The Appalachian Club was established in 1910 by local and regional business and civic leaders who had hunted and fished in Elkmont for many years. Although several families had lived there since the 1830s, the area remained relatively unknown until the logging industry arrived in the 1880s. As its scenic beauty and recreational opportunities became widely known, Elkmont grew into one of many southern Appalachian resorts that flourished in the early 20th century. In 1912, the Wonderland Park Club opened a hotel a half-mile north of here, and members of both clubs built vacation cabins near their clubhouses. For a time, the Little River Lumber Company not only logged the area, with logging camps and a company town, but also provided daily railroad excursion service to Elkmont for club members and guests. The 1920s brought transition as the lumbering era ended and the resort era expanded. After Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established in 1934, many families kept their cabins under lifetime leases, the last of which expired in 2001. With public input and cooperation among local, federal, and historic preservation agencies, the park developed a plan to restore 19 historic structures; implementation began in 2009 and preserved the integrity of the Elkmont Historic District while protecting the rare montane alluvial forest and the pristine waters of the Little River.