Episode #8
Paul Adams and Smoky Jack: The Adventures of a Remarkable Duo on Mount Le Conte
Just over a century ago, Paul Adams, a young Knoxville explorer with a keen sense and appreciation for the natural world, spent the winter on Mount Le Conte, building a new campsite for visitors. To keep him company Adams bought an extraordinary trained police dog with a grand name, Cumberland Jack of Edelwiess II. In the mountains he would rename the canny canine Smoky Jack and trained him to pack supplies up and down the mountain trails using a two-pocket Cavalry Officer's leather case on the dog's back. During their adventures over the winter of 1925-1926, the pair would meet hikers, bandits, and even a rare Timber wolf, even then thought to be locally extinct. The story of this remarkable duo offers a fascinating glimpse into the days when the national-park movement was in full swing, yet still years away from when the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was complete. Recommended Reading: Smoky Jack and Mount Le Conte (UT Press, 2016) featuring new introductions and extensive footnotes by Smokies experts Anne Bridges and Ken Wise, are based on Paul Adams’ memoirs; and LeConte Lodge: A Centennial History of a Smoky Mountain Landmark by Tom Layton and Mike Hembree (McFarland Publishers, 2025). This episode was written by Paul James and read by Robin Wilhoit. Special thanks to producer Pete Carty. Knoxville Chronicles is brought to you by the nonprofit Knoxville History Project. Funding for this episode has been kindly provided by the City of Knoxville and Friends of the Knoxville History Project, plus Gary Balltrip and Christopher Manning, who made donations on National Giving Day 2025 to support Season IV all year long. Thanks to all. Please consider making a donation to the Knoxville History Project to help support this ongoing podcast. Learn more at KnoxvilleHistoryProject.org
