Railroad Museum Portrays Important Part of Local History

Wednesday June 23, 2010
The Little River Railroad Museum is a non-profit organization that preserves the history of the railroad and lumber company

TOWNSEND, Tenn.-In 1901 a group of men from Pennsylvania came to Tennessee to establish a logging operation on the land that would later become the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Later that year, the Little River Railroad and Lumber Company was chartered. A man named Colonel W.B. Townsend, whom the town was later named for, headed the company.

The Little River Railroad and Lumber Company brought new industry to the Townsend area, providing new jobs and communication to the outside world. However, the railroad was stopped in 1938, after the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was developed.

Today, The Little River Railroad Museum is a non-profit organization that preserves the history of the railroad and lumber company, as well as the town of Townsend. James Abbot of Sevierville and George Morrison of Maryville started the museum.

In 1982, the two men appealed to the Blount County Chamber of Commerce to purchase a Shay 2147, an original caboose that was used at the Little River Railroad. The old Walland Depot building was also donated to help start the museum. The museum is located at the historical mill site.

"Many people have sent in photos and memorabilia, tools and equipment to the museum to add the collection and artifacts that help tell the Little River Railroad story," said Herb Handly, executive vice president of tourism for the Smoky Mountain Convention and Visitors Bureau. "It's a true asset to have our community's rich heritage preserved through the museum."

Many exhibits in the museum have been renovated through the help of students and faculty from the University of Tennessee. In 1995, the Tennessee Humanities Council issued
a grant that helped in the renovation of the depot, adding air conditioning, lighting and new paint.

A gift shop was also added to the museum, which was built as a replica of the old Elkmont Post Office. The shop sells books about the Little River, T-shirts, hats and other railroad memorabilia.

The museum is dependent entirely on donations from benefactors, grants and sales from the gift shop. The museum also continues to request contributions of artifacts and photographs of the historic railroad and lumber company. Each year, hundreds of school children from across the region visit the museum.

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