Black Bears and Hillbillies

The mention of places like Fairyland, Magic World, and Mystery Hill likely invoke childhood memories of simpler times vacationing in the Great Smoky Mountains. Alabama-based author and historian Tim Hollis is an expert about the history of mid and late 20th Century roadside tourism in the region. His latest book, Lost Attractions of the Smoky Mountains, chronicles attractions in the area that are no longer around, or no longer resembling their original setting. 

Hollis’ first family vacation was to the Smokies. He recalls that their trip in August 1966 was primarily spent in Cherokee. “My parents probably felt like there was more to do in Cherokee that would appeal to a three-year-old,” Hollis said. His family collected and documented every memento and image from all of their Smoky Mountain vacations, all of which served as inspiration for his book. 

“Every vacation that we took, no matter where it was, my dad saved everything,” Hollis said.

After World War II, the booming economy allowed towns surrounding the national park to develop amusements for growing families. Specific themes—native and non-native—emerged on both sides of the mountains. “On the Tennessee side it was black bears and hillbillies, while on the North Carolina side it was black bears and Native Americans,” he said.

Many businesses attracted customers using the hillbilly theme, thanks to popular comic strips and TV shows such as Lil’ Abner, Snuffy Smith, and “The Beverly Hillbillies.” 

Those living in the Smokies at that time disliked seeing their ‘culture’ on display, but many played along for tourists’ enjoyment, and for a chance at economic prosperity. “People who lived there resented the stereotype, but they liked the tourist’s money better,” Hollis said.

The combination of economic opportunity and popular entertainment also played a factor in residents of Cherokee on the North Carolina side using iconic caricatures of Native Americans from TV and movies to make money. The heavy use of tipis and chiefs wearing feathered headdresses better resembled the tribes from the Great Plains rather than the traditional Cherokee lifestyle. “None of that had anything to do with genuine Cherokee culture, but that’s what said Indian to those visiting,” Hollis said. 

Along with Native Americans came their natural entertainment counterpart, cowboys. During the 1950s and 60s, the popularity of television shows “Gunsmoke” and “Bonanza” brought the nationwide craze of Old-West Amusement parks to the Smokies, complete with saloons, duels between outlaws and the law, and at most parks, train rides. 

“Western parks were something that applied to every tourist area,” Hollis said. In North Carolina was Frontier Land in Cherokee and Ghost Town in the Sky in Maggie Valley. The Tennessee side featured Goldrush Junction in Pigeon Forge, which later became Dollywood. 

Western parks weren’t the only live-action entertainment in the region. Before Pigeon Forge became known for celebrity shows and dinner theaters, there were outdoor dramas. Shows such as “Chucky Jack,” the “Smoky Mountain Passion Play,” and “Unto These Hills” perfectly fit the South’s nearly year-round mild climate where one could watch a play under the stars where a cool breeze felt better than sitting in a stifling indoor theater. “With the outdoor amphitheaters, they were as comfortable in the South in the summer as one could get,” Hollis said.

There are some early attractions still around today, like Ripley’s Believe it or Not, from the wax museum craze, and Gulf Coast-style miniature golf courses. 

Other places popped up randomly without regard to the region’s geography, and more than not, failed. Sinister attractions like the Tour of Hell and the Museum of Witchcraft in Gatlinburg were not a hit among church groups visiting the area. In Pigeon Forge, Tommy Bartlett’s Water Ski show and Porpoise Island latched on to  Florida themes. “People were hoping to tap into some area of tourism that hadn’t already been tapped into,” Hollis said.

Although attractions in the Smokies have come and gone over the years, the memories of visiting these places are still fresh in Hollis’ mind. His writing and research allow him to relive those moments and learn more about attractions he never knew existed. “I could not have experienced everything personally,” Hollis says. “It was fun finding out about the places I didn’t get to experience.”

Hollis hopes his work shares memories of attractions with unique personalities. “I want my book to represent the fun of that era, when not everything was corporate and planned out.”