Sevierville, Tennessee

About Sevierville, TN

Sevierville, a city in eastern Tennessee, serves as the county seat of Sevier County, United States. According to the 2020 United States Census, its population was 17,889.

The history of Sevierville dates back to ancient times, with Native Americans from the Woodland period being among its earliest inhabitants, arriving around 200 A.D.

During the Dallas phase of the Mississippian period (between 1200 and 1500 A.D.), a significant Native American village called the McMahan Mound Site thrived near the confluence of the West Fork and the Little Pigeon River. At its center was a platform mound surrounded by a palisade, and an excavation in 1881 revealed fascinating artifacts, including burial sites, arrowheads, a marble pipe, glass beads, pottery, and engraved objects. Due to its location on a farm owned by the McMahan family, it became known as the “McMahan Indian Mound.”

Moving forward to the early 18th century, the Cherokee people had gained control over much of the Tennessee side of the Smokies and had established settlements along the Little Tennessee River. The Great Indian Warpath, a crucial trade and travel route, branched at the mouth of Boyd’s Creek, just north of Sevierville. One branch led across the French Broad and continued along Dumplin Creek to the Nolichucky basin in northeastern Tennessee. The other branch, known as the Tuckaleechee and Southeastern Trail, turned south along the West Fork of the Little Pigeon River. At present-day Pigeon Forge, this trail further split, with the main route heading east towards Little River, and the other branch, called Indian Gap Trail, crossing the Smokies’ crest to the south and descending into the Oconaluftee area of North Carolina. These various Cherokee trails played a pivotal role in bringing the first Euro-American traders and settlers to the region.