The History of Gatlinburg

Attractions in Gatlinburg, Tennessee have so much family appeal.
With the Smoky Mountains serving as its backdrop, it offers breathtaking scenery from every vantage point. Because it has so many visitors, Gatlinburg numbered its main intersections. Visitors marvel at this oddity as well as appreciate the assistance it lends in getting around town.

Every year, travelers arrive to visit the town made up of only 3,800 residents. Despite its small the population, Gatlinburg attractions offer good vacation value. Gatlinburg serves as the gateway to huge adventure since it borders the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The National park first opened in 1934 and transformed Gatlinburg into a sought after tourist destination. More than 40,000 tourists visited the national park in its first year of operation. Within a year, 500,000 visitors made a trek to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

So, here’s the history of Gatlinburg. The first permanent settler to Gatlinburg was William Ogle from Edgefield, South Carolina. With the help of the Native American Cherokee, Ogle prepared logs for building his cabin but died from malaria before the work could be completed. His widow Martha Jan Huskey Ogle and her brother Peter Huskey, completed her husband’s cabin which still stands in Gatlinburg. Around 1856, White Oaks Flat was renamed Gatlinburg after the general store owner Radford Gatlin. He was such a disagreeable character that he was forced out of town following a serious community feud.

Other fun visits are: Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies which displays more than marine life. It also covers subjects movies are made of such as pirates and the Titanic. You are also sure to have a frightfully good time at the Mysterious Mansion, a haunted house built in 1981.
Attractions in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee include Dollywood and Dollywood’s Splash Country amusement parks, both named for country singer, Dolly Parton.