The City of Pigeon Forge recently unveiled a historical marker adjacent to the Old Mill commemorating the site of the Pigeon Forge Iron Works location. The marker will provide visitors to the area a brief history of how the city got its name, pictures of the flood and an interpretation on the original iron work. The city of Pigeon Forge got its name when unaccounted number of pigeons flocked to the area and the bloomery forge that was built in 1817. The marker is important to the city because it gives visitors a history of the area . In addition to the Old Mill marker, a second marker was placed to commemorate Fort Wear and Samuel Wear who fought in the Revolutionary war. Samuel Wear is responsible for forming the county, territorial, State of Franklin and Tennessee governments. In the next few months a third marker will be placed on Veterans Boulevard near Dollywood to note the significance of the Pigeon Rover Railroad. The railroad was used to transport bark and acid wood from the mountains.
Fifteen markers have been proposed and over the next 10 years will be placed throughout the area highlighting important events and providing visitors with a better understanding of Pigeon Forge and more importantly Sevier County history. The area is also improving and updating its driving tour brochure to provide more stops that will provided on the brochure for visitors.
