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smokymountainsoul.bsky.social
Smoky Mountain Soul
@smokymountainsoul.bsky.social
48 followers 13 following 36 posts
Rooted in the heart of East Tennessee, celebrating the beauty of the Smokies, the charm of Appalachian life and all the souls that makes this region special. From mountain views to local vibes— welcome to my corner of the sky!
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smokymountainsoul.bsky.social
The ghost town of Elkmont, Tennessee is a popular hiking destination in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Elkmont was a logging boom town of sorts in its prime. This picture was taken in the early 1930's...

Source
Thompson Photograph Collection
Black-and-white historical photograph showing a steam locomotive stopped on narrow-gauge tracks in a forested logging area. A large group of men in work clothes sit and stand on open rail cars, with freshly cut logs stacked on a hillside behind them and scattered along the ground, suggesting an early 20th-century logging operation.
January 4, 2026 at 1:17 AM
smokymountainsoul.bsky.social
Knox County, TN circa 1910
Frank P. Galbraith, Undertaker, with hearse and horses. Ca. 1910. Clay Road and Second, Concord

Source
Project Knox County Two Centuries Photograph
Black-and-white historical photograph of a wooden building labeled “F.P. Galbraith Undertaker,” with a horse-drawn hearse parked in front. A driver sits on the carriage seat, and the scene appears to be from the early 1900s, set on an unpaved street with trees and neighboring structures in the background.
January 3, 2026 at 1:16 AM
smokymountainsoul.bsky.social
Great Smoky Mountains, East Tennessee / Western North Carolina, 1909...

Photo Source
Thomas R. Dawley
Black-and-white historical photograph of three women standing on a wooded hillside, wearing long dresses and bonnets, each holding a long pole or tool stretched across the slope. Tall trees surround them, and fallen leaves cover the ground, suggesting outdoor labor or agricultural work in a rural forest setting from the late 19th or early 20th century.
December 28, 2025 at 3:40 AM
smokymountainsoul.bsky.social
Unicoi County, Tennessee, 1920...
Fowler Mine at Bumpass Cove. The Fowler Zinc Mine is near Erwin, Tennessee. Historically the site has been associated with the Bumpus-Embreeville Mining District which is now part of the Cherokee National Forest.

Source
Tennessee State Library and Archives
Black-and-white historical photograph showing a large group of miners standing at the entrance of a rocky cave or mine. Several men in work clothes and caps line the rock face above, while four men on horseback are positioned in the foreground. The scene reflects early mining labor, with rough terrain, tools, and the mine opening visible behind the workers.
December 26, 2025 at 4:53 AM
smokymountainsoul.bsky.social
Market Square, Knoxville, Tennessee,
1907.
The Winkle brothers sit atop their ox awaiting the start of a race. The boys raced the ox against the automobile shown beside them. Unfortunately, I do not know if the ox or the automobile won the race.

Source
Tennessee State Library and Archives
Black-and-white historical photograph showing a group of men on a cobblestone street in the early 1900s. A small open-top automobile is stopped beside a horse pulling a cart, with one man seated on the horse and others standing around observing. The scene highlights the contrast between early motor vehicles and traditional horse-drawn transport, with storefronts and onlookers in the background.
December 26, 2025 at 4:49 AM
smokymountainsoul.bsky.social
Knoxville, Tennessee (1930’s)
Black-and-white historic photograph of a small rural roadside scene. In the foreground is a wooden general store with large painted signs reading “SWAN’S BREAD & CAKE” and “HILL’S GROCERY & MEATS.” Two people stand near the entrance, and an early automobile is parked nearby. Additional buildings, utility poles, bare trees, and a gently curving road extend into the background, suggesting an early 20th-century small-town setting.
December 23, 2025 at 12:57 AM
smokymountainsoul.bsky.social
1946 photograph showing the Cumberland Gap and the town of Cumberland Gap in Claiborne County Tennessee.
Black-and-white photograph of a small rural town nestled in a valley, with modest houses lining a quiet road and bare trees framing the scene, surrounded by rolling, wooded hills in the background.
December 20, 2025 at 3:42 PM
smokymountainsoul.bsky.social
“Abandoned Steam Engine” GSMNP- 1920s Nichols&Shepard traction engine that once powered a sawmill for the Greenbrier School. It rolled into Injun Creek after missing a switchback &still sits there today.The creek’s name came from a misspelled “engine.” You can see it off the Grapeyard Ridge Trail.
Three photos of a rusted, abandoned steam engine lying broken in a shallow creek in a forest. The large cylindrical boiler is tipped on its side, covered in moss and decay, with gears, wheels, and metal parts scattered around it. Leafless trees surround the debris, and water flows through the machinery pieces, emphasizing how long it has been left in the woods.
December 9, 2025 at 5:30 PM
smokymountainsoul.bsky.social
McGhee Tyson Airport Opening, October 1937
A black-and-white historical photograph of a small airport terminal building with a flagpole in front. Numerous vintage cars from the early-to-mid 20th century are parked in a semicircle around the entrance. Large crowds of people gather around the building and along grassy runways in the background, where several early model airplanes are parked or taxiing. Open fields and tree lines stretch into the distance, capturing a busy aviation event or airshow from a bygone era.
October 15, 2025 at 8:08 PM
smokymountainsoul.bsky.social
I-40 at West Hills, Knoxville Tennessee circa 1959. Sure has changed a lot now.
Black-and-white aerial photograph of a newly constructed highway interchange in Knoxville, Tennessee, labeled “West Hills – Bearden.” The image shows sweeping cloverleaf ramps connecting wide, open stretches of road cutting through mostly undeveloped land and farmland. A few scattered houses, small buildings, and a large retail structure with a parking lot appear in the lower right corner. In the distance, rows of residential neighborhoods are visible, with fields and hills stretching toward the horizon under a hazy sky.
September 22, 2025 at 10:28 PM
smokymountainsoul.bsky.social
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 1939...

