459:(a region on the Tennessee side of the Smokies culturally related to Hazel Creek), lambasted Kephart's constant emphasis on isolation in Southern Appalachia, and argued that people in typical mountain communities were constantly intermingling with people in nearby cities via mail, travel, and (later) telephones. Dunn also argued that, contrary to popular belief, the populations of mountain communities were in constant flux, and that new migrants would have consistently brought new ideas and customs to these communities, regardless of their isolation.
83:, draining much of the southwestern part of the range along the way. The village of Medlin was located where modern Haw Gap Branch ("Haw Creek" on old maps) empties into Hazel Creek (the townsite is now Campsite 84 at the junction of Jenkins Ridge Trail and the Hazel Creek Trail). Kephart's cabin was located along Little Fork, a tributary of Sugar Fork, the latter in turn being a tributary of Haw Gap Branch. In 1904, the nearest railroad depot was 16 miles (26 km) away at Bushnell, a small town at the confluence of the
255:, "A Bear Hunt in the Smokies," recounts a bear hunt undertaken by Kephart and several Hazel Creek natives. The party includes Granville Calhoun, a Bone Valley resident named Bill Cope ("the hunchback"), John Baker "Little John" Cable, Jr. (1855–1939), Matt Hyde, and Andrew Jackson "Doc" Jones (1851–1935). The chapter begins at Hall cabin amidst a windstorm and ends with the successful killing of a bear. This chapter contains one of the earliest references to the
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111:, Hall cabin atop what is now Big Chestnut Bald (in the vicinity of the modern Derrick Knob shelter), and a cabin at Siler's Meadow (just off the summit of Silers Bald). The Hall cabin mentioned often by Kephart should not be confused with the Hall cabin presently located at the end of the Bone Valley Trail, although both were built by Jesse "Crate" Hall.
443:"projected a jaundiced view of the region" in which the mountaineers were portrayed as "'half-wild' creatures." Kephart scholar Gary Carden has argued that while Kephart was an excellent observer, he had a tendency to "romanticize" the mountaineers' more offensive qualities. Hazel Creek historian (and native) Duane Oliver recalled that
143:. Although a successful librarian, Kephart eventually became disenchanted with his homelife and job in the early 1900s, started drinking more often, and began spending more and more time in the nearby Ozark wilderness. In 1903, he separated from his wife, and the following year suffered a nervous breakdown.
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and possibly alcohol withdrawal). He was met at
Bushnell by legendary bear hunter Granville Calhoun (1875–1978), and the two made a 16-mile (26 km) muleback trek to Calhoun's house in the hamlet of Medlin, near the middle of the Hazel Creek Valley. After recovering, Kephart moved on to his new
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was the "seminal work" of
Appalachian nonfiction, and provided a foundation for numerous other studies of Appalachian culture over subsequent decades. In spite of the book's shortcomings, its keen observations went a long way toward demystifying the rural people of Southern Appalachia. According to
215:
is based on observations
Kephart made while at Hazel Creek (1904–1907), although several chapters added in 1922 were based on events that occurred later when Kephart lived in Bryson City. Chapters 9 ("The Snake-Stick Man") and 10 ("A Raid into the Sugarlands") were based on events that occurred in
438:
typically revolves around
Kephart's focus on backwoods outlaws or people living in extreme poverty while paying scant attention to the region's middle class landowners and town dwellers, many of whom would not have been too far out of place in mainstream America. Historian John Puckett wrote that
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acquired the book's publishing rights, and released a revised edition the following year complete with several new chapters ("The Snake-Stick Man," "A Raid into the
Sugarlands," and "The Killing of Hol Rose"), several new photographs, and a subtitle. MacMillan reprinted the book eight times, the
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Kephart's years in the Hazel Creek valley had a profound impact on his life. He abandoned his career as a librarian, and focused solely on writing about outdoor life and studying the people of
Southern Appalachia. While he left Hazel Creek in 1907 to tour the Southern Appalachian region, he
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393:, and one of the first to label it a distinct dialect rather than merely the speech habits of the uneducated. While Kephart overemphasizes archaic "Elizabethan" traits in the dialect, linguists acknowledge his keen observations and painstaking scholarship in this analysis.
