The Higdon (right) and Sneed cabins in the Daisy Town area of Elkmont are two summer resident cabins to be restored under the park's management plan.
The cultural history of the mountains can be found just about anywhere in the park. Usually the sign is subtle — a pile of stones, pieces of metal rusting half-hidden in leaf litter, clumps of daffodils or daylilies, a worn path to a small cemetery. There is nothing subtle about Elkmont, however. Few places have retained the ‘hand of man’ quite like this area, though that is now changing. The establishment of the park created much heartache and strife among the many families living year-round within its boundaries who had to relocate in the 1920s and 1930s. That angst was delayed a few generations for the summer residents of Elkmont.
The freshly paved loop road through Daisy Town is lined with 16 structures representing the resort community history of Elkmont.
In 1901, Col. W.B. Townsend bought 86,000 acres of land in the Little River area and established a lumber and railroad company by the same name. The community that sprang up around logging operations was initially called Tarpaper Camp, little more than shanties erected for employees and the necessary commerce to supply them. As work moved further up the valleys, Townsend marketed the cleared land to folks looking for a “mountain getaway.” He knew the interest was there. From the beginning, he had allowed well-heeled hunters and fishermen to ride in the caboose of his trains from Walland to the camp, permitting them weekend access to game and streams.
The newly restored Appalachian Clubhouse as viewed from the porch of the Smith Cabin during a brief rain shower.
Many of these outdoorsmen were members of the Elks Club in Knoxville, a philanthropic and social fraternity. Their destination became known as Elk Mountain, later Elkmont. Within a few years, their wives wanted to visit too. Townsend was happy to sell them logged property. The men formed a private club in 1907 and built a lodging and meeting facility – the Appalachian Clubhouse – in 1908. These weekend families began to build small cabins or renovate set houses left behind by Little River Company. The regular train trip from Knoxville to Walland followed by the logging train ride up to Elkmont could take as long as four hours. Townsend upgraded the accommodations on his leg of the trip from a caboose to an observation car and, finally, passenger coach.
The great room of the Wonderland Hotel Annex.
Looking to expand the possibilities, Townsend offered land overlooking Elkmont for the construction of a hotel. Wonderland Hotel opened in 1912 for public use. The Appalachian Club was very exclusive, and some spurned would-be members bought the hotel in 1919 establishing the Wonderland Club. A few private cabins were built behind the hotel. In the meantime, members of the Appalachian Club were spreading up Jakes Creek and along Little River. Three distinct areas emerged. Those cabins on either side of the loop road (about 16 of them) adjacent to the clubhouse were known collectively as Daisy Town. The stretch of cabins rising up between Jakes Creek and Jakes Creek Road was referred to as Society Hill. Those built along Little River were dubbed Millionaire’s Row.
Most of the cabins of Society Hill are slated for demolition including the Andrews-Sherling Cabin.
In the 1920s, the push to establish a national park in the Smoky Mountains gained momentum thanks to the work of Knoxvillians like Willis P. Davis and his wife Ann and Col. David C. Chapman. Chapman loved the idea of a park where anyone could come enjoy the mountains. Others were less enthused. Attorney James B. Wright was one of the cabin owners in Elkmont who preferred a national forest designation to keep the masses out in favor of strict conservation, which would also keep his land safe from condemnation and eminent domain. He represented some of the Appalachian Club members who opposed the park idea. Wright lost his argument and promptly sold his cabin to another family.
The Miller Cabin on Millionaire's Row (with "tree" shutters) was originally built by Col. Townsend and features horse stables on the ground level.
The property of original mountain landowners throughout the proposed park’s footprint was typically bought outright, and the farm families had to move. In Elkmont, though, Col. Townsend agreed to sell his lumber acreage with the provision that he could continue logging it for several more years. Summer cabin owners obtained lifetime leases in exchange for lower purchase prices. Farm families were offered the same deal, but under the agreement, they were not allowed to use the land’s resources, affectively denying them any means of self support. Selling and moving became the only viable option for most.
In 1952, Elkmont owners, who could make money renting out their cabins, made a deal with the National Park Service. If they could get electricity from Sevier County, they would exchange their life leases for a 20-year agreement. As 1972 approached, they began lobbying heavily for another 20-year extension, which they won over the objections of park officials and environmentalists. As 1992 approached, they again tried for extensions, this time without success. The leases expired on all but a few who had refused to cooperate in earlier negotiations. The last of those expired in 2001. The Wonderland Hotel closed its doors in 1992.
Screen door and porch details of the Matthews Cabin on Society Hill.
