townsend insider – Page 4 – Inside Townsend

Metcalf Bottoms

If you’re looking for a great picnic location near Townsend, Tn, be sure to give Metcalf Bottoms in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park a shot next time you’re in the area. There, you’ll find picnic tables placed at various points along the Little Greenbrier River. It’s also a great swimming and tubing hole during those hot summer months.

The Little Greenbrier River really draws people to this area of the Smokies. It’s a river that not only allows for tubing, but for things like rock hopping as well. And the river’s never lacking for any swimming holes.

At Metcalf Bottoms there’s plenty more to do than just swimming. The Little Greenbrier schoolhouse is located just off a trail past the picnic area. It’s a 0.5 mile wooded trail that’s great for an afternoon jaunt or stroll. It’s not a totally smooth trail as rocks and other natural creations like roots jut out at many places along the way. Walking the trail isn’t the only way to get to the school, you can also drive if you’d rather not go by foot.

If you do decide to drive, travel about a half a mile to a gravel road leading to the Little Greenbrier Schoolhouse on the right. That’s after you cross the bridge. you’ll find that the desks and blackboard still remain in the schoolhouse from when it was last used sometime in the 1930’s. One teacher taught at Greenbrier school and educated children from grades 1-8. On the hillside just outside the schoolhouse you will find an old community cemetery. Wander around the cemetery and look at the names of some of the earliest folks to settle the Smoky Mountain region.

The Walker Sisters’ home site is another attraction you might want to visit next time you’re at Metcalf Bottoms. Located just off the parking lot for the Greenbrier Schoolhouse is the trailhead. This is a special place because the Walker sisters were some of the last living residents inside what is now the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. When the national park was established in the Smokies by the U.S. government, the five sisters refused to sell their land. An agreement with the government was finally reached where the land was sold but the Walkers retained a lifetime lease on the property. They said the land produced everything they needed with the exception of sugar, coffee, soda and salt. Until 1964, when the last Walker sister died, the sisters farmed the land while supplementing their income with the sale of souvenirs to tourists.

Gregg-Cable House

The Gregg-Cable House, one of the great historical landmarks of the Smokies that can be found in the Cades Cove area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It just so happens to be the first frame house built in the area and a house that not only provided shelter for two families, but also a place of business.

A family business, like the one run out of Becky Cable’s home was usually a farm or store but could be some other enterprise. As soon as children were old enough to be able to help out on the farm or in the family store, their time in school usually came to an abrupt halt. School was secondary in those times to the family’s needs. It was said that even in Cades Cove girls worked in the fields in addition to their chores and duties in the home.

Becky Cable’s house is bears a wealth of history relevant to those times. Built in 1879 by Leason Gregg, it was the first frame house built in Cades Cove and served as a working business as well. The store goods were brought in by wagon from Maryville, Tn. The downstairs housed the store while Gregg and his family lived on the upper floors. People could come and trade goods for other products or just straight up buy what they needed there.

John Cable’s family – his daughter Rebecca, her brother Dan and his wife, eventually bought the land and house, and ran the store. It was converted to a boarding house eight years after that.

Cades Cove provided Becky Cable and her family with much of what they needed to survive including such heirlooms as lettuce, pole beans, turnips, beets and canned beans, peas and tomatoes, all of which flourished in the cove’s rich limestone basin. Chickens were raised, they cooked baked goods with their own eggs, and carrots and potatoes were stored in a root cellar.

The house was also used as a place to stockpile goods, like most homes during that time. The numerous Chestnut groves in Cades Cove were depleted every fall not only by bears but by families like the Cables who came to gather bushels of chestnuts both for their use and to sell. Becky Cable’s family also hunted wild game, picked and preserved blackberries, blueberries and raspberries, and raised their own hogs. Next to the house, they grew their own flower, spice, and herbs in a garden.

