Smoky Mountain History

Visitors from every state love to visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park but most people do not know the rich history of how the National Park became so popular.

The Park’s history can be traced back to 1923 when Mrs. Willis P. Davis, a Knoxville Tennessee native, traveled through the American West. Mrs. Davis was amazed by the beauty of the lands throughout the country and in National Parks, such as Yellow Stone. Mrs. Davis lived near the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. She understood the importance of preserving this beautiful mountain location. Because of  this, Mrs. Davis began the National Park Movement.

Of course, the National Park Movement began slowly because of national and local politics delaying the progress. There were a few small disputes over whether the land would be a National Forest or a National Park. Other delays included which part of the land to use and the lack of federal funding. An idea arose to build a road between Knoxville Tennessee and Asheville North Carolina and the park movement slowly started to gain more support.

In 1926 the debate ended when Colonel David Chapman became the main National Park supporter and he pushed Congress to authorize the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The money was quickly raised by the Park Commissions and the 6,600 land tracts were purchased through donations and state funding from Tennessee and North Carolina. The Great Depression posed a problem for the Park Commission but needed support and a $5 million donation was received from the Rockefeller family. The land was completed in 1933 when the US Government gave $1.55 million to the National Park funds.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established on June 15, 1934. It was not until six years later that the National Park was dedicated. Franklin Delano Roosevelt dedicated the Smoky Mountain National Park on September 2, 1940. Just think, if it was not for the visions and dreams of Mrs. Willis P. Davis and some kind donations from local philanthropists, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park would not have been preserved for the 12 million visitors it receives annually.

This beautiful national park still remains a popular location for visitors to enjoy the beauty of wildflowers in the spring and summer, and the colorful changing leaves in the fall and possible snow-capped trees in the winter. For years and years visitors return to the Smoky Mountains to enjoy the different seasons and take a ride through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. One trip to Tennessee and you will come back for years to come to bask in the natural beauty of this long preserved National Park.