| Sources |
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 31 Aug 2013.
Upland Chronicles: Buckhorn Inn marks 75th anniversary
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 18 Oct 2014.
Upland Chronicles: Fergusons' pottery helped mold Pigeon Forge
JO HARRIS
Ferguson family collection
The Pigeon Forge Pottery opened in 1946, and for over 10 years, it operated in a converted tobacco barn across from the Old Mill (photo ca. 1950s).
Ferguson family collection
Fire destroyed the Pigeon Forge Pottery on Nov. 6, 1957; it reopened in June 1958 in a modern building designed by proprietor Douglas Ferguson and Gatlinburg architect Hubert Bebb.
Ferguson family collection
Douglas Ferguson created thousands of items over half a century at the Pigeon Forge Pottery. Here he works with the master mold for a popular design, a double bud/bridal vase based on a Native American design (photo ca. 1950s).
In the 1940s, Pigeon Forge was a sedate farming community – little more than a thoroughfare for tourists traveling to Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains. On May 15, 1946, Douglas and Ruth Ferguson opened the Pigeon Forge Pottery and unwittingly became a catalyst in the town's transformation from a pastoral village into a popular vacation destination.
Douglas Ferguson was born July 18, 1912, the son of D.G. and Estie Ferguson. About his youth spent on the family farm in Bald Creek, N.C., he once said, "I consider myself very fortunate to have had these experiences. For me they contributed to a sympathetic understanding of our past."
Ferguson attended Mars Hill College in North Carolina. In 1934 he was employed by TVA and later became an engineer at the agency's Ceramics Research Laboratory in Norris, where he tested clays, glazes and kilns. During his 12-year tenure, he met Ruth Wilson born in 1917 in Erwin, Tenn.; they married in 1936. Ruth's father, Ernest, also employed in the ceramics lab, was a noted potter descended from a line of craftsmen at Stoke-on-Trent in England.
The Fergusons considered various locations for their pottery, but with Mr. Wilson's expertise, and interestingly, by gathering nests of mud daubers – including around the Old Mill in Pigeon Forge, and firing them in a kiln – they discovered this quiet mountain town had an abundance of high-quality clay.
From Ashley Butler they purchased an old tobacco barn across from the Old Mill, reportedly the first property in Pigeon Forge to sell in 25 years. The first floor was converted into business space; the second became the family residence and packing area where fragile pottery was cushioned in straw before shipping. The Fergusons designed and built much of their startup equipment, and initially only local clay was used, dug from a ridge on the corner of Connor Heights Road and the Parkway. A horse-powered clay grinding mill was an early necessity, but later was operated as a cultural exhibit.
The pottery became nationally recognized with wares being sold on site, in their Gatlinburg store, through catalog sales, and at Rockefeller Center in New York in a Southern Highlanders Guild shop, part of a government-sponsored craft marketing organization brought about by TVA. The Fergusons and the pottery were written about locally and regionally, and just four years after its opening, the Chicago Tribune's Sunday magazine carried a feature article about the business and its inventive, inspiring proprietors.
In Ruth Ferguson's oral history on file at the Pigeon Forge Public Library, she credits Luke Wright of AAA for bringing "more people to the Pottery [and Pigeon Forge] than anyone…" The travel writers and editors would praise the area, the pottery, and Mr. Ferguson's demonstrations and creations, thereby generating local tourism.
In 1953, when the Governors' Conference was held in Gatlinburg, the owner of Mountain View Hotel commissioned Ferguson to create little brown jugs which would hold local moonshine. A jug was presented to each governor, but Thomas Dewey of New York rejected the gift, not in condemnation of the pottery, but the moonshine.
Also in 1953, the corner property adjacent to the Pottery became available. The Fergusons purchased it and began construction of a new home designed by Mr. Ferguson with the assistance of noted architect Hubert Bebb. The native materials used, along with the steep, overhanging rooflines, were symbolic of the surrounding mountains. The house served as the Fergusons' residence for nearly five decades.
On Nov. 6, 1957, a fire destroyed much of what the Fergusons had worked for over a decade creating. Creosote – which was to be applied to railroad ties at Ferguson's child-size train located on the Parkway near where today is a seafood restaurant – was being heated near the clay grinding shed. When Mr. Ferguson left to answer a phone call, he instructed the person left in charge, "Watch that fire under there, and don't let it get too hot." Unfortunately, it did, and quickly spread. Incredibly, the phone call was regarding the formation of Pigeon Forge's fire department, which he helped organize.