Becky Cable was one of Cades Cove’s first clothing designers too. Her family grew their own flax and cotton and raised sheep for wool and spun these in to thread which they wove into cloth, thus making their own clothing. There is a famous picture of Becky Cable sitting at her spinning wheel doing just that. Becky Cable did all this while providing for her family and others before passing away in Cades Cove at 96 years of age. The home bears her and the preceding family’s name still.

Sam Houston Schoolhouse

Sam Houston may be one of the most celebrated former citizens of Blount County. While he lived in the area it is no doubt that he roamed the mountains and countrysides, down into the Walland and Townsend area and of course throughout Maryville.

Sam Houston lived with the Cherokee Indians at age 16 for a number of years and learned to live off the land. He was taught all manner of outdoor craft by these natives of the mountains. Before that point he had gotten his ‘book learning’ at a school. When turned 18 he took the position as school master at a one room schoolhouse in the area that would eventually become known as Maryville. He taught these students the knowledge they would need out of books but also taught them about the Indians that had become part of his family and how they could live in unity with them. He taught everyone that wanted to learn, from the age of 6 to the age of 60, they people came to learn. The tuition to be taught at the one room log cabin style house was $8 a year and though that was a lot for the people that lived back then, people payed it gladly.

The schoolhouse was built of hewn poplar logs. It was a typical one room schoolhouse of he day. A fireplace would supply heat tot he students when it was close to harvest and the mornings were cold and the door would stay open through the summer so that they could get a breeze when the heat got bad. Houston founded the school in 1812. This was the first school in what would become the state of Tennessee. The school served students form the edge of Knox county and Blount county. The time spent teaching the students of the East Tennessee area would shape Houstons life in later years.

“(with) the sense of authority over my pupils, I experienced a higher feeling of dignity and self satisfaction than from any office or honor which I have held since.

Now, you can visit this historic site and take a step back into the past. Some of the original logs are still there and on a quite day you can hear the babbling brook nearby that would have given the students drinking water. You can walk in and sit down at the desks and imagine what it would have been like to sit under the watchful eye of a future statesman like Sam Houston. You can read about the man that built the schoolhouse and how he ended up in Texas. Take your family on a day trip into the Smokies and let them experience true history at a place that shaped the people that shaped the founding of America.

Blackberry Farm in Walland

Blackberry Farm is a 5-star, luxury hotel situated on a pastoral 4,200-acre estate in the Great Smoky Mountains. That’s a mouthful for such a short sentence, yet it packs a punch. You don’t expect 5-star hotel and Great Smoky Mountains to accompany one another. Here, in Walland, Tn, it does.

Not only does Blackberry Farm host guests the world over, they produce heirloom fruits and vegetables from their garden, wild flower honey, eggs, and artisan cheeses from East Friesian sheep. It’s all a part of Blackberry Farms’ so-called Foothills Cuisine. Guests are even encouraged to take part in the farm activities during their stay.

People as well as the food produced on the farm gather at the FarmStead. The Barn serves meals made by Executive Chef Joseph Lenn and his team. The Farm kitchen in the is also where Blackberry Farm’s own farm-based programs such as cheese tastings and cooking demonstrations are held. Descending to where the livestock stalls once were, one discovers a grand cellar dining room flanked on both sides by a beautiful glass enclosed collection of wines.

Sam Beall, owner and a chef by training, doesn’t have any plans for making himself chef at Blackberry Farm. Instead, he pushes the culinary arts and their passion for it at Blackberry Farm. They sport a rare collection of artisans — the chef, the baker, the butcher, the cheese maker, the chocolatier, the forger, the master gardener, the jam lady, the restaurant manager, the sommelier — who blend their unique talents to create what is known as the world renowned Blackberry Farm.

Blackberry Farm offers countless activities and adventures, regardless of the season, to fulfill your every Smoky Mountain want. The Farmhouse Spa is the perfect setting for rest and relaxation. Fly fishermen can enjoy the pristine tranquility of Hesse Creek, as well as the Smoky Mountain trout. Get out into the Smokies and enjoy a wonderful hike. Choose one of the many mountain bikes and take a country roads down a peaceful afternoon.

