Some areas in the southern Appalachian mountains are known for mining, others for lumber production. Many have Native American place names and most preserve some remnants of pioneer heritage. But few locales experienced all the cultural and social changes that are indicative of the entire region, and the area affected by the construction of Fontana Dam and Lake situated along the Little Tennessee River in western North Carolina is one of those special places. Endowed with tremendous natural resources but geographically isolated, the area was both coveted and avoided. A wild land in the very heart of the great Cherokee Nation, the area hosted the culmination of Cherokee removal along the infamous Trail of Tears. Early explorers and traders ventured into its wildness in search of natural treasures. Settlers hacked out a living in its forest primeval. Then in an amazingly short period of time, lumber barons, miners, and other industrialists transformed the area from pioneer settlements to the forefront of American technology and part of it was chosen for the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Softcover, 238 pages and over 100 historic photographs.

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