THE MAPLES FAMILY
Maples—There are two brothers of the older Maples generation. One is Squire I. L. Maples, who once owned a store (I don’t know how the Ogles allowed that) and was once postmaster. The other brother is David Crockett Maples. They are direct descendants of the famous Davy Crockett, who died a hero in the Texas Alamo.
Davy Crockett Maples was a rural mail carrier. He carried the mail up into the higher Smokies, to Sugarlands, and the little way-back settlements.
He is retired now. He hasn’t much to do with his time. So he uses it up milking a cow. He has one cow, and they say she gives about a pint of milk. But neither hail nor sleet nor dark of night stays Davy Crockett on his daily rounds to milk that beloved cow.
Rel Maple is Davy Crockett’s son. He owns the Gatlinburg Inn, the newest of the town’s hotels. He also owns the Log Cabin Cafe, and a gift shop, and there is a tourist court in the family. The Maples are doing real well.
ANDY HUFF
Huff—Andy Huff is Gatlinburg’s most prominent man. He is the civic leader. He starts things, and finishes them. What he suggests, the other three usually do.
Andy Huff came to Gatlinburg 39 years ago from Greene County, in Tennessee. He was a lumber man. He owned big saw-mills and cut timber.
In the old days there wasn’t any place around here for a stranger to stay, so Andy Huff put up wayfarers at his house. But the lumber men who stayed with the Huffs liked it so well they’d bring friends. That got to the point where they couldn’t all get in the Huff house.
So in 1916 Andy Huff built a frame hotel, which looked like a house, just to accommodate the lumber men. He has been in the hotel business ever since.