<< Back 6/26/02 Business groups built original arch SMN It weighed 2 tons, was constructed of steel, and was built by Oscar Briggs. The arch that spanned Waynesville’s Main Street was a signature landmark, part of an attempt by business owners to steer tourists bound for the newly formed Great Smoky Mountains National Park through town. “I thought maybe the town paid for it, but in the town minutes from March or April 1933 my daddy comes before them asks for money. They gave him $50,” said Bruce Briggs, a local historian whose father built the arch. Bruce Briggs said it seems from his research that two local chambers of commerce probably provided the impetus for the arch, not the local government. “They had a benefit picture show to raise money, and they also took public and private donations,” said Briggs. The newspapers of the day touted the new road through Maggie Valley and over Soco Gap into Tennessee and the park, said Briggs. That road was looked on by local entrepreneurs as a great way to attract travelers, he said. The arch ended up staying on Main Street for more than 30 years before it came down in the 1960s.