Whatever your reason is for coming to Townsend, TN and the Smokies, Blackberry Farm is a hidden jewel offering the best in regional food and activities.

Blackberry Farm
1471 West Millers Cove Road
Walland, TN 37886
(865) 984-8166

Ms. Lily’s Cafe

Ms. Lily’s Cafe in Townsend, TN offers up “Southern Cuisine for the Dicriminating Taste”. Those are their own words, and they more than live up to them. They have some of the best sandwich offerings on the Peaceful Side of the Smokies, especially if Reubens are the taste you’re looking for.

Perusing the menu, Ms. Lily’s sandwich portion starts out with the black & blue, which is delicious, and the Hillbilly Philly – a sandwich, either steak or chicken and smothered in peppers, onions & cheese on hoagie, which sounds delicious and could be the reason no one is reading right now. If you’re on the way to Ms. Lily’s already we don’t blame. We were really close. We’ll see if we can make it down the rest of the menu.

Ham and cheese, a tuna melt, and the aforementioned reuben follow those before you come to something called a “Toadstool”. This sandwich is made up of marinated portabella mushroom with peppers, onions & provolone cheese on a sun-dried tomato focaccia. Geez, this post is getting hard to stay focused on the further down the menu you travel.

Rumbling stomach be darned, BLT’s and burgers follow and bow you’re at the BBQ portion of the show. Between the Smokin’ Pig, Yard Bird Sandwich, Mountain Man, and The Dude, you’re beginning to think you’ve stumbled upon an eclectic collection of music and film rather than south smoked barbeque with all the fixin’s. The Pig is pulled pork – easy enough, the Yard Bird is BBQ’d chicken, Mountain Man is a beef brisket sandwich, and The Dude is smoked turkey. Reading deeper into the descriptions, you really can’t go wrong with any of them. Left up to us, we’d probably go the brisket route first, but that’s just us.

Local favorites include fish and grits, a tomato sandwich, and their own quesadilla…. An interesting selection if you make it past the BBQ, but delicious none the less.

Salads and a kids menu can be found further on down the menu and Ms. Lily’s serves a selection of premium beers for the thirsty hiker out there.

Don’t let us forget the deserts now. Between the Italian Creme Cake, Chocolate Ganache Torte, Coconut Creme Pie, Fudge Brownie Sundae, Apple Pie, and Key Lime Pie, we have no way to advise anyone on which delectable desert to choose. That’s a problem you’ll have to solve. We’re sure you’ll come up with an answer.

Next time you’re in Townsend, visit Ms. Lily’s Cafe and leave knowing that your taste in southern fare just got a little bit more distinguished.

Ms. Lily’s Cafe
122 Depot Street
Townsend, Tennessee
865-448-1924

The John Oliver Cabin in Cades Cove

You can point to the John Oliver Cabin in Cades Cove as a lynchpin in the settlement of the Great Smoky Mountains area, especially Cades Cove and Townsend, Tn.

Pioneers looked to the area north of Cades Cove where the current-day Cades Cove Loop Road begins as the ideal location to settle down, farm the land, and raise a family. The Oliver cabin is located at a high point in the cove that was chosen due to its more solid foundation. It is recorded in the history books that John and his wife Lucretia were the first to settle in this part of the Smoky Mountains.

John Oliver and his family settled the area despite the lack of an Indian treaty allowing them access to the Smoky Mountain land, which was typical of most European immigrants who came to the region during that time. By deciding to just go ahead and settle the land without treaty caused its fair share of contention, especially between new the immigrants and the Native Americans that had called the mountains home for centuries. It’s a small miracle that Cherokee Indians actually helped the Olivers get through their first winter in Cades Cove. Coincidentally, a short year later the Calhoun Treaty would give whites settlers the right to settle the cove. In 1826 the Olivers purchased their piece of the cove.

Up until the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, there were Oliver kin living in the Smoky Mountains.

