The Wild East: A Biography of the Great Smoky Mountains (New Perspectives on the History of the South) [Hardcover]

Margaret L. Brown (Author)

Book Description

Series: New Perspectives on the History of the South | Publication Date: March 2, 2001

Explores the social, political, and environmental changes in the Great Smoky Mountains during the 19th & 20th centuries. Although this national park is often portrayed as a triumph of preservation, Brown concludes that the largest forested region in the eastern US is actually a re-created wilderness-a product of restoration & even manipulation of the land. Park management continues to waffle between shifting views of wilderness, negotiating the contradictory mission of promoting tourism and preservation.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

“The Wild East is a graceful, accurate, and, in its subdued way, a passionate account. The author calls it a ‘biography’ of the great Smokies and it does strike a more intimate note than similar histories usually do. I find it not only a valuable document but a friendly and interesting book. Margaret Lynn Brown has a deft touch.”—Fred Chappell, author of Look Back All the Green Valley

The Wild East explores the social, political, and environmental changes in the Great Smoky Mountains during the 19th and 20th centuries. Although this national park is most often portrayed as a triumph of wilderness preservation, Margaret Lynn Brown concludes that the largest forested region in the eastern United States is actually a re-created wilderness--a product of restoration and even manipulation of the land.

Several hundred years before white settlement, Cherokees farmed and hunted this land. Between 1910 and 1920, corporate lumbermen built railroads into the most remote watersheds and removed more than 60 percent of the old-growth forest. Despite this level of human impact, early promoters of a national park represented the land as an untouched wilderness and described the people living there as pioneers.

During the 1930s, landscape architects and Civilian Conservation Corps workers transformed the Smokies, building trails, campgrounds, and facilities that memorialized the rustic ideals of Roosevelt-style conservation. With the advent of the 1950s, enthusiasm for the national park system boomed again; cultural interpreters went to work to create a Ponderosa-like scene in Cades Cove, while developers in Gatlinburg emulated the designs of western ski resorts. During the 1960s, however, wilderness advocates began lobbying for a less manicured, more natural-looking landscape.

In the 1970s, Brown writes, the Smokies faced many of the consequences of these management decisions. Major crises with brook trout, black bears, and exotic species pushed park officials toward a greater regard for ecology. At the same time, scientists trained during the environmental movement foraged through the land's history and sought to re-create the look of the landscape before human settlement. Park management continues to waffle between these shifting views of wilderness, negotiating the often contradictory mission of promoting tourism and ensuring preservation.

Margaret Lynn Brown is assistant professor of history at Brevard College in North Carolina. Her work has appeared in Southern Exposure and the Journal of Appalachian Studies.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 479 pages
• Publisher: University Press of Florida; 1st edition (March 2, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0813017505
• ISBN-13: 978-0813017501
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,387,357 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Recommended for fans, January 20, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Wild East: A Biography of the Great Smoky Mountains (New Perspectives on the History of the South) (Hardcover)

M.L. Brown's The Wild East: A Biography of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park is the amazing story of the centerpiece of eastern wilderness. Introducing herself and her work with a refreshing and highly personal account, Brown immediately enlightens the reader as to her motivations. What proceeds is a history that is so meticulously researched that the wildness of the park seems almost suburban, making The Wild East simultaneously fascinating and slightly disappointing. But pathos is bound to ensue after the mythical GSMNP is taken off of its pedestal, and Brown delivers a heavy dose of reality by focusing on prior land use within the park, the contradictions of park management, and the nebulous concept of 'wilderness'. The result is an accurate account of the park's creation that de-shrouds it of some of its wild mystery, an effect that might not be enjoyed by every reader.

In Brown's defense, she had few complete histories of the park to update and examine (outside of D.S. Pierce's The Great Smokies), and the litany of personal accounts, newspaper articles, and other histories that she unearths make for a tremendous piece of scholarship. Brown leaves no stone unturned in describing the opportunism of the Tennesseans and consternation of the North Carolineans, and she fully reviews both sides of every major argument that enveloped the park to the present. Of particular interest is her focus on making the history of park and area residents seem less like 'hillbillies' and more like average Americans of a century ago, with many personal accounts of day-to-day Appalachian life.

But missing in her attempt to please everybody is a sense of the rancor and vitriol that must have surrounded the park's formation, guided by a healthy dose of eccentricity from all of the wonderful folk who gave a hand in helping of hindering the park's will to survive. Her most flagrant omission is an unbiased discussion Horace Kephart and his contributions to both regional anthropology and the park's development; Kephart is only mentioned in passing. For a park with such a dynamic history, one might wish for a more dynamic story, with a greater sense of the conflict and character that makes the Great Smoky Mountains the centerpiece of eastern wilderness.

Again, a good portion of the park was settled, and thus its status as 'wilderness' is a matter of debate. To this end Brown inexplicably addresses eminent environmental historian William Cronon on the topic of wilderness in her conclusion, which is a departure from her storyline and should have been omitted. Had she debated wilderness directly throughout the book her conclusion would not be so disjoint.

An argument that Brown does develop is the issue of land management both within and around the park, with a focus on the Gatlinburg area and conflict surrounding park managers and policies. Her bear management discussion is particularly strong, as is the history of contrasting land development on the North Carolina and Tennessee sides of the park and park management of Cades' Cove.

In short, despite its shortcomings, The Wild East is a necessary read for all GSMNP enthusiasts. Brown's honest history might make the park lose some of its luster, but will also surely create new leagues fans for the dynamic GSMNP.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Examining the past, May 3, 2004

By 

"tripkinney" (Asheville, NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wild East (New Perspectives on the History of the South) (Paperback)

This book is a wonderful review of the history and management of Great Smokies National Park.

The author brings to life the dirty details of the heroic political triumphs and failures associated with the park. As well as, the ecological changes that swept the Appalachian mountians and the new challenges still faced. In addition, she drives home the social cost inherent in the changes that have occured in the Smoky Mt. region.

Her book sheds light on the key poltical, ecological and social issues facing the park today.

If you are looking for a book that paints a "quaint" picture of Appalachia, don't look here. If on the other hand you want a book that will make you think about the complex interactions of ecology, human relationships and politcal struggles, read on!

4.0 out of 5 stars Great overall story of the park, October 26, 2009

By 

CA of NC "CA of NC" (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Wild East (New Perspectives on the History of the South) (Paperback)

The Wild East answers many of the questions about the beginnings of the Great Smoky National Park and the history behind it's founding. It is the personal stories and the mini bio's of the key people over the last 125 years thatties the book together.

This is a must read for anyone interested in learning more about this special place and the history of it. The good and bad are shared along with the importance to local history as well.

After reading the book my interest in helping the national parks and in particular GSMNP has increased because I feel more in tune to the needs of the park.