For more Great Smoky Mountains National Park photos from this era, click here.	On one particular visit in 1956, Loy McGill and his father, Lee, packed their ’54 Kaiser Car with picnic goodies and headed to Great Smoky Mountains National Park. But they weren’t the only ones planning to enjoy a delicious outdoor meal on that warm summer day. “Dad was still in the car gathering up our box of picnic food. We had some fried chicken, and homemade potato salad and it must’ve smelled good to more than just us. I had already gotten out and was taking some photographs with my camera. Dad was just about ready to get out but when he turned to open the door he was face to face with a young black bear staring at him through the window. Dad was so shocked to see it, he jumped in the back seat with the rest of the food. My passenger side door was still open and I could hear him yelling ‘Get in the car! Get in the car!’ Well, I did. But not before getting this great picture. I carried it for years because, well, I had a picture of a black bear. But I also had a memory with my dad that I would never forget and I was fortunate enough to be able to share it with people I met throughout my life. We returned to the mountains many times after that; but that trip to the Great Smoky Mountains is something I still cherish and that picture is something I still carry.” – Loy McGill, Great Smoky Mountains Visitor and Shutterbug Extraordinaire
On Mother’s Day in 1932, the Ogle and Wayland families held a picnic in Sevierville at the Ogle home, which is now the headquarters for Five Oaks Development. Just after potato salad and fresh brewed sun tea, the group (including a photogenic horse) posed for this photo. Afterward, family games included seesaws (custom built at home), taking turns riding that horse around the field and seeing who could gather the prettiest wildflower bouquet for their mom. Much the same thing happens today in Sevierville as families travel from near and far to regroup, reconnect and reunite. I guess you could say, around here reunions are a tradition as great as the Smoky Mountains. Thank you Great Smoky Mountains National Park for 75 years of bringing folks together.	For more Great Smoky Mountains National Park photos from this era, click here.
For more information about Great Smoky Mountains National Park 75th Anniversary Celebration, click here.