Centuries ago, white pioneers from England and Scotland came into these
mountains and set up their homes. They were so isolated that our
so-called progress largely passed them by.
They grew up to be a little race distinct. There is no denying that a
mountain man is different from a plains or city man. I can’t exactly
tell you the difference, but there is something basically rugged in his
character that would be nice to have within yourself.
There are old men in these mountains who would feel embarrassed and
naked if the long rifle did not rest on its nails in the wall. You can
walk into the hills right behind Gatlinburg and still hear even the
children saying “hit” for “it,” and “heerd” for “heard.”
You can still find leather tanning in the homes, and weaving and
spinning, and people who make their own furniture, and think it a sin to
tend garden on Sundays.
It was to preserve a little of this for posterity, and also to open up
the magnificent scenery of the Smokies to the great taxpaying public,
that the Great Smokies National Park was created.
It started in 1923, when the states of Tennessee and North Carolina
began buying mountain land from the big timber companies. John D.
Rockefeller Jr. played an important part. He matched, dollar for dollar,
every cent put up by the two states.
In 1926, Congress authorized the establishment of a Park. The land
already bought was turned over to the Federal Government, and the
Government itself bought more.
The National Park Service actually moved in and took charge about 10
years ago. Today the park is well up among the older western parks in
the facilities it has created for the public, such as roads, camp
grounds, hiking and horse trails. As far as I can see, every thing has
been tastefully done. You have a feeling that the park is “right.”
This year visitors to the park will run more than 800,000. It is open
all year, but summer and fall are the big seasons. In June, July and
August you can’t even find a place to sleep in Gatlinburg if you arrive
late.