Uncover the rich human history of the Great Smoky Mountains, from its Indigenous inhabitants to the resilient Appalachian settlers and the park's creation.
Listen — all 6 episodes free
0
Thousands of Years in These Mountains
This series, Appalachian Roots, traces the human history layered into Great Smoky Mountains National Park — from its earliest inhabitants to the communities that shaped…
0:00
1
Shaconage: Cherokee Heart of the Smokies
The Cherokee word for these mountains is Shaconage, meaning land of the blue smoke, a name inspired by the natural hydrocarbon haze that rises from dense forests and…
0:00
2
Cades Cove and Its Stubborn Settlers
At its peak in the 1850s, Cades Cove was home to nearly 700 people living in a limestone valley just six miles long.
0:00
3
Sawmills That Sparked a National Park
By 1900, logging companies had purchased more than sixty percent of what is now Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
0:00
4
From Grassroots Dream to National Park
Most national parks were carved from land the federal government already owned.
0:00
5
Cades Cove Structures Tell Their Stories
The John Cable Grist Mill in Cades Cove still grinds corn the same way it did in the 1870s, its wooden water wheel turning in a creek that has never been rerouted.
0:00