Great Smoky Mountains Farm Museum

Good morning,

These images are of our return visit to the Great Smoky Mountains Farm Museum.  We have visited here before and have noted changes and improvements over the years.

This farm homestead consists of pioneer era buildings that have been brought here to be displayed with other buildings that were already on the site.

The "museum" is a teaching tool, too.  We have been here when there were children in period costumes, their teachers, and park rangers tending the fields, touring the home, and baking corn bread.

Tours are offered, but we enjoy walking through the homestead at our own pace to take pictures.  There are informative signs explaining the buildings, tools, and life style of the early inhabitants.

Corn was very important to the early settlers.

 

 This corn husker and other simple tools are on display.

 

I didn't realize I had them in any pictures, but the two men in the distance left of center in the picture had dinner at the next table from us in Cherokee the previous evening.  My Norwegian-born husband stopped to chat because he heard them speaking Swedish.  Shortly after I took this picture, they caught up with us as we walked through the farm and we chatted again.   It's a small world, isn't it?

 This is a Park Ranger guided tour. 

There are many farm vehicles and tools stored in the barn at the far end of the property...

...where it is guarded by Mr. Rooster who takes his job very seriously.

This is real government pork here at the National Park. 

 Two hams on the hoof...

 ...and such a pretty face.  Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

 This mountain stream supplied water for the farm.  There is also a spring with a spring house built around it on the property.

 This is the blacksmith shop.

 And here are images of the inside of the home.

 It was nicely furnished for the times.

 The organ is a beautiful antique.

 This is the wood shed with at least a little wood ready for the winter months.

 This little patch of weeds was between the steps to the cooking building.  The leaves to the left look like mint to me. Perhaps that mint has been returning for many years just outside the kitchen door.

 When we were here a few years ago a park ranger was making corn bread in a kettle at this fireplace.  A group of school children were having a grand time watching and surely consumed the finished product.

 The cook house was quite roomy to prepare meals for the main house.  Of course, the cook house was a distance from the main house as a precaution against fire.

Next to the cookhouse was the meat house...

 ...again there are plenty of teaching tools in the building.

 This brought us back around to the beginning of our tour.

There is a great deal of building going on near the parking area and it appears there will be even more educational opportunities here soon.

The US National Park system is a national treasure.  If you haven't explored it, be sure to put it on your list of things to do very soon.

Here is the link to the Farm Museum and Mingus Mill on the National Park web site.

We have been to Mingus Mill (my November 24 post) and here at the farm before.  We have other images of the park on line here:

March 30, 2005 - Mingus Mill in The Great Smoky Mountains near Cherokee, North Carolina

April 23 - 24, 2001 - The Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Enjoy,
Lois

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 Great Smoky Mountains National Park Pocket Guide (Falcon Pocket Guides Series)

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