Today Pigeon Forge is a major tourist city. With Dollywood, Dixie Stampede and many other attractions that pull more than one million tourists per year in it’s hard to believe that Pigeon Forge TN started off as a mill town. In the 1700’s pioneers from the Carolina’s traveled south following Native American trails. They claimed land near what is now the Little Pigeon River. Along the Little Pigeon River were Beech Nut trees and plenty of plants that attracted Passenger Pigeons, who were “natives“ of the area also. In 1820 a pioneer from the Carolinas established an iron forge and later a tub mill with his son. Their names were Isaac and William Love. The tub mill still stands today and is known as The Old Mill. The Old Mill still operates and is now a historical landmark. Due to the Passenger Pigeons and the iron forge the area became known as Pigeon Forge. Pigeon Forge was a farming community and the people who lived in the area lived off the land and used the Old Mill and iron forge to provide their basic needs. As of 1907 there were only 154 people residing in the town. There were no major roads bridges going through the town nor where there nearby bridges. The only major source for water was provided by the Little Pigeon River. Pigeon Forge continued to be a farming town until the Great Smoky Mountain National Park was established in 1940. After the National Park was declared the small town of Pigeon Forge started to grow. In 1956 US-441 was constructed which brought the necessity to have places for lodging nearby. A railroad was laid down around 1961 through what is known as the Middle Creek area. Pigeon Forge, TN really started becoming a tourist town around 1982 and it hasn’t slowed down since. It’s hard to believe that this area that has become such a popular vacation spot used to only be home to 154 people.