When it comes to the history of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, there are many women who played an important role with their individual contributions. There are several in particular who had an incredible passion and dedication to helping create the beautiful park that we enjoy today! While visiting the park, you have the opportunity to share in this passion that each of these women gave in support of the park and its mission of preservation for future generations! Here are 4 influential women in Smoky Mountain history:
1. Mayna Treanor Avent
Mayna Treanor Avent was one of the first recognized female artists in Tennessee and she had studied art at the Academie Julian, a private art school in Paris. Mayna enjoyed painting all kinds of subjects and her portraits were praised by both museums and art critics. Mayna’s husband, Frank Avent, purchased a small one-room cabin near the Elkmont community known as “Daisy Town’ in 1918. During the summers in Elkmont, Mayna painted outdoors, painted still lifes, and completed portraits of her neighbors and other residents in the Smokies. The cabin, which is now known as the “Avent Cabin, still stands today in Elkmont as a reminder of a place where anyone can appreciate the beauty of the Smoky Mountains!
2. Laura Thornburgh
Another one of the influential women in Smoky Mountain history was Laura Thornburgh, who was a writer, teacher, interior designer, and photographer. While exploring the region with the Smoky Mountain Hiking Club in the late 1920s, she fell in love with the area and formed friendships with other prominent photographers of the Smokies. Laura’s passion for photography extended well beyond the gorgeous mountain scenery, as the local residents who called the Smoky Mountains home were the primary subjects of her photos. As a strong advocate for the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Laura wanted to protect the natural scenery and preserve the stories of the families that she had befriended over the years.
3. Lydia Kear Whaley
Lydia Kear Whaley was known as a “grannywoman” in the Smoky Mountains, a skilled healer who would travel throughout the area to minister to the sick. Lydia lost her young son when he died at age 3, and then just a month later she lost her husband during the Civil War. She never remarried and raised two daughters on her own, providing for her family by being a farmer, midwife, tailor, and basket weaver. Lydia was also heavily involved in her community and was one of the first advocates for the creation of the Phi Beta Phi elementary school in Gatlinburg, which preserved the knowledge of traditional mountain skills such as weaving, basketry, and other handmade crafts. Lydia Whaley’s life is honored today in the Smokies by protecting the traditional mountain culture that Lydia lived and shared with millions.
4. Anne Davis
No list of the most influential women in Smoky Mountain history is complete without Anne Davis, who co-founded the Great Smoky Mountains Conservation Association with her husband Willis. This was one of the most influential organizations that supported the creation of the park. Anne was also one of the first women to be elected to the Tennessee State Legislation in 1925, and she sponsored the bill that would permit the purchase of 78,000 acres of land from the Little River Lumber Company. This ultimately became the first large parcel of land set aside for the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Her insight and commitment have allowed millions of visitors to enjoy the spectacular park that we have today!
Now that you know about some of the influential women in Smoky Mountain history, learn about some of the other people who helped shape the history of the Smokies!
