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Cades Cove
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Robynn Mills English 102-010 McBride September 28, 1999 “Cades Cove is the dream of the Smoky Mountains.” This statement was made by the Reverend Isaac P. Martin after his first visit to the Cove. He describes the Cove as one “which nestles there among the crests of the great mountains.” He goes on to say, “I had never seen anything quite so beautiful.” (Wise 151). Apart from the views expressed so clearly by Isaac Martin, Cades Cove is also considered by many others to be one of the most attractive locations within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Apart from this positive aspect of the Cove area, this has not always been the reaction that neither early explorers nor settlers have had. The Smokies were once a rugged and threatening place abundant in wildlife including bears, mountain lions, and snakes (O’Dell 1). These seemingly harsh living conditions became a part of the lives of the Cherokee Indians that used the Cove as a summer hunting ground. They called the Cove Tsiyahi, which could be translated to mean the place of the river otter (culhist 1). Part of this territory was once owned by a famous warrior chief named Old Abram. The present name for the territory, Cades Cove, originated from one of his successors, Chief Kade (Wise 180). The Cherokee’s inhabitance of Cades Cove discouraged many white people attempting to settle this land. The Americans would hardly give up the settling of such an interesting environment so easily, however (culhist.htm 1). By the 1830’s the Cherokees had adapted themselves to the culture of the whites. This adaptation even involved developing a written language and using the white man’s agriculture and architecture (mnt-people 1). Apart from the attempts by the Cherokee at making peace with the Americans, they were eventually forced to leave their home in the Cove and move. This removal of the Cherokee is what later became known as the Trail of Tears, where over 14,000 of them left the Southern Appalachians in 1838 (culhist 1). The Trail of Tears portrays the Indians of the Cove as victims just as Limerick portrayed most of her subjects in the essay she wrote.
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