Dr. Gail Palmer
Author Dr. Gail Palmer will be in Cleveland on Saturday, to appear on the local radio show Old Town Cleveland on WOOP FM. She will be discussing the cemeteries located in the Great Smokey Mountains.
Dr. Palmer’s family were some of the first settlers in Cade Coves arriving from North Carolina to be included in the 1830 census.
In her book “The Cemeteries of the Smokey Mountains”, she attempts to save the history and heritage of the people who lived in the Great Smokey Mountains. Since many people were moved out the area when the National Park was developed small cemeteries were being lost to the wilderness and outside the park the development of the tourism industry.
Dr. Palmer holds a Ph.D. in Cultural Studies from the University of Tennessee (Knoxville) where she served as the Director of the Advising Center for the College of Communications. Dr. Palmer has written 5 books about the history of the mountains.
Debbie Moore, co-host of the award winning Old Town Cleveland show said, “We are excited about having Dr. Palmer come share her vast knowledge of the people of the Smokey Mountains. Many current residents of Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia have families that came to this area from the mountains of Sevier and Blount Counties and the grave sites she will discussing will be of a great interest to our listeners.”
Old Town Cleveland is a live two-hour radio show dedicated to preserving the history of the people, places and things that shaped Southeast Tennessee. The show airs from 10 a.m. until noon every Saturday morning on WOOP FM 99.9 or at www.woopfm.com. Listeners are encouraged to call the show with their questions, memories and/or comments.