Natural History Ch. 13- Smokies Post Native American Removal

who were the first settlers and when did they arrive?

John J Mingus and Felix Walker in 1790

where did they build cabins?

present day of town cherokee NC

when was cades cove settled?

1818, though it was not legal to own land there until 1819

what happened with the calhoun treat of 1819?

the cherokee relinquished the land in the treaty which purchased land between the Little TN and the Hiwassee Rivers. After this treaty, the only area left in the state that belonged to the Cherokees was the southeastern corner of the state that now makes up Monroe, Polk, and Bradley and Hamilton counties.

how many treaties have the cherokee participated in in how many years?

49 treaties in 340 years

when did the treaties occur between?

1684-1868

what did the treaties involve?

everything from establishing trade to ending wars but primarily involved the Cherokee ceding land to the United States and others

what was cades cove called by cherokee?

tsiyahi meaning place of the river otter

when were bison, elk, wolves, and mtn lion gone from cades cove?

bison- late 1700s

elk- late 1850s

wolves- 1890

mtn lion- 1920

what was the first legal land acquisition of cades cove

in 1821 a title to william tipton

how many land grants were recorded between 1821 and 1890?

36

what was the pop of cades cove by 1840 and then 1850?

451 in 70 families and its peak with 685 people

what were some of the massive alterations of cades cove due to settlement?

34 tributaries once drained the cove in abrams creek, most of these were altered and swamp land in the western part of the cove was drained to produce farmland

what were forested hills around cades cove logged for?

wood for cabins and barns

what happened to streams bc of settlement to cades cove?

Erosion added silt to the streams. Cut trees removed shade, raising temperature of streams (bad for trout, salamanders, etc.)

what type of churches did settlers establish?

methodist in 1824 and baptist in 1827

what are many of the current wild pigs from?

ancestors of free roaming pigs

when was cataloochee settled?

1839

what had been settled by the end of the 1840s?

most arable land and streamside habitats had been settled in the parl

what happened to wetlands, forests, and predators?

wetlands were drained, forests were cut, and predators were hunted out

what did settlers do as well as farming?

collected chestnuts, berries, and hunted wild game

where did settlers graze livestock?

valley bottoms in the winter and high elevation grassy balds in the summer

how does fire benefit the land?

Removed thick brush understory

Returned nutrients to the soil

Improved forage for wildlife

Improved forage for livestock

Increased edge for deer and elk

Killed harmful insects

Exposed buried seeds, speeding germination

Aided berry production

Reduced competition for pine and nut/acorn bearing trees.

why was predator removal so bad from europeans?

had been raised on stories like little red riding hood and bounties were established early on to encourage hunting of predators

why were all bounties removed by the early 1900s

only because there basically weren't any predators left

due to overharvesting what happened by the late 1700s?

white tailed deer, elk, and wood bison were all but extinct east of the smoky mtns

how did native americans overharvest?

increasingly hunted wildlife with firearms acquired from colonists as many tribes sought to become a part of the new European political and economic order

what was the one animal that survived overharvest?

american black bear

what was bear meat used for?

Bear heart and kidneys considered delicacies

Bear bacon

Cub meat was consumed

Bear bladders used

what was bear hides used for?

Bedding

Coats

Rugs

Food preparation bowls

Moccasin linings

Used to wrap and ship deer hides

what was bear fat used for?

Cooking oil

Shortening

Candles

Medicinal uses

by 1880 what attracted lumber companies?

huge trees of the smokies

who was the first logging operation established by?

captain mcdonald in 1881

when was little river lumber company established near walland?

1900

how many acres of the smokies were purchased and logged flat?

80,000

In 1900, what did the England-Walton Company of Philadelphia decide?

to build a tannery in a remote part of Blount County called Walland

what did the England-Walton Company of Philadelphia invite WB Townsend for?

to explore TN land for the timber possibilites

what did the LR Lumber Company become?

largest on the TN side

what was the largest company on the NC side?

Champion Fibre

where did the JJ English company float logs to?

middle prong of the LR all the way to Lenoir City

how were splash dams used?

hold huge loads of massive logs. The dam was let loose, and logs and water would flood down the valley, killing anything in their path

how did logging contribute to erosion?

Once cut, slash made kindling for fires, and dead trees and lost vegetation contributed to erosion.

what happened from the erosion from loggin?

huge quantities of silt washed into the streams, now overheated by a lack of shade

how many acres were saved by the park being created?

200,000

when was the idea of a park suggested?

1899

what did woodrow wilson do?

Woodrow Wilson laid the ground work for the establishment of the National Park Service on August 25, 1916 with what is known as the "Organic Act".

what happened in december 2024?

the Southern Appalachian National Park Committee recommended the Great Smoky Mountains be made into a national park.

when did congress approve the park?

1926

what did TN and NC immediately do when congress approved it?

raising funds and buying land

what is eminent domain?

when people were asked to sell their land and refused they were forced out

what does the law state about eminent domain?

Eminent domain is the right of governments like the United States to usurp private property for public use, following fair compensation

when had the states had acquired enough land so that the park service could begin to develop the park?

1931

how did the LR Lumber company sell their land?

under the provision that they be allowed to continue logging for 15 years. Last trees were cut in 1938

how much money was raised by the par?

$5 million had been raised by both states, and a further $5 million was donated by John D. Rockefeller Jr. to honor his mother Laura Spelman Rockefeller.

when was GSMNP officially dedicated?

Sep 2, 1940

where was the dedication of the park?

New Found Gap parking lot and overlook, dedicated by then President FDR

how many acres when originally established?

463,000

when was the park actually established?

Calvin Cooledge signed the bill authorizing the park on May 22, 1926. The first park superintendent, Major J. Ross Eakin, began his duties on January 16, 1936 out of the post office in Maryville, TN! Official date recognized by the park service is June 15, 1934 when Congress authorized it. President Roosevelt dedicated it on September 2, 1940.