CONTINUE
CONTINUE OUR SERIES ON THE WALKER SISTERS OF THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS. WBIR
10NEWS REPORTER JIM MATHENY
SHOWS US HOW THE SISTERS KEPT
THEIR HOME AND THEIR OLD WAY
OF LIFE... WHILE LIVING IN A
NEW NATIONAL
PARK. "THEIR STORY IS SOMEWHAT
UNIQUE." RETIRED PARK
RANGER KENT CAVE MAY NOT HAVE
WRITTEN TH4@E BOOK ON THE WALKE
SISTERS. BUT HE WAS AN
EDITOR. "EDITED THIS. THE
WALKER SISTERS 4@PRESENTED A
PUBLIC RELATIONS NIGHTMARE 4@FO
THE GOVERNMENT. "4@ IN THE
EARLY DAYS OF THE PARK, THE
SISTERS HELD OUT ON SELLING
4@ THEIR LAND... BUT TIME RAN
OUT. IN 1941, THEIR 122 ACRES
BECAME NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
PROPERTY. "THE
SUPERINTENDENT WAS VERY MUCH
WORRIED ABOUT THE IMAGE THAT
4@ THE PARK WOULD HAVE IN KICKING
WALKER SISTERS4@ OFF THEIR
LAND" SO THE GOVERNMENT
PAID
PAID THE
PAID THE WALKERS FOR 4@THE LAND AND AGREED TO A LET THEM STAY ON THE PROPERTY UNTIL THE LAST
@ SISTER DIED. BUT LIVING IN
THE PARK 4@MEANT FOLLOWING PARK
RULES.4@ "THE PROBLEM WITH
STAYING ON IT IS YOU WERE SO
RESTRICTED. YOU COULDN'T HUNT
THE ANIMALS ANYMORE. YOU HAD
NO REAL WAY TO MAKE A LIVING
IF YOU WERE A FARMER."4@
STILL, THE SISTERS HELD ONTO
AS MANY OF THE OLD TIME WAYS
AS THEY COULD. THE WAS NO
ELECTRICITY. NO BATHROOM.
AND THE ONLY RUNNING WATER
WAS FROM A COOL SPRING.
"THERE'S A SPRINGHOUSE THERE.
A VERY FINE SPRINGHOUSE."
"THE SPRINGHOUSE 4@WAS THE
REFRIGERATOR. WHAT KEPT
EVERYTHING COLD AND FRESH AND
4@ PRESERVED." THE SISTERS
LIVING LIKE THE OLDEN DAYS...
GOT OLDER. POLLY DIED IN
1945. THE FOUR REMAINING
SISTERS KEPT MAKING 4@THEIR OWN
CLOTHES... USING NEWSPAPERS
FOR WALLPAPER... AND LANDED IN
ONE THE MOST POPULAR MAGAZINES
IN THE COUNTRY IN APRIL 1946.
"THE SATURDAY EVENING POST
DID A FULL FEATURE LAYOUT."
"THEY WERE INSTANT MO4@VIE
STARS. AND ALL THE VISITORS
THAT WOULD COME WOULD WANT TO
4@ SEE THOSE OLD LADIES AND HOW
THEY WERE LIVING LIKE IN THE
1800S." TOURISTS CAME
4@ KNOCKING... AND SO DID A
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY. "THE
VISITORS BOUGHT 4@THE SOUVENIRS
THAT THEY MADE. AND IT GAVE
THEM A LITTLE EXTRA CASH
4@MONEY. TH4@AT THEY COULD 4@B
HATS TO WEAR TO RIDGECREST OR
CHURCH ON SUNDAY." THE
SISTERS SOLD 4@RAGDOLLS..
BASKETS... AND LOUISA'S
POETRY. BUT FIVE YEARS AFTER THE
SISTERS FOUND FAME... HETTIE
AND MARTHA HAD DIED.4@ ONLY
MARGARET AND LOUISA WERE LEFT
AND THEY COULDN'T KEEP UP.
"LOUISA ASKED THE PARK
SUPERINTENDENT TO HAVE A SIGN
PUT UP TO KEEP VISITORS AWAY.
BECAUSE AS SHE SAID THEY COULD
NO LONGER DO THEIR WORK
BECAUSE 4@THEY WERE OVERRUN."
BUT THE SIGN DIDN'T STOP
LOUISA FROM BEING A GRACIOUS
HOST.4@ "4@THEY HAD VISITOR
ANYWAY. IT DIDN'T STOP
VISITORS. IF YOU WERE THERE AT
MEALTIME, YOU ATE. AND THEY
WOULD BE OFFENDED IF YOU
DIDN'T. EVERYBODY ATE. IT
DIDN'T MATTER IF YOU KNEW THEM
OR NOT." BUT THE FINAL
MEALS AND VISITS CAME IN THE
1960S. MARGARET DIED IN
4@ '61... LOUISA IN '64. ALL
THEIR HEADSTONES SAY SISTER.4@
A DEVOTION THAT WAS A
DECISION... 4@JUST LIKE HOW THE
CHOSE TO LIVE IN AN OLD LOG
CABIN. NOT BECAUSE THEY
HAD TO... BECAUSE THEY WANTED
TO. A POINT THOSE WHO KNEW
THEM SAY SHOULD NEVER BE
EDITED OUT OF THEIR STORIES.
"IT WAS A PERSONAL CHOICE."
"THEY WERE PORTRAYED AS
4@MOUNTAIN 4@4@WOMEN THAT DIDN'
KNOW MUCH ABOUT ANYTHING
EXCEPT JUST HOW TO LIVE. AND
THEY WERE NOT THAT WAY. IT
4@ WAS A PERSONAL CHOICE. "
"THEY WERE A PART OF LIVING
HISTORY HERE." "THEY WERE
NOT TYPICAL. THEY WERE
ATYPICAL. AND I THINK THAT'S
WHAT MADE THEM FASCINATING TO
A LOT OF PEOPLE." "NOW THE
WALKER SISTERS HAD A LIFETIME
LEASE. NOW THAT THEIR
LIFETIME WAS UP, THE PARK HAD
TO DECIDE WHAT WAS IT GOING TO
DO WITH THIS PLACE. IN PART 3
OF THIS SERIES, 4@WE'RE GOING T
LOOK AT HOW THEIR LEGACY STILL
LIVES ON. WE HOPE YOU'LL JOIN
US FOR THAT. UNTIL THEN, FROM
THE GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS, I'M
JIM MATHENY. WE'LL SEND IT
BACK TO YOU."
4@
4@4@4@4@
4@4@4@
4@4@
@4@
WE'LL
WE'LL HAVE PART
4@4@4@
THREE 4@4@4@
THREE OF 4@4@4@
THREE OF THE 4@4@4@
THREE OF THE SERIES 4@4@4@
THREE OF THE SERIES ON 4@4@4@ WEDNESDAY RIGHT HERE ON 10NEWS AT SIX O'CLOCK... AND IF YOU
MISSED PART ONE, YOU CAN GO
BACK AND WATCH IT AT
WBIR-DOT-COM4@.4@