Gatlinburg History Facts and Timeline

(Gatlinburg, Tennessee - TN, USA)

This appealing city has become a popular holiday resort, thanks to its picturesque location on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Gatlinburg history is certainly colorful, having evolved from an isolated hamlet in the early 1800s into today's busy tourist destination.

Built on the back of the lumber industry, Gatlinburg is now primarily used as a gateway to the national park, which was established in the 1930s.

It Started with a Log Cottage

While many 18th-century hunters of American or European nationality traversed the flats where the town is situated, according to Gatlinburg history it was William Ogle from South Carolina who first decided to settle here with his family, in the early years of the 1800s. Their log cabin still stands near the center of the city and is an important monument of the past. After the arrival of the Ogles, a steady stream of settlers arrived, and some of their descendants remain here today.

A Town Was Born

In 1856, Radford Gatlin made his mark upon the area by opening a post office within his existing general store, leading to the naming of the town as Gatlinburg. Despite his contributions and the town being named after him, his strong views and attitude caused constant friction with other residents, and so he was evicted in 1859.

Booming Lumber Industry

Largely unscathed by the Civil War (1861 to 1865), Gatlinburg experienced a boom in the logging industry in the 1880s, thanks to the invention of the band saw. As forested areas in the Southeast were harvested, logging companies grew closer to the Smoky Mountains and started to claim rights to logging in the expansive forests of the range. The influx of loggers allowed locals to supplement their income by providing lodging. Much of today's accommodation consists of log cabins, offering stunning views of the mountains and hinting at Gatlinburg history.

National Park Status

The heavy logging taking place in the Smokies attracted the attention of conservationists, who eventually helped the range gain protection by becoming a national park in 1934. The park drew hordes of visitors to the area, changing the town of Gatlinburg immensely. As early as 1916, the first hotel was opened by local sawmill owner Andrew Huff, whose son later opened a lodge at the peak of Mount Le Conte in 1926. This allowed visitors to travel from afar to experience the Smokies.

In the first year after the park opened in 1934, some 40,000 visitors passed through its gates. A year later, the number of visitors to Gatlinburg increased to 500,000, turning the previously rural hamlet of Gatlinburg into a thriving tourist attraction. Since this time, tourism has been an important element of local history. During WWII, the number of tourists understandably dropped considerably, but visitors returned not long after the war ended. Of note, there are three visitor centers located on the Central Parkway and these provide much information about trips to the Smokies.

Fire Devastation

In 1992, a fire caused a whole city block in Gatlinburg to burn down. Believe it or not, the fire was caused by a wiring fault in the lighting at the Ripley's Believe it or Not! Museum. While most of the museum's artifacts were lost in the blaze, those that survived can be found in the newly built museum.

The city's Hollywood Star Cars Museum is also worth a visit, as it showcases many famous vehicles that have made appearances in TV and films.