Jonathan’s “The Bear Necessities”

The area that would come to be known as Gatlinburg was first settled by the family of William Ogle in 1806. Revolutionary War veterans began to trickle in and settle the area known then as “White Oak Flats”. The first post office was established in the general store of Radford Gatlin, establishing the town’s name as “Gatlinburg”.

After the Civil War, logging became the main industry of the area, but tourists also began to explore the natural beauty of the Smokies. Conservationists, business leaders, and politicians from every level of government banded together to begin establishment of a National Park in the easten United States. After years in the making, Great Smoky Mountains National Park opened in 1934.