A Trip into "Old" Sevierville

I'm not sure if the locals would make the distinction between "new" and "old" Sevierville, but during my recent trip to the region, I could definitely see there was so much new that one wonders if the old and the historic will survive. Since I was staying in Gatlinburg, I started out fairly early to drive to the courthouse square in Sevierville. I really wanted to visit their history museum, but found it closed - on Saturday, no less. The courthouse is a grand building that more than competes with the newer, flashier construction on the Parkway. After reading about the courthouse's history, I found that even in Sevierville the current courthouse, built in 1894, barely escaped urban renewal in the 1960s:

"In the 1960's, concern was expressed over courthouse overcrowding and its age. Some wanted to tear down the building and construct a modern, contemporary building. Thanks to the efforts of county historian Joe Sharp, the courthouse was preserved by a vote of 13 to 11."

Luckily, the courthouse survived and should remain the centerpiece of Sevier County's history. To the communty leaders in Sevier County, I offer a friendly suggestion. As your area grows to meet the demands of a robust tourism industry, you should be as focused on promoting the heritage of the area - not just on the Internet, but in museums, heritage sites and living history villages. I learned a lot this time about the area's history, and it is something that should be shared more vigorously with visitors.

Hidden Gatlinburg

Amid the spectacle that is the Parkway in Gatlinburg, TN lay many hidden gems, including the Gatlinburg First Methodist Church (above). Gatlinburg also has several city parks. I visited Mynatt Park and found a wonderful, quiet place where families could have a picnic, wade in the mountain stream or let kids run off some extra energy. Right on the Parkway but tucked in behind a major trolley stop and busy intersection rests a major part of Gatlinburg's history - the Ogle Family Cabin.

"In 1807, widowed Martha Jane Huskey Ogle, at age 46 or 47, came to her late-husband's 'Paradise' with her five sons and two daughters, her brother, Peter Huskey, and his family. From William's oral directions, they located his hewed logs, completed the cabin, and started a new life. Great grandson Andrew Ogle and his family were the last of the clan to live in the cabin, abandoning it about 1910."

Probably one of the greatest hidden gem is the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. I have been to Gatlinburg several times and never realized the school and its craft store, Arrowcraft, were right there at stoplight #3. (Hint: look for the driveway next to Cooter's Barbecue.) Another great find is just a short drive east of town. The Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community offers visitors many shops were local craftspeople sell their work. Finally, the greatest find this trip was locating a bypass that takes you from the west side of town up the Historic Nature Trail to Cherry Orchard Road to Baskin's Creek Bypass and puts you out on Gatlinburg's East Parkway. So, the next time you're in Gatlinburg be sure to take in all of the latest attractions on the Parkway, but then, take some time to explore the "hidden Gatlinburg."

All Experiences Shouldn't Be Virtual

Recently, longtime Houston Chronicle columnist Leon Hale wrote about his fascination with some caterpillars that he had trapped in order to see them turn into either butterflies or moths. When his partner caught him trapping the caterpillars and asked him why he was doing it, he replied:

"I wanted to see what the caterpillars would become, especially that red and black one. She said I didn't need to imprison those poor worms to learn that. I could just Google up caterpillars on the Internet and see nice pictures of the larval stages of moths and butterflies.Yeah, but I wanted to watch the process again, as I did when I was 10 years old. I'm getting tired of looking on the Internet for the answer to every question that crosses my head. I get the nervous feeling that we're headed down the Digital Information Road to a point where we won't have Experience, we'll just look it up."

There are a growing number of people, myself included, who also worry that we all - kids and adults - are losing 'Experience' with not only nature but with historical artifacts, art, live music and live theatre. Sure, Google and Wikipedia are great for school reports and quick reference, but there is no experience like walking the halls of an historic home or carding wool at a living history museum or visiting any of the other hundreds of other historic sites, parks, theatres and museums of America. The legacy of Experience is one in which we should all take part.

What do you think?

Photo: Plebeian sphinx caterpillar, (Paratrea plebeja), Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center, Humble, Texas 0510100840 by accent on eclectic, 2010.