Cataloochee Homeland

Cataloochee Homeland. . Today houses, cabins, barns, and churches still stand in Cataloochee, the largest community affected by the 1930s creation of the national park. Many signs of the more than 1,200 people who lived here during Cataloochee's heyday have disappeared, but memories live on., The remaining buildings remind us of a time when life was more directly tied to the land, when food came from fields, not the store. But time did not stand still here, like any community Cataloochee evolved. The most vivid evidence of this evolution is in the buildings. The earliest families built log cabins, but as sawmills and roads were developed building materials and construction methods changed. Families built framed additions around their log cabins. And later, many large, wood framed structures were added, like the Caldwell House and Palmer Chapel. Today Cataloochee is a historic district, preserving the architectural integrity of this once-thriving community., (captions) , Over 200 buildings once dotted Cataloochee valleys. Today only a handful remain., Most sites in Big Cataloochee can be reached by paved or gravel roads. Be sure to visit the Palmer House for information and to see the Cataloochee history exhibits. The sites in Little Cataloochee can only be reached by foot, walked a little over 2 miles on the Little Cataloochee Trail., Beginning in the 1830s fertile bottom lands along Cataloochee Creek were cleared for crops, orchards, and livestock. Now the park mows the remaining fields to maintain the open, historic character., Campers, hikers, anglers, and wildlife observers now enjoy the solitude and wildness of the place. , br> Caldwell House