The swinging bridge across the Little Pigeon River near Gatlinburg, TN

Source
Tennessee Department of Conservation
Black and white photograph of two women standing on a narrow suspension bridge over a shallow river. The bridge is supported by cables and dips slightly in the middle. One woman wears trousers and a vest over a shirt, while the other wears a buttoned shirt and slacks. Both are smiling at each other. Dense trees and foliage surround the riverbank in the background.
September 7, 2025 at 12:12 AM
smokymountainsoul.bsky.social
Knox County, Tennessee, ca 1900.....

Solway Depot, Knox County, TN... Oliver Henry Cobb at far right.

Source
Knox County Two Centuries Photograph Project
A black-and-white historical photograph showing five people standing outside a wooden building. Two men lean against the wall on the left, one with hands in his pockets and another holding a pipe. In the center, a woman in a long dark skirt and white blouse stands beside a man in a suit and tie at the building’s entrance. Another man in work clothes and a vest stands nearby. A sign on the wall reads “House of South …” with smaller writing below. The setting appears to be early 20th century, with rural or small-town surroundings.
September 4, 2025 at 6:19 PM
smokymountainsoul.bsky.social
In the mid-1920’s, before the GSMNP was established, NC &TN agreed to build a new road. The previous road topped the ridge through Indian Gap but the new paved road was planned a few miles to the east,through Newfound Gap.The park employed master road builder, John L. Humbard to oversee the project.
Black and white historical photograph of a logging or construction site in a forested mountainous area. The dirt road is cut into a hillside, with large trees standing on either side. On the right, an overturned piece of heavy equipment lies on its side, while another machine with a crane arm is positioned in the middle of the road. Workers are standing nearby, and piles of earth and debris are scattered around the site. In the background, hills and dense trees extend into the distance.
August 29, 2025 at 6:42 PM
smokymountainsoul.bsky.social
Elkmont, Tennessee, now part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Sevier County (c. 1915).
Sepia-toned historical photograph of a rural Appalachian logging or mining settlement, with wooden cabins, sheds, and stacked lumber scattered across a hillside valley. Smoky hills rise in the background under a hazy yellow-tinted sky.
August 28, 2025 at 9:21 PM
smokymountainsoul.bsky.social
Motor car in the Doe River Gorge at Pardue Point on the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad.

Source
Tennessee Department of Conservation
A black-and-white photograph of four people riding on a small rail car traveling along a narrow track carved into the side of a rocky mountain. The group, consisting of two women, a man, and a child, appears relaxed and cheerful, with some seated and others standing on the open rail car. The track curves around the mountainside, with steep rock walls on one side and a scenic, tree-covered mountain landscape in the background. The image captures a sense of adventure and historic mountain travel.
August 7, 2025 at 4:41 PM
smokymountainsoul.bsky.social
The Cumberland Gap in Claiborne County in 1945.

Photo courtesy of the Clark Family Photo Collection
A black-and-white photograph showing a man standing on a rocky cliff edge, looking out over a small town nestled in a valley below. The town is composed of a grid of streets with houses, buildings, and sparse vegetation. Surrounding the town are winding roads, rail tracks, and wooded hills. The elevated vantage point offers a dramatic and expansive view of the landscape, emphasizing the man’s solitary figure against the vast scene.
August 7, 2025 at 1:24 PM
smokymountainsoul.bsky.social
Built in 1913 on sacred Cherokee land along the TN River sits the Hales Bar Dam. During the illegal Treaty of Sycamore Shoals in 1775, Cherokee War Chief Dragging Canoe cursed the land, calling it “dark and bloody.” Constant leaks and strange mishaps plagued the dam until it was finally shut down.
Alt text: A collage of three photos showing a large, historic industrial building. The top image shows the exterior of the tall concrete structure situated on the water, with rows of tall windows and weathered architectural details. The bottom-left image displays the interior of a large, empty room with high ceilings, steel beams, moss-covered floors, and large industrial windows letting in natural light. The bottom-right image shows another section of the building repurposed as a storage area, with rows of wooden barrels stacked along the walls under the tall windows and exposed metal ceiling beams.
August 7, 2025 at 1:19 PM
smokymountainsoul.bsky.social
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, 1903. Picture taken from opposite bank of Tennessee River.

