Cades Cove is located in the far western Tennessee section of the Great Smoky
Mountain National Park. This beautiful slice
of Heaven on Earth stretches five miles in length by two miles in width and is completely surrounded by living mountains.
European descendents first settled Cades Cove in 1818, as the majority journeyed from the Watauga Settlement in northeast Tennessee. But, prior to their arrival, Cades Cove was a cherished part of the Cherokee Nation. Then, the discovery of gold on Cherokee lands and Andrew Jackson's election to the presidency in 1828 ultimately led to their tragic removal.
For more than a century, life in Cades Cove was very difficult and life expectancy was short, while the average life spanned barely 45 years. This may explain why
mountain people married so young. They had to grow up fast.
Tom Cooper was born and raised in Cades Cove. His wife Emma was born in Georgia and died in Cades Cove from complications of diabetes while she was still in her early 20’s. Before her death, the couple had two sons, Beecher and Bill. Completely heartbroken by the loss of his bride, he sent his oldest boy Beecher to live with relatives in Georgia so he could get an education.
But, young Beecher did not like Atlanta and before long the boy ran away and all alone made his way back to his father and brother in the cove. For the next several years, the trio roamed and worked throughout Cades Cove.
In time, Beecher met a young and beautiful girl named Lula Mae Lane. They were married in 1915 when she was 19 and he was 21. They would have 10 children together in Cades Cove, six daughters and four sons. All but Robert, who died when he was only 8 years old, grew up to have families of their own.
Life was arduous, as they were very poor and lived many years in very small and run down cabins. Because of the poor quality of their diet, some of the children suffered from malnutrition and experienced lifelong health problems as a result.
Laura (Laurie) was born first in 1917, then Ethyl and Robert. Mildred arrived in 1922. One day when Mildred was 9 years old, LulaMae loaded a pack mule with bags of corn kernels. It was young Mildred’s job to take the kernels to the gristmill to have the corn ground into meal for the family. On her way back home, something spooked the mule and he took off, running through bramble bushes and a barbed wired fence. When the girl finally made it home, she was covered in blood. But, all her Mother could see was that the corn sacks were empty and that meant the family would be hungry for weeks.
Harvey was born next, and then Wiley followed by Ruth and Eva. When the Great Depression began, Beecher sold moonshine until he went to work with the Civilian Conservation Corp and the Works Progress Administration. Anna was born on her sister Eva’s birthday. When Lula Mae went into labor for her, they could not find any of the midwives who usually helped deliver the babies in the cove. Consequently, when they sent for Beecher, who was working at the Civilian Conservation Corp Camp, he returned with his Lieutenant who was a doctor and he delivered Anna.
In 1934, Cades Cove became part of the Great
Smoky Mountains National Park and like the Cherokee before, the American residents were also forced to move. The Government sent negotiators to Cades Cove to buy the farmers’ out. Beecher sold his little piece of land and house and quickly built a new one on top of Rich Mountain Road, barely 50 yards from the entrance to the park.
Billy is the youngest and the only one of the Cooper children not born in Cades Cove. Upon starting school in Townsend, his teachers decided he was smarter than most. So, they gave him an IQ test and he was declared to be a genius. He graduated at the top of his Industrial Engineering class at the University of Tennessee.
Beecher Harvey Cooper loved Cades Cove and lived there most of his life. Because he did go to school he could sit by the fire in their cabin and recite poetry in Greek to his family. He died from a cerebral hemorrhage outside his home while still in his 40’s. Lula Mae died in Rockford, TN in 1974 from a stroke.
Although life was unforgiving in Cades Cove, the people who lived and died there had a great appreciation for the breathtaking beauty of the place they called home for generations. The Cooper Family is but one example that Heaven can be a hard place to live.
Henry Piarrot is a columnist for The Mountain Press newspaper in Sevier County, Tennessee USA. Please send all story recommendations to hpiarrot@yahoo.com