The Sevierville and Gatlinburg fire departments fought the blaze, and employees and townspeople carried things out before all was lost. People from Fort Weare Game Park erected tents under which they placed rescued equipment and molds. Mrs. Ferguson said in her oral history that "two men carried out machinery that took four men to put back." The Fergusons were humbled by the outpouring of support. Even tourists had pitched in. The fire made national news, inspiring people from across the country to contribute toward rebuilding. The day after the fire, a Sevier County Bank representative offered a loan and encouragement. Ferguson and Bebb created a design using a plan and materials that echoed and complemented the personal residence. The business reopened in June 1958. Today both buildings occupy prominent positions in the Old Mill historic district.
Douglas and Ruth Ferguson had four daughters: Sarah, Esther (who died in 1996), Ardith and Jane. Douglas studied and taught his craft in over a dozen foreign countries and traveled to over 50 countries, nurturing his hobby of photographing people and their cultures. He was a charter member of the Gatlinburg Rotary Club, with 35 years' perfect attendance, and once served as district governor. The Fergusons were charter members of Clan Ferguson Society of America and helped found the Scottish Highland Games in Gatlinburg and Grandfather Mountain, N.C. Douglas died in 1999 from mesothelioma, likely a result of asbestos, a common component in kilns. Ruth died in 2010 at the age of 92.
Daughter Jane Ferguson continues the tradition as a fifth-generation potter. She operated the pottery for over three years before it and the home were sold in 2000. She teaches ceramics at Benedictine University in Mesa, Ariz., and operates a studio near Tombstone. She still makes three of her father's most popular designs, small black bears, which are sold locally at the national park stores.
Douglas Ferguson, a potter of international fame and impeccable reputation, lives on in the hearts of his daughters and their progeny; in the memories of many locals who worked for the Fergusons; in thousands of collectors' individual, handmade items – both utilitarian and decorative – many borne out of Ferguson's love of nature, molded or thrown on the potter's wheel, then enhanced with his specially-formulated glazes; in the Clingmans Dome tea set – a gift to the Queen in Buckingham Palace; and at his alma mater in Mars Hill, site of the Appalachian mural "Heritage" and the fountain he created from hand-incised, hand-painted tiles, depicting 84 traditional mountain quilt patterns.
Ferguson received many honors, including the Mountain Heritage Award conferred by Western Carolina University in 1982. When the vice chancellor made the presentation he said, "Ferguson's art forms today a rich part of the culture that will be the heritage of future generations."
The pottery was a focal point in Pigeon Forge for over 50 years, a destination for generations of families. Workers were loyal; some were employed for decades. When its closure was announced, people came, cried and reminisced. Though the Pigeon Forge Pottery and its founders are gone, the Fergusons' legacy is secure. The master potter and his family long will be remembered for the pivotal role they played in molding Pigeon Forge history.
Jo Harris is a Sevier County native residing in Jonesborough, Tenn.
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, please contact Carroll McMahan at 453-6411 or cmcmahan@scoc.org; or Ron Rader at 604-9161 or ron@ronraderproperties.com.
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 22 May 2015.
Upland Chronicles: Clingmans Dome tower was designed for functionality
CARROLL MCMAHAN
The observation tower at the summit of Clingmans Dome was completed in 1959.
Clingmans Dome was named for Sen. Thomas Lanier Clingman, who explored the area in the 1850s.
Gatlinburg architect Hubert Bebb designed the Clingmans Dome tower.
At 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome is the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is the highest point in Tennessee, and the third highest mountain east of the Mississippi River. Only Mount Mitchell (6,684 feet) and Mount Craig (6,647 feet), both in Mount Mitchell Sate Park in western North Carolina, rise higher.
The observation tower on the summit of Clingmans Dome offers spectacular views of the Smokies and beyond for visitors willing to climb the steep half-mile walk to the top of the tower.
The Cherokee name for Clingmans Dome was Kawa’hi, meaning mulberry place. The mountain was called Smoky Dome by early white settlers. In 1859, the mountain was renamed by Arnold Guyot for Thomas Lanier Clingman, a Confederate general and U.S. senator from North Carolina who explored the area extensively in the 1850s, then spent years promoting it.
