The story of Bluff Mountain contains many facets. It makes sense for a property whose written accounts go back to the 1890s.
Long before a conservation easement was placed on this land in 2009, three prominent men in Sevier County purchased the property and decided to build a mountain hotel. A plausible theory is that automobiles were not readily accessible nor widely owned at the time, and people living in the big city of Knoxville wanted to escape the heat, dust, and smoke that the industries of the time created. It was called the Dupont Springs ‘Cool Chilhowee Health Resort’, touting the water as having strong mineral properties that “contained iron, lithia, and magnesia.”
The developers thought its elevation was above the dew point (which likely wasn’t accurate). Dew point or not, the elevation still meant the trip up the mountain probably took 4 – 5 hours via horse drawn hacks (rustic carriages). Some people would opt for the horses; others would hike up. Once they arrived, they’d unload their baggage and settle in for their stay. Different springs offered different options for drinking water, some that contained the advertised mineral and even medicinal properties. The kitchen staff were delighted to tell guests they had running water in the hotel – the water “ran down” from a spring far up on the hill.
It was a beautiful respite for old Knoxville families, who would gather for a week or two (or however much money and time they had). The hotel had square dances and other activities. After dinner in the evenings, people would hike about a mile to sunset rock to see the stunning view, and also to catch up on the day’s gossip. Close relationships developed between folks who were regulars and stayed in the hotel or in the nearby cottages or cabins that were eventually built and bought. One belonged to Marian Oates’ grandparents; Marian surmised that they stayed a couple times at the hotel, loved the mountain, and decided it made better economic sense to build their own place for a growing family. Her grandmother (Louise Cane Oates) bought it along with her sister (Mable Litz) and they spent summers there with Marian’s father (Frank, who was 7-9 years old at the time) and his two sisters. Her grandfather would come up on weekends, and her grandmother would teach Sunday school in the front yard on Sunday morning.
Time passed. Frank worked early and throughout his life, and ultimately the family cabin was abandoned. In 1945, the family hiked up to visit and reminisce and found that the hotel, the road for the hacks, and much of what once stood – was gone. Over the next few years Frank developed a land acquisition plan to buy up tracts, gradually building up the necessary road systems. In the early 1950’s he purchased the very top of Bluff Mountain for $10,000 and with a bit of patience and much excitement, he and his wife, Emma Ree Crooks Oates, built their dream retirement home in 1964.
Marian Oates lived here and built quite a legacy during her own lifetime. She held a B.S. in Chemistry and a Master of Mathematics from the University of Tennessee and retired after serving as the CEO/Executive Director of the Girl Scouts of Tanasi Council, Inc. in Knoxville. Prior to this position she worked for the City of Oak Ridge as a Data Processor and as a secondary school teacher (in Mathematics, Chemistry, Physical Education) with Atlanta Public Schools (Georgia). She served as a board member for the East Tennessee Foundation and for FLC, and was President of Upper Bluff Mountain Associates. She also served as past chair of the Great Smoky Mountains Association, past national board officer for the Association for Partners for Public Lands and was a 50+ year member of the Smoky Mountains Hiking Club.
In 2009, Marian placed a conservation easement on the 510 acres that her family purchased over time, and ultimately bequeathed the property to FLC to manage and steward in perpetuity.
Now known as Bluff Mountain Ecological Reserve, it’s a tale of two different stories, of both the development of the Tennessee Valley, and what the land looked like before rooftops reflected the shining sun. From the east side of the mountain, you’ll see the towns and cities that so many thousands now call home and all the way to the Cumberland Mountains. To the west, it’s a picture frame of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park with cascading views of Cove Mountain, Kuwohi, and the majestic Mount LeConte. Marian Oates could tell you where the sun actually rises and sets on the mountain ridgelines during the summer and winter solstices. These stunning views are guaranteed to stay just as they are – and, just as they were.
When she signed her conservation easement with FLC in 2009, she said:
“I’m so glad that the Foothills Land Conservancy and I worked together to place a conservation easement on this land. This agreement enables continuation of the conservation principles my Father, Mother, and I have tried to practice on Bluff Mountain. Hopefully, many others will see fit to do their part to save God’s beautiful Creation.”
FLC’s Executive Director, Bill Clabough, says “With these types of land protection projects, you realize it’s not just the vast landscape that can capture the essence of East Tennessee’s diversity. The people and their stories leave imprints just as poignant. It’s the ultimate gift a family or individual can give – to allow for the land to stay as is, uninterrupted and in perpetuity. It’s extraordinarily special and benefits everybody.”
