On Tuesday we went to Cades Cove, a small valley within the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. This area was first settled in 1818 by the John Oliver family. By the time of the Civil War rolled around there were about 685 people here among about 120 families. The settlers established the Primitive Baptist Church in 1827. Many of the early settlers are buried here. There was also a Methodist Church. It has two doors, one for the men and one for the women. Finally, there’s a Missionary Baptist Church here because some of the members of the Primitive Baptist Church were expelled because they favored missionary work.
This place is very peaceful. Except for the caravan of automobiles and the paved roads, it’s almost a step back in time when you go here. There’s no electricity, no cell phone service, and no Internet. Kitchens in these homes were primitive, usually some sort of a wood burning stove or a kettle hung in the fireplace. Of course there was no plumbing or running water. The accommodations were tiny.
We took a lot of pictures, these are the best:
