Farming The Frontier

Farming The Frontier. . When The Old Mill opened for business back in 1830, I was the newest addition to the thriving Appalachian community of Pigeon Forge. , Local resident William Love built the mill near the iron forge run by his father, Isaac. A grist mill in the town center meant farmers could get their corn and wheat milled only a few miles from home. While the grain was ground, farm families could catch up on the news, do their shopping, take care of business matters, or even take a refreshing swim in the mill pond. , , By 1849, a new owner, John Sevier Trotter, bought the mill and forge. He and his son, William, ran both operations. William also served as the town postmaster. , , Even as a devastating Civil War divided the nation, Pigeon Forge and Sevier County continued to grow and prosper. Businesses clustered around The Old Mill soon included farm-supply stores, general merchandise stores, and a blacksmith-shop, A water-powered sawmill replaced the obsolete iron forge. At least one local business - a coffin-making shop - profited from the inevitable needs of a maturing population. , , For most 19th-century Pigeon Forge residents, the rough, isolated frontier life in this part of the Appalachians gradually danged to a more comfortable, more connected small-town world. Then, as now. The Old Mill was the center of community life. , , For years, public notices, handbills, and items for sale were posted on the door of The Old Mill. During the Civil War, townspeople came to view the casualty lists posted there. Today, you can still see the rustic, handmade nail heads. , , Captions , (Photo #1) The valley flatlands in the area proved fertile ground for growing wheat, hay, and corn. (Photo courtesy of Tennessee State Library and Archives) , (Photo #2) (Photo courtesy of Pigeon Forge Public Library and Sarah Bell)