Cade's Cove Tennessee

We visited Cade's Cove when we were in the Great Smoky Mountains. I know it's a story of perseverance and that was good that the land was preserved, but I can't help but feel the tragedy of the people losing their homes.

This was a beautiful valley (cove) where people put down roots in the early 1800s. They struggled here, raised and buried family here. They fought to make their lives have meaning here.

 Only to be told they had to leave because the government wanted to create a park.

Now people walk through their empty homes and kids draw on the walls where they lived their lives. Other national parks were established on lands already owned by the federal government. All Great Smokies' land was privately owned. Most people were offered a pittance for what they had, not even enough to go out and make a new life.

Some of the Cade's Cove land owners fought right up to the Supreme Court but were finally forced to leave. You can sense them - still here in the cemetery behind the church and the houses built by hand to last a lifetime.

It's probably not much in the grand scheme of things but sorrow is sorrow and you can feel it here when you visit.