Dan Lawson's Beautiful World

I ventured off by myself today to explore more of the Great Smoky Mountains.  I was a little disappointed not finding any family history here for the Stevens, Ezell and Lawson families a couple days ago in Knoxville so I decided to just do a nice, leisurely drive through the mountains while Scott had to work.  I stamped my National Parks Passport book again at Sugarlands Visitors Center for today and then decided to drive up to the Cades Cove Visitors Center at the far east side of the park.  It's a 24 mile drive from Sugarlands, but it takes about an hours.  As I drove I was amazed at how fast people were driving through the park and missing the nature, which to me, is the experience.  I stopped along the way taking photos and right off the bat, I ran into a Woodchuck aka Ground Hog in the bottom of a ravine. He must have heard me because he started to scurry away even though I was up on the ridge and saw him down below.  He was larger than I anticipated and very cute.

Scenery from the drive to Cades Cove.

The forest was beautiful today.

Can you spot the Woodchuck?

Here's a closer look.

As I drove along the river, I marveled at the raging waters, tiny trickles, babbling brooks and peaceful ponds surrounded by lush green trees, ivy and growth transcending into tranquil nature.  It was so serene and relaxing, it's no wonder that our greatest authors and poets wrote in such locations.  I was so disappointed by thoughtlessness of men though.  Each time I pulled over I saw trash: a sock, a banana peel, a Styrofoam paper cup and one car in front of me on my way down the mountain threw out a cigarette butt.  Shameful!  If you can't respect the land, why go?

Rushing Rivers

Captivating Streams

Tranquil Pools of Water with Trout

Bath Pools about 3 feet High

Serene and Tranquil Waters

Cascading Lochs

Babbling Brooks

Whenever a car pulled up behind me, I'd pull over so I had the road to myself to look at nature and feel serene. The radio was off...it was just me and mother nature in all her glory savoring the beautify God has made for us.  I watched as leaves fluttered to the ground and many leaves starting to turn color.  My favorite place in the world is in a forest surrounded by trees, rivers and streams and the peaceful sounds of the birds and fall of leaves; a bird far away or a woodpecker tapping on a tree.  Even though you're all alone, you can still hear the sounds of the forest and the heartbeat of the trees. It was heavenly!

Serene Pond Surrounded by Trees.

Even the Bridge was Carved out of the Mountain to keep the Park Beautiful.

Quiet and Calming Forests

I came across an Information Kiosk just before the Cades Cove loop and got my book stamped there. A gentleman there asked me if I wanted to purchase an auto-tour booklet for $1 of Cades Cove Tour.  I really wasn't interested but he opened up to the map and I saw the words, "Dan Lawson Cabin" and froze in my tracks!  It was a Lawson cousin!  Well, I gave the man a dollar faster than I've paid anyone in my life and continued on my way along the loop. Since I was struck out earlier this week (because all the records had been burned in a fire long ago), I felt like this was providence and I was thrown a bone!

Cades Cover Tour Booklet

Here on the auto-tour of Cades Cove, I saw beautiful meadows, pastoral scenery, spider webbed trees that are predominant in this area, some turkeys and a doe with her cream spotted fawn walking back in the forest.  I suppose other drivers missed them because they were in such a hurry, but it was nice to see some forest creatures in their natural habitat.  I also saw charming old churches and old rustic homesteads from the mid-1800's of those families who lived here and came over the mountain from North Carolina.  The park is actually located in both North Carolina and Tennessee but all the points of interest are mainly in Tennessee.  It is also adjacent to what was Cherokee territory when the settlers occupied Cades Cove.  They would occasionally see them wandering the hills looking for game but the two civilizations were friendly to one another.

Lush Pastoral Fields

Every Green With Hushed Silence and Sweeping Mountain Views

Wild Turkeys

Nests of Spider webs dot the park everywhere.

On the tour was also a Baptist Church and a Methodist Church and I felt inspired to go to the Methodist one where I was able to go inside and to look at the cemetery where the Lawson's were buried.

The Methodist Church built in 1902.

The Interior was very small and simple.

The Preacher's Pulpit

Worn Wooden Benches

I Loved this Bench with the knot in the wood.

A view from the pulpit.

The Lawson headstones from the upper right window.

Martha L. Lawson 1871-1965

Luke Lawson 1896-1918 (age 22) who probably died in World War I.

Luke Lawson's Military Headstone.

Nellie Lawson 1914-1916

Carl Lawson 1904-1914

Raymon Hodge 1894-1913

The Hodge's Stone.  Anna was probably a Lawson prior to her marriage as the Hodge stones were in the Lawson plot.

The Stones from the backside of the church in the cemetery.

Dan Lawson's Cabin was believed to have been built about 1856.  The land belonged to his father-in-law Peter Cable who was a carpenter, and is thought to have helped in the construction of the building because it is some of the best workmanship in all of the cabins still standing today.  A unique feature of Dan Lawson's Cabin is that there is a brick chimney which wasn't common at this time.  Dan Lawson did add onto the cabin a couple of other times and you can see where those additional took place - a second story and a porch as he was the postmaster of Cades Cove.  There was also a smokehouse, a corn crib and a granary built near the house.  Dan Lawson owned quite a bit of the land from the State line of North Carolina on the ridge behind the house and across the center of the Cove to the top of the mountains in front of his home.  I was extremely disappointed to see all the carving and desecration of the home and outbuilding...one a new as 7/17/17!

Dan Lawson Homestead

What a Beautiful Place for a Home!

Left Side View

Front View of the Cabin

The Post Office and Porch

View from the Covered Porch

The Living Room with a Brick Fireplace was not heard of in 1856 in the Smokies.

The VERY Steep and Narrow Stairs leading to the 2nd floor addition.

Narrow and Steep...the width is about the width of your shoe!

The Cupboard Under the Stairs

Carved Door Handle

Kitchen Addition

Length of the Kitchen Addition

The Walls and Plaster

Notice the Additions?

Antique Nails with Barn Wood Siding

The Smokehouse

Inside the Smokehouse

The Granary

Inside the Granary

The Barn

Inside the Barn

A Pathway from the Barn Leading to the Tipton House

A View from the Barn Over the Homestead

The Home and the Smokehouse

The Corn Crib

Notched Out Timbers of the Corn Crib

Closer View of the Timbers...and graffiti!

Beautiful Zig Zag Fencework

His land was just as impressive with gorgeous views of center of Cades Cove near the North Carolina border.

Great Spacious Land

It was a glorious day and I'm so glad I went to commune in nature. It was inspiring and uplifting to the soul.  If you're looking for a place for inspiration and rejuvenation, then go to Cades Cove.  I highly recommend it.