03/26/2025
In 1951, Bill Postlewaite launched Homespun Valley on a three-acre site along Airport Road in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Over the next 20 years, it grew into a beloved spot for both locals and tourists. This advertisement, first featured as a full-page spread in the Gatlinburg Press in September 1954, was so large that it had to be scanned in three parts for digitization. The original newspaper, now fragile and showing the clear signs of 70 years of wear, stands as a touching testament to Gatlinburg’s rich tourism history.
"The Mountain Press publishing company was established in 1947 by the husband-and wife team of Bill and Gretchen Postlewaite, but the newspaper now printed as The Mountain Press has roots dating back to 1879.
When Bill Postlewaite first ventured into Gatlinburg, Tennessee in 1946, he was a young man fresh out of military service looking for a vocation. He and his wife began printing The Gatlinburg Press. The first issue of The Gatlinburg Press rolled off the presses in October 1947.
In 1951 the Postlewaites decided to augment their income by acquiring The Sevier County News-Record in Sevierville, which traced its roots to the Sevierville Enterprise.The enterprise began publication in June 1882.
But when the Postlewaites began publishing in Sevierville, they were not without longest established competition. Two newspapers, the Record Republican and Montgomery ’ Vindicator were being printed in Sevierville.
The Record Republican, established in 1882, was being printed once a week and Montgomery ’ s Vindicator, founded in 1879, was being printed once every few weeks.The News-Record merged with The Record Republican in 1952 and with Montgomery ’ Vindicator in 1954.
In 1964 the Postlewaites established the county’s first tourist publication, The Mountain Visitor. At this time, The Gatlinburg Press, The Sevier County News Record and The Mountain Visitor were all printed in Gatlinburg.
In 1977 the company was sold to Harte-Hanks Communications.
In 1980 a devastating fire claimed the Gatlinburg offices. Despite the tragedy, the nextday’ s newspaper was printed as scheduled.In 1983 the company moved to a remodeled building in downtown Sevierville, and in1984 The News-Record and The Gatlinburg Press were combined into one edition of The Mountain Press.
The company was sold in 1987 to Worrell Communications, headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia. In 1995 the company sold to Paxton Media Group, LLC based in Paducah, Kentucky. That same year, the newspaper moved into a new 22,000 square foot facility where it remains today located in the Hodsden-Hicks Industrial Park in Sevier County just outside the Sevierville city limits." - Mountain Press About Us Page
Mr. William C. Postlewaite is buried in Smoky Mountain Memorial Gardens right off the Parkway if you want to stop by and pay your respects.
01/12/2025