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used as livestock pastures during the growing season when bottomlands were needed for crops. Each pasture had a respective cabin for its summertime herdsman, namely (from west to east) the
Russell cabin at what is now Russell Field, the Spencer cabin at what is now
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on the
Tennessee side of the Smokies. The chapter includes an anachronistic story about a mountaineer named "Jasper Fenn" (based on a real-life Sugarlander named Davis Bracken, who lived near what is now the Chimneys Campground) who claimed to have read a copy of
245:, "The Great Smoky Mountains," discusses the topography, geology, wildlife and plant life of the Great Smokies range. Kephart also relates a story by a "Mr. and Mrs. Ferris" who ventured across the nearly-impassable crest of the central and eastern Smokies to
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Other critics take issue with
Kephart's notion that radical isolation in Southern Appalachia had created a race of "contemporary ancestors"— relics of the nation's pioneer period who were largely untouched by modernity— a belief popularized by
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segment, which was completed in the 1930s. The trail closely follows the
Tennessee-North Carolina border, and traverses many of the highland pastures (most of which have been reclaimed by a young forest) that figured prominently in
223:, "Something Hidden; Go and Find It," discusses the remoteness and ruggedness of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, the lack of realistic literature regarding its inhabitants, and gives a brief history of the region.
169:, Kephart secured usage of a cabin at an abandoned copper mine in the Hazel Creek Valley in the southwest corner of the Great Smokies range. On October 30, 1904, he arrived at Bushnell very ill (suffering from
229:, "The Back of Beyond," gives a description of Medlin and discusses how the mountaineers have adapted to their environment, the difficulties in farming the rugged terrain, and grazing in the highland meadows.
358:, "The People of the Hills," describes the mountaineers' typical physical traits, work ethic, their ability to endure harsh conditions, and their general preference for mountain life over urban life.
447:"angered" many Hazel Creek residents for the manner in which it portrayed them, but argues that, as a writer, it was natural that Kephart would seek out the region's more colorful personalities.
425:, "When the Sleeper Awakes," discusses how encroaching commercialism and modernity, brought to the region by logging firms and other corporations, threatened to erode the mountain culture.
370:, "Home Folks and Neighbor People," discusses gender and family roles, religion and funerary rights, music and dancing, and Christmas and New Years Day customs among the mountain people.
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when he was still a child. Iowa was still very sparsely populated at the time, allowing Kephart to gain a lifelong appreciation for pioneer life. Kephart was trained as a librarian at
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roots and migration patterns of the Southern Appalachian mountaineers, and emphasizes that the Appalachian culture is a distinct culture spread across the highlands of several states.
309:, "The Snake-Stick Man," tells the story of a federal revenue agent whom Kephart calls "Mr. Quick" (an alias). Quick, who has a hobby of carving sticks into the form of snakes, has a
399:, "The Law of the Wilderness," discusses the mountaineers' penchant for self-reliance and individualism, the importance of family bonds, and attitudes toward government.
281:, "Ways That Are Dark," continues Kephart's discussion of moonshining, particularly how it is made in Southern Appalachia, the typical size and settings of stills, etc.
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cabin (just north of Medlin), where he lived until 1907. Kephart then spent several years traveling around Southern Appalachia before permanently settling in
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in search of plant specimens. He also discusses the harshness of the highland meadows, and recounts a story of 17 cattle freezing to death at Silers Meadow.
364:, "The Land of Do Without," discusses the mountaineers' homelife, their manner of dress, the prevalence of poverty and the mountaineers' scorn of charity.
