Cumberland County was organized in 1798 and took its name from the Cumberland River, which flows through the county from end to end. Exploration of the river led to the settlement of Burkesville, the county seat, in 1810, and for many years the community was called Cumberland Crossing because the river could be crossed there by ferry. In the late 1820s life in Burkesville was still very primitive, but the river improved conditions as steamboats were built and travel increased up and down the river. Push boats, sidewheelers, and steamwheelers carried goods and people, and regular steamboat arrivals on the river banks kept residents connected with the wider world while providing markets for wares, livestock, and cargo. By the end of the 1850s Burkesville had become an important river town, and prosperity continued until railroads and automobiles created competition and moved goods faster than steamboats and stage coaches. County leaders recognized the need for better roads when the L&N Railroad and automobiles changed transportation, but the people never voted to approve a railroad in the county, and many roads remained in poor condition until the 1960s because the Cumberland River had long served as their highway. Flooding was a persistent problem, often putting half of Burkesville and hundreds of valley homes under water, so construction of Wolf Creek Dam began in 1941 to prevent major flooding along the river and was completed in 1951. Cumberland County is rich in history and historic sites and is now known for its rural environment and for sport fishing, hiking, and camping, while John Muir praised Burkesville in his Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf as a beautiful place surrounded by verdant flowering hills.