If you consider yourself a history buff, plan a trip to Cades Cove! The area has a rich historical background that begins way before Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established. Read on to learn more about it before you visit! Here's a list of 4 important dates in Cades Cove history:
The First Recorded Cherokee Village
The Cherokee people were some of the first groups to inhabit Cades Cove. The first recorded village was established in 1797. It was named Tsiya’hi, which translates to “Otter Place.” The area was meant to be a seasonal hunting ground rather than a permanent settlement. The head of the village was named Chief Kade. Cades Cove is thought to have been named after him. The Cherokee people took pride in living off the land and enjoyed the natural beauty that remains stunning even today. This Cherokee settlement thrived until around 1818.
The First European Residents Arrive
When the couple arrived around 1818, John and Lucretia Oliver were the first European residents in Cades Cove. John Oliver was a veteran of The War of 1812. His family helped establish the Primitive Baptist Church. They lived in a small cabin that was built around 1850. Before that, John Oliver built another residence around 1820 that would later become a honeymoon cabin for his son when he married. It is a single-room cabin with a loft and was built using addle-notched logs rather than nails or pegs. It is named the John Oliver Cabin even though he didn’t actually live there. You can see this structure on Cades Cove Loop Road. It is the oldest human structure in the Smoky Mountains National Park. The National Park Service has worked hard to preserve it! John Oliver and his wife are buried in the cemetery near Primitive Baptist Church, another stop on Cades Cove Loop Road.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is Established
Of course, one of the most important dates in Cades Cove history is the establishment of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The bill for the park’s creation was signed by President Calvin Coolidge in 1926. The process was long because Congress had to purchase the land from private owners. The park was established on June 15th, 1934, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt formally dedicated the park in 1940. Today, the Smokies are the most-visited national park, as it receives millions of visitors every year. Cades Cove is the most-visited area of the park.
The Last Residents in the Park
People lived in Cades Cove long after the national park was established. This is because the residents negotiated leases. The last resident in the area was Kermit Caughron. He was a fifth-generation descendant of the Shields family. He moved away when the national park was established and later moved back to Cades Cove after he negotiated a 5-year lease. He and his wife built a home here in 1952, where they raised their children. Caughron raised cattle on the land and sold fresh honey. He passed away in 1999.
We hope you enjoyed learning about important dates in the history of Cades Cove. Want to know even more? Explore these interesting facts about Cades Cove history!
