| Sources |
- [S23] Atchley Funeral Home, (http://www.atchleyfuneralhome.com/), 13 Jun 2002.
Maude Reva Suttles Atchley obituary
- [S74] Atchley Funeral Home Records, Volume IV, 1987-1999, Larry D. Fox, (Smoky Mountain Historical Society), 30 Sep 1995.
Christopher Andrew King obituary
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 24 Jan 2011.
Upland Chronicles: Suttles one of Pigeon Forge’s first policemen
by CARROLL McMAHAN The Mountain Press
Pigeon Forge officer Lloyd Suttles writing a report at the scene of an automobile accident.
Suttles standing beside his Pigeon Forge police car.
Suttles dressed in his fireman clothes. In addition to his duties as a police officer, he was a member of the fire department and eventually became its chief.
Driving her brand new ’64 Chevrolet, Donna Moncy Allen was clocked doing 95 mph by police officer Lloyd Suttles, while racing her first cousin, Ray McMahan, down the Parkway in Pigeon Forge.
Once Officer Suttles pulled over the offenders, he recognized them as local teenagers and quickly decided not to issue citations because their parents would undoubtedly have to pay the fines. Instead, he prohibited the youngsters from driving within the city limits of Pigeon Forge for an entire week.
Donna Allen recalls her mother driving to the Spur before allowing her repentant daughter behind the wheel to drive the remaining distance to work in Gatlinburg.
Lloyd F. Suttles, a World War II veteran, who previously worked for Walker-Smith Chevrolet Co. in Sevierville as a paint and body repairman, was the lone lawman in the fledgling young city of Pigeon Forge in those days. He followed former Sevier County Sheriff Fred Pierce, who was the first Pigeon Forge police officer. Suttles was appointed to the position when Pierce was elected tax assessor in 1962.
Born Sept. 26, 1926, Lloyd was a son of Luther B. “Giant” Suttles and Bertha McClure Suttles of the Laurel Grove community in Sevier County. He married Dora McMahan and they were the parents of four children: Faye, Carol, Danny and Francie.
The Suttles family resided on Ore Bank Road (now named Teaster Lane) in Pigeon Forge.
There was very little in the way of major crime in the early years of the town, which was incorporated in 1961. But, the job was nonetheless demanding as the position required the officer to be on call seven days a week and 24 hours a day.
Additional officers, such as Lloyd “Punk’ Helton, eventually joined the force and Suttles was promoted to chief of police.
Juvenile pranks, especially around Halloween, were a nuisance that Suttles endured as part of the job. For several years, as Halloween approached, the policeman would keep a close eye on the bridge beside the Old Mill hoping to avoid an inevitable fire set by a group of neighborhood boys.
When Suttles left his post to patrol other parts of town, such as Remac’s Drive –In Restaurant and Midway Drive-In Theatre (both businesses were frequented by the local teenage crowd), the pranksters would haul in an outhouse and several old tires, which they would douse with gasoline and set on fire. The frustrated officer would return to find a raging fire obstructing cars from crossing the bridge.
In addition to his duties as police officer, Lloyd was a member of the Pigeon Forge Volunteer Fire Department, eventually serving as chief.
In order to report a fire in the early days of the incorporation of Pigeon Forge, a call was placed to the Vacation Lodge Motel, which was owned and operated by George and Helen D. Worsham. A switch located on a wall behind the front desk was pushed by whoever answered the phone. The switch set off a siren situated on the hill between the motel and Pigeon Forge Methodist Cemetery.
Along with Lloyd Suttles and the other firemen, George Worsham would head to the fire truck as soon as the alarm sounded. Worsham, as an early leader in the city of Pigeon Forge, also served on the city commission from 1971-1979 and as mayor from 1974-1975.
Lloyd Suttles was a devoted husband and father. Therefore some aspects of his job were hard to tolerate.
For instance, he received an urgent call on the wedding day of his oldest daughter, Faye. By the time Lloyd attended to the crisis and returned home, he entered his house in time to see a disapproving look on the face of the bride, who by this time, was in the mist of exchanging vows.
After resigning from the Pigeon Police Department, Suttles established an automobile paint and body shop beside his home, which he operated until his untimely death on March 3, 1986, at the age of 59.
This year, the city of Pigeon Forge celebrates its 50th anniversary. The city that started out with a solitary policeman now has a Police Department with 54 officers and a total staff of 66.
Many long time residents remember those early years and Lloyd Suttles as a dedicated law enforcer and fireman who served the city as a standard of quality for future generations of law officers in Pigeon Forge.
— Carroll McMahan is the special projects facilitator for the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce. The Upland Chronicles series celebrates the heritage and past of Sevier County. If you have suggestions for future topics, would like to submit a column or have comments, contact McMahan at 453-6411 or e-mail to cmcmahan@scoc.org.
- [S76] Atchley Funeral Home Records, Volume III, 1974-1986, Larry D. Fox, (Smoky Mountain Historical Society), 3 Mar 1986.
Suttles, Lloyd Fay 59 b. 9/27/26 TN d. 3/3/86 Knox Bapt Hosp owner paint & body Shop f. Luther Bartley Suttles m. Bertha McClure WW II Army Pfc 544 B Hq & AB Sq 1-31-45 Ft Oglethorpe GA 8-28-46 Ft Sheridan IL Laurel Grove Cem Survivors: wife Dora McMahan 605 Ore Bank Rd P-Forge 1 son Dan Suttles 3 dau Faye Cooper Carol King Francie Cash 9 gc 3 sis Veryl Price Maude Atchley Ruth McKenzie preceded in death by bro Henry Suttles.
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