Eagle at Rock City
by Dawn Gari
Title
Eagle at Rock City
Artist
Dawn Gari
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
An eagle sculture on the edge of Lover's Leap Rock City TN
As early as 1823 people wrote about visiting the area now known as Rock City Gardens. During the Civil War both a Union soldier and a Confederate nurse wrote about "Seeing 7 states..." from Lookout Mountain, a slogan Rock City still uses. Starting in the 1890's, Lookout Mountain became a major attraction, with grand hotels and three railroads to the top (include The Incline, which still runs today).
Garnet and Frieda Carter started Rock City in the middle of the Depression, after the failures of their hotel and miniature golf franchise. They hired Clark Byers to paint "See Rock City" on any structure large enough to be seen from a highway. The signs were a promotional gimmick that dramatically increased the number of visitors.
By the time World War II broke out the attraction had become a major stop for tourists in the southeast United States. Of course, the gas rationing and war effort significantly impacted Garnet and Frieda, but Rock City survived.
The post-war baby boom presented the Carters with a challenge. How do they make the attraction appealing to the younger audience in the cars? Frieda and Garnet came up with Fairyland Caverns. Holes were carved in the rock and fairy tale characters enacted popular scenes. The addition was immensely popular.
By 1960 Rock City was so famous that Life Magazine featured it on the cover. In the 1960's Mother Goose Village was added to further enhance the appeal of the attraction to younger family members.
Uploaded
December 31st, 2014
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