| Sources |
- [S36] Smoky Mountain Family Album, Gladys Trentham Russell, (1984), 120.
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 28 Feb 2011.
Upland Chronicles: 50 years of progress found in Pigeon Forge
by BRANDON BARNES
Pigeon Forge around the time of incorporation.
A bird’s eye view of Pigeon Forge in 1955.
An aerial view of the way Pigeon Forge looked before the days of major tourism attractions.
With this year marking the golden anniversary of Pigeon Forge’s incorporation as a city, there is no better time than now to celebrate the years of progress throughout these past 50 years.
Unlike this time of the year 50 years ago, people across the country today know of Pigeon Forge as a vacation destination to more than 9 million people on a yearly basis. With new infrastructure as well as many original new businesses and concepts on the horizon, Pigeon Forge will continue the tradition it has set for itself as being a place for both progress and a destination for family entertainment.
In 1961, Pigeon Forge was a great deal different from what people realize. With the Parkway having been paved for only a few short years, it served to lead drivers past the barns and fields of local farmers in the Pigeon Forge community on into Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The official year of incorporation for Pigeon Forge was 1961, but it is important to dive a little deeper into the history of the community to understand the reasons behind incorporation. Heated debate existed among many local residents and business owners regarding incorporation. Matter of fact, the debate for Pigeon Forge to become incorporated sprang up in 1957.
Citizens and business owners alike had varying opinions on the subject; however, the move to incorporate the area gained a great deal of popular favor in a few short weeks of 1957 as a result of Sevierville and Gatlinburg announcing they were preparing to condemn a section of land adjacent to Pigeon Forge School for a new airport to be named the Sevierville-Gatlinburg Airport.
As such, the community of Pigeon Forge began to explore the topic of incorporating and becoming Sevier County’s third city. As chairman of the incorporation committee, Bob Miller outlined the importance of surveying the area, conducting a door-to-door census, and drawing up the proposed boundaries as being important things that would need to be decided at another town meeting.
Through the threat of the Sevierville-Gatlinburg Airport being a reality in the Pigeon Forge community, 100 citizens met in a town hall meeting in order to examine municipal incorporation and to discuss if anyone in the community thought having the airport located adjacent to the school was something they wanted. Of the 100 citizens and businessmen, all were united against the plans for an airport in their community.
Unified, Pigeon Forge sent a delegation of 50 residents to attend the next Sevierville City Council meeting to halt action on condemning the land and its owners, pursue other sites for the airport, or to table all actions. Of the requests, the Sevierville City Council agreed for a time extension to examine the feasibility of alternate sites.
The community’s opposition and desire to incorporate eventually led to the proposed airport in Pigeon Forge to be cancelled. Instead, the government and people of Sevier County were able to construct the Gatlinburg-Pigeon Forge Airport on 110 acres located off of Airport Way in Sevierville.
While the community of Pigeon Forge rejoiced in keeping the proposed plan for the airport from becoming a reality next to their school, it would be another three years before a vote could be held. Though much effort and research had been completed, as well as choosing to go with the commissioner-city manager type of government instead of the mayor-aldermen type of Sevierville, the vote for incorporation failed 134-162.
Though Pigeon Forge was still a community following the vote, many local residents and leaders desired to revisit incorporation again believing that with the rate the community was expanding that there would be more than enough votes to guarantee incorporation for Pigeon Forge. In an article published in The Sevier County News-Record, one observer said, “At the rate this community is growing, and the need we have for incorporation the future should soon give us the 28 votes we need to make Pigeon Forge a real town. We just can’t go on forever being nothing more than a crossroads on the highway to the Smokies.”
With such sentiments remaining in many members of the community, a five-member group was made in order to pursue incorporation. Residents voted 160-152 on April 4, 1961, in favor of incorporation.
By eight votes, progress came as Pigeon Forge began the transformation from community to city. On May 30, 1961, the first ever public meeting took place as Pigeon Forge’s city commissioners took the oath of office neither in a town hall nor a government structure.
Instead, the meeting took place in the home of former Gatlinburg mayor Charles C. Clabo, who was also justice of the peace for the 5th Civil District.
Of the commissioners, Xan Davenport was named as the first mayor for the city with Winfred Whaley being appointed as vice mayor. The third commissioner was Wade McMahan.
As for the position of Pigeon Forge city manager, Dan Conner was appointed by the commissioners to serve. Once appointed, Mr. Conner’s first order of business was to appoint a city recorder. He chose Charles Clabo.
During these early days, the city commissioners had to examine the many needs of their city.
Also on July, 20, 1961, The News-Record published an article detailing the official state-certified census of Pigeon Forge as having a permanent population of 974. In July 2009, the permanent population of Pigeon Forge was calculated as being 6,429 residents. In less than 50 years, the city’s population exploded on an average of around 1,000 new residents per decade.
Though 50 years have passed since the incorporation, the impact of these events in 1961 has left a strong standard of both maintaining and forging progress when progress is needed. Over the years, many changes have come to Sevier County and Pigeon Forge.
As such, 1961 and the early days of incorporation should especially be remembered as being integral moments for what Pigeon Forge has become.
As exciting as it was to the citizens when incorporation was passed, perhaps it will be just as exciting for the residents of Pigeon Forge as the next five decades embrace the city.
— Brandon Barnes is a Sevier County native and an aspiring writer who currently serves as a special events coordinator for the Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism and Office of Special Events. 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 e-mail to cmcmahan@scoc.org; or Ron Rader at 604-9161 or e-mail to ron@ronraderproperties.com.
- [S74] Atchley Funeral Home Records, Volume IV, 1987-1999, Larry D. Fox, (Smoky Mountain Historical Society), 26 Nov 1991.
Davenport, Xanthus Conrad 79 b. 10-2-1912 P-Forge d. 11-26-91 SCMC executive vice-pres bank f. Andy m. Rebecca Fleming WW II veteran lifetime honorary mem American Legion educa 12 P-Forge Bapt Cem Survivors: wife Myrtle Sims 3303 Old Mill St P-Forge 1 dau Pat Pearsall P-Forge g-dau Rachel Pearsall P-Forge 1 sis Zella Cooper FL 1st Mayor of P-Forge Chariman of Board of Third Nat’l Bank mem 1st Bapt Ch P-Forge.
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