Ogle was a 19th-century South Carolinian who wished to bring his large family of seven children to the remote beautiful valley with the imposing mountains, numerous creeks, and abundant forests. Chopping and notching the logs to construct their cabin, he then returned home to bring them to eastern Tennessee.
Radford Gatlin, a preacher with a colorful personality, moved into White Oak Flats in 1854 and constructed the community’s second general store as well the new post office. This gave Gatlin the reason to change the town’s name to Gatlinburg.
Formal education still wasn’t common in the early 20th century in Gatlinburg. That changed when members of the Phi Beta Phi fraternity worked to bring public education to the area, especially to the underprivileged, in 1912.
You can also see evidence of Gatlinburg’s tradition with the Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community, the blocks-long downtown loop that features artisans of all kinds, year-round.