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History of the
Little Tennessee River Greenway - Pride of Macon County
Written by Hank Shuler, Director of Business & Industry Training, Southwestern Community College

The bell rings loudly, informing employees at Zickgraf of their noon break. Right across the river a pair of Canadian geese guards a nest, paying little attention to the noon bell or the young mother pushing her toddler in a stroller on the Little Tennessee River Greenway.

Providing a cornucopia of wildlife and wildflowers, the Greenway cuts a meandering path of nearly five miles through Franklin. Reflecting the extraordinarily rich diversity of the Macon County landscape, visitors can experience wetlands, stroll through two railroad cuts left behind by the Tallulah Falls Railroad, wander alongside an old pasture, catch sight of the desert agave, and experience the upland woods.

History of the Little Tennessee River

The lottery? Duke Power needed a transmission line through Franklin. The unusable land along the river seemed to offer the most logical route. At that time Nantahala Power and Light, though owned by Duke, was still an intact company with leadership that was an integral part of our community and aware of The Dream. Actually some of the NP&L folks shared The Dream. What better way to garner the undying gratitude of the community than to contribute the land they would have to acquire to be used in perpetuity as a greenway? Yes, what better way? We won the lottery! Thank you, Duke Power and thank you to all you wonderful former NP&L folks.

The Town of Franklin was the obvious recipient of the title to the land. The town’s leadership looked at it and said, “That is marvelous, but we don’t have the capacity to handle a project as large as this. Talk to Macon County.” (Or words to that effect.)

Macon County’s leadership said, “Bring it on!” Though not all of the greenway lies in the transmission line easement, it represents almost 50% of the trail and became the catalyst that was needed to turn The Dream into a vision and ultimately into a reality.

But the lottery payoff didn’t end with the donation of the land. Duke and NP&L donated their expertise in engineering, grant writing, web design, and getting-the-job-done. They created a blue-ribbon steering committee of community leaders who added flesh to the dream. The team included Ed Tucker, former president of NP&L; Tom Smitherman, former vice-president with NP&L; former Mayor Ed Henson, Mayor Joe Collins, County Manager Sam Greenwood, Peg Jones, and Brian Hyder.

Barbara McRae, formerly with NP&L, wrote two major grants to bring in the cash to restore the riverbanks, build trails, picnic shelters, and bridges to cross the river. These included a $3.8 million North Carolina Clean Water Trust Fund grant and a North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund grant for $250,000. She also designed a web site, created a Power Point presentation, and wrote press releases to keep people informed of progress. Tom Smitherman cajoled and harangued, directed and begged, planned and forged ahead in getting the initial trail moving. Thank you, Barbara and Tom.

But the lottery payoff still didn’t end. The Parks and Recreation grant required matching funds of $250,000. F.P. (“Bodie”) Bodenheimer, II, owner and CEO of Zickgraf Industries came up with the matching funds. Thank you, Bodie, for your generous gift.

In 2000, a weaver, poet, artist, and naturalist named Sally Kesler wasn’t happy with the progress of the greenway. Things weren’t happening as fast as she thought they should so she put her diminutive finger in Sam Greenwood’s face and told him so. Sam told her to do something about it. As a result, Nikwasi Center, Ltd, an organization formed to build an amphitheatre on the greenway, was reorganized as Friends of the Greenway, Inc. (“FROGs”) in 2001. FROGs received their 501(c)3 tax-free status and signed an agreement with the county to assist in the development, fund raising, and management of the greenway. Thank you, Sally, for stepping forward at a crucial juncture in the greenway development.

Though the history of the greenway is a wonderful lesson in the value of dreams, (believe me the dream hasn’t stopped) its real beauty lies in walking it.

Sulí (pronounced Sue Lee) Marsh lies at the northern terminus just off the Bryson City Road at Riverview and Arthur Drake Roads. Acquired from the Town of Franklin, its name is Cherokee for buzzard. The boardwalk access across this lovely marsh is possible because of the efforts of a volunteer construction crew dubbed The Young Buzzard Construction Company. Headed by Dick Moulton, a retired engineer, and Charlie McLaughlin, a retired spy (so he teasingly tells folks), numerous volunteer men and women worked in sleet and mud to their knees to get it finished.

