History of Pigeon Forge

end and a common living room at the other. As his family grew, Shields constructed separate houses for his children, one of which was purchased by Horatio Butler in 1797 and remained with his descendants until being torn down in 1994.

Although the Shields Fort was too far from the main Cherokee trails to ever experience a serious assault, the Wear Fort straddled the Indian Gap Trail, making it a popular target for small bands of Cherokee warriors. After the Cherokee attacked his fort in 1793, a frustrated Wear led a band of 60 frontiersmen across the northwestern Smokes into the Overhill Cherokee region. The frontiersmen attacked and destroyed the town of Tallassee (near modern-day Calderwood Dam), killing at least fifteen Cherokees and capturing several others. In 1794, the Cherokee fired on Wear and his two sons just outside of Calvin's Blockhouse (near Maryville), although the Wears escaped unharmed.

While treaties negotiated at the Tellico Blockhouse in 1794 and 1798 brought calm to the region, sporadic fighting between Cherokees and the settlers continued. One notable incident occurred in 1802, Tavenor Runyan, the son of Barefoot Runyan (1749–1845) and Margaret Rambo (who had settled near the heart of modern Pigeon Forge), was killed by a Cherokee warrior. The recently-elected Governor Archibald Roane was forced to personally intervene to prevent retaliatory strikes.

The 19th century

Like all Appalachian communities, religion played a major role in the early history of Pigeon Forge. In the early 19th century, circuit riders were preaching in the valley, creating a large Methodist following that remains to the present day. On October 20, 1808, Bishop Francis Asbury delivered