The park’s General Management Plan called for the removal of all structures and restoration of natural areas in Elkmont. Cabin owners, many of whom had hoped the buildings would be preserved and rented to the public, sought to thwart this in 1994 by nominating several structures to the National Register of Historic Places. They argued that the resort community was a viable part of the park’s history that should be preserved.
The rancor that ensued over the next 15 years has left many people bitter for a variety of reasons. As the debate dragged on, former “Elkmonters” saw NPS’s actions as “demolition by neglect.” All of the structures have suffered varying degrees of degradation from the elements. The Wonderland Hotel, one of the National Register sites, collapsed from structural failure in 2005. Some components were salvaged, but the main hotel building had to be razed.
Steps and a crumbling chimney are all that remain of the original Wonderland Hotel.
Others felt little sympathy for these well-to-do Elkmont residents, who enjoyed a national park as their private summer vacation retreat for 60 years, then didn’t want to honor their agreements. Their actions were viewed as elitist and self-serving. Some park visitors referred to them as “squatters.”
In the late 1990s, park officials twice proposed plans for the area that were rejected by state (Tennessee) and national preservation groups. In the first decade of the 21st century, the park undertook an impact study that evaluated seven alternatives for the area including total removal on one end of the spectrum and total preservation on the other, with costs ranging from $1.3 to $30 million. In 2006, they put forth the selected option at $6 million, and in 2009, began implementing that plan.
The Spence Cabin on Little River is currently undergoing restoration and will be available for day use.
It calls for the preservation of 19 structures. All buildings on the Wonderland Hotel site are to be removed and the natural area restored. The Spence Cabin on Millionaire’s Row is currently undergoing restoration. All others will be removed. In the Daisy Town area, the Appalachian Clubhouse’s restoration is complete with adjacent parking and restroom facilities added. The 16 houses along the loop road have been stabilized and will be restored as funding permits. Three buildings have been removed for Jakes Creek Trailhead and Daisy Town parking. On Society Hill, one cabin – #38 Byers/Chapman (the man who tirelessly promoted the park idea) – will be restored and the rest removed. The Spence Cabin and Appalachian Clubhouse may be rented by the public for day use. There will be no overnight accommodations. Interpretive signs and kiosks will tell the story of Elkmont.
The child's playhouse "Adamless Eden" between two cabins in Daisy Town was reportedly built in 1921.
The cabins, those that have been saved and those awaiting demolition, are an interesting assemblage of cute, spare, welcoming, ugly, graceful, sprawling, tiny testaments to an undeniable part of the park’s history. Many sport a hodgepodge of additions, little rooms and porches tacked on and strung out over the years like a rabbit warren. Those in Daisy Town are easier to view since vegetation is managed there. Up Society Hill and Millionaire’s Row, nature is aggressively pushing back. Some are nearly obscured from view. Others are virtually falling in on themselves – collapsed porches, leaning chimneys, yawning doorways. It is a sad sight to see, but I support the park’s plan. And yet I can’t help but envy those “Elkmonters” who got to spend all summer playing in the Great Smoky Mountains year after year. Higdon relative Cindy Hill Springs described it as “a magical place for a child to grow up.” No doubt.
If you wish to read more about the area, try these links:
Restoration Plan: http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parkmgmt/upload/Elkmont-Restoration-Jan-2010.pdf
Knoxville News Sentinel article: http://m.knoxnews.com/news/2009/jul/26/idyllic-elkmont-passing-into-the-shadows/
Janice Henderson, photos of cabins: http://home.earthlink.net/~firepink/id27.html
Wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elkmont,_Tennessee
Google Books - Great Smoky Mountain Folklifeby Michael Ann Williams, Chapter 8, Summer Visitation & Community: Elkmont, pgs 160-165
The view of Jakes Creek "Elkmonters" along Society Hill enjoyed from their back porches each summer.
Wow, Margie. You really researched for this blog! Very interesting, thanks.
margie this is cool we looked at these cabins may when we were there we will be going back the 23 of this month if you have any more imforation would love to have thank you connie cegjdc2@juno.com
Connie,
The links at the end provide good additional information. Janice Henderson’s site has photographs of most of the cabins taken around 2005. A few have since been razed for construction of the new Jakes Creek Trail parking. Her photos list the name of the last lease holder on record and are keyed to an NPS site map she has included. Two cabins next to the Appalachian Clubhouse – Smith (#2) and Sneed (#1) – do not have posted “No Trespassing” signs and apparently can be legally entered. I hope you enjoy your visit.
