Welcome to Cocke County Tennessee!

Vaughn's Vision: A Message From Cocke County Mayor, Vaughn Moore

Few states in this great country of ours can boast a more colorful or more significant history than that of Tennessee and none of its 95 counties are more beautiful and more fascinating than our own Cocke County.

Cocke County was first used as a warpath and hunting ground by the Cherokee Indians who revered much of the land as sacred because of its great wealth of beautiful forests, great rivers and streams, and rich bottom lands. Today, we celebrate our three waterways – the Pigeon, Nolichucky and French Broad Rivers. Outdoor enthusiasts from all over the world travel here to enjoy rafting, tubing, and kayaking. Thousands of campers, hikers and fishermen seek out the Appalachian Trail, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Cherokee National Forest and the Martha Sundquist State Forest every year. The unique wildlife that inhabits these areas draws naturalists, journalists and photographers from across the country.

Every day when I look from my office window at the rock formations that rise above the white water of the Pigeon River, I am reminded of the heritage and history that surrounds us. In fact, just east of our County Government offices, on the Pigeon River, lies The War Ford, the infamous crossing used by the Cherokees during the Revolutionary War.

Wilma Dykeman Stokely, the chronicled American author who had deep family and community ties in Cocke County, said it best when she wrote, "As a river is born deep inside the earth in springs that gather into streams and join to become a river, so people's lives gather into families and communities and become part of the river of history."

And, so it is that our greatest resources of all are the 36,000 people who live and work here, raise their families here, attend church here, and shape the future of this great county. I am honored to serve this great people as Mayor.

If you haven't visited Cocke County please plan to do so soon. It's one destination that you do not want to miss and you will never feel more welcome!

Vaughn Moore
County Mayor