KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — As people across the United States get ready for Thanksgiving, the longest-serving volunteer of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park shared how people of the mountains first celebrated the holiday.

Robin Goddard has been volunteering in the park since 1969. She explained how the mountain people celebrated the season and holidays more than 50 years ago. She said while it wasn’t the traditional Thanksgiving celebration that we see in 2022, the spirit of the gatherings was similar.

Goddard also spoke about the role the Little Greenbrier Schoolhouse and churches played in the festive gatherings.