Margie
I learned several things from you, most notably the origin of the name Elkmont. I had assumed it was from the population of native elk that were in the area in the early days. Fascinating and excellent work.
I find this a good representation of the general facts of the history of Elkmont, but it seems to lack the view of the Elkmont families. I come from one of those families, our hose was Walnut Lodge, owned by the Gilliland Family and located on Society Hill. It is slated for demolition.
I was born in 1993, the year after Walnut Lodge was taken, and so have never seen Elkmont as the thriving summer community that it was. Hearing the stories that my mother tells, of riding the train up to Elkmont, of swimming in the ice-cold swimming hole, of spending time away from the oppressive Southern heat, all make me mourn the loss of what could have been.
However, it was only because of the families of Elkmont that it was converted into a National Park. They wanted to share the beauty and wonder that so many people know today. (This was only mentioned briefly mentioned in reference to the Byers/ Chapman restoration) In negotiations, the Elkmont families have always been viewed as ‘elitist and self-serving’, making park officials less willing to work with us. But who would be happy to give up 80 years of family history so easily, just to see the house sit empty, rotting away.
In the fight over Elkmont since 1992, the families have offered to fund the restoration of the cabins, not to become private once again, but to be offered as a source of income to the parks as overnight cabins. We would be willing to come to Elkmont like any other paying tourist, to spend one week in the cabins that were once ours. I’m not clear on the details, but that plan was never put into action, possibly because it would take so much work to get many of the cabins up to code.
Every time I think about Elkmont, I mourn the loss the of Walnut Lodge, of the family memories and history that are there. But I know that the plan that was worked out was for the good of the American people, even if a select few had to suffer for the good of all.
Thank you, Emily. I certainly understand your perspective and appreciate your sharing it here. One can only imagine how difficult it must have been for any of the residents within the park’s borders to leave their family homes, land, and livelihoods behind. Those in Elkmont are no exception. Many others have also wondered why the park service would not rehab the cabins to provide rental income. Legal, logistical, or environmental concerns may have played a role, and perhaps such a large-scale commercial activity simply isn’t compatible with the park’s mission. Regardless, there is no question these fading remnants of family history and cherished memories are a heartache for former owners and interested park visitors alike.
Margie
Nice blog. I’m glad to see the structures collapsing and hope to further see them cleared from the land forever. If people want to see cabins in the woods, then there are millions of acres of such places all around the deep south. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is not a summer retreat for a handful of well-to-do. It’s for everyone, and it’s also a place to be returned as much as is possible to its natural state.
I totally disagree. There is NO place like this in the deep south. It’s a time capsule, and to destroy it now is ridiculously short-sighted and stupid.
Thats why we have so many come to the Smokies because we are just about the only place you can see the real cabins not ones they relocate . I have been hiking in Yellowstone, Grand canyon, & in Alas. but it’s not the same when you can’t see what it looked like when the president went there. We ate in yellowstone at the rest. but it had been changed. Don’t get me wrong I still love all of them but thats why we are the leading park. People now days want their kids to see how it was. Because of people like this man they are disappearing. I hike all the time & keeping that retreat in the park isn’t going to destory it. Plus how much hiking can you do in that small area compared to the rest of the park? I go hiking in the smokies all the time & help rebuild some trails & to me that destroys the park because that ground is being destroyed. That retreat has been there & if repaired not to a hotel but more like camping cabins for 20 a nite could go towards keeping those trails up. I go to the top of the Smokies & sit, look around & wonder if indains crossed here or try to imagaine what life was like then. When I go to caves cove I walk in the homes & do the same but it helps to see them just as the people left them. And how great it would be to go back to a simple life where people worked hard & stood with friends & family to get something done. I know it sounds crazy but my mom is 80 now & they lived in what was a shack that came with the farm they share croped for & before my uncle who died in that shack on the same peanut farm at 96 & in good health. My mom is the yougest of 8 & now the last one. He died 10 yrs. ago. My dad gave us a good life but even he loved to go down their because it remined him of his home. He taught us how to hunt on that farm & mom taught us how to pick peanuts & cotton while we were there. Then we would go to her moms house 20 mins. away which in the 80s had no air or tv. but alot of chickens, cows, & goats(it was kept up nice) & I learned how to chase the chicks collect eggs & milk cows there so we didn’t need the tv. We just don’t have those type of places anymore & what is left we need to start saving. They put more hotels up here in Pigeon Forge every year wasting ground when most people would rather stay in a camping cabin on the weekend & it’s there for the making without tearing up more ground.