From Wilderness to Tourism- the Evolution of Pigeon Forge
Imagine the Smoky Mountain foothills teaming with wild creatures, not a billboard on the horizon, and no roads or modern developments. Once the sacred hunting grounds of Cherokee Indians, Pigeon Forge has evolved from wilderness land into a metropolis of tourism filled with exciting attractions, marathon shopping outlets, Smoky Mountain cabin retreats, Dolly Parton entertainment, mountain top weddings, country music and commerce, commerce, and more commerce.
Before bustling commerce filled the Parkway with businesses and billboards, Pigeon Forge was known as the “Lost State of Franklin”, located deep in Cherokee hunting territory. In 1781, Samuel Wear built a fort near Walden’s Creek. The Indians fought Samuel Wear for the territory, but the Treaty of Dumplin’ Creek opened the area to pioneer settlers after the Revolutionary War. Settlers from the Carolinas trekked the Great Indian Path over the Smoky Mountains in the late 1700’s and began to develop what we know as Pigeon Forge today.
The name Pigeon Forge was derived from two sources: flocks of passenger pigeons that congregated along the Little Pigeon River and the great iron forge built along the river by pioneer Isaac Love in 1820. Love’s blacksmith shop brought settlers from afar for wagon and farm machinery repairs, trading and animal shodding. The Love family left a lasting legacy in Pigeon Forge, not only with the iron forge, but also with the historic Old Mill. Isaac’s son William built the grist mill with 40-foot long, “14 x 14” Yellow Poplar logs which still stand today, 180 years later. In the early days, the Old Mill served as a gathering place for the town, producing nurturing grains for city dwellers’ bellies and a warm, social community for their hearts. Today the Old Mill is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of the most photographed locations in Pigeon Forge.
Developments from the Old Mill and the iron forge grew the town’s population to 154 residents in 1907. Pigeon Forge remained a sleepy mountain town, unknown to much of America. In the 1930’s buzz about the natural beauty and recreational fun of the
Great Smoky Mountains began to spread, and in 1934 the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established. On September 2, 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt officially dedicated the park.
Though Pigeon Forge Pottery was the area’s first official tourist attraction, the new national park and the completion of guest cottages along the river successfully launched the tourism industry in Pigeon Forge. It was not until 1982, however, that the hospitality industry really began to thrive. The year 1982 marked Pigeon Forge’s tourism industry boom, and shortly thereafter the famous Dollywood opened its doors in 1986. Growth quickly escalated, with the additions of such attractions as the Louise Mandrell Theater in 1997 and Dollywood Splash Country in 2001. Today more than 11 million visitors frequent the area annually, making Pigeon Forge, Tennessee one of the most popular vacation destination in the Southeast United States. Being only a day’s drive for two-thirds of people who reside east of the Mississippi River, Pigeon Forge is the place to visit for a fabulous holiday getaway!