| Little River Railroad |
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| Written by Administrator | |
| Tuesday, 22 November 2005 | |
 At the turn of the 20th century, a group of men from Pennsylvania came to the Little River in Tennessee to begin the process of establishing logging operations in the midst of the vast forest that would later become The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Little River Lumber Company was chartered early in 1901 and on November 21, 1901, The Little River Railroad was chartered. This group of men was headed by Col. W.B. Townsend, whom the town where the operations were headquartered was named after -- Townsend, Tennessee.
In 1925 the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce brought Tennessee lawmakers to view the area in hopes of establishing the park. A year later, Col. Townsend agreed to sell the company's holdings to Tennessee and the City of Knoxville. However, Townsend retained timber rights for 15 more years. The lumber company cut down it's last tree in 1938, almost 4 years after the park was established.
Hours of Operation: Monday - Saturday 10am-2pm For more information write: Museum Curator |
The new industries brought the first jobs that paid cash (and script) into the area. The company stores provided "store bought" goods never before so easily attainable in the area. The daily lives of residents were begun by the sound of the company whistle and more and more families moved from their farms to the logging camps built near the railroad tracks. The company provided a combination Church, school and "picture show" building for the residents. Changes that would have an irreversible and dramatic impact on mountain life. Communications with the "outside" world were established. Resort hotels sprang up all over the area. Before long the railroad was offering scenic rides for locals and visitors alike. Ironically this development worked against the company later, a movement to protect the beauty by establishing a national park in the area began to mount some steam. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. donated $5 million for the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park desiring to see the destructive logging practice of clear cutting put to an end. However, the clear cutting did not stop until almost all of 100,000 acres belonging to the company were logged.
The Little River Lumber Company took care of providing the resource of lumber while the Little River Railroad took care of transport of the fallen trees. Many railroad track spurs were built off the main rail to reach out into the forest to harvest the trees. One such spur climbed Clingman's Dome. Once an area was clear cut, the rails were disassembled and work moved on elsewhere. There were hazards on the way. Derailments and boiler explosions killed many of the workers. Tracks were washed out and immediately repaired. The main track followed the water level route and the road from Sugarlands Visitors Center to Townsend today. Many of the railroad ties were paved over as the demand for roads was popularized by the growth of automobile touring during the 20s and 30s.
Today, The Little River Railroad and Lumber Company, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving this rich history of Townsend and the role the company had in the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Begun by the Townsend-in-the-Smokies Chamber of Commerce, The Little River Railroad and Lumber Company, Inc. has succeeded in starting a museum, purchasing and moving an authentic steam engine to Townsend, and collecting artifacts related to the company and Townsend's past. Although this history is preserved at the museum in Townsend there is hardly any evidence of the operations within the Smokies today.| < Prev | Next > |
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