About Us
 

Dock's Motel is situated on the banks of the Little River. The Little River comes straight out of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Absolutely clean fun too. From tubing to fly fishing, the Little River is the place to be on hot summer afternoons.

Dock's Motel was built in 1935 by Lorene Whaley Huskey at the age of 33. Lorene was from Greenbrier located just east of Gatlinburg, now a part of the National Park. Her husband Wesley Huskey died from a war-related disease. She had two children Dean Huskey and Jean Huskey. Jean died when she was 2 with a fever.

The original location was across the road from Riverstone Restaurant going toward the National Park. You can still see the rock walls where the cabins once set, then known as "Doc's Cabins".

The State of Tennessee obtained the right of way for the current road in the 1950's and Doc's had to relocate. The present location was then known as the "Old Sam Law Place". There was once and old two story "white house" where the river cabins currently set. The grounds area was then an apple and chestnut orchard. You can still see part of the original road bed located directly behind the river cabins. This was the main road through Townsend which ran along the river. The railroad ran where the present highway is now. The original cabins are rooms 1 & 2, 4 & 5, 7 & 8, 10 & 11 and 14. Room 3, 6, 9 and 12 were added later converting the cabins to a motel. My grandmother, Mrs. Huskey, with the help of her two brothers, Dan Whaley and Clay Whaley, built the cabins.

The train conductor of the Little River Railroad would stop and ask, "Mrs. Huskey, how many logs do you need today"? There was a small mill set up on site. The logs were cut, planed, then taken into the cabin and nailed up the same day. The beautiful pine you see inside the motel came from the logging of what is now known as the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Grandmother sold the motel to her daughter, Dean Stinnett, in 1975. Dean Stinnett, "mom", sold the motel to her daughter, Sharron Stinnett, in 1992.

Grandmother passed away April 12, 2003, at the age of almost 101. We have dedicated a small garden at the end of room 14 in her memory. "Grandma's Garden" is just in the makings. We hope that her garden will flourish with time, just as she did.

... Sharron Stinnett (Current Owner)