county fair

Hogs to H.O.Gs- The French Broad River Road

Long before interstates or railroads connected Asheville and Newport, farmers faced a challenge: getting their goods to market. The fertile valleys of the French Broad River and Cocke County produced an abundance of food that was in demand as far south as Charleston, SC.

A Fertile Land: Corn and Hog Farming

In 1874, Joseph Buckner Killebrew, a Tennessee Bureau of Agriculture agent, wrote about the area’s incredible potential:

“These are exceedingly fertile valleys, the soil equal to any in the State. It is alluvial and deep. With anything like fair cultivation, it will produce from fifty to one hundred bushels of corn to the acre.”

Much of the corn grown in Cocke County wasn’t used for milling or distilling. Instead, it was used to fatten hogs, which were then sold to markets throughout the South. Hogs are voracious eaters, and the corn yields in the river plains of Big Creek and the French Broad River were plentiful.

In contrast, the plantation farmers in Georgia and South Carolina focused on crops like cotton and rice, selling them in large cities or even globally. These plantation owners needed pork to feed the workers who planted, tended, and harvested their crops. And so, the famous hog drive through Cocke County was born.

The Hog Drive: A Journey to Asheville

Each year, beginning in early November, the hog drive would begin along the dusty road parallel to the French Broad River. Farmers would move their hogs in groups, heading to Asheville to sell them to plantation owners or slaughterhouses. A drover could move his herd about 10 miles a day, keeping the hogs on the move with loud calls like:

Soo-eey,” “Su-boy,” or “Ho-o-o-yuh.”

Along the route, inns with pens and feed for the hogs were common, and sometimes the drovers would rest at these inns, possibly even spending the night.

One such inn, Wolf Creek Inn, stood near where Wolf Creek flows into the French Broad, south of Del Rio. This route became so famous for the hog drives that Asheville even erected a statue of walking hogs downtown, commemorating the city’s connection to this porcine economy.

The End of the Hog Drive Era

By 1880, the completion of the railroad between Newport and Asheville made the long road journey a thing of the past. The once-bustling hog drives faded into history.

Today, the 25 E Highway between Newport and Hot Springs, NC is part of the East Tennessee Crossing Byway, a national scenic byway. Interestingly, this same road is now popular with motorcycle clubs, especially those riding Harley-Davidson bikes—colloquially known as Hogs. The legend goes that a Harley-Davidson racing team adopted a hog as their mascot, and the name has stuck ever since.

Sooey!

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Cocke County’s Century Farms Highlight TN Agricultural Heritage

“Century Farms” are an essential part of the Tennessee Heritage Farms Program. Administered by the Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University, the program recognizes and works to conserve farms that have remained in the same family and in continuous agriculture production for 100 years or more.

About 2,100 such farms have been certified across the Volunteer State — a dozen of them in Cocke County:

  • Baxter Farm, 1875
  • Bible Farm, 1887
  • Dwight L. Bundy Farm, 1907
  • Heritage Farms, 1849
  • Jim and Alice Freeman Gulf Farm, 1910
  • Leibrock Farm, 1886
  • M.G. Roberts Poplar Tree Farm, 1859
  • Neas Farm, 1885
  • Oakleaf Farm, 1902
  • Ottinger Farm, 1894
  • Pitts Farm, 1897

River Dale Farm, established in 1794, is also a designated Pioneer Century Farm, meaning that its operation dates back to the founding of the State of Tennessee in 1796 or before.

“Despite drought, floods, the Civil War and the Great Depression, these families have remained tillers of the soil, persevering where others have failed,” wrote state historian Carroll Van West in his 1986 book, “Tennessee Agriculture: A Century Farms Perspective.”

The Tennessee Heritage Farms Program plays a crucial role in preserving rural culture and regional identity – especially in small, mostly-rural counties like Cocke. The program provides educational resources and extension outreach to farm families and the general public, raising awareness of the importance of keeping Tennessee’s agricultural heritage well tended.

The program helps encourage and promote a sense of community pride among the farm families, local historical societies, county extension offices, student groups, city and county governments, and other stakeholder individuals and organizations interested in conserving Tennessee’s countryside and maintaining authentic connections to our cultural roots.

The Heritage Farms Program also aims to promote economic development in rural areas by highlighting the importance of agriculture to the state’s overall economy. Historic farms often attract visitors and tourists who not only appreciate the beauty of the pastoral landscapes, but admire the character, persistence and resourcefulness of Tennesseans who make their livelihoods as producers of civilization’s sustenance.

Given the range of continuing challenges facing today’s farmers, words that Van West penned more than three and a half decades ago — in the midst of the 1980s American Farm Crisis — take on even greater import today: “In a time of agricultural crisis, the legacy of the Century Farmers is a potent reminder that farmers in the past have survived similar hard times to prosper in the future.”

 

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Cocke County’s Fair Means More than Mere Fun

Cocke County’s Feisty Summer Fair Marks 75 Years of Celebrating Local Culture, Building Community Bonds and Preserving Ties to Rural Life

County fairs are a beloved tradition of late summer, filled with nostalgia, excitement, and friendly competition. Fairs hold a special place in our hearts, with songs, books and movies dedicated to capturing their magic. As we stroll through the fairgrounds, memories of childhood come flooding back – the exhilarating rides of the midway, the tantalizing smells of fair food, and the vibrant displays of animals, canned goods, pies, and other products of country living vying for that esteemed blue ribbon or prize money or, perhaps most coveted, bragging rights.

The history of the modern fair dates back to 1811, when it was established as a platform for farmers to share their innovative farming techniques and foster a sense of community among farming families. It became a friendly battleground where farmers and their families competed for the title of “best of show,” presenting before the community their prized animals and delectable preserves.
Popular media celebrates fairs in small towns.  Consider the fictional town of Mayberry R.F.D when the fair took center stage in several episodes, celebrating everything from beauty pageants to Aunt Bee’s famous pickles. These depictions only served to reinforce the significance of fairs in both small and large communities.

In Cocke County, the first organized fair was held in 1948 at the fairground’s current location. Since then, these friendly community competitions have evolved beyond pickles, pageants, and poultry.  Come to enjoy Gospel Singing, Bluegrass music, tractor pulls, and the midway filled with rides and carnival foods.  The demolition derby and the firemen challenge add an extra dose of excitement to the fair. And this year, as the fair celebrates its 75th anniversary, there will be a celebration of the Century Farms of Cocke County.

County fairs are not just about the attractions and competitions; they are about coming together as a community, celebrating our agricultural heritage, and creating lasting memories. So mark your calendars for August 15-19, 2023 at the Cocke County Fair.

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