Land of Everlasting Hills: George Masa, Jim Thompson, and the Photographs That Helped Save the Great Smoky Mountains and Blaze the Appalachian Trail

At the turn of the twentieth century, the rugged peaks and lush valleys of the Great Smoky Mountains, once home to the Cherokee, were little known outside eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina. This dramatically changed with the arrival of two forces with very different visions: lumber companies who sought to fuel the nation’s growth and profit from harvesting the abundant timber, and tourists who discovered the healthful qualities and natural beauty of the mountains.

By the early 192...