Beginning in the 1980s, a renewed tourist industry drew visitors from around the world to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. They came for Appalachian culture, great shopping, some of the best chalets, vacation condos, and cabins in the Smoky Mountains, and of course, Dollywood. But this gem in eastern Tennessee wasn’t always a mecca for crafts, music and folklore. Long before Pigeon Forge became a popular tourist destination, the Cherokee Indians used the old trails as hunting grounds.
To trace Pigeon Forge’s Native American roots, follow US-441, which crosses the Smokey Mountains from North Carolina, meanders through the Pigeon Forge Valley, and connects near Sevierville, Tennessee. This major thoroughfare closely follows an old Cherokee trail known as the Indian Gap Trail. Present-day Sevierville is located near where the Great Indian Warpath, also known as the Great Indian War and Trading Path, connected a network of trails used by Native Americans in eastern North America. The Cherokee who walked and hunted these trails ceded the land to the United States in 1785 with the signing of the Treaty of Dumplin.
But even before the treaty was signed and Sevier County was created, Euro-American settlers followed the Indian Gap Trail into the Pigeon Forge area. One of these early pioneers, Colonel Samuel Wear, became the area’s first permanent resident when he built a small fort to provide a safe stopover for other travelers. But since Fort Wear straddled the Indian Gap Trail, it eventually served as a catalyst for tensions and battles between the Cherokees and unwanted pioneers. Today, near Pigeon Forge City Park, Wear’s grave and a monument mark the sport where the fort stood.
During the 1700s, when pioneers first settled in the area, Pigeon Forge was part of what is now known as the “lost” State of Franklin, a self-governing United States territory created near the end of the American Revolution. Franklin never officially joined the Union and lasted only four years before later becoming an official part of Tennessee. After Franklin was united with Tennessee in the early 1800s, ironworker Isaac Love built a forge along the river known for the now-extinct flocks of passenger pigeons that gathered on its banks. The Little Pigeon River, diverse frontier wildlife, and Love’s Iron Forge not only attracted a small community of settlers, but also gave Pigeon Forge its name.
Tourists began visiting Pigeon Forge in the 1870s when the Henderson Springs spa opened, as mountain springs were commonly thought by urban dwellers at that time to have health-restoring qualities. But it wasn’t until the Great Smoky Mountains National Park opened in 1934 that a new era of tourism began for the region. Tourism became official in 1961 with the establishment of the Rebel Railroad, the first tourist-oriented business to open shortly after the city’s incorporation. The attraction, which offered Civil War reenactments and train rides, was later renamed Goldrush Junction and a log flume amusement ride was added. In 1976, it was renamed Silver Dollar City and steadily gained popularity until it was finally transformed into Dollywood in the mid-1980s, when Dolly Parton became a partner in the company.
Along with the attractive Dollywood theme park, in the early 1980s the city launched an aggressive economic plan to increase tourism through the development of theme parks, music venues, and shopping malls. By 1987, four malls had opened, and within five years, the malls generated nearly half of the city’s gross revenue. Today, shoppers from across the country come to Pigeon Forge to peruse more than 200 factory outlets and specialty stores.
So wonder no more how Native American land in the Smoky Mountains came to be known as Pigeon Forge. History buff, tourist, or nature lover alike, Pigeon Forge offers a rich history, contemporary appeal, and adventure ahead.
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