The Great Smoky Mountains
I had never smelt the mountains before. When I was planning my trip everyone who had been there before said, “Oh, that smell! You’ll never forget it!”. I always knew it would be an unforgettable trip I just never thought I would crave the mountains afterwards. I can still feel the cool, crisp air that I inhaled when I walked to the porch to watch the sunrise. I can still taste the freshly brewed coffee, doused in chocolate creamer, as I brought myself to rest on the porch swing. I can still see the sun, crimson and slowly climbing over the mountain tops and peeking through the iconic “smoke”. I can still smell the freshness of the mountains. Indescribable – like another trip is already in the books.
The Smoky Mountains are a smaller range associated with the Appalachian Mountains. Located on the United States’ east coast, the range resides between Tennessee and North Carolina – mostly along their shared border. Much of the mountains are protected by the National Park Service to preserve one of the largest old growth forests on the Eastern half of the United States. The park is rich in life and beauty which is easy to see but the Great Smokies are also considerably rich in history. The Cherokee When settlers first arrived in the south-eastern portion of the country it was home to the Cherokee Indians. These people lived off the land and they cherished it. Hunters and gatherers; their communities worked hard to live a sustainable life and they took care of the land they lived on. The settlers, however, saw endless resources for the taking. As more whites began to settle to the area tensions began to rise. Eventually they were forced to sign over most of their land to the United States. Today, however, there is still a small portion of the range where Cherokee tribe members still reside within the National Park. This particular reservation is open to the public, also. There is a small area just north of the reservation which has the parks highest waterfall at 120 feet high called ‘Mingo Falls’ in North Carolina. Creating The Park Late to the party, The Great Smoky Mountains were not authorized to become a park until 1926. …show more content…
The very first park, Yellowstone, was signed in to law in 1872. Though not for lack of effort. According to the National Park Service the idea of preserving these mountains began in the late 1890’s. During a time where over-harvesting resources was common it was difficult to convince certain stakeholders that this area needed to be preserved. Instead of seeing the beauty of the mountains many people saw lumber, furs, and cash. In order for the Smoky Mountains National Park to be finalized all 150,000 acres of land needed to be purchased and the government was not able to do so. Money was found by legislature for Tennessee and North Carolina, and many supportive individuals who wanted to see this land preserved. That group alone contributed $2 million and then the Rockefellers donated $5 million. This ensured the purchase of the Smoky Mountains for the National Park. Even after the purchase of the land there was much work to be done. Many people lost homes and many companies had to be compensated. As I mentioned before, this was an area rich in natural resources and this was a time of consumption (though it was getting better). Few were allowed to stay on the land, but if they chose to stay on the land they were no longer allowed to fish, hunt, trap, or collect timber. Building soon commenced after the arrival of the first super intendent in 1931. A large amount of the building was completed by the CCC or the Civilian Conservation Corps. This was a group which was established through the Great Depression. It provided opportunity for unemployed men. They were able to work until World War II shut down the work in 1942. The Walker Sisters Through the formation of the park many people were asked – or forced – to leave their homes. A select few were also given special permission to stay on the land during the building process and even after. The
I had never smelt the mountains before. When I was planning my trip everyone who had been there before said, “Oh, that smell! You’ll never forget it!”. I always knew it would be an unforgettable trip I just never thought I would crave the mountains afterwards. I can still feel the cool, crisp air that I inhaled when I walked to the porch to watch the sunrise. I can still taste the freshly brewed coffee, doused in chocolate creamer, as I brought myself to rest on the porch swing. I can still see the sun, crimson and slowly climbing over the mountain tops and peeking through the iconic “smoke”. I can still smell the freshness of the mountains. Indescribable – like another trip is already in the books.
The Smoky Mountains are a smaller range associated with the Appalachian Mountains. Located on the United States’ east coast, the range resides between Tennessee and North Carolina – mostly along their shared border. Much of the mountains are protected by the National Park Service to preserve one of the largest old growth forests on the Eastern half of the United States. The park is rich in life and beauty which is easy to see but the Great Smokies are also considerably rich in history. The Cherokee When settlers first arrived in the south-eastern portion of the country it was home to the Cherokee Indians. These people lived off the land and they cherished it. Hunters and gatherers; their communities worked hard to live a sustainable life and they took care of the land they lived on. The settlers, however, saw endless resources for the taking. As more whites began to settle to the area tensions began to rise. Eventually they were forced to sign over most of their land to the United States. Today, however, there is still a small portion of the range where Cherokee tribe members still reside within the National Park. This particular reservation is open to the public, also. There is a small area just north of the reservation which has the parks highest waterfall at 120 feet high called ‘Mingo Falls’ in North Carolina. Creating The Park Late to the party, The Great Smoky Mountains were not authorized to become a park until 1926. …show more content…
The very first park, Yellowstone, was signed in to law in 1872. Though not for lack of effort. According to the National Park Service the idea of preserving these mountains began in the late 1890’s. During a time where over-harvesting resources was common it was difficult to convince certain stakeholders that this area needed to be preserved. Instead of seeing the beauty of the mountains many people saw lumber, furs, and cash. In order for the Smoky Mountains National Park to be finalized all 150,000 acres of land needed to be purchased and the government was not able to do so. Money was found by legislature for Tennessee and North Carolina, and many supportive individuals who wanted to see this land preserved. That group alone contributed $2 million and then the Rockefellers donated $5 million. This ensured the purchase of the Smoky Mountains for the National Park. Even after the purchase of the land there was much work to be done. Many people lost homes and many companies had to be compensated. As I mentioned before, this was an area rich in natural resources and this was a time of consumption (though it was getting better). Few were allowed to stay on the land, but if they chose to stay on the land they were no longer allowed to fish, hunt, trap, or collect timber. Building soon commenced after the arrival of the first super intendent in 1931. A large amount of the building was completed by the CCC or the Civilian Conservation Corps. This was a group which was established through the Great Depression. It provided opportunity for unemployed men. They were able to work until World War II shut down the work in 1942. The Walker Sisters Through the formation of the park many people were asked – or forced – to leave their homes. A select few were also given special permission to stay on the land during the building process and even after. The