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Kephart writes of odd names in the Smoky Mountains

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Item 1 - Kephart writes of odd names in the Smoky Mountains
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Kephart writes of odd names in the Smoky Mountains

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wcu_great_smoky_mtns-11358.jpg

Kephart writes of odd names in the Smoky Mountains

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Item 3 - Kephart writes of odd names in the Smoky Mountains
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Kephart writes of odd names in the Smoky Mountains

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Kephart writes of odd names in the Smoky Mountains

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Item 5 - Kephart writes of odd names in the Smoky Mountains
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Kephart writes of odd names in the Smoky Mountains

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Item’s are ‘child’ level descriptions to ‘parent’ objects, (e.g. one page of a whole book).

  • Crossing the high Welch Divide to the eastward of Hazel Creek, and trailing down from Bear Wallow Bald, ■ one reaches Forney Creek. Proceeding upstream, the first branch he comes to, on the left, is Ad Valorem. No native mountaineer could have given it such a name. Some outsider, God knows who and God knows why, christened a trout stream with that abominable reminder of custom-houses. But, with this sole exception, all the names are genuinely backwoodsy. The next branch, on the same side, is Slab Camp, and the »ext is White Man's Glory! Up the right fork, toward Clingman Dome, we pass Board Camp (not a boarding place, but a lean-to of clap- (CoBtinoeS on Page 6, Section B) Kephart Writes Of Odd Names In Smoky Mountains (Continued from Paze 1) boards split with a froe), Buckhorn and Steel Trap branches. On the waters of Deep Creek, and the mountains from "which they spring, are some peculiar names. Easy Ridge is a satiric term; for it is anything but easy to ascend with a pack on one's hack. Nick's Nest refers to the Old Nick. The Keg Drive is a favorite place for bear- driving, probably called after an Indian family named Keg, of whom the noted, if not notorious Modi Keg is a living specimen. A gap at the head of Bee-tree Creek is known as Turkey-fly-up, because old Indians remember that wild turkeys were always to be found there—and there are still some of the big birds in that neighborhood. Along Ocona Lufty Proceeding eastward, we come to the Ocona Lufty River. The left fork of Horse Camp Creek is called Sweat Heifer. You mav learn what it means from old Dock Connor or his son Charlie. The creek that bears this extraordinary name runs parallel with Frizzy Top Ridge and is joined by pros.aic Mud Creek, which heads' in the exceedingly wild and steep region of the western Sawtooth' Just under Dry Sluice Gap and Charlie's Bunion. The last-mentioned name dates back no longer than last summer, but it has struck the fancy of the mountaineers ■ and it will probably stick. When George Masa was photographing this difficult country, Charlie Connor pointed out a protruding knob and said: "That looks Just like a bunion on Old Smoky's foot." Many of the branches thereabouts are named after individuals: for instance, Huskey, Jake Bradley and Jim Mac Branch (after James Mc- Mahan). In some cases the family name is-omitted, as in Ted's Branch and Dan's Creek. The Loorie Camp Branch is called after an old Indian hunter, Loorie Owl, who used to go there every year for bear-hunting. And, by the way, there are plenty of bears around there now. Some of the names on Bradley Fork are self-explanatory, as Gold - mine Branch, Washout and Bear-wallow; but Tow String gets its odd designation from the industry of an old white woman who used to live there and made tow string for the settlers. Name Cove for "Ramps" In the very wild country above Big Cove, on the Raven Prong of Lufty, are some strange names. Bull Die (both creek and ridge) commemorates, in Indian-English, a place where a more or less valuable bull perished. Breakneck Ridge, Little. Niagara, Bear-foot and Setback are obvious enough; but Ramp Cove will not be understood by anyone from outside these mountains until it is explained to him that "ramps" are rampions, otherwise known as wild garlic. On Straight Fork we have Turkey Pen (not an enclosure for keeping tame turkeys, but a trap to catch wild ones), Stillhouse (must this be explained today?), Raven's Roost and 'Tater-hill Bald. In the Cataiooche country is the Big Butte (pronounced Butt by the mountain folk) at the head of a ridge between Lost Bottom' and Pretty Hollow. There is a Bunk Ridge (logger's bunk, net slang) and a- Shanty Mountain, a Wolf Cove Creek and a George Ira Creek, a Sheep-back Knob and a Maggot Spring Branch, a Little Bald - Knob and a Tough Ridge, a Winding Stair Branch, and, of course, a Hell's Half-acre. Local Names on New Map George Masa has reduced the big official map of the North Carolina Park Commission's survey to a scale of one inch to the mile. He and I have corrected it in spots, from per- sonal knowledge of the topography, and we have added the local names of nearly all mountains, streams, gaps and other natural features, so far as possible. We got these names mostly from old residents on the respective watersheds, when we did not already know them or find thera on any map. It is a pity that Tennessee has no such accurate map showing the topography of its half of the National Park. If there were one, and it bore, the local names as ours does, it would be sprinkled all nw --"•
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Object’s are ‘parent’ level descriptions to ‘children’ items, (e.g. a book with pages).

  • This undated article is by Horace Kephart (1862-1931), a noted naturalist, woodsman, journalist, and author. In 1904, he left his work as a librarian in St. Louis and permanently moved to western North Carolina. His popular book, “Camping and Woodcraft” was first published 1906; the 1916/1917 edition is considered a standard manual for campers after almost a century of use. Living and working in a cabin on Hazel Creek in Swain County, Kephart began to document life in the Great Smoky Mountains, producing “Our Southern Highlanders” in 1913. Throughout his life, Kephart wrote many articles supporting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

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Great Smoky Mountains - A Park for America

This digital collection was created to contribute to the public's understanding of the forces and ideas that led to the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 1934. The most vi...

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