1916 Botany Class in the Smokies

Field botany classes have used the Great Smoky Mountains as a classroom since the early 20th century. Home to more than 2,000 plant species, the Smokies are the perfect laboratory for studying plant taxonomy. Samuel M. Bain’s 1916 botany class took a two-hour train ride from Knoxville to Elkmont with a stop in Townsend. Professor Bain’s cabin at Elkmont served as home base for their plant-collecting forays.

Photo albums from the Bain Family Collection, Special Collections, University of Tennessee Libraries