December 16, 2002

I had one of my worst anxiety attacks ever on the road when I cruised into Pigeon Forge, TN. My preconceptions of quiet Smoky Mountain life went right out the window with the bumper to bumper traffic. Crowds, noise, congestion, partygoers leaning over balconies, and a mass menagerie of chain hotels sent my nerves soaring like the Space Shuttle.  If only I’d had the shuttle to soar over the gridlock.

I was saved from the onset of complete insanity by two noteworthy occurrences. The first I found in a cabin far enough out of town to escape the commotion. My small cabin had everything I needed for a quiet mountain night – comfortable bed, antique furnishings, fireplace, bath and small kitchen. I even had the luxury of using the hot tub at a neighboring cabin that wasn’t occupied that night – with permission, of course. Other than setting the smoke detector screaming at one point, I enjoyed a perfect, quiet Smoky Mountain night.

The second stroke of luck was the discovery of the Great Smoky Arts and Crafts Community. Here, along an eight mile trail, mountain artisans carry on craft traditions that have been passed down for generations. Visitors can park and walk between clusters of shops or ride a local trolley. It was by meandering along the rows of galleries and studios that I found Ogles Broom Shop.

David and Tammie Ogle carry on the tradition of broom making as third generation craftspeople.    Lee Ogle started making brooms in the 1920s. His nephew Wayne continued the tradition and son David followed after that. It’s more than a family business; it’s a labor of love and tradition, carried out in an original family log cabin that was moved to its current location in the 1940s.

“Ain’t no tree safe around us,” David’s co-worker said with a grin, dropping a freshly cut stack of branches on the floor. Selecting and gathering branches for handles is one of the ways Ogles Brooms keeps their products unique. Just as they grow much of their own broomcorn, they choose their wood carefully. It is a business built on quality and family pride.

Glancing around, I was amazed by the variety. There were whisk brooms, tall brooms, double brooms, triple brooms and brooms with intricately carved wooden handles.  In short, there were brooms I never knew existed. There were brooms available for sale on the spot and brooms being packed to ship out. There was one thing they had in common, though – they were all made by hand, just as they had been since Lee Ogle started making brooms in Gatlinburg in the 1920s.

In addition to the varied brooms, walking sticks and canes were also available, all meticulously constructed. With figures and faces of wolves, owls, bears and birds intricately carved in detail, the handles were as magical as the brooms and sticks themselves.

I admit it. I was smitten. I wasn’t leaving without a few of David’s creations to take home. With the uniqueness and character of each broom, it was hard to make decisions, but eventually I narrowed it down and chose a handful of medium-length handled brooms to give as holiday gifts, plus one to call my own.

I regret not having more time to wander shops and galleries. Ceramics, jewelry, paintings, hand-blown glass and custom made furniture were all there to be discovered. It wasn’t only the exquisitely crafted items that left me yearning for more time, but the opportunity to meet the artisans and observe many of them at work.

On my way out of the Arts and Crafts Community, I stopped for lunch at Ma’s Kitchen, a tiny café tucked behind other, larger buildings and accessed by way of a garden pathway. Open only for breakfast and lunch, I barely made it in time to grab a bowl of soup and slice of cornbread. I picked up a copy of their just-released cookbook on the way out, stashed it in the car with my newly purchased brooms and moved on.

Ogle’s Broom Shop

888 Glades Rd.

Gatlinburg, TN

(865) 430-4402   Web: www.oglesbrooms.com