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    Eastern Sevier County
    Eastern Sevier County
    Eastern Sevier County
    Ebook177 pages52 minutes

    Eastern Sevier County

    By Michael Williams

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    About this ebook

    Eastern Sevier County rests in the toursity foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park but also boasts a colorful history of its own.


    Eastern Sevier County is home to the small communities of Foxfire Mountain, Pittman Center, Jones Cove, Richardson's Cove, Locust Ridge, and Pearl Valley. Foxfire Mountain is best known today for the adventure park and agri-tourist destination brought to life by the Postlewaite family, yet it also boasts a colorful history that includes Benjamin Owens, a judge notorious for hanging convicts from an oak tree on his property. Locust Ridge is the birthplace of country music legend Dolly Parton, and it has been reported that her father compensated the attending physician who delivered Dolly with a bag of cornmeal.

    Pittman Center, originally a Cherokee hunting ground, is now the largest community in this portion of the county. Strangely, the town is named for Dr. Eli Pittman of New York, who assisted local minister John Burnett with fundraising to build a school to serve the area. Pittman Center is now a favorite destination for those enjoying the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArcadia Publishing
    Release dateJun 29, 2015
    ISBN9781439652145
    Eastern Sevier County
    Author

    Michael Williams

    Michael Williams (PhD, University of Pennsylvania) is Emeritus Senior Professor of Old Testament Studies at Calvin Theological Seminary, a member of the NIV Committee on Bible Translation and the Chairman of the NIrV Committee. He is the author of Deception in Genesis, The Prophet and His Message, Basics of Ancient Ugaritic, The Biblical Hebrew Companion for Bible Software Users, How to Read the Bible through the Jesus Lens, Hidden Prophets of the Bible and is editor and contributor of Mishneh Todah. His passion is to provide curious believers with knowledge of the Old Testament and its culture so that they may grow in their comprehension and appreciation of redemptive history and be adequately prepared to promote and defend the faith through word and action. Michael resides in Florida with his wife, Dawn.

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      Book preview

      Eastern Sevier County - Michael Williams

      years.

      INTRODUCTION

      The story of eastern Sevier County is one that is rich in history and steeped in tradition, legends, and lore. The region has survived a tumultuous history predating the forced eviction of its native inhabitants. The region was torn and divided by the War Between the States, which split the inhabitants and pitted neighbors against one another. In the ensuing years, the residents of the region answered the call for arms during the 20th century when the nation was swept into two world wars and two wars in Asia. Tragedy marred the area on several occasions, including an Indian attack and a flood that took several lives.

      Eastern Sevier County, Tennessee, is in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The largest of the six communities that comprise eastern Sevier County is Pittman Center. The area surrounding the community, within a 50-mile radius, was the home of many interesting persons, among them a man known as the hanging judge, a country music legend, a US president, a legendary frontiersman, and a nationally renowned naturalist. The area holds its secrets, including the story of lost treasure. Numerous churches and industries dot the landscape, surrounding the mountains and set against a bucolic backdrop.

      Pittman Center and the surrounding region were originally inhabited by Native Americans, who first arrived in the region as many as 20,000 years ago. Numerous artifacts, such as arrow points found in the area dating back 10,000 years, give researchers a clue as to how the indigenous natives lived. During the mid-16th century, Spanish expeditions led by Hernando de Soto, in 1540, and Juan Pardo, in 1567, passed through the region now known as Sevier County. At the time, the area was part of the domain of Chiaha, a Muskogean chiefdom located on a now submerged island just upstream from modern-day Douglas Dam. The Muskogean village was inundated beneath the waters of Douglas Lake during the late 1930s with the creation of the Tennessee Valley Authority.

      By the late 17th century, the Cherokee, whose ancestors lived in the mountains at the time of the Spaniards’ expedition, had become the dominant tribe in the region. The Cherokee planted corn on the mountain and hunted bear, deer, turkey, and turtles. Although they used the region primarily as hunting grounds, the Chickamauga faction of the Cherokee vehemently fought white encroachment on their lands, frequently leading raids on households and settlements. Various peace treaties brought short periods of tranquility, frequently interrupted by violent upheavals.

      Most of the region that comprises eastern Sevier County has always been densely wooded, with magnificent forests that stretched for many miles. The forests, teeming with wild game, were often the hunting ground for many settlers. One of the most famous people who may have hunted in the surrounding forests was the noted King of the Wild Frontier himself, Davy Crockett. Born in present-day Greene County, which lies almost 70 miles to the north, Crockett often stayed in Dandridge, located 25 miles west of Pittman Center. Founded shortly after the end of the American Revolution, Dandridge was named after Martha Washington and is the second-oldest city in Tennessee. Crockett had met the woman he intended to marry and traveled to Dandridge, where the marriage bond was drawn up. But the future famed frontiersman was jilted by his betrothed. The marriage bond is still on display at the county courthouse.

      Sevier County was formed on September 18, 1794, from part of neighboring Jefferson County, and has retained its original boundaries ever since. The county was named in honor of John Sevier, governor of the failed state of Franklin and first governor of Tennessee, who fought in the American Revolution and played a prominent role during the early years of the settling of the region. Since the founding of the county, the county seat has been situated at Sevierville, the eighth-oldest city in Tennessee, which was also named for Governor Sevier.

      The creation of ironworks in East Tennessee in 1809 paved the way for mining in Sevier County, although it would be 11 years before iron was discovered on Foxfire Mountain in 1820. With the

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