Adventures in
Great Smokey Mountain National Park
This is our second posting on the same hike, Walker Sisters Home via Little Brier Gap, within the Great Smokey Mountain National Park.
While the GSMNP is rich in history, we were particularly intrigued by these resilient sisters and their devotion to family and each other.
John N. Walker, married Margaret Jane King in 1866 shortly after returning from the Civil War. They built a home on this very land and together they raised eleven children—seven girls and four boys. The Walker boys left home or married, while only one of the seven sisters—Sarah Caroline—married. The other six unmarried sisters stayed in Little Greenbrier with their father and inherited the farm after his death in 1921.
One of the sisters died ten years later, and the remaining five sisters began to establish their life on the farm. They fed and clothed themselves, raised livestock, and maintained their mountain homestead for over forty more years.
These hardy Walker Sisters were still going strong when the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was officially dedicated in 1940. While most locals caught within the GSMNP’s boundaries moved away after the creation of the park, the Walker Sisters refused to give up their family farm. Eventually, a deal was struck in which the sisters received $4,750 for their land and permission to continue living in their cabin for the rest of their lives.
With the establishment of the national park came a host of new restrictions. The Walker Sisters weren’t allowed to hunt, fish, cut wood, or graze livestock. To make the most of their new situation, the sisters became quasi-ambassadors for the national park. When visitors came to Little Greenbrier, the Walker Sisters would say hello and sell their handmade products, such as fried apple pies, crocheted doilies, and children’s toys. Louisa even wrote poems that were available for purchase!
Least we forget the actual hike to get to the historic landmarks, it is a lovely walk in the woods.
Dream Big, Travel Far, Live Well…
What’s Next?
More Great Smokey Mountain National Park adventures!
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