Walker Property – East TN
Part of the 25 Projects for 25 Years series.
For decades, Diann and Lewis Walker have called the rolling hills of Cumberland County, Tennessee, home. Their connection to this land is rooted in both personal history and a deep commitment to keeping it intact for future generations. Their 297-acre property, located within the Catoosa Area of Interest, is rich in biodiversity, featuring portions of Yellow Creek into Daddy’s Creek, which flow into the Obed River. Recognizing the importance of protecting this ecologically valuable land, the Walkers worked with The Land Trust for Tennessee in 2009 to protect it through a conservation easement.
Diann Walker and her grandson, Hayden.
Diann grew up in Florida, but her roots are in Alabama. It was a hunting trip in Lake Okeechobee, Florida, where she first met Lewis. “A friend of my mother’s set us up,” Diann recalled. “They knew Lewis through mutual connections, and we just happened to meet.”
Lewis spent his childhood split between Tennessee and Florida, where his family worked in the produce business. “Until the 1960s, Mountain City was called the green bean capital of the world,” Lewis said. “But when mechanical harvesting came along, it was hard to keep up with the mountains, so I ended up moving to Cumberland County.”
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- Diann Walker.
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- Lewis Walker.
It was here that Lewis found the property he’d later buy. “A friend offered it to me at a reasonable price, and I couldn’t pass it up,” Lewis explained. “I had already imagined the pond we have now. It just made sense.”
Diann and Lewis married in 1989, and they shared a love for the outdoors from the beginning. Lewis spent a lot of time hunting and fishing, and they both enjoyed the peace and beauty of the land. “We had a lot of quail, grouse, and deer,” Lewis said. “But over the years, the grouse population has almost disappeared. No one really knows why.”
A shooting house on the Walker property.
Their land is rich in history, too. “There’s an old wagon road from the 1800s that runs through the property,” said Lewis. “It leads down to Daddy’s Creek and Yellow Creek, crossing bluffs along the way. It’s a really unique place.” Lewis shared that they once found a wagon reel rim in Daddy’s Creek and don’t know how old it is.
Diann told us, “Lewis will sit on the porch overlooking the lake and say, ‘I never get tired of looking at this.’ And I feel the same way.”
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- Wild turkeys in the yard.
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- View of the pond at the Walker property.
As time went on, Diann and Lewis began thinking about the future of their land. “We talked about doing a conservation easement with The Land Trust for Tennessee for a couple of years before we finally committed,” Lewis explained. “We didn’t want to see this place get chopped up and developed.”
Diann remembered the decision being part of their estate planning. “We were putting together our will, and the attorney suggested The Land Trust,” she said. “We knew it was the right move.”
Lewis Walker with “a nice gobbler.”
Since placing an easement on the property, the Walkers have continued to enjoy their land just as before. “They [The Land Trust stewardship team] come out once a year to inspect, and we’ve made a few improvements like adding shooting houses and building a garage,” said Lewis. “We also plant fields for the turkey and deer.”
The Walkers have even tried prescribed burns to manage the land. “We used to bring out the forestry service, but after a bad burn, we started handling it ourselves,” Lewis said. “The conservation office has been great. There are plants here that you just don’t see anywhere else.”
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- Old boxcar, once used for camping, but now used for storage.
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- Diann Walker and dog, Smokey, in the log house.
Hunting, fishing, and just being on the land are a big part of life for the Walkers. “If you don’t take care of it, you won’t have it,” said Lewis. “We only take what we’ll eat.”
The Walkers share the benefits of their protected property too. Their property is a popular spot for visitors. Diann said, “People come by and ask if they can take their kids down to the creek where their father used to fish. We never say no.”
The Walkers’ granddaughter, Crista, with a Bluegill.
The land even attracts kayakers, especially after the heavy February rains. “There’s a race down Daddy’s Creek every year, and people come from all over the country to do it,” said Lewis.
For the Walkers, protecting their land gives them peace of mind. “We have no regrets,” Lewis said. “It feels good knowing we’re leaving it better than we found it. Hopefully, the next people will take care of it, too.”