The cabin itself is reminiscent of other European-style log homes of the era found throughout the eastern frontier in the mid-1850s. Gravity has come to lock and seal wood together over time. You’ll find that mud was used between the logs to protect the insides from the rain and wind. You’ll also notice the cabin’s small windows and doors if you ever visit Cades Cove. They conserved heat and helped the building stand strong and upright through the changing seasons.

One note, the Oliver’s original cabin actually stood 50 yards behind the cabin now identified as their first home place in Cades Cove. The cabin that stands in Cades Cove today is actually the honeymoon house which was built for their John’s son to use when he married.

John, who died in 1864, and his wife are buried in Cades Cove at the Primitive Baptist church which they helped to found.

Cades Cove Controlled Burn Scheduled for This Week

Don’t be surprised if you see a few brush fires being watched in the Cades Cove area this week. Great Smoky Mountains National Park fire management personnel will be conducting a few controlled burns in Cades Cove Nov. 5-9. Of course, this is one dependent on weather cooperation.

In all, about 570 acres are tabbed to be burned as a part of this prescribed burn.

In order to keep Cades Cove’s fields from being reclaimed by forest, they are strategically being burned. Around 950 acres of fields are mowed twice a year that are visible to motorists and cyclists from the Cades Cove Loop Road. The Cove’s many other fields – totaling around 1,500 acres, are kept up by burning or mowing on a three-year rotation.

These seasonal controlled burns benefit the park as well as its inhabitants. They encourage new grass, providing high quality cover and opportunities for wildlife including deer, turkeys, and ground nesting birds who forage for food on the ground.

Without these prescribed burns, officials with the park say that Cades Cove would quickly convert to pine and hardwood forest, instead of the lush green meadows people are used to seeing.

The burn will be carried out by national park staff. Firefighters will ignite the grasslands each day and make sure the fire stays within its designated boundaries. Grass sections surrounding each field marked for burning have been cut short in order to contain the burned sections.

Cades Cove Loop Road will remain open this week but motorists may experience delays due to smoke or other safety concerns.

“Motorists are asked to reduce speed in work zones and if smoke is present, keep windows up and headlights on,” said Dave Loveland, fire management officer. “The public, of course, will notice smoke in the valley but it will dissipate quickly and not unduly impact their visit.”

Townsend Wye

There are several terms that you will hear while you are visiting the Smokies and it helps to have an idea what those terms mean. It helps to let you in on the place names so that it becomes easier for you to find different areas around the Smokies and follow the directions that the people of the area might give you. One of those terms is a place name: the Townsend Wye. This is the area where Lamar Alexander Parkway and Little River Road intersect. It forms a ‘Y,’ thus the name.

The shape that the road makes is where this area got its name and it has been called that since these roads were established with the founding of the National Park. Little River Road from Sugarlands continues past this point to continue toward Tremont and Cades Cove. Lamar Alexander Parkway is the main road that leaves Maryville and runs through Townsend. The intersection of these two roads does in fact make a ‘Y’ shape and like many roads that make that shape around this area it is known as the Wye.

AT this ‘Y’ or Wye is something a little special. As you come out of Townsend, the area to the left is a parking area next to the Little River. This is the parking area to one of the best tubing rivers in the Smokies. It is also home to a gently sloped grassy hillside that is a perfect spot for a picnic or for a place to sunbathe During the summer months, the parking lot here is full of cars and the grassy areas is covered with bodies looking for a place to spread out a blanket and enjoy the sunshine. Especially if you have spent time in the sometimes chilly water, laying in the grassy and luxuriating in the sunshine is a welcome change.

The most important thing to take away from this is the fact that you are going to hear people refer to the Townsend Wye as a reference point and in directions while you are in town. For instance, if you are in Maryville and you are asking how to get to Cades Cove, someone is going to say to you to go to the Townsend Wye and take a right. When you are in Townsend and you are trying to go to Elkmont, they are going to send you to the Wye. And of course, if you are tubing with any of the tubing companies in Townsend, they are going to tell you that they will drop you off and pick you up at the Wye while you are spending the day tubing all day long.