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eventually returned to nearby Bryson City in 1910, where he lived for the rest of his life. He spent much of the 1920s advocating the creation of the
287:, "A Leaf from the Past," traces the roots of moonshining to the British Isles, and explains how the practice made its way to Southern Appalachia.
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346:, "The Killing of Hol Rose," recounts the killing of revenuer James Holland "Hol" Rose by J.E. "Babe" Burnett and Burnett's subsequent trial.
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389:, "The Mountain Dialect," discusses mountain speech. Kephart's observations in this chapter mark one of the first serious analyses of the
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28:(1862–1931), first published in 1913 and revised in 1922. Inspired by the years Kephart spent among the inhabitants of the remote
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for focusing too much on sensationalistic aspects of mountain culture, the book was an important departure from the previous century's
405:, "The Blood-Feud," discusses Appalachian clan feuding, its typical causes, and how it compares to other cultural clan feuds, such as
500:. In 2007, park archaeologists uncovered the foundation of Hall cabin during a project to revamp the nearby Derrick Knob shelter.
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Bryson City author George Ellison, no book devoted to Southern Appalachia is "more widely known, read, and respected" than
49:
21:
Our Southern Highlanders: A Narrative of Adventure in the Southern Appalachians and a Study of Life Among the Mountaineers
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Press reissued the book with an introduction (including a brief Kephart biography) by Bryson City writer George Ellison.
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expertise that Kephart finds most impressive. He is in the area to investigate illegal liquor sales at the nearby
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president William Goodell Frost in the late 1890s. Historian Durwood Dunn, in his seminal work on the history of
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293:, "Blockaders and the Revenue," discusses the ongoing conflict between moonshiners and federal revenue agents.
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in the Great Smoky Mountains and drops 4,000 feet (1,200 m) over its 18-mile (29 km) route to the
491:, which opened shortly after his death. Kephart was also instrumental in mapping the route of the park's
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150:, Kephart used a map to seek out the nearest substantial wilderness area, which he determined to be the
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1940 map of the southwestern Smokies, modified to show points (in blue) mentioned frequently in
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1919. Chapter 11 ("The Killing of Hol Rose") was based on events that occurred in late 1920.
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The Appalachian Trail approaching the Derrick Knob shelter, near where Hall cabin once stood
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352:, "The Outlander and the Native," discusses the mountaineers' attitudes toward outsiders.
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Horace Kephart, map drafted of Haw Creek area circa 1905, addendum in Duane Oliver,
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site, contains information and photographs about the mountain areas Kephart visited
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36:, the book provides one of the earliest realistic portrayals of life in the rural
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323:, "A Raid into the Sugarlands," recounts a manhunt led by "Mr. Quick" into the
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The upper Eagle Creek Valley, the home of moonshiner Quill Rose, viewed from
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720:(Knoxville, Tenn.: University of Tennessee Press, 1988), introduction.
580:(Knoxville, Tenn.: University of Tennessee Press, 1994), pp. 145-160.
642:(Knoxville, Tenn.: University of Tennessee Press, 1976), pp. ix-xlv.
593:(Knoxville, Tenn.: University of Tennessee Press, 1976), pp. 50-74.
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History of the Grassy Balds in Great Smoky Mountains National Park
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681:(Knoxville, Tenn.: University of Tennessee Press, 2006), p. 1018.
529:(Knoxville, Tenn.: University of Tennessee Press, 2006), p. 1080.
694:(Urbana, Ill.: University of Illinois Press, 1989), pp. 319-320.
668:(Sevierville, Tenn.: Sevierville Heritage Committee, 1986), map.
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271:, "Moonshine Land," discusses Kephart's initial curiosity about
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takes place atop the main crest of the Western Smokies between
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culture. While modern historians and writers have criticized
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Hazel Creek flowing through what was once the site of Proctor
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and Silers Bald, which at the time was coated by a series of
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The Hazel Creek Trail approaching the former site of Medlin
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Cades Cove: The Life and Death of an Appalachian Community
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Photograph from Chapter IV showing bear hunters and quarry
618:(Maryville, Tenn.: Stinnett Printing, 1989), p. 84.
