Seviervilile, TN, (pronounced sevERE-ville) is proud of hometown star Dolly Parton, who was born there and who is recognized with a statue downtown. And for good reason. The stunning blonde singer and actress who helped bring country music into America�s musical mainstream built Dollywood just south of Sevierville near Pigeon Forge. An amusement theme park, Dollywood presents a wide variety of music in its venues, and represents her effort to bring an economic boost to her home turf. Dollywood showed Sevier Countians the way to prosperity through tourism, and now that industry is the area's largest employer.


Dolly Parton has done more than just launch an entertainment venue, she also has contributed to elevating the county's cultural and educational opportunities. Starting in 1996, Parton personally funded a program called "Imagination Library" that sends a book to every child born in Sevier County every month to the age of five. Numerous other communities have adopted the program, aided by a foundation she established.


Center of government for Sevier County, Sevierville comes into the 21st century from a unique spot in history. Named for John Sevier (1745-1815), a hero of the American Revolution, Sevierville was founded in 1795, and is the state's eighth oldest city. This part of Tennessee was once the lost state of Franklin, a section of western North Carolina that declared itself an independent state shortly after the U.S. Revolution and was governed independently for a brief period. Sevier, a Virginia-born general and a Congressman, served as governor of the State of Franklin, until Tennessee was admitted to the Union in 1796, when he was elected the new state's first governor.


Area visitors and residents can learn more about the history of the region at the Sevier County Heritage Museum. Exhibits deal with the region's past, from the days of Woodlands Indians to the arrival of Appalachian settlers and on to World War II.


With a population of about 13,000, Sevierville lies close to the Great Smokey Mountains, part of the Appalachian Mountain chain, a location that gives its residents substantial recreational opportunities. Enhancing recreation, natural Douglas Lake offers bass fishing, camping, and boating. Nature enthusiasts will not want to miss nearby Forbidden Caverns, a spectacular cave that features the largest wall of rare cave onyx in the world.


No isolated Appalachian town, Sevierville is within 30 miles of Knoxville, a city of cultural life and academic institutions, including a campus of the University of Tenneesse. Access to the Interstate highway system is easy, with I-40 just nine miles north., then reaching Knoxville and I-75 just 14 miles west. Knoxville's McGhee Tyson Airport is less than an hour away.


But Sevierville has its own attractions. In this part of the world, NASCAR is big sport. The NASCAR SpeedPark features eight tracks that provide experiences for all ages from the Baby Bristol for little people to the Smoky Mountain Speedway which requires a valid state-issued license and a minimum age and height to ride in the 5/8 scale cars. And for car buffs, there's more: Floyd Garrett�s Muscle Car Museum, with a huge collection of American Muscle Cars and other vehicular eccentricities, even exhibits an authentic moonshine car.


Two most amazing facilities in the area are Rainforest Adventures, an indoor facility devoted to showcasing unusual and exotic animals in natural habitats, and Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies, located in Gatlinburg, about 20 miles south Sevierville, which takes a global perspective in its marine exhibits. .


Appalachia is famous not only for its music, but also its arts and crafts. In Gatlinburg, just 11 mile south of Sevierville, the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts is a nationally renowned center of contemporary arts and crafts education, offering workshops and exhibitions. This unique institution complements a thriving public education system that not only is up-to-date in technology but also spends considerable energy on environmental issues. Sevier County students may experience overnight educational opportunities at the Eugene W. Huskey Environmental Center to sharpen their awareness of the subject.


Responding to its growing tourism industry, Sevierville soon will have an event center, a planetarium, a wilderness resort and a water park, all facilities that not only attract more tourists, but also enhance the quality of life for residents.