Blount County Potters Guild Holiday Show

On Saturday, December 1 the Blount County Public Library in Maryville will play host to the Blount County Potters Guild Holiday Show and Sale from 10 am to 4 pm.

You’re bound to find such unique pieces as the whimsical creations known as face jugs and clay animals that have become popularized by the show in years past. Old-fashioned ways like wood firing clay pots and mugs in the most traditional sense are still a part of the show as well with numerous items on display from that form.

Marion Schlauch is the one whose been a professional potter for 38 years, moving to Blount County in 1978 when her husband began teaching at Maryville College. A resident of Walland, she loves to create colorful, contemporary pottery, both wheel thrown and slab built. Two pieces of her work are in the permanent collection at the Renwick Gallery, which is part of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.

Schlauch started the annual Smoky Mountain Pottery Festival in Townsend, a show that attracts plenty of artisans and shoppers alike. She said lots of potters have home shows this time of year, but many in this area live secluded with little space for parking.

Carol Ware, a retired art teacher at Maryville High School, is participating. A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Ware had adapted a very playful style and has moved from just making animal sculptures into jewelry as well

David Grant is another whose work is well-known in the area. He has been a full-time potter since 1999 and studied at Middle Tennessee State University and UT. He uses a wood fire technique to get the effects from the ash on the glazes. Grant also uses broken glass pieces that melt to form rivulets of color, a very old folk tradition.

Caroline and Larry Thomas are the potters specializing in face jugs. They maintain a studio and gallery in Wears Valley. Theirs is a keen interest in folk artistry that includes both functional and sculptural pieces.

The show and sale will include refreshments. Because close to 1,500 people visit the library on any given day, these local potters are hoping for a good turnout.

AJ’s Hearth & Kettle

AJ’s Hearth & Kettle in Townsend, TN has some of the best home-style cooking in the Smokies. Come for their breakfast bar and never leave hungry.

Trying to find that mom & pop spot that only the locals know about? Well, here’s a little Townsend, TN secret: If you want good, home cooking like you remember from trips to your grandmother’s house, AJ’s Hearth & Kettle is just the place for you.

And if it’s breakfast you want, they’ve got it. AJ’s famous breakfast buffet has kept Smoky Mountain visitors and locals alike coming back for years. Try it for yourself and see. The bar is loaded with southern breakfast favorites – bacon, eggs, sausage, grits, hash browns, pancakes, biscuits, french toast, fruit, and much more. Makes you wish you were smack dab in the middle of Townsend, Tn right now.

If breakfast is what you want but you’d rather have it served up to order to your table, AJ’s can do that as well. Eggs, biscuits, ham, and sausage in whatever order you’d like. add a pancake or two, or three, if you’d like. They also make some delicious omelets. Hey, you don’t have to convince anyone here, they know it’s good. They’ve even got cereal, or they can heat some toast for you. At AJ’s, the guest comes first.

Sticking around for lunch? Their lunch menu has a number of delicious sandwiches you can eat there or take out in the park with you. They have a number of hamburger platters to choose from and they all come with fries. If you’re just in the mood for a sandwich, each is served with chips and a pickle. Other sandwiches include fish, chicken, BBQ pork, roast beef, and the Hillbilly steak burger. They’ll even grill you up a wonderful grilled cheese like your momma used to make.

Dinners at AJ’s Hearth & Kettle get served with a choice of baked potato or fries and two vegetables. From the chicken strip dinner to grilled pork tenderloin to rainbow trout to chopped sirloin, AJ’s has something for everyone on their dinner menu. Every bite is cooked to perfection and the ribeye steak is good enough to write home about.

Next time you’re in Townsend looking for the place where all the locals eat, remember AJ’s Hearth & Kettle and taste what the Smoky Mountains are really about.

AJ’s Hearth & Kettle
7767 East Lamar Alexander Parkway
Townsend, TN 37882
(865) 448-6059