History of Pigeon Forge

Following the signing of the Treaty at Dumplin Creek in the late 1700s, the fertile land that was used as hunting grounds by the Cherokee and other eastern tribes of American Indians was now opened for settlers. Not long after, settlers from the Carolinas followed old Indian trails through the Smoky Mountains along the Pigeon River into the town of Pigeon Forge. By 1820, Isaac Love established and operated a furnace and iron forge, one of the first businesses in the community. The iron forge and the Little Pigeon River that flows through the town gave the town its name - Pigeon Forge. Although the iron forge was dismantled in 1885, which was located across from the present-day Pigeon Forge Pottery, Isacc's son, William, built a tub mill. The Old Mill still remains operational today and is now a National Historic site.

Once the Great Smoky Mountain National Park was dedicated in 1940, Pigeon Forge began to slowly grow. Visitors soon began to trickle into the town, though the only places one could stay as guests were private homes. That all changed in the early 1980s when a tourism boom hit the city.

Pigeon Forge became one of the most popular vacation destination in the southeast United States. Located in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains in eastern Tennessee, Pigeon Forge is within a day's drive of two-thirds of the nation's population east of the Mississippi River. For that reason accommodations have undergone a startling change. From a rather primitive row of stone cabins along the riverbanks in the early 1930s, there are now more than 600 cottages, condos, cabins, and villas as well as hotels and motels.

Today, Pigeon Forge is a town built for family fun! The family atmosphere in Pigeon Forge lends itself to casual attire for just about everything. The almost perfect climate, with the summer usually balmy and the winter just moderately cold, allows family fun everyday of the year. Pigeon Forge will never cease to amaze you with its great food and entertainment for all ages.