The Morris Trace, a name that honors Giddeon Morris and the Cherokee Reservation he owned on the eastern bank of the Little Tennessee River, runs along a river section that was badly degraded by sand dredging operations. The sand dredging was vital in keeping Lake Emory and the river viable but created sand banks that are too week to support the river. Damage from Hurricane Ivan is still in evidence. Because of the sand banks and intimate proximity to the transmission lines, this section presents the greatest challenge for the FROGs and Duke to work cooperatively in providing adequate shade for walkers, stable banks, and river quality, while simultaneously guaranteeing uninterrupted transmission of power.

At the southern end of Morris Trace, at the intersection of N.E. Main Street and the Little T, you will find Big Bear Park. Big Bear Park is named for a fictional Cherokee character from a nineteenth century novel set in our area. In addition to the picnic shelter, restroom facilities, and barbecue pit, it houses a premier playground. Erected by volunteers (including Duke retirees) and memorializing a young child lost in a Franklin fire in 2000, it has become a favorite destination for children and their parents or grandparents. Funding for Wesley’s Playground came from a variety of sources including many businesses and individuals in the community, Macon County, the Town of Franklin, and the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Trust Fund. Funded by donations made to the FROGs, the barbecue pit was constructed by Southwestern Community College’s Macon Leadership class of 2005.

Directly across the street from Big Bear Park sits the new headquarters for the greenway – Frog Quarters. The FROGs and community volunteers operate Frog Quarters. It serves several purposes. First and foremost it is an information center for the greenway and a place to house the equipment necessary to keep the greenway beautiful. In addition, it is a source of revenue to support the development of the greenway. The FROGs operate a gourmet coffee bar and a gift shop focusing on local arts and crafts.

Frog Quarters also benefited from the generosity of our community. In addition to paid contractors and suppliers, several people stepped forward to provide assistance with the renovation of what has been an eyesore on East Main Street for several years. These included Smoky Mountain Systems, Bob Ruble, Russ Rankin, Ron Winecoff, Bob Litten, and Howard Johnson, among others.

Current access to the next trail section requires greenway users to cross N.E. Main Street, take the Main Street Bridge across the river, and cut behind East Franklin Shopping Center to reach Old Airport Trail. Future plans envision replacement of the Main Street Bridge with a 3-lane bridge. The 3rd lane will serve pedestrians and cyclist. The use of a cloverleaf under the two bridges will eliminate the need to cross East Main and N.E. Main Streets.

The Old Airport Trail derives its name from the original Franklin Airport that occupied the tract of land where this trail section is found. After crossing Cat Creek, the visitor will find a new picnic pavilion built by the Daybreak Rotary Club of Franklin and several adult exercise stations contributed by the Rotary Club of Franklin. These two projects were contributed in celebration of Rotary’s centennial anniversary in 2005.

The Old Airport Trail meanders through a beautiful wetland area that is a haven for birds, butterflies, geese, rabbits, turtles, and beavers. The wild flowers and river cane abound along with the very rare Virginia spirea.

Termination of this trail section is at the Salali (pronounced sa-la-li) Lane parking lot and the Tassee Bridge. Salali is Cherokee for squirrel and Tassee was the Cherokee village at the confluence of the Little T and the Cullasaga Rivers.

Salali Lane can be accessed from Fox Ridge Road, immediately south of the Franklin Flea Market on Highlands Road.

The Tassee Bridge is one of the beautiful greenway bridges built to span the Little T. It has been the site for a number of weddings and at least one memorial service.

The Tallulah Falls Railroad Trail commences on the west bank of the Little Tennessee. Abandoned in the mid 20th century, the Tallulah Falls Railroad backed into the depot in Franklin. Making an interesting backwards arrival, this Georgia railroad terminated in Franklin and because no land was available in town to turn around, the turnaround was located south of town near Prentiss.

