Marshall McClung
Some of our early families to settle in Graham County were living in Cades Cove long before coming here, when the area became part of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 1936.
Such is the case of the Tipton family, who may have been the first white family to live in Cades Cove and the largest landholders there.
Early records show that the Tiptons were in Tennessee by 1790. Then, Cades Cove was still a part of the Cherokee Nation after Tennessee became a state in 1796. Even though there were whites living in Cades Cove at the time, they couldn’t legally own land until the Calhoun Treaty of 1819.
Old land records indicate that the Tiptons were the first whites to legally own land in Cades Cove. William Tipton had title to 1,280 acres in 1821; he and his brother Abraham owned most of the valley floor in the cove. Other Tiptons with Cades Cove ties include Jacob Tipton, who was a justice of the peace and captain of the local militia; John Tipton, a Revolutionary War soldier; and William “Fighting Billy” Tipton, who owned land near the Primitive Baptist Church.
Jacob was killed by Indians while hunting. Jacob was said to have a violent temper, with a “fight now and ask questions later” attitude. He once attacked his father Joshua “Tobe” Tipton, who was a much-smaller man.
To even the odds a little, his father began pelting Jacob with rocks.
Samuel “Smoke” Burchfield was convicted of shooting and killing John “Chicken Eater” Tipton in 1901. Burchfield was convicted and sent to prison, became ill and died in 1904.
Cades Cove had been a community for 115 years when it became a part of the national park. Families had to move out, with some coming to Graham County, where a number of descendants live today.
Marshall McClung is the historical columnist for The Graham Star. He can be reached by email, mcclungs@email.com.