Monday, July 27, 2015

Witness Tree Was Historic Local Landmark

 On July 25, 2015 the Allison-Deaver House, known as the oldest standing frame house in Western North Carolina, celebrated its 200th anniversary.  Many years before its construction a white oak across from where Benjamin Allison would build his home, began its journey toward becoming a local landmark. 


In the late 1700s vast tracts of land in Western North Carolina were purchased by land speculators for small sums.  If the land owners were later unable to pay their property taxes the land would be sold at auction by the county sheriff.

On September 19, 1798 Buncombe County Sheriff, James Hughey sold property, known as the James Hughey Land Grant, for back taxes.  The beginning corner in the property description is marked by a white oak. 

DAR Witness Tree Marker
When George W. Young was establishing his property lines in the 1880s several of the oldest men in the county identified a particular white oak as the beginning corner of the James Hughey Land Grant.  These men had lived here their entire lives, since the time when the property belonged to Buncombe County, through 24 years as Henderson County and finally as Transylvania County beginning in 1861.

This same tree served as a meeting place through its lifetime in Buncombe, Henderson and Transylvania counties and would become known as the Witness Tree.

On September 29, 1958 the DAR placed a plaque at its base reading, “Marker of Hughey Land Grant, 1798. Three county marker and meeting spot.”

Jim Morrow inside a cross-section of the tree
shortly after it was removed.
When Highway 280, known as the Boyleston or Asheville Highway, was being expanded in the 1980s there was a public effort to save the over 200 year old landmark.  On March 13, 1984 the North Carolina Board of Transportation decided to shift the highway alignment and preserve the tree. 

Unfortunately a short time later, an expert examination of the 110 foot tall tree showed that it had decayed through much of its core.  Sixteen feet in circumference at it base, much of shell further up the trunk had only 3-4” of solid wood.  On January 29, 1985 the old Witness Tree came down.
A cross section of the Witness Tree can be seen at the Transylvania Heritage Museum on W. Main St. 

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library.  Visit the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional photographs.  For more information, comments or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-3151 X242.


Monday, July 20, 2015

Floods, Time Destroyed Several Local Mills

Last week’s Picturing the Past featured the Breese Mill and the King Mill located on King’s Creek in Brevard.  Both mills were destroyed by floods in 1916.  Technological advances and improved transportation were quickly reducing the demand for mills in every community.  However there were local mills that operated well into the 1900s and one still in operation today.

Morgan Mill in the Cherryfield area had been built around 1856 by “Big Jim” Morgan.  It survived the 1916 floods.  The metal wheel from the destroyed Breese Mill was purchased and used by Morgan Mill for many years.  It continued to operate into the 1980s.  The mill finally collapsed from a heavy snow in 1998.

Whitmire Mill, also in Cherryfield was constructed by J.L. Whitmire in 1939 and operated until 1964 when damage from floods caused it to close. 

William Breese, Jr. built a mill, also known as Breese Mill, in 1925.  It was located on Hogsed Creek near Maidenhair Falls south of Brevard.
Breese Mill on Hogsed Creek with it metal wheel.

Mill at Rockbrook Camp, 1927
After Henry and Nancy Carrier opened Rockbrook Camp in 1921 an old mill water wheel was used to generate power for the camp.  In the 1930s Duke Power brought electrical lines to the camp and this was no longer used.  The stone foundation is all that remains today.

Gwynn Valley Camp also had a mill that was used to provide power for the camp.   Originally opened in 1923 as Connestee Cove Camp for Girls, Mary Gwynn purchased the property in 1942.  Miss Gwynn had power lines run to camp. 

Gwynn Valley Mill
In the 1980's the old Gwynn Valley Camp water wheel and grist mill were restored.  Today the water-powered mill is used to grind corn for grits, cornmeal and chicken feed and to churn ice cream for the summer campers.



Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library.  Visit the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional photographs.  For more information, comments or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-3151 X242.

Monday, July 13, 2015

Water and Mills Were a Natural Fit Here

Transylvania County has an abundance of creeks, streams and rivers with shoals, cascades and waterfalls.  All of this water has brought not only people but industry to the area.  Mills were among the earliest local industries.  Corn, wheat, rye and other grains were ground for both human and animal consumption.  Water wheels turned machinery to cut lumber, make furniture, turn iron ore into iron bars, card wool and later to generate electrical power.  A community that had a mill and a store was an economic and social center.

