Tennessee, Pigeon Forge ... before Dolly Parton?

It’s hard to imagine Pigeon Forge, the famous home of Dolly Parton’s Dollywood, without its air of hustle and bustle. Yet Pigeon Forge had humble beginnings.

Before Tennessee was a state, the area was a Cherokee Indian hunting ground, located in the "lost state of Franklin." After the Revolutionary War, The State of Franklin and the Cherokee agreed to peace with the signing of the Dumplin Creek treaty. The fertile valley opened to settlers. An early businesses to open was a forge. From this forge, half the town’s name evolved. The other half, Pigeon, refers both to the name of the river on which the town sits and to the Passenger Pigeons that flocked to the area in the 1700s.

Now, visitors flock to the area, 11 million annually.

Information: 800/251-9100.