THE WAY WE WERE
THE WAY WE WERE
Highlights Of Our History
In 1961, the Rebel Railroad opened, an
attraction that would become Silver Dollar
City in 1976 and Dollywood in 1986.
Tourism began to make its mark in the ’60s,
with attractions, motels and restaurants
popping up as the years passed.
Today, Pigeon Forge is one of the most
popular family destinations in the
Southeastern United States.
Before it became a popular vacation destination ,
Pigeon Forge was a valley of wheat fields
and farmlands. The town’s name comes from two
sources: the first part from the Little Pigeon
River, which takes its name from the passenger
pigeons that once nested there; the second
part from the forge built by Isaac Love in 1817,
near the present-day Old Mill.
Colonel Samuel Wear, a Revolutionary War
soldier from Virginia, settled here before 1783,
HISTORICAL-MARKER DRIVING TOUR
Pigeon Forge has a rich Smoky Mountain
history that dates back to the 1700s. You can
learn a little about that history by driving
to historical markers you’ll find throughout
town. Read about some of the town’s first
businesses, early schools, the town’s railroad
and even some of the forts built in the area.
MyPigeonForge.com/history
and Wear’s Fort was a refuge for the settlers
during Indian raids.
IN 1940, PRESIDENT FRANKLIN