Polly Walker passed away in 1946, with Hettie following her the next year. As she spun socks for her nephews who were still serving in Europe, Martha quipped, “Guess it ain’t every soldier in Germany that can say his old-maid aunts raised his socks off’n a rocky mountainside for him.” Later in the article, Margaret joked that they needed one of their male relatives to help them with their “bullheaded” mule because “a Tennessee mule has got to be handled special, and none of us can cuss.” In a 1946 interview with the Saturday Evening Post, the Walker Sisters revealed their dry wit. The sisters put it best themselves when they said, “Our land produces everything we need except sugar, soda, coffee, and salt.”Įven though the sisters lived a seemingly austere lifestyle, they actually had a great sense of humor. The old ways were good enough for their father and grandfather, so they figured that if it ain’t broke there’s no need to fix it. While the rest of the country was buying their groceries in supermarkets, shopping in department stores, and enjoying modern appliances like vacuum cleaners and washing machines, why did the Walker Sisters insist on living like they were still in the 19th century? By all accounts, it seems like the sisters just concluded that it was the natural thing to do. Louisa even wrote poems that were available for purchase! The Old Ways are the Best Ways When visitors came to Little Greenbrier, the Walker Sisters would say hello and sell their handmade products, such as fried apple pies, crocheted doilies, and children’s toys. To make the most of their new situation, the sisters became quasi-ambassadors for the national park. The Walker Sisters weren’t allowed to hunt, fish, cut wood, or graze livestock. With the establishment of the national park came a host of new restrictions. Eventually, a deal was struck in which the sisters received $4,750 for their land and permission to continue living in their cabin for the rest of their lives. While most locals caught within the GSMNP’s boundaries moved away after the creation of the park, the Walker Sisters refused to give up their family farm. (See Also: How Much Do You Know About the History of Log Cabins in the Smoky Mountains? ) The National Park Moves in…But the Walker Sisters Don’t Move OutĪlthough Nancy died in 1931, the five remaining unmarried Walker Sisters were still going strong when the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was officially dedicated in 1940. For the next 40+ years, the sisters would be completely self-sufficient: raising livestock, growing vegetables, and making their own clothes. Without any men around, the Walker Sisters assumed all of the responsibilities on the farm. When John Walker died in 1921, the property was left to his unmarried daughters. While all of the sons eventually left home, only one daughter, Sarah Caroline, got married and moved away. John and his wife Margaret had eleven children: seven daughters and four sons! From oldest to youngest, the Walker Sisters were: The property was obtained by their father, John Walker, when he returned to the area after fighting for the Union in the Civil War. The Walker Sisters spent their entire lives in a cabin in Little Greenbrier Cove that was built by their grandfather in the 1840s. Read on for a brief look at the Walker Sisters’ unique history. These sisters weren’t actresses or participants in some sort of historical reenactment, they actually lived in a log cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.īorn and raised in the Smokies, the Walker Sisters didn’t let the establishment of the national park disturb their traditional way of life. In the 1940s and 1950s, visitors to the Little Greenbrier section of the park were greeted by the Walker Sisters, a group of women who looked like they walked right out of the 1800s. When you visit the park, you can walk into these cabins, look around, and imagine what life must have been like over a hundred years ago. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is filled with a variety of historic cabins from a bygone age.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |