The village of Elkmont was founded by Little River Lumber Company as a company town 1907. The village housed mill workers, but quickly became a tourist destination, especially for Knoxvillians wanting to spend the weekend in the Smoky Mountains. By 1910, the lumber company began selling land to entrepreneurs, two of which started the Appalachian Club and the Wonderland Club. After decades of success, the Appalachian Club closed its doors around 1950. The Wonderland Club transitioned to a traditional hotel and stayed in business until 1992. Over the years, many families spent summer months or short vacations at the cottages in Elkmont. However, because Elkmont was situated on land that became part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it was officially closed down in 1992. Elkmont was added to the National Register of Historical Places in 1994, and the remaining buildings are in various stages of preservation. Lynn Frierson Faust’s family was one that spent the summer in Elkmont. It was here in the 1960s that she enjoyed the synchronous fireflies which became the basis of her research starting in 1991. Her fieldwork on fireflies began when she read an article in Science News stating that there were no synchronous fireflies in the western hemisphere. Faust was an active member of the Elkmont Preservation Committee in the early 2000s. Faust is now a scientific consultant for several state and national parks in Appalachia and for media companies such as the BBC, Discovery, and National Geographic.