Guyot named the mountain for Clingman because of an argument between Clingman and Professor Elisha Mitchell over which mountain was actually the highest in the region. Mitchell contended that a peak by the name of Black Dome (now known as Mount Mitchell) was the highest, while Clingman asserted that Smoky Dome was the true highest peak.
In the late 1920s, surveyors built the first lookout tower on Clingmans Dome. This crude wooden structure appeared so dangerous that most hikers were afraid to go up the steps to the top. In fact, most people chose to climb a tree to get a distant view rather than to risk climbing the unsafe tower.
In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps was assigned to build a new tower on Clingmans Dome. By August 1937, excavation had begun. Footing was poured with concrete, and framing timbers were transported to the site. The tower was designed so that the visiting public could see over the tall balsam forest that completely covered the dome.
The CCC built Newfound Gap Road across the crest of the Smokies. In 1935, Clingmans Dome Road was graded, ditched and surfaced for automobile travel. Seven miles of roadway connected Newfound Gap to Clingmans Dome. The disturbed roadsides were reseeded with over 100 pounds of native grass seed collected from Andrews Bald.
During World War II, maintenance labor for the national parks was unavailable and routine upkeep was nearly impossible. Buildings deteriorated, including the wooden tower on Clingmans Dome. By 1950, the tower, no longer safe, was dismantled.
In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed Mission 66, a federal program to fund the development and improvement of the country’s neglected resources. Over 10 years, Mission 66 bankrolled the construction of new visitor’s centers, campgrounds, roads, park headquarters, picnic areas and other tourist facilities. In addition to these needs in the Smokies, Mission 66 funded a new Clingmans Dome tower.
Throughout the nation, emphasis was on simple design, enduring materials and reduced labor. A functional focus outweighed traditional craftsmanship. A new observation tower on Clingmans Dome was a priority with Mission 66, one that would withstand severe high-elevation elements, accommodate a large number of people and be safe for a wide range of physical capabilities.
Architect Hubert Bebb proposed a design to meet these requirements. To research the project, Bebb assessed the topography, forests and panoramic views. His vision for the tower was borne from the forest itself. Frazier fir covered the dome. Tall, smooth gray trunks rose shoulder to shoulder, like proud guardsmen keeping watch over the summit.
Bebb envisioned eight gray concrete columns supporting a spiral ramp rising to a 45-foot-high platform. Taller columns near the platform reached 30 inches in diameter. Rough surfaces mimicked tree bark. A 375-foot ramp gradually climbing through the forest canopy would complete the circle, 100 feet in diameter. Frazier firs would remain in the center of the spiral, reducing forest invasion.
Like Clingmans Dome trail, rising at a 12 percent grade, the ramp would become a prolonged extension of the current hard-surfaced trail. Anyone physically able to ascend the trail would have no problem reaching the top of the tower. No steps hindered wheelchairs. The ramp, six feet wide, provided ample maneuvering. Native stone formed a circular patio, offering a respite before climbing to the top.
A covered observation platform, 28 feet in diameter, opened above the treetops at the terminus of the ramp. Supported by a round concrete column, eight feet in diameter, the circular level provided a breathtaking 360-degree view.
Several architects offered proposals. But Bebb’s, which met Mission 66 architectural guidelines (simplicity in design, well proportioned in structure, convenience of materials and low maintenance over time), was accepted by the National Park Service. A contract for $57,000 was awarded to W.C. Norris Construction Company of Waynesville, N.C., with work to begin in December 1958.
Precast concrete portions of columns and the tower were formed off-site during the winter to accelerate assemblage come spring and to lessen the environmental impact at the dome.
Conservationists and other groups were upset. Modernism had no place in national parks, they said. Many preferred the traditional construction of wood and stone to harmonize with the natural elements. They contended that concrete sidewalks and ramps were out of place in the wilderness. The proposed “Sky-Post” was too large and unsightly, they protested. It was too metropolitan and futuristic. Some even went so far as to say that the new observation tower would look like a UFO had landed on the dome.
Regardless of naysayers’ objections, Hubert Bebb cut a green ribbon across the spiral ramp leading to the tower at a rain-soaked opening ceremony on Oct. 24, 1959.When he died in 1984, his ashes were scattered from the top of the tower. In the past half-century, tens of millions of visitors have trekked to the top of the observation tower to experience Hubert Bebb’s vision.
Carroll McMahan is special projects facilitator for the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce and serves as Sevier County historian.
