Dollywood in Pigeon Forge in Sevier County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
A Civil War Secret
| | The Old Mill | |
Photographed by Thomas Smith, June 9, 2025
1. A Civil War Secret Marker
Shhhh! Please don't tell anybody what's going on upstairs!
If you worked at The Old Mill during the Civil War, you would probably be asked to keep a big secret.
On the upper floors of this well-known manufacturing site in the new Confederate States of America, many Pigeon Forge residents were working secretly for the enemy. Mostly women, they spent long hours at large wooden looms, weaving cloth for Union Army uniforms. Other workers cobbled Union Army boots from leather provided by a local tannery. Still others banded together to form a Home Guard.
Mill owner John Sevier Trotter, his son William (the town postmaster), and many other East Tennessee residents supported the North and opposed secession. William Trotter joined the Union Army and captained Company 1 of the 9th Tennessee Cavalry. The cloth and shoes made in secret in The Old Mill clad Union soldiers in his unit as well as several other Union cavalries.
Altogether, an estimated 187,000 Tennesseans joined the Confederate Army, while 51,000 Tennessee men fought for the Union. More battles were fought in Tennessee than in any other state except Virginia.
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Captured! In November of 1863, the Union Home Guard captured several Confederate scouts at Trotters Bridge in Pigeon Forge. In retaliation, Confederate Commander William H. Thomas captured 60 Home Guardsmen and six regular Union soldiers and their guns and ammunition in nearby Sevierville,
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • War, US Civil. A significant historical month for this entry is November 1863.
Location. 35° 47.298′ N, 83° 33.226′ W. Marker is in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, in Sevier County. It is in Dollywood. It can be reached from the intersection of Old Mill Avenue and Old Mill Street, on the left when traveling west. The marker hangs outside the Old Mill Restaurant. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 164 Old Mill Ave, Pigeon Forge TN 37863, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in East Tennessee and in the Great Smoky Mountains. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in Appalachia, and
Photographed by Thomas Smith, June 9, 2025
2. A Civil War Secret Marker
The Old Mill where the signs are on the outside.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Pigeons + Forge = Pigeon Forge (here, next to this marker); Welcome to The Old Mill (here, next to this marker); Exploring The Old Mill (here, next to this marker); Antebellum Tennessee: A State Divided (here, next to this marker); Farming The Frontier (here, next to this marker); Grist Mills: What a Grind (here, next to this marker); Pigeon Forge Pottery (here, next to this marker); Good Times Through The Years (here, next to this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pigeon Forge.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 25, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 24, 2025. This page has been viewed 277 times since then and 77 times this year. Last updated on July 23, 2025. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 24, 2025, by Thomas Smith of Waterloo, Ill. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
