Virtual Day & A Few Traditionals in the Smokies 3/29/2009

Sunday started out bright and sunny after the heavy rain late Saturday night so we decided to take a drive into the Smokies armed with a few virtual and a few traditional caches. We drove and drove up and down and around until we got to the entrance to Little Greenbrier School. The road to the schoolhouse was 6/10 of a mile up a one way, and I mean one way, road as there is a sign at the start of the road that you should be prepared to back up to let other cars pass. We got to the school with no problem, no backing up or meeting any other cars. The school is in a beautiful setting back in the woods with a creek running behind it and a small fenced-in cemetery along the front of the property. Constructed in 1882, this building was used continuously as a school and Primitive Baptist Church until 1935. Children walked as far as 9 miles to attend the school, which in some years was in session only six weeks, usually during the winter months and some children even walked the nine miles barefoot. An old-fashioned cook-stove was used for heat. Logs up to 25 inches were cut in the nearby woods and hauled to the site by oxen. Chamfer and notch joints were used on the corners. Church services were held at the school for several years until a new church was constructed on land donated by the Metcalf family. The school was constructed on land donated by William Abbott. Ephraim Ogle donated yellow poplar logs which were moved to the site by ox teams, hewn, and notched using dove-tail joints. Billie Ogle, a 76-year old grandson of the first permanent settlers in Gatlinburg, helped to build the roof. The school originally had log benches, with dressed lumber benches added later. Greenbrier Cemetery is located next to the Little Greenbrier Schoolhouse. In many ways, the cemetery is representative of typical Appalachian cemeteries. Awkwardly constructed on a slope, nearly half of the graves are those of children. You should note the pictures of the cemetery as again a lot of the graves were marked only with small pieces of flat stone with no inscriptions on them. The stones with the last names have been added just recently. We got the information we needed from the marker leading into the school. On the sign was the story of "Miss Elsie" Burrell who came to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 1969 at the age of 65, after 35 years as a teacher and school administrator, to teach children about the Smoky Mountains. She became the "school marm" of Little Greenbrier School, serving here until age 95.
Then it was on to Elkmont a former community in the Great Smoky Mountains of eastern Tennessee and 2 virtual caches in the now a ghost town. Like many towns which sprang up during the early part of this century and centered around the utilization of natural resources, Elkmont, Tennessee was quick to expand and just as quick to fade back into small town obscurity. Near Townsend, Tennessee along the banks of the Little River, Elkmont saw its booms and busts. The town saw its beginnings in the early 1900s when three Pennsylvanians, Colonel W. B. Townsend, J. W. Wrigley, and F. H. McCormick, came south searching for virgin timberland. They found large, beautiful stands in the watershed of the Little River. Acquiring 75,000 to 80,000 acres of prime forest land from the previous mountain inhabitants, the Little River Lumber Company was born. Its headquarters were located in the town which became known as Townsend after the firm's president, Col. Townsend. Soon after, the Little River Railroad appeared extending from Townsend 18 miles into Elkmont and beyond. Elkmont itself served as a junction between the conventional locomotive, the rod engine, and the "Shays" or geared locomotive which were used to haul logs from the steeper grades of the higher mountains. Originally built as a logging train, the line became popular with weekend travelers from Knoxville. Col. Townsend soon added an observation deck and a passenger car to make those travelers more comfortable. The Knoxvillians traveled on the weekends to the area to engage in some of the best hunting and fishing around. Trout, bear, deer, and smaller game animals were abundant. The men reached Elkmont by a long route beginning in Knoxville on the Southern Railway Line. They rode to Walland and Townsend and then transferred to the Little River Railroad for the final stretch into Elkmont. In 1910, the Little River Lumber Co. deeded a tract of 50 acres of land to the existing Appalachian Club on which the group erected a clubhouse. Founded in 1907, the Appalachian Club was a hunting and fishing club of which many of the Knoxville weekenders were members. A few months later, the lumber company accorded the club a 10-year lease of exclusive hunting and fishing privileges to the Appalachian Club covering some 40,000 acres on the headwaters on the Little River above Elkmont. The Club was to undertake all game and fish management of the area. Originally established as a sportsmen's club, the Appalachian Club soon grew more social in its activities. The men's womenfolk heard of the beauty and fun in the forests of Elkmont and soon joined their husbands on their weekend trips. A hotel annex was added to the clubhouse. It later burned down and was never rebuilt. This hotel served as a place for bridge tournaments, dances and other social functions. Beginning as a rough and tumble logging town, Elkmont gradually evolved into a haven for the socially prominent and wealthy members of Knoxville, Maryville, and Chattanooga. Many cottages were built and used for the summer. Until recently, 50 or more were inhabited by third or fourth generations of the original owners. The Appalachian Club became rather exclusive as well, denying access to its facilities and functions to all outsiders. A beautiful area in the summer, Elkmont provided a haven away from the hassles of the city for some of its residents. However, the mainstay of the town was still timber operations. In its heyday in the 1920s, Elkmont was the second largest town in Sevier County. Among the many homes and cottages existed a general store, post office, boarding house, church and theater. Early travelers reached the area on foot or horseback along a hazardous 7-1/2 mile route from Gatlinburg. As noted before, the railways also brought in many visitors and residents with accommodations on the logging train not always very comfortable. Later a rough, narrow road was graded