Tassee Park, which also provides a picnic shelter, restroom facilities, barbecue facilities, and a fishing pier, is located on the northern end of this trail. This barbecue pit was funded by the FROGs and constructed by LBJ Civilian Conservation Job Corps students. In fact, the LBJ students have played a major role in the development of the greenway, building park benches and picnic tables, and pouring the slabs for the picnic shelters. Thank you, LBJ!

Tassee Park is accessible off Wells Grove Road and Ulco Drive just southeast of the Franklin Press and next to the Wells Grove Bridge.

Maintained by the Nantahala Hiking Club, the Tallulah Falls Railroad Trail follows the old railroad bed. One of its prettiest sections runs though a railroad cut in the mountain, giving the walker a sense of solitude and peace, far removed from town and troubles. Among other beautiful plants, look for the agave growing on the banks of the river just north of the railroad cut.

The Nickajack Bridge is a transplant from the Cullasaga Community. A wonderful old, one-lane steel suspension bridge it is sorely missed by the Cullasaga Community but everyone appreciates its new home on the Little T Greenway. This bridge links Traders Path and Tallulah Falls RR Trail.

The shortest trail section, Traders Path will be adjacent to the Nikwasi Center, an outdoor amphitheatre to be located on the hill above the trail. Development of this facility will take place over the next few years.

This trail name honors the first Anglos into the region - traders. Deer hides were at a premium in England in the 18th century, and the traders exploited this market by trading for hides with the Cherokees.

One of the community’s favorite bridges links Traders Path with the Tartan Trail. The covered Nonah Bridge provides a beautiful view of the river. Nonah (pronounced no na) is Cherokee for spruce.

Tartan Trail picks up along the old railroad bed and terminates at the confluence of the Cartoogachaye Creek. Tartan Trail, celebrating our Scots-Irish early settlers, passes under Highways 64 and 441 and is located below the future home of Southwestern Community College as one approaches the creek. This trail passes through the second railroad cut on the greenway.

At the confluence with the creek at the end of the railroad cut, the greenway leaves the river and moves up the Cartoogachaye Creek, changing names to the Walasi Trail. Walasi is pronounced wa-la-see and is Cherokee for frog, honoring the community friends for their support of the greenway.

The Walasi Trail is anticipated to be one of the most popular trail sections once the SCC satellite campus and new Macon County Library open in 2007. There will be driving access from these facilities off Siler Road to a parking lot, soccer practice field, frisbee golf, a picnic shelter, and more.

The Walasi Trail is one of the prettiest and well worth the trip from Tassee Park, the nearest access today.

And so concludes our trip down the greenway. Is this the end of the greenway? No, the dream goes on.

Our county commissioners over this past eight years, volunteers who came out to plant sweet pepper bushes and trees, to pick up litter and help in fund raising, the Frog’s Eyes who regularly patrol and mark, inventory, and photograph plants; the many companies and individuals who have contributed money, our town aldermen and mayors, our newspapers and radio stations, the girl scouts who planted wild flower seeds, the Eagle scouts who put up wood duck boxes, Terry Browning (who is responsible for the trail maintenance and has been wonderful in our Frog Quarters renovations), the Macon County maintenance crew, present and past board members of FROGs, these and so many more are what make the Little Tennessee River Greenway a project of Macon County and its citizens. Thank you one and all.

Southwestern Community College provided much needed and appreciated support for the Greenway through in-kind services over the past five years. Without this support, substantially less progress would have been made. Thank you, SCC.

And finally, our county manager Sam Greenwood has been the driving force, the glue that pulled it all together, the man big enough to tell Sally Kesler to do something about it, and the one providing encouragement and support to the FROGs to do something about it. Thank you, Sam.

In 1998, when the greenway dream was becoming a greenway vision, many folks were wondering about the ultimate use of it. Who will use it? How many people will use it? Will it be abandoned during the winter? Will it increase our tax bills? Why do we need it? Well, it didn’t increase our tax bill and there are estimated monthly visits of 15,000 in the summer and 8,000 in the winter. Farmer, doctor, mechanic, teacher, waitress, retiree, and toddler use it. It supports our economic development, heritage, recreation, health, environment, and sense of community. Nothing in our community has garnered more pride than the Little Tennessee River Greenway, the envy of many communities.