Recollections by Alice Vinson

Robert and Patricia Kethman lived in Boca Raton Florida. Both had been married before and had grown children. Bob had been a race car driver at the Indy 500. In fact, there was a brick from the original race track stored in the bottom of the barn behind their cabin that was built in Smoky Falls. The Indy 500 brick was presented to Bob when the old brick track was taken up.

Patti was a true mountain girl, from Kentucky. Bob was a true "Yankee" from Michigan. You either loved him or hated him!!! Everybody loved Patti!!! Shortly after they married, Bob was driving Patti to Michigan from Boca to meet his family. They were driving the Blue Ridge. The car stopped, would not go any further. No cell phones then, and no traffic because of it being “off season”. Bob could see Maggie Valley from the Blue Ridge Pkwy, but with no GPS, he had no idea where the next exit would be. So he decided to walk through the woods, down the mountain, to Maggie.

As he tracked down, he came upon the waterfall and the “mountain car wash”. He fell in love. Finally he got to the valley only to find the parts to repair car would take days to get shipped to them. Since he was going to be here awhile, he began to investigate the property he had walked through. He went back to the waterfall and the place where the water carved it’s way across the dirt road. It had been an old logging road, but that was about it.

He came in contact with William Sutton, and discussed ownership of the area on the mountain. Somehow, he and William Sutton came to an agreement. Bob would keep the left-hand side of the road, and William would get the right hand-side in exchange for bulldozing wider roads. Patti went back to Boca to pack up, and Bob set out to build the cabin from the timber and rocks native to Smoky Falls. Unfortunately, he forgot to include any closets in his design, as was pointed out by Patti.

This cabin was referred to as the “Office” and is so noted on the map of Smoky Falls. It lies behind, and to the left, of the present Pavillion. Bob drove a riding lawn mower up and down the mountain (I suppose it took the place of an ATV). Patti set up a lemonade style stand on Highway 19 at the top of the (steep) incline. She dressed as Maggie in her green, yellow and red, including bonnet. She made a sign that read:

"Land of your dreams, within your means. You saw the rest, now buy the best. Smoky Falls."

Thus began the sale of lots at Smoky Falls. The day of the first picnic, Terry and Bob decided to build a picnic shelter. When Patti came down to the playground, she said, "But, Robert you only have on half the roof!” Bob replied, "But, Patricia, it is only a 50 percent chance of rain.”

That pavilion originally stood across the road from where it presently sits. Where it stood originally had a small creek and waterfall. It’s a mystery as to what happened to that creek to this day.

The small group of friends who purchased the first lots included the Vinsons, Mizes, Levines, Kethmans, Baileys, Davis and Shermans. They met for picnics at the Pavilion, and had a fire barrel going (no grill or fireplace in those early years).