Source
Detroit Publishing
Black and white historical photograph showing a large hilltop complex of institutional buildings, likely a university or hospital, overlooking a river in the foreground. The buildings have brick facades, pitched roofs, and one has a prominent tower. The landscape includes scattered trees, open grassy areas, and smaller structures near the water. The setting appears rural, with dirt paths and fences dividing the terrain.
July 29, 2025 at 11:28 PM
smokymountainsoul.bsky.social
Knoxville, Tennessee, 1920s...

Broadway Viaduct looking north. Includes Sudderth Coal Co., White Stores Warehouse on left and Standard Glass Co. at right. Railroad tracks to left and right...

Source
Thompson Brothers Photography
Black and white photograph of a mid-20th-century urban scene, showing a wide bridge with several vintage cars driving in both directions. A lone pedestrian walks along the sidewalk on the right side of the bridge. To the left, a large warehouse building displays the sign "WHITE STORES WAREHOUSE." Industrial buildings, train tracks, and utility poles are visible throughout the area, with a dense residential or commercial district stretching into the background under a hazy sky.
July 29, 2025 at 12:07 AM
smokymountainsoul.bsky.social
Gay Street, Knoxville, Tennessee. 1960’s
Black-and-white photo of a bustling mid-20th-century American downtown street lined with storefronts, vintage cars, and large retro signs. A prominent Coca-Cola billboard with the slogan "Work Refreshed" sits above a corner building. Visible businesses include drugstores, theaters, and various shops, showcasing classic architecture and signage from the era. The street is slightly inclined and busy with signs advertising movies and sales.
July 27, 2025 at 4:21 PM
smokymountainsoul.bsky.social
1914, Knoxville, TN
Farragut High School baseball game, afternoon of Commuaureal(?) Day 1914. J.Nesseler, Photographer, Knoxville

Source
Knox County Public Library
A large group of people, dressed in early 20th-century attire, gather around a lone tree in an open field bordered by rolling hills and a dirt road. The scene appears to be a public event or gathering on a clear day, with men, women, and children dispersed across the gently sloping landscape. The setting is pastoral and expansive, suggesting a rural location.
July 25, 2025 at 7:03 PM
smokymountainsoul.bsky.social
The parking area at Clingmans Dome in Sevier County in 1939
A black-and-white photograph shows a narrow, unpaved mountain road carved into the side of a steep cliff. A vintage car is parked on the road, with a few people standing nearby, including a woman in a dress and a man looking over the edge. Dense forest covers the surrounding mountains, and a river with whitewater rapids flows far below in the rocky gorge. Mist shrouds the distant peaks, creating a dramatic and remote atmosphere.
July 20, 2025 at 12:37 AM
smokymountainsoul.bsky.social
Since 1916, the National Park Service has tended the US parks, monuments & reserves. However, 1,000 NPS employees were recently fired as part of the DOGE bros' plan to "eliminate government waste" under President Trump's administration. These consequences will be felt for years. 😢
Alt text: A person wearing a beige ranger-style hat and a green jacket stands with their back to the camera, overlooking a stunning mountain landscape. The scene features Yosemite National Park’s iconic Tunnel View, with El Capitan on the left, Bridalveil Fall on the right, and snow-capped peaks in the background under a partly cloudy sky.
February 21, 2025 at 8:23 PM
smokymountainsoul.bsky.social
Foothills Parkway, Great Smoky Mountains, January 2025
#winter #mountains #icicles
A snow-covered road winds through a winter landscape, bordered by a steep rock face adorned with massive icicles. The ice formations cascade down the rock wall, varying in size and shape. A vehicle with a trailer is seen driving cautiously along the narrow, icy road. Snowbanks line the roadside, and evergreen trees loom above the frozen cliffside. The sky is partially cloudy, with sunlight filtering through, casting a soft glow on the icy formations.
February 19, 2025 at 1:31 AM
smokymountainsoul.bsky.social
Eastern elk, GSMNP
A serene landscape featuring a herd of elk grazing and resting in a misty meadow at dawn, with a dense forest in the background and fog gently rolling over the trees and distant hills.
January 31, 2025 at 3:02 AM