns the courthouse lawn.

And today the entire downtown area encompasses Sevierville's historic district, where a walking tour unfolds the history of the nation and its expansion westward.  More than 9 million people visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park every year. Sevierville is nestled in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and at the crossroads of the major highways entering the park from Tennessee. 

You can find us by taking Exit 407 off Interstate 40 just outside of Knoxville, and downtown Sevierville is 10 minutes away on Highway 66. For a more scenic route, try U. S. 441 South from Knoxville or 441 North from Cherokee, North Carolina, U. S. 411 also connects through Sevierville and provides a journey through the East Tennessee foothills.  If you fly your own plane the Sevierville/Gatlinburg Pigeon Forge Aviation Center can accommodate a variety of private aircraft and has full service and maintenance facilities.