At home in the Smokies

by United States. National Park Service; Wilma Dykeman; James Stokely

Handbook 125

At Home
In the Smokies

A History Handbook for
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
North Carolina and Tennessee
Produced by the
Division of Publications
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Washington, D.C. 1984

Using This Handbook

This theme handbook, published in this new edition on the 50th anniversary of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, tells the story of the people who settled and lived in the mountains along the Tennessee and North Carolina border. Part 1 gives a brief introduction to the park and its historical sites. In Part 2, Wilma Dykeman and Jim Stokely present the history of the region from the early Cherokee days to the establishment of the park in 1934 and the renewed interest in the past in the 1970s; this text was first published by the National Park Service in 1978. Part 3 gives a brief description of the major historical buildings you can see in the park. For general information about the park and its wildlife, see Handbook 112.

National Park Handbooks, compact introductions to the great natural and historic places administered by the National Park Service, are published to support the National Park Service’s management programs at the parks and to promote understanding and enjoyment of the parks. This is Handbook 125.

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Main entry under title: At home in the Smokies. (National park handbook; 125)

Rev. ed. of: Highland homeland/Wilma Dykeman and Jim Stokely. 1978. Includes index.

Supt. of Docs, no.: I 29.9/5:125

1. Great Smoky Mountains (N.C. and Tenn.)—Social life and customs. 2. Great Smoky Mountains (N.C. and Tenn.)—History. 3. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (N.C. and Tenn.)—Guide-books. 4. Cherokee Indians—History.

I. Dykeman, Wilma. Highland homeland. II. United States. National Park Service. Division of Publications. III. Series: Handbook (United States. National Park Service. Division of Publications); 125.

F443.G7A8 1984 976.8’89 84-600108

ISBN 0-912627-22-0

Part 1	Recapturing the Past	[4]
	Smoky Mountain Heritage	[7]
Part 2	Highland Homeland	[12]
	By Wilma Dykeman and Jim Stokely
	Homecoming	[17]
	Rail Fences	[30]
	Land of the Cherokees	[35]
	The Pioneers Arrive	[49]
	Rifle Making	[60]
	A Band of Cherokees Holds On	[63]
	From Pioneer to Mountaineer	[73]
	Spinning and Weaving	[94]
	The Sawmills Move In	[97]
	Birth of a Park	[107]
	The Past Becomes Present	[121]
	Handicrafts	[132]
	Coming Home	[137]
Part 3	Guide and Adviser	[146]
	Traveling in the Smokies	[148]
	Oconaluftee	[150]
	Cades Cove	[152]
	Other Historic Sites in the Park	[154]
	Related Nearby Sites	[156]
	Armchair Explorations	[157]
	Index	[158]

Part 1
Recapturing the Past

Joseph S. Hall

Aden Carver of Oconaluftee was a carpenter, stone mason, millwright, deacon, and preacher. He was more versatile than some men but representative of many who worked hard and enjoyed their lives in the Smokies.