A great place to visit while touring the Smokies is the Little River Railroad and Lumber Company Museum.
Nestled in the serene setting of Townsend, the museum provides quite a bit of history and some great artifacts for kids of all ages.

A non-profit corporation founded in 1982 the people behind the scenes have done a spectacular job preserving the heritage of the people who lived in the area and worked for the company.

Founded by W.B Townsend in 1901 the Little River Railroad & Lumber Company grew to be one of the largest commercial logging operations
in southern Appalachia. Over its roughly 38 years of operation, the company built 150 miles of railroads and sawed 560 million board feet of timber.

The Townsend-in-the-Smokies Chamber of Commerce found the Little River Railroad & Lumber Company museum in 1982. A Shay engine that had been used in the logging operation, No. 2147, was restored for the project and sits out front of the museum for all to see and
photograph. The depot at Walland was moved to Townsend and memorabilia was collected from the days of the railroad and lumber operations.
Today, the Little River Railroad & Lumber Company Museum still seeks to preserve the history of life on the Little River and provides the opportunity for visitors to enjoy the experience.

Make sure that a visit to The Little River Railroad & Lumber Company is on your things to do list during your stay with us at the Highland Manor Inn. Visit the Little River Railroad & Lumber Company website for more info.