Did you know that Cades Cove is the most visited destination within the most visited National Park, Great Smoky Mountains?
The Cove has the largest collection of historical buildings inside the park. According to NPS, “Scattered along the loop road are three churches, a working grist mill, barns, log houses, and many other faithfully restored eighteenth and nineteenth century structures.” These historical buildings are part of what draws the masses to Cades Coves and they only add to its charm.
Cades Cove has always been a place to visit but for over 100 years it was also a great place to live. Joshua Jobe and his family were one of the first to settle in Cades Cove in 1821. Most of the settlers moving to this area came from nearby Virginia and North Carolina. Other early families included the Tiptons, Olivers, Cables and Gregorys. At this time the land in Cades Cove was rich and fertile, which made it perfect for producing crops. Corn was the major crop of the Cove.
The wildlife, deer and bear specifically, were plentiful and gave the settlers an abundance of options for food. This was by and large a farming community that learned very quickly that Cades Cove made great grazing land for cattle. You see, they figured out that if they took their cattle to the balds high in the mountains they gained weight very quickly.
In order to build their settlement the people of Cades Cove had to clear the land to build their log homes, barns, smokehouses and corncribs. Since corn was the number 1 crop of the cove, mills were necessary from the very beginning. What started as tiny “tub” mill that were only able to crack corn turned into stone mills that were able to grind corn into a fine powder. It took until about 1831 for the Cove to build a more sophisticated stone mill. Eventually gristmills were, in fact, the coves first major industry.
The plentiful and verdant valley began to have a reputation as a paradise and the population boomed. Starting with just a handful of settlers in 1821 by 1850 its population swelled to 685, that’s 132 different families. Keep in mind that at this time it wasn’t uncommon for a couple to have 10 to 12 children, can you imagine?
In 1934 the National Park Service banned grazing on the balds and this was actually the year that the land was established as a National Park. The states of Tennessee and North Carolina bought most of the land that is now considered the park and gave it to the federal government. Most of the farmers in the Cove didn’t resist the states selling the land to the government. But there are always a few…
For instance, John W. Oliver, who fought the state in courts for more than 6 years. His family was one of the first settlers in the Cove and he felt the land was not the states to sell. His case made it as high as the Tennessee Supreme Court 3 different times, but eventually he lost. However, it wasn’t an all or nothing scenario for the property owners in Cades Cove.
Those who were willing to accept less money for their lands were welcomed to stay and live out the rest of their days in the Cove. With the understanding that their descendants would not be permitted to live in the Cove after their death. Many did end up staying in the Cove but even those who decided to stay eventually left before their death. So many left that the last school in Cades Cove closed in 1944 and the post office closed in 1947.
Interestingly, while most of the previously established National Parks were established on lands that were already owned by the federal government that was not the case with Great Smoky Mountains. All of Great Smokie lands were privately owned before it was bought specifically for the park. In fact, 18 lumber companies owned more than 85% of what is now the park. They had logged 2/3 to 3/4 of the area. Sadly deforestation and hunting led to a decline in the deer population and only about 30 deer remained when the park was established.
Visitors today can enjoy the historical buildings and it is one of the best places for wildlife viewing in the park. It is truly a place that can transport you back in time if you visit at the right time. The right time is NOT the middle of the day, on a weekend or any federal holiday. Historical buildings
As you can see there are a ton of options if you are interested in seeing what the exterior of homes would have looked like way back in 1821 when Cades Cove was first settled. Unfortunately, and perhaps for preservation purposes, the homes in the Cove remain empty inside. I suppose it could also be because we (generally speaking) can’t seem to leave historical buildings alone. What would possess you to carve your name inside? *stepping down off of my soap box now*
As you can see from the photo above the interiors are still beautiful but having a few of them set up as they would have been may enhance the Cades Cove experience a bit, just my personal opinion.
Reference
Brewer, Carson. Cades Cove Tour. Gatlinburg: Great Smoky Mountains Association in cooperation with National Park Service, 2010.