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 Carroll McMahan at 453-6411 or cmcmahan@scoc.org; or Ron Rader at 604-9161 or ron@ronraderproperties.com.
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 27 Mar 2016.
Upland Chronicles: Zoder’s Inn celebrating 75 years of hospitality
CARROLL MCMAHAN
Now known as Best Western Zoder’s Inn and Suites, the Gatlinburg landmark has been in business and operated by the same family for 75 years.
Located on the Parkway near the intersection of Highway 321, the inn occupies six acres that has remained secluded with only 125 feet of frontage and a depth of about 1,000 feet.
Since 1955, the doors have been painted a conspicuous fire red, and a tall windmill was built in 1971. Both whimsical features were added to garner attention. Zoder’s Inn was among the first businesses to join the Gatlinburg Tourist Bureau, the forerunner of the Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce.
In 1933, Wallace Zoder and his wife Dorthea “Dot” Palmer moved from Oklahoma to Gatlinburg when Wallace was hired as a foreman for one of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) crews working in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. They never left.
Wallace Zoder was born Aug. 18, 1904, in Okaloosa, La. As an adult, he entered the Army and earned the rank of colonel and then traveled west to Oklahoma, where he met his future wife, Dorthea Palmer. She was born May 9, 1912, in Buffalo, Okla., where she was raised on a ranch.
Wallace submitted an application to the Coast and Geodetic Survey and somehow received a telegram from Major Ross Eakin, superintendent of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, asking him to come to work as an engineer for the Civilian Conservation Corps.
At the time they arrived in Gatlinburg, the economy of the entire country was crippled by the Great Depression. The young couple rented a room at the Andy Huff’s Mountain View Hotel,paying 50 cents a day for room and board for both of them. The national park was established the following year and as the economy began to improve tourists started coming.
The couple soon rented a summer cottage where water ran through the kitchen every time it rained. When they found out their first child was on the way, they moved to a small house without indoor plumbing.
Eventually they purchased a cabin, installed a French drain to reroute the water, fixed it up and lived there for a few years.
Their son, Wallace Lindsey “Lin” Zoder II, was born in 1937, and their daughter Margaret Camille was born in 1943.
They were among those who founded St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Gatlinburg and remained devoted parishioners the rest of their lives. Dot helped organize the women’s guild and played the organ at the church for 30 years.
Wallace saw the possibility of earning a living catering to tourists as visitors started trickling in and established Gatlinburg’s first tea room called Smoky Heights Tea Room, located in Smoky Heights Resort.
In 1940, the property where Zoder’s Inn was built came up for sale, which Wallace and Dot purchased and built a house in which to live. Their new dwelling contained office space and two rooms upstairs as well as a cottage to rent. They opened in the summer of 1941 and began planning to build three more cottages.
On Dec. 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and before the conflict was over Wallace re-entered the Army. However, before the government declared a moratorium on building Wallace had drawn up plans and started some small buildings. By the time it was in effect, they had finished their house and four buildings.
While he was away, Dot moved forward, finished building the cottages, and operated the business during the tourist seasons throughout the war while raising their two young children.
After the war ended, the couple worked together while tourism continued to grow, adding more rooms to accommodate their increasing business. When their son Lin returned home in 1964 after graduating from St. Bernard College in Cullman, Ala., where he was on the varsity tennis team and served as captain in the Marine Corps, he started working with his parents.
After attending high school at St. Geneviève of the Pines in Asheville, N.C., graduating from the University of Tennessee, and working as a flight attendant for United Airlines for two years, Margaret came back home and worked at the inn.
In 1965, the original home on the property was moved to the back and local architect Hubert Bebb was hired to design a 20-unit motel. Bebb also designed the splashy windmill that housed 18 shops. The shops later became 15 suites and the home was removed and the space was used for a swimming pool and recreation center.
During the 1970s, they added a telephone switchboard, a far cry from the summer evenings when Wallace and Dot would sit out front in their rocking chairs awaiting travelers arriving in town looking for a place to spend the night.
A $1.9 million expansion in 1985 included an indoor pool, a Jacuzzi, waterfalls, wading pool as well as a five-story tower adjacent to recreation center that houses eight suites.
Wallace Zoder died Nov. 28, 1986, at age 86. Dot continued to help run the inn and was inducted as the first female member of the Gatlinburg Rotary Club in 1988.
For her work in the industry, she was also the first woman to receive the Zeno Wall Jr. Tourism Award in 1990 as well as the Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce Tourism Award.
