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by Lance Holland (Author)
From Wilderness to Industry and Back Again
For thousands of years, the Little Tennessee River and the foot trail alongside it were a vital route through the Southern Appalachians--used first by the Cherokee and then by early traders and drovers moving deerskins and livestock to Charleston, South Carolina, then colonial America's richest port. This mountainous land drew only the hardiest settlers until around 1900, when railroads, timbermen, miners, and dam builders rapidly transformed it into a center of industry. In 1920, conservationists began returning much of it to wilderness as quickly as it was modernized.
In this richly researched local history, author and historian Lance Holland brings to life the people, places, and powerful changes that shaped this storied region--perfect for readers who love Appalachian history, Cherokee heritage, and forgotten American trails.
Author Biography
Lance Holland is a man of varied talents: backcountry guide; builder; and author of What's Next: The Story of a War Baby Just Trying to Make It, The Nantahala River: A History and Guide, Fontana: A Pocket History of Appalachia, and Hiking Trails of the Smokies (as coauthor). He worked twenty years as a location manager/scout for motion pictures, including The Last of the Mohicans, The Fugitive, Nell, Forces of Nature, Leatherheads, and many others. Lance produced and directed the historic documentary films Nantahala: Land of the Noonday Sun and Hiking on Hazel Creek. He lives in the Stecoah community, located in the heart of the Western North Carolina mountains, and owns Appalachian Mercantile in Bryson City, North Carolina.
