Lucinda Ogle Collection
The Lucinda Ogle Collection (1885-2003) details early life in the Smoky Mountains. Lucinda Ogle was the daughter of Wiley and Rebecca Oakley. Wiley Oakley was known as the "Roaming Man of the Mountains", for his expertise in storytelling, for his comprehensive knowledge of the mountains, and for his guided tours throughout the Smoky Mountains. Lucinda Oakley Ogle continued the legacy of her father by preserving the heritage of the Smoky Mountains and its people. This collection consists of photographs, manuscripts, speeches, correspondence, cards, and newspaper and magazine articles related to the Ogle family and their heritage in the Smoky Mountains. The majority of the collection focuses on photographs from the late 1880s-2003.
Series I: Photographs, 1885 September 12-circa 2003, contains photographs of Wiley and Rebecca Oakley, Lucinda Oakley Ogle and husband Earnest Ogle, their children, grandchildren, and other family. Also in this series are photographs of Oakley Branch, Ogle Cabin, Gatlinburg, Cades Cove, Pi Beta Phi School and parade photographs from Gatlinburg.
Series II: Manuscripts, circa 1972-circa 2005, primarily consists of Lucinda's short stories of her life in the Smoky Mountains, Lucinda's book proofs, correspondences from friends and admirers of Lucinda, pamphlets from several events in the Ogle Family and in Gatlinburg, certificates, family recipes, and speeches from the Garden Club.
Series III: Print Media, circa 1900-circa 2003, consists of newspaper articles on the Oakley and Ogle family, the Ogle cabin, the growth of Gatlinburg and its surrounding areas, and Lucinda and Earnest through the years. Also in this series are magazine articles pertaining to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Lucinda's reminisces of her childhood, and her efforts to preserve the heritage of mountain people.
Series IV: Ephemera, undated, contains various prints, articles, and scanned images.
Dates
- circa 1885-circa 2003, undated
Conditions Governing Access
Collections are stored offsite and must be requested in advance. See www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Conditions Governing Use
The UT Libraries claims only physical ownership of most material in the collections. Persons wishing to broadcast or publish this material must assume all responsibility for identifying and satisfying any claimants on www.special.lib.utk.edu for detailed information. Collections must be requested through a registered Special Collections research account.
Extent
3 Linear Feet
Abstract
The Lucinda Ogle Collection (1885-2003) details early life in the Smoky Mountains. Lucinda Ogle was the daughter of Wiley and Rebecca Oakley. Wiley Oakley was known as the "Roaming Man of the Mountains", for his expertise in storytelling, for his comprehensive knowledge of the mountains, and for his guided tours throughout the Smoky Mountains. Lucinda Oakley Ogle continued the legacy of her father by preserving the heritage of the Smoky Mountains and its people. The collection includes photographs, manuscripts, newspaper articles, and magazine articles all documenting life in the Smokies.
Biographical/Historical Note
The first Ogles came to the United States in the 1600. Many migrated from Delaware to the Southern states. The first Ogle family arrived in White Oak Flats, now Gatlinburg in 1811. Wiley and Rebecca Oakley married in 1905, and their first home was on Scratch Britches Mountain where they raised their twelve children. Lucinda Oakley was born on June 9, 1909, as the second child in the Oakley family. As a child, Lucinda watched her father Wiley Oakley, give tours and tell stories of his experiences in the Smoky Mountains. Wiley soon became known as, "The Roaming Man of the Mountains."
When Lucinda got old enough she was then enrolled in Pi Beta Phi Settlement School in Sevier County, Tennessee. Pi Beta Phi built in 1912 to give the proud "mountain peoples more than a three month education." When the school reached its full capacity, a new school was built in 1914 with the assistance from local citizens. While in school, Lucinda held a job as a waitress at the Mountain View Hotel. At the age of seventeen, Lucinda married Earnest Ogle on November 17, 1926 and settled down near Gatlinburg, Tennessee. She and Earnest had three children, Jeanette, Mary Frances, and Billie Lois.
Earnest Ogle worked for the state on road maintenance and played a major part in building the Newfound Gap road (U.S. 441) through the Smoky Mountains National Park. Earnest and Lucinda also owned a few businesses near Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. Their first business was a "jot-um-down store" which sold wholesale foods to other road workers. Eventually, the Ogles sold-out their share in the store and moved to the Ogle store in Gatlinburg.
Lucinda kept busy and spend her time volunteering with PTA, writing, and the Gatlinburg Garden Club. In 1940, Earnest and Lucinda were chosen to exemplify the typical Smoky Mountain family at the World’s Fair in New York City. Earnest was drafted in 1945 by the Navy and served two years in World War II. After 53 years of marriage, Earnest Ogle died on October 17, 1979. Lucinda Ogle died on December 30, 2003 at the age of 94. Lucinda was known for great storytelling, her love of nature, authoring books, and for preserving her family’s heritage in the Smoky Mountains.
Arrangement
This collection consists of three boxes divided into four series:
- Series I: Photographs
- Series II: Manuscripts and Papers
- Series III: Print Media
- Series IV: Ephemera
Acquisition Note
This collection was donated to Special Collections in 2007 by Lucinda’s brother, Harvey Oakley.
Repository Details
Part of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Repository