Dot died July 8, 1992 at age 80 and their daughter Margaret died Oct. 8, 1991 at age 47.
Lin Zoder, his wife Sarah, and their children Matthew and Patricia continued the tradition of offering gracious hospitality as a family-operated business. Meanwhile Lin served as a Gatlinburg Commissioner. Lin died January 8, 2014 at age 76, leaving the business to the third generation.
From the acquisition of the property during the dark days of the Depression, Zoder’s Inn has grown from three private cottages overlooking the tranquil waters of Roaring Fork Creek to a complex containing 90 guests’ rooms and suites. The Zoder family has played a role in the development of one of the nation’s major tourist destinations for the past 75 years.
Carroll McMahan is special projects facilitator and serves as Sevier County historian 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; please contact Carroll McMahan at 453-6411 or email to cmcmahan@scoc.org; or Ron Rader at 604-9161 or email to ron@ronraderproperties.com.
- [S112] Census, 1910.
Name: Hubert C Bebb
Titles and Terms:
Event Type: Census
Event Year: 1910
Event Place: Downers Grove Ward 2, DuPage, Illinois, United States
District: 4
Gender: Male
Age: 6
Marital Status: Single
Race: White
Race (Original): White
Relationship to Head of Household: Son
Relationship to Head of Household (Original): Son
Birth Year (Estimated): 1904
Birthplace: Illinois
Immigration Year:
Father's Birthplace: Illinois
Mother's Birthplace: England
Sheet Number and Letter: 13A
Household ID: 199
Line Number:
Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
Affiliate Publication Number: M1283
GS Film number: 1374298
Digital Folder Number: 004328180
Image Number: 00855
Household Gender Age Birthplace
Head Walter S Bebb M 35 Illinois
Wife Edith S A Bebb F 32 England
Son Hubert C Bebb M 6 Illinois
Son Douglas E Bebb M 3 Illinois
- [S76] Atchley Funeral Home Records, Volume III, 1974-1986, Larry D. Fox, (Smoky Mountain Historical Society), 2 Oct 1984.
Bebb, Hubert 81 b. 8-8-03 IL d. 10/2/84 DOA SCH architect f. Walter Bebb m. Peggy Wyllie WW II Army Major 1311th Engr Regt 5-14-42 3-21-46 Ft MacArthur Cal E TN Cremation Co Maryville Survivors:wife Louisa Parker Buckhorn Rd g-son John Burns.
- [S87] Death Certificate.
Name Date of Death / Age County of Death County / State of Residence Marital Status Gender Race File #
BEBB HUBERT 10-02-1984 / 81 KNOX SEVIER / TN MARRIED M WHITE 33679
- [S58] Marriage Certificate.
Name: Walter S. Bebb
Titles and Terms:
Race (Original):
Race:
Age: 27
Birth Year (Estimated): 1875
Birth Date: 1875
Birthplace:
Spouse's Name: Edith Wyllie
Spouse's Titles and Terms:
Spouse's Race (Original):
Spouse's Race:
Spouse's Age: 24
Spouse's Birth Year (Estimated): 1878
Spouse's Birth Date: 1878
Spouse's Birthplace:
License Type: Marriage
Event Date: 10 Sep 1902
Event Place: Chicago, Cook, Illinois, Usa
Marriage Intention Date:
Marriage Intention Place:
Father's Name:
Father's Titles and Terms:
Mother's Name:
Mother's Titles and Terms:
Spouse's Father's Name:
Spouse's Father's Titles and Terms:
Spouse's Mother's Name:
Spouse's Mother's Titles and Terms:
Marital Status:
Previous Wife's Name:
Spouse's Marital Status:
Spouse's Previous Husband's Name:
Paternal Grandfather's Name:
Paternal Grandmother's Name:
Maternal Grandfather's Name:
Maternal Grandmother's Name:
Spouse's Paternal Grandfather's Name:
Spouse's Paternal Grandmother's Name:
Spouse's Maternal Grandfather's Name:
Spouse's Maternal Grandmother's Name:
Additional Relatives:
GS Film number: 1030342
Frame Number:
Digital Folder Number: 4270770
Image Number: 160
Reference ID: 351608
|
Search | Advanced Search
1903 - 1984 (81 years)
: Address
: Location
: City/Town
: County/Shire
: State/Province
: Country
: Not Set
= Link to Google Maps