from Gatlinburg to the area. When the railroad was discontinued in 1926, its rails and cross-ties were removed and gravel was laid to make a better road. The present Elkmont road still has as its base the former railroad bed. Besides the Appalachian Club and the area's many homes, Elkmont had in its vicinity a glorious hotel. As lands became clear-cut the Little River Lumber Co. sold off more and more of its holdings. The largest piece sold was in 1912 to the three Carter brothers, John P., Charles P., and A. E. Their company, The Wonderland Park Company, built the Wonderland Park Hotel on this 65 acre tract of land. In 1914, the land and hotel were sold to a group of Knoxvillians who had been denied access to the Appalachian Club. They formed their own club and the Wonderland Club's Hotel was born with an additional hotel annex. Some of the rooms were owned by the members and others were rented out to the public. It was surrounded by hundreds of miles of trails and was a mecca for hikers. A white, two-story clapboard structure, the hotel was surrounded on the front and one side by a large porch complete with rockers and swings. The scenery is breathtaking, and many came there to escape from the outside world. Another tract of land was sold to Appalachian Club member, R. S. Hommel. Here Mr. Hommel planted acres and acres of apple trees and began a successful apple orchard business. Minor problems and disturbances including a train wreck livened up the town but mostly things ran smoothly. The area was excellent for fishing and hunting, fresh vegetables were available from gardens and from Gatlinburg. People were friendly to one another and major problems non-existent. All that changed when talk about a national park began to circulate. There were two sides on the issue--one wished for a national park and one wanted the area to be preserved as a national forest. Colonel David C. Chapman was the driving force behind the national park for he wanted roads and facilities erected so all Americans could enjoy the area. He also believed the visitors would bring in money for local businesses. James Wright, a Knoxville lawyer and owner of a cottage in Elkmont, led the opposition. A dedicated conservationist, Wright believed the area would be contaminated by hoards of crowds. He thought the area would be best protected if classified as a national forest. In the end, the national park idea won out. Col. Townsend helped in its creation by agreeing to sell 76,500 mountain acres to the state which would then be transferred to the Federal Government. He also agreed to give up his lumbering empire. The town was facing its demise, for the public was not allowed to reside in national parks. Logging operations were stopped and the government began to buy the homeowners' property. Great opposition arose from the residents and members of the Appalachian Club. They hired James Wright to defend their rights in court. Neither side would back down and no compromise was in sight. The State Park Commission was faced with two conclusions: either exclude the area in question from the proposed park or acquire the lands through purchase at the discretion of the owners and at their stated price. The National Park Service would not agree to the exclusion, and the Commission did not have the funds to pay the owners' set prices. A solution was finally found when the Commission and the Secretary of the Interior devised a plan whereby the landowners would be offered long-term leases to live on the property which would be purchased by the government at reduced rates. Upon grudging Congressional consent, the plan went into effect. The Great Smoky Mountains Park became a reality in 1934, and the residents of Elkmont remained in their homes now owned by the Government. However, the battle was not completely over. Resisting residents, vacationers and the Wonderland Hotel owners continued to work out leases until all expired in the 1990's and all closed down. Now there is an on going controversy about what to do with all the buildings and homes. The Park service wants to tear them down however they are not allowed since many have attained Historical Landmark status and cannot be touched. They are in heavy disrepair and are accessable but beware. This controversy will be ongoing for some time. We got the information for the 2 virtual caches located in the area and we were off.
Then we drove to Ober Gatlinburg Ski Resort for another virtual cache located at the top of the mountain at a monument for the 10th Mountain Division Ski Troops during WW2. You had to pay to get up to the resort to park and they almost wouldn't let us drive up the rest of the way as we had Muffy and Raggs with us and they said that to make sure we don't let the dogs out of the car as he bears can smell and sense them and it excites them and makes them come out of the woods. Well they did let us go and we got our information and it was back down the mountain into Gatlinburg. Make sure you look at the pictures of the ski chalets, houses and views from our drive up to the top.
Then as I said back into Gatlinburg for 3 traditional caches, nothing to interesting though as we found one near a hiker's supply store, one near a site of some old cabins under a light pole and the last one at the place where they store the trolleys they use in Gatlinburg. Then we drove back to Pigeon Forge for our last cache which was a very clever hide on a traffic light pole. Then we drove back to the coach and had a small lunch as we were going out to eat tonight. Mom did our logs and I watched the basketball games and the golf. We went out to eat about 5:30 and went to Bullfish Grill. We both had a wonderful dinner as I had a ribeye and Mom had fried oysters. We went back and that was it for the day. Well until we meet again same time same station we love and miss you all. Mom & Dad


Picture List:1-The "school marm", 2-Watch it don't fall, 3,4-Chapel of Love wedding chapel, 5,6-Little Greenbrier Schoolhouse markers, 7,8-Front & back of schoolhouse, 9,10,11,12,13-Inside of schoolhouse, 14,15,16-Metcalf Bottoms picnic area trail, 17,18,19,20-Greenbrier Cemetery, 21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33-Elkmont Historic District & Appalachain Club area....the old deserted homes that supposedly have some haunted ones, 34-Odd tree, 35,36-Stream through the Elkmont area, 37,38,39,40,41,42-The Great Smoky Mountains, 43,44,45-Ober Gatlinburg ski area, 46,47-Memorial for the 10th Mountain Div.