Elrod Falls

Elrod Falls is located in beautiful Hancock County, Tennessee.  Elrod Falls consists of three cascading falls of more than 100 feet, making it one of the most gorgeous waterfalls in East Tennessee.  You can swim in the pools at the base of the falls, hike one of the surrounding trails or bring along a picnic lunch while surrounded by the lush beauty of the Appalachian Mountains. From Sneedville travel 7.0 miles south on SR 31 and turn onto the Gravel road with sign to Elrod falls. Follow this road 0.6 miles and turn left onto a dirt road. Follow 0.5 miles to the end.

Historic Hancock County Jail

National Register of Historic Places

Mahalia Mullins's Cabin

The legendary Mahalia Mullins, also known as "Big Haley."

In the mid-1800s, Mullins lived in a cabin on Newman's Ridge in Sneedville. It was widely known that she made and sold some of the best moonshine in those parts.

Many stories have been told through the years focusing on this particular aspect of her life. Had Mullins' size not been an issue, she almost certainly would not have earned such an infamous place in most history written about Melungeons.

Mullins was obese, weighing an estimated 500 or more pounds.

When a young deputy, who had been sent to arrest Mullins for selling illegal alcohol, appeared before the judge without her in tow, he was said to have told the judge in a most serious manner, "She's catchable, but not fetchable."

Apparently, when the deputy went to Mullins' cabin she was, by all accounts, most amicable. She did not refuse to give herself up. They simply could not get her out of the cabin-Mullins was too large to fit through the narrow cabin door.

She spent the rest of her life under house arrest inside of her cabin. They most likely weren't too concerned about her being a flight risk.

Besides, Mullins was not a thief or a murderer. She was a widow and mother trying to support her children. Making moonshine was a common occupation, albeit illegal, for many mountain folks back then.

There just weren't a lot of employment opportunities available, especially for a Melungeon.