Pigeon Forge

History

The name "Pigeon Forge" comes from an iron forge built by Isaac Love (1783–1854) some time around 1820. The name of this forge referred to its location along the Little Pigeon River, in the vicinity of what became the Old Mill. The name of the river comes from the flocks of passenger pigeons that frequented its banks when the first Euro-American settlers arrived. For centuries, the Cherokee used the valley where Pigeon Forge is located as a hunting ground. A Cherokee footpath known as "Indian Gap Trail" crossed the Great Smokies from North Carolina and passed through the Pigeon Forge valley en route to its junction with Great Indian Warpath in modern Sevierville. (US-441 closely parallels this ancient trail, although it crests the mountains at Newfound Gap rather than Indian Gap). From Sevierville, Great Indian Warpath headed west toward the Overhill Cherokee towns along the Little Tennessee River. Indian Gap Trail brought the first Europeans to the Pigeon Forge area in the early 18th century. Along with hunters and trappers from North Carolina, traders from Virginia passed through the valley before 1750. In 1785, Cherokee signed the Treaty of Dumplin Creek, ceding much of what became Sevier County to the United States. Among the first to take advantage of this was Robert Shields (1740–1802), who received a survey for a tract of land in the Pigeon Forge area from the Watauga Land Office in 1786. Shields, who was also a veteran of the Revolution, established a small fort along Middle Creek near modern Dollywood. Shields' son later wrote that the fort was long and wide, with walls constructed with "heavy logs". The fort contained living quarters for six families, with a common kitchen at one end and a common living room at the other. As his family grew, Shields…

Geography

Pigeon Forge is located on the West Fork of the Little Pigeon River. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.6 square miles (30.0 km), all of which is land. The West Fork of the Little Pigeon River flows north from its source high on the slopes of Mount Collins through Sevier County before linking up with the Middle Fork in Sevierville. Pigeon Forge occupies a narrow valley along this river between Sevierville and Gatlinburg. High ridges surround Pigeon Forge on three sides, with Pine Mountain to the west, Shields Mountain to the east, and Cove Mountain to the south. A bend in the Little Pigeon provides the city's northern border with Sevierville, and a narrow gorge cut by the river between Cove Mountain and Shields Mountain acts as the city's boundary with Gatlinburg. Pigeon Forge has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification: Cfa) with cool winters and hot summers. Precipitation is heavy year round, peaking during the months of May–July, with October being the driest month, having only 2.67 inches (68 mm) of average annual precipitation. As of 2023, Pigeon Forge falls within USDA Hardiness Zone 7B.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Sevier County High School
  High · Sevierville · 1,248 students · 14.2:1 ratio
• New Center Elementary
  Elementary · Sevierville · 855 students · 16.8:1 ratio
• Sevierville Primary
  Elementary · Sevierville · 751 students · 15:1 ratio
• Sevierville Middle School
  Middle · Sevierville · 737 students · 14.2:1 ratio
• Sevierville Intermediate
  Elementary · Sevierville · 715 students · 14.6:1 ratio
• Catlettsburg Elementary School
  Elementary · Sevierville · 614 students · 14.6:1 ratio
• Pigeon Forge Primary
  Elementary · Sevierville · 540 students · 15:1 ratio
• Pigeon Forge Junior High School
  Middle · Pigeon Forge · 457 students · 11.4:1 ratio