There were mills throughout Transylvania County.  Previous Picturing the Past articles have mentioned Morgan Mill and Whitmire Mill in the Cherryfield area, a linsey-woolsey mill and an iron ore mill on the Davidson River, McCall’s Mill in Balsam Grove and Summey’s Mill at Connestee Falls. 

Breese Mill--the millrace ran parallel to Whitmire St.
and brought water from King Creek about a quarter of a mile away. 
There were two mills located on King Creek just north of downtown Brevard.  The Brevard Roller Flour Mill, also known as the Breese Mill, was built by William E. Breese in the late 1890s upstream from present day Brevard College.  

The Breese family home was located on the corner of what is today Caldwell and Whitmire Streets.  Breese grew and milled several different types of grain on his farm.  Like many other local mills, the Breese Mill on King Creek was destroyed on July 16, 1916 by flood waters from successive hurricanes and massive amounts of rainfall.  Later the mill wheel was sold to the owners of Morgan Mill. 

The larger building on the left is the old King Mill built by Jonathan King.
Across the creek is Samuel King's Mill.
Jonathan King had built a mill further up King Creek many years earlier.  The original mill ground wheat and corn.  When that mill was no longer operational his son, Samuel Barnett King built a new mill across the creek.   It was used to mill lumber and to manufacture furniture, along with other uses. 

James Columbus King, son of Samuel, continued to operate the mill throughout his entire lifetime.  A July 21, 1916 Sylvan Valley News article states that the mill had been seriously damaged and the flume was nearly a total loss from the recent storms.  A second headline reads, “J.C. King Died Last Tuesday.”  King, who had been ill for some time, never knew that the family mill had been lost.  

Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library.  Visit the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional photographs.  For more information, comments or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-3151 X242.


Monday, July 6, 2015

Cedar Mountain Has Been Home to Several Camps

The Cedar Mountain area has been home to numerous camps through the years. The earliest mention of Cedar Mountain campers in the Sylvan Valley News appeared on August 20, 1909.  It read, “Professor Hugh Shockly of Spartanburg with 18 boys passed through Brevard Wednesday on their way home from a camping stay at Cedar Mountain.” 

Although it is unknown if this was the first such group, over the next several years Cedar Mountain became popular among upstate campers.  Greenville Boy Scouts, the Greenville Y.M.C.A. and Tangle Foot Girls of Greenville were among those who frequently camped in the Cedar Mountain area.

In 1922 there is a brief mention of Camp Comfort in Cedar Mountain which appears to have continued to operate until at least 1926.

Cedar Mountain was the home of three mill camps from 1925 to around 1950.  These camps provided a break from the heat and humidity of the piedmont region and from factory jobs for workers and their families.  Employees signed up for a week, packed up their families and enjoyed hiking, swimming, dances, games and a time to relax in the mountains.

Elks Club Camp at the former Piedmont Camp.
Piedmont Camp operated from 1925 until 1950.  After it closed the Elks Club of Greenville held a boys’ camp there for several years.  In 1979 Wilderness Journey, a Christian camp stressing outdoor skills for youth and adults opened on the property.  Campers had to climb a 100-foot cliff and hike into the camp when they arrived as an initiation.

Victor Monaghan Mills built Camp Reasonover on Reasonover Rd. for their employees and families.  It was sold to the South Carolina Education Association in 1954.  They operated it as Camp Socareda, a summer camp for teachers and students.   It was the Eva Good Presbyterian Conference Center from about 1969-1992.

Judson Camp, owned by Judson Mills, was never completely finished.  It was located where Sherwood Forest is today. 

Aerial view of Summit Camps.
Summit Camps was located on 1,400 acres that are part of the DuPont State Recreational Forest today.  It consisted of both a boys’ camp and a girls’ camp.  Camp Summit had its own airstrip, which was used by the camp owner and parents of campers.  The camp operated from 1969 through 1986.  In 1991 DuPont bought the property, including the camp buildings, Lake Julia and the airstrip.

Other camps in the Cedar Mountain area have included Camp Burgiss Glenn, Harmony Farm—a summer riding school, Camp Greenville-YMCA and High Rocks Camp. 

To learn more about Transylvania’s Summer Camps visit The Museum of Transylvania Heritage on West Main St. 



Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library.  Visit the NC Room during regular library hours (Monday-Friday) to learn more about our history and see additional photographs.  For more information, comments or suggestions contact Marcy at marcy.thompson@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-3151 X242.