Gatlinburg TN

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The quaint, resort-like village of Gatlinburg, nestled in the mountains of East Tennessee, is known for it's beautiful scenery, great shopping, as well as its colorful history. Gatlinburg TN is surrounded on three sides by the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. The small resort town, commonly referred to as the "Gateway to the Smoky Mountains," lies at the foot of Mt. LeConte.

Gatlinburg TN was first named White Oaks Flat for its many white oak trees in the valley. It was settled in the early 1800s by English, Scottish, Irish, and Scottish-Irish immigrants and many of the first settlers to Gatlinburg came from South Carolina and held the family name of Oglesby, which was later changed o Ogle. Martha Jane Huskey Ogle is believed to be the first official settler. Martha Jane Huskey Ogle brought

her seven children to the area and built her cabin, which can still be seen today at the Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts' campus right in downtown Gatlinburg. She came with her family to start a new life in what her husband had described as a “Land of Paradise” in what is now East Tennessee. Many reminders of the Ogle family exist today in Gatlinburg, such as hotel names, craft shops, and area landmarks.

This area, which had never been settled before, was thick with thriving forests and wildlife. The local Native American tribes were the only human inhabitants and finding a way to live in peace proved to be difficult. Eventually, the pioneer settlers made the area their home and veterans of the Revolutionary War came to settle in White Oaks Flats from North Carolina. The fifty-acre land grants in Tennessee given by North Carolina made this possible.

The first homesteads were located at the mouths of Baskins Creek, LeConte Creek (then called Mill Creek for its numerous grist mills), and Roaring Fork Creek, where each joined the Little Pigeon River. The mountain village began to grow as more community structures were built. The church was the first building constructed in 1835 and was called the White Oaks Baptist Church, even though settlers were primarily Presbyterian. The Baptist missionaries in the area convinced them to create a Baptist church before any other. Geographical boundaries made communication with the world outside of the Appalachian Mountains difficult. Mail service became available in around 1855 as a post office was opened in the mercantile owned by Radford Gatlin, who arrived from North Carolina.

Soon after opening the post office, the postmaster, Richard Reagan, renamed his office Gatlinburg in appreciation of the office space offered by Gatlin. This name eventually spread to all of the establishments located in White Oaks Flats until the original name became obsolete in the late 19th Century. Radford Gatlin, known for speaking his mind and holding Confederate views in a primarily Union supported area, was disliked by many. Upon sharing his views one too many times, a group of masked men, thought to be members of the Ogle family, beat him and he was eventually run out of town around 1860. Regardless of this history, the town known today for family fun, entertainment, recreation, and natural beauty is still called Gatlinburg.

In the early 1800s parents paid for their children to go to school. The first public school was established around the time of the Civil War. A settlement school was established by the Pi Beta Phi Fraternity in 1912. This institution not only provided academic and practical education for children, it also contributed to the rebirth of Appalachian arts and crafts and the “cottage craft industry” movement.

Timbering began replacing farming in the early 1900s as the primary economy base. Gatlinburg TN’s first hotel was built to accommodate traveling lumber buyers. In the 1930s, the national park and tourism helped the area’s economy to pick up. Many families moved to town after being displaced by the park and took jobs at new hotels and other service facilities.

World War II slowed the growth of Gatlinburg, but at its end the tourists began coming back.

Gatlinburg eventually became more tourist oriented with the establishment of a few specialty shops. Over the years, hundreds of shops have been built. Major attractions, great restaurants, convention centers, and many luxury hotels make up the heart of downtown Gatlinburg TN. Thousands of romantic chalets are available for vacation rental throughout the mountainous area of Gatlinburg, and a ski resort sits atop a mountain overlooking downtown Gatlinburg TN. This romantic city is located at the entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is the second most popular place to get married in America and is the perfect place for a honeymoon or a weekend filled with romance. Many large conventions are held in Gatlinburg TN year round as are annual festivals and other special events.