More than 60 Years of History 91
More than 60 Years of History
The city of Pigeon Forge was officially incorporated in 1961 , but our history dates back to the 1700s .
Along with many of you , we have watched this picturesque mountain town grow up . Once upon a time , wheat fields and farmlands stretched as far as the eye could see through this little valley . The town took its name from two sources : “ Pigeon ” from the Little Pigeon River , which takes its name from the passenger pigeons that once nested there ; “ Forge ” refers to a forge built by Isaac Love in 1817 , one of the town ’ s first businesses .
Pigeon Forge history can be traced back to the Revolutionary War , when Col . Samuel Wear , a soldier from Virginia , settled here before 1783 and established Wear ’ s Fort , a refuge for the settlers .
There are other historical highlights that contributed to what our town has become today : President Franklin D . Roosevelt ’ s dedication of Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 1940 , and the opening of Rebel Railroad theme park in 1961 . The latter would become Silver Dollar City in 1976 and eventually Dollywood in 1986 .
Tourism started to become the town ’ s identity in the ‘ 60s , as attractions , restaurants and motels started to pop up . Since that time , generation after generation has made the trip to visit us here in the Smokies . New businesses join our Pigeon Forge community each year , making our town one of the most popular family destinations in the Southeastern U . S . As we grow , we ’ re glad to see the familiar faces of those who visit each year , while we enjoy getting to know new faces along the way , too .
Historical Journey
You can take a journey through Pigeon Forge history on our historical marker driving tour . With a number of locations throughout Pigeon Forge , these historical markers feature information about the town ’ s first businesses and schools , our railroad and some of the forts that existed in the area . MyPigeonForge . com / history