Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Episode 182 / 30 July 2020 / 163 min / full

Two Shot Glasses Of Blood, Please

"We're going to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. It's in north central Tennessee, about three and a half hours from Nashville and about forty five minutes outside of Knoxville." about 0:04:21

The case: Murder of Dorothy Ann Robertson Jones (July 11th, 1987). Read the case file.

The figures, as told in 2020

Population

6,147

Median age

45.8

Median household income

$35,573

Median home value

$178,300

Two-bedroom rent

about $724 a month

Cost of living

86

Religious

53.2%

Property crime

▲ about three times

Violent crime

▲ almost double

History, in brief

• Pigeon Forge takes its name from an iron forge built by Isaac Love around 1820, which was named for its location along the Little Pigeon River. about 0:06:09
• The river was named for the flocks of pigeons that frequented its banks. about 0:06:22
• In the early 20th century the town was an isolated mountain place with no major roads and few bridges, the only major water crossing being a string of bridges along the Little Pigeon River. about 0:06:48
• The Great Smoky Mountains National Park opened in 1934, and the Tennessee Valley Authority under Roosevelt brought electricity to the area. about 0:07:36
• In the 1950s a highway system arrived and the town concentrated on roads, which led to campgrounds and lodges. about 0:08:29
• Pigeon Forge incorporated in 1961, and a couple of brothers from North Carolina opened the Rebel Railroad there. about 0:09:17
• The Rebel Railroad simulated a ride on a Confederate steam train under attack by Union soldiers during the Civil War, ending at a mock frontier mountain town with a blacksmith's shop, a general store and a saloon. about 0:09:30
• The Civil War centennial attraction was renamed Gold Rush Junction and given a Wild West theme. about 0:10:33
• Gold Rush Junction bought a log flume ride, which according to the park brochure came from the New York World's Fair where it had been one of the most successful attractions. about 0:11:29
• In 1969 a zoning dispute led Art Modell, owner of the Cleveland Browns, to buy Gold Rush Junction; he then sold it to men who owned most of Branson, Missouri, and they renamed it Silver Dollar City with an Appalachian theme. about 0:11:39
• Knoxville held a World's Fair in 1982. about 0:12:25
• Pigeon Forge began an aggressive economic plan built on theme parks, outlet malls and live music venues; by 1987 there were four outlet malls, which provided 44% of the town's gross revenue by the early 1990s. about 0:12:55
• Pigeon Forge draws about 11 million visitors every year. about 0:13:40
• In 1985 Dolly Parton, who was born in Sevierville, was approached by the Branson owners about a partnership in Silver Dollar City; she became majority partner and the park was renamed Dollywood, while a nearby Magic World folded in 1994. about 0:22:23

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