Cades Cove: The Land that Time Forgot

by Paris Permenter & John Bigley

The stone corn grinder turns slowly, sometimes picking up tempo a little as the water-driven paddlewheel outside gets an extra push. Before the water reached the moss-covered paddles, it traveled down the hills, past deer, cattle and people alike, and finally into a slippery and sometimes leaky flume.

Sound like a scene from the 1800's? It might well have been. But for 21st century couples, the old mill and an entire settlement from the past lies deep in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Cades Cove is far removed from the busy, traffic-congested central area of the park. It lies about 42 miles from the Gatlinburg, Tennessee entrance (one of the nation's top honeymoon destinations), a trip filled with winding roads, small mountainside streams, and a more than occasional glimpse of some furry creature. But unlike most of the dense, wooded park, Cades Cove is a quiet pastureland set inside a ring of forest.

The community began around 1819 when settlers entered the area. The pastures were not native to this land; they had to be chiseled out of the forest by many hands. Once this was accomplished, corn, oats and wheat were planted along with an apple orchard. This wilderness became a settlement and home for many, with a population of over 600 by the 1850's.

With the onset of the Civil War, the population began decreasing. The U.S. Park Service established the park in the 1920's, and the residents left for other areas.

Today Cades Cove remains as an example of what life was like in a community secluded from the world by a range of bluish mountain peaks. Visitors can take an 11-mile drive through the cove, past the homes, businesses and churches of the former community.

Frequent reminders of a life filled with backbreaking labor appear as your car noisily winds down the one-way road. Hand-split fences surround the homes. Sparks Lane, a road built in the early days of the settlement, stretches across the cove. The Cooper Road Trail, named after Joe Cooper who upgraded the road and made it passable by wagon, cuts through the untamed land. The echoes of hoofbeats seem to linger on in the ruts of trails carved long ago.

Several cabins show visitors what life was like in the cove. The Tipton House sports a stone fireplace, a large front porch, small windows, and a shingled roof. Near the home are bee hives, a blacksmith's shop, a corn crib and a cantilever barn much like the original.

Other interesting homes in the cove include the John Oliver Cabin and the Elijah Oliver Place. Many members of the Oliver family lived in the cove, and these two houses were built with split logs cemented by clay.

No look at a community is complete without a sampling of its religious life. Three churches still stand in Cades Cove, along with tombstone-lined cemeteries. The Primitive Baptist Church, the Methodist Church and the Missionary Baptist Church show worship as it was a century ago--in simple white buildings with wooden floors. Plain glass windows are in all the churches--no sign of stained glass out here.

The names which keep coming up in a trip through the cove appear on the white headstones which fill the cemeteries. A look at the dates also shows the frequency of infant graves, another reminder of hard times long ago.

The mill was an important part of the residents' lives. The Cable Mill area of the cove is one of the most interesting and busy stops in the cove. Couples can enjoy a walk which circles through the area, beginning with a visitors center. Many businesses once thrived in the mill area, which served as the "center of town" to the scattered residents. A blacksmith's shop shows what the original once looked like. The blacksmith was a vital member of the cove, hammering horseshoes, plows, axes, knives and other tools to keep the community thriving. Beside it stands an equipment-filled cantilever barn, typical of those throughout Tennessee.

A few steps past the barn, the visitor notices the sound of running water. A century ago, a resident named John Cable connected two streams--the Mill and Forge Creeks--with a small canal. This water is collected by a dam, then some is channeled down a flume to the mill. The water powers the wheel to grind corn inside the mill. Often a saw was powered by the waterwheel.

Another mill, this one horse-powered, stands nearby. Sorghum molasses was made from the crushed sorghum cane stalks.

Besides these attractions, the Gregg-Cable House also stands in the Cable Mill area. This frame house represented "high society" to the log cabin dwellers. Nearby is a barn, corn crib and smokehouse.

The man-made features of Cades Cove are not the only fascinating parts of the area. For the adventurous, hiking trails leave the road and wind through the wooded fringes of the cove. The Cooper Road Trail, mentioned earlier, offers a 10-mile hike. A half-mile nature trail, near the end of the cove circle, winds through the woods. One of the most beautiful trails takes walkers to Abrams Falls, two and a half miles from the road.

Wildlife in the cove is varied. Deer, wild turkey, wild hogs, and an occasional bear populate the nearby woods. Early mornings and evenings are the best times for spotting animals.

The Cades Cove area is, like all of this park, free of charge. Although the Great Smoky Mountain National Park is open year around, Cades Cove is open only from April through October due to snowfall.

Camping is available throughout the park, and reservations are recommended, especially during peak times.