A view inside the The Old Mill in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, on August 27, 2026. East Tennessee's water-powered Old Mill first began grinding cornmeal back in 1830 in the deep Appalachian region along the Little Pigeon River -- much as it does today. The Old Mill -- where the father of late country music legend Dolly Parton once had his corn ground -- uses 2,000-pound (907-kg) flint granite millstones. The corn is Tennessee grown, never genetically-modified, and no harsh chemicals or additives are added to the cornmeal and grits. (Photo by Michael Mathes / AFP via Getty Images)