"Sometime around the year 1792, Wears Valley was discovered by men from North Carolina who came across the rugged mountains and entered the small, quiet cove. Their names were Aaron Crowson, Ruben Hatcher and Percifield. They came to East Tennessee to look for a place to build a home and settle. When they arrived in Wears Valley in the southwestern corner of the area now known as Sevier County, there were no other white folks there. These men settled in this beautiful valley and had the land surveyed. At that time there was a surveyor named Wear and the valley may have been named after him as was the custom. About 1795, the indians attacked these men and they killed Percifield. Aaron Crowson and Ruben Hatcher went to Waldens Creek and brought back some men with them. They buried Percifield on Crowson's land. This land is called the Crowson Burying Ground (Crowson Cemetary) and is still called by that name today. It is still owned by the Crowson famiy. Some time after this incident, Aaoron Crowson brought his wife, Jane Barnes to Wears Valley. He cut down trees, hewed logs and built a house. When Aaron Crowson and his wife died, the were both buried in the Crowson burying ground. Aaron and Jane Crowson raised three daughters and seven sons.. One daughter married a Burns, one an Amerine and one married inyto the Barnes family. All but one son, Richard West, the youngest left the valley and settled in other states. Richard remained in Wears Valley and took care of his parents. The Crowson family followed the Methodist faith. Richard Crowson married Nancy Mattox and they reared six children, three sons, Aaron, Joseph and West and three daughters, Mary, Sarah and Carrie. About 1860, the Crowson family was instrumental in helping build a church house in the valley. Richard Crowson furnished the lumber, and Ruben Hatcher put it up. In 1886, the Methodist people went together and built a new church house which still stands today. All the Crowson family helped in building this church.

Wears Valley is six miles long and four miles wide with a gap in the mountains at each end of the valley. The valley is completely surrounded by mountains, including, Pine Mountain, Cove Mountain, Hatcher Mountain, Bench Mountain, Little Round Top and others. It is nestled against the Northern boundary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The permanent population of the valley is around 1200 people. There are four active churches, one Methodist and three Baptist, as well as an inactive church, Headrick's Chapel which is on the list of national historic buildings. The valley also has one public school, Wearwood Elemntary which has the grades kindergarden through 8th. Wears Valley is six miles from Pigeon Forge, twelve miles from Sevierville, two miles from Townsend and thirty-six miles from Knoxville."
--- Wears Valley Website - www.AsTheValleyTurns.com


Photo By Jay Fradd