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PLANNER NOTES
ESCORT NOTES
Planner Notes &
Tour Planning Services
Pigeon Forge History
The earliest recorded history of what is now Pigeon
By the early 1900s, Pigeon Forge was a hub of activity
Forge was when the Cherokee and other Eastern tribes
with businesses clustered around the Old Mill, including
of American Indians used the area for hunting grounds.
a bottling shop, cannery and blacksmith shop.
The first white settlers began arriving around 1781.
Great Smoky Mountains began luring visitors to the
By 1820, Isaac Love established and was operating a
area by the 1930s, and guest cottages began springing
furnace and iron forge near one of two mills along the
up along the river. Today, millions of guests visit Pigeon
Little Pigeon River. The name Pigeon Forge is a
Forge each year.
combination of the iron works and the river that flows
through town. The river’s name refers to the vast
number of now-extinct passenger pigeons that fed
along the river.
Historic-Marker Driving Tour
Our Smoky Mountain town has a rich history. You can
learn interesting facts about Pigeon Forge by driving
to various historical markers placed throughout town.
For example, near the Old Mill, you’ll find a marker that
describes how Pigeon Forge got its name and offers
information about one of the town’s first businesses.