190:was published by the Outing Publishing Company of
194:in 1913, and sold about 10,000 copies. In 1921,
154:, a rugged range straddling the border between
655:, photograph captions between pages 70 and 71.
139:, and in 1890 was named head librarian at the
666:Sugarlands: A Lost Community of Sevier County
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564:(Maryville, Tenn.: Stinnett Printing, 1989).
551:, April 29, 2009. Retrieved: May 24, 2009.
146:While recuperating at his father's home in
87:and the Little Tennessee (now submerged by
52:writings and their negative distortions of
605:, March 7, 2008. Retrieved: May 24, 2009.
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415:, "Who Are the Mountaineers?", traces the
737:, May 23, 2007. Retrieved: May 24, 2009.
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199:eighth coming in 1967. In the 1970s, the
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75:Hazel Creek originates on the slopes of
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24:is a book written by American author
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797:Great Smoky Mountains National Park
751:Horace Kephart: Revealing an Enigma
489:Great Smoky Mountains National Park
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735:Carolina Mountain Club Newsletter
677:Karl Nicholas, "Horace Kephart,"
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638:George Ellison, Introduction to
131:, although his family moved to
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705:Hazel Creek From Then Til Now
653:Hazel Creek From Then Til Now
616:Hazel Creek From Then Til Now
562:Hazel Creek From Then Til Now
338:Pi Beta Phi settlement school
802:Swain County, North Carolina
391:Southern Appalachian dialect
141:St. Louis Mercantile Library
770:public domain audiobook at
755:Western Carolina University
327:, a remote valley south of
176:Bryson City, North Carolina
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679:Encyclopedia of Appalachia
527:Encyclopedia of Appalachia
767:Our Southern Highlanders
640:Our Southern Highlanders
591:Our Southern Highlanders
578:Strangers in High Places
523:Our Southern Highlanders
521:Heather Rhea Gilreath, "
498:Our Southern Highlanders
481:Our Southern Highlanders
476:Our Southern Highlanders
445:Our Southern Highlanders
441:Our Southern Highlanders
436:Our Southern Highlanders
334:Our Southern Highlanders
213:Our Southern Highlanders
188:Our Southern Highlanders
96:Our Southern Highlanders
70:Our Southern Highlanders
46:Our Southern Highlanders
729:Danny Bernstein (ed.),
549:The Smoky Mountain News
201:University of Tennessee
792:Books about Appalachia
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165:After a short stay in
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81:Little Tennessee River
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664:Jerry Wear (editor),
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186:The first edition of
152:Great Smoky Mountains
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38:Appalachian Mountains
34:Great Smoky Mountains
692:Foxfire Reconsidered
380:Thunderhead Mountain
336:given to him by the
315:Cherokee Reservation
127:Kephart was born in
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137:Cornell University
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109:Spence Field
100:Gregory Bald
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413:Chapter XIV
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362:Chapter XIV
350:Chapter XII
285:Chapter VII
273:moonshining
257:Appalachian
247:Mount Guyot
243:Chapter III
182:Publication
178:, in 1910.
77:Silers Bald
50:local color
42:Appalachian
30:Hazel Creek
787:1913 books
781:Categories
504:References
457:Cades Cove
423:Chapter XX
409:vendettas.
368:Chapter XV
344:Chapter XI
329:Gatlinburg
325:Sugarlands
311:polymathic
307:Chapter IX
279:Chapter VI
259:folk song
253:Chapter IV
227:Chapter II
115:Background
430:Criticism
321:Chapter X
269:Chapter V
221:Chapter I
196:MacMillan
167:Dillsboro
156:Tennessee
772:LibriVox
707:, p. 84.
407:Corsican
192:New York
94:Part of
207:Summary
60:Setting
463:Legacy
158:and
133:Iowa
16:Book
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623:^
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