Cades Cove Captures the Life of a Bygone Era

Monday March 01, 2004

TOWNSEND, Tenn. -- A tunnel of foliage hugs the roadway as it winds its way up to Cades Cove, one of the best nature-viewing spots in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and among the top five in the United States. Described as an open air museum, Cades Cove is 1,800 acres of open space nestled along the base of the Appalachian mountains in East Tennessee. The Cove’s rolling hills, waterfalls and generous selection of plants and wildlife, as well as a handful of structures remaining from its first settlers in 1819 let visitors see what life was like in the 19th and early 20th centuries. "It’s like a window back in time," Park Ranger Tim Cruze said of Cades Cove. "You can see why this would’ve been a good place for agriculture. These people were farmers." Many of these farmers have relatives still in the area. Hubert Sullivan’s great grandfather helped build one of the most architecturally interesting structures in the Cove, the John Cable Mill, in 1868. Sullivan, who’s entering his eighth decade of life, has worked at this attraction for more than 10 years as a miller, where he grinds corn for visitors and shares with them a flavor of the mill in its heyday. "I love it," Sullivan said. "My mother was born in Cades Cove. That makes it interesting to me." The mill, which is a fully-operational grist mill, gets its source of power from the fresh mountain water running through the area. "Visitors like to see the waterwheel turn," he said. The mill, used to grind corn and wheat, served an important purpose for these early farmers. "Corn to the mountain people was their most valuable crop," Cruze said. "It was just like money." Corn was a prime food source for the farmers, their families and livestock. "At one time," Cruze pointed out, "they thought it had medicine-like qualities." Another interesting primitive site is the John Oliver Place, built in 1826. It was home to the Cove’s first permanent white settler after the land was acquired by the state from the Cherokee Indians. "My favorite is the Elijah Oliver (John Oliver’s son) Place," Cruze pointed out. "It’s probably the best representation of exactly what an Appalachian farm looked like in the Cove because all the buildings are intact." The first of three churches erected in the area was the Primitive Baptist Church, which still stands. "Religion played an integral part in shaping this community," Cruze said. "These were very religious, hard-working people. We look back to why settlers came to the New World, and it was because of religious beliefs." These interesting stops have helped make Tennessee number eight in the country for travelers visiting historic and cultural sites, according to the Travel Industry Association. One factor attracting visitors is that Cades Cove has features that are appealing throughout the year. In the springtime, the area is decorated with wildflowers. During this time and into the summer months, various animals are highly visible. "You have a better tendency to see raccoons, skunks and chipmunks in the spring and summer," Cruze pointed out. Autumn is a popular time to visit the Cove, with its starburst of color in October. "In the late summer and early fall, deer are more abundant," Cruze said. Cades Cove is blanketed with about a dozen snowfalls each year and adds to the pleasant viewing opportunity. February is the area’s peak time for these average three-inch accumulations. More than 1,500 kinds of flowering plants produce a rainbow of color from March through October with 60 to 70 species in bloom at a single time. The varied vegetation appeals not only to the approximate 9 million sight-seers who visit this place in paradise each year. Approximately 700 black bears live in the national park. "The spring and summer and the end of August is a good bear-viewing time because wild cherries are ripening," Cruze said. Red wolves and white-tailed deer also frequent the area as do raccoons and wild turkeys. "The pioneer setting of Cades Cove touches everyone who visits," Cruze pointed out. "And they’ll come again for another visit." Cades Cove and the surrounding area are also rich in activities. Ranger-led hayrides offer an open-air ride through Cades Cove with a park ranger who explains the history of the Cove and answers questions. These rides are scheduled during the best times to see local wildlife in their natural habitat, at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. The summertime ushers in almost 100 programs each week, ranging from walks and talks, to slide presentations so that visitors can increase their understanding of the area while enjoying their visit. Tunes of mountain music are compliments of various volunteers at the Cades Cove amphitheater the third Friday of each month from June through October when banjos and dulcimers can be heard. The first Saturday in October features demonstrations in the cable mill area of molasses- and apple butter-making by additional volunteers who offer visitors a chance to taste test the goodies. A selection of facilities offers visitors the opportunity to bike, camp, hike, swim and horseback ride. Cades Cove Loop Road, an 11-mile stretch where visitors can sightsee from their cars or pull aside and walk to historic spots, can be accessed from Little River Road in the national park. Heading toward the Cove visitors will notice signs encouraging support of the national park. Park officials strive to preserve the area so newcomers, as well as those who visit the park frequently, can continue to enjoy this natural attraction. Because the park does not have the budget nor staff to place a ranger at each separate site, these signs inform park visitors that they’re welcome to make a donation to help maintain and preserve the park. Cruze, who is a native Knoxvillian, has worked as a park ranger for eight years. He feels fortunate to have the opportunity to spend his work days in this special place. "Every morning," he said, "I come in grinnin’ like a big opossum." For more information on Cades Cove, please contact the Smoky Mountains Visitors Bureau at 1-800-525-6834 or online at http://chamber.blount.tn.us/smokymvb.

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