County Featured in The State Magazine

The first state magazine for North Carolina was published on June 3, 1933.  “The State:  A Weekly Survey of North Carolina” provided readers with a look at happenings across the state.  Editor Carl Goerch stated that the goal was “merely to disseminate the news of North Carolina.”  Included were articles about the state government, agriculture, manufacturing, businesses, people, places and events.

In December 1952 the subtitle was changed to “Down Home in North Carolina” and in May 1954 the publication was changed to every other week. 

The State, August 29, 1964 cover

When Bill Sharpe became the editor and publisher in 1951 he began writing general descriptions of each of North Carolina’s 100 counties for The State.  Sharpe expanded on these county features in writing his A New Geography of North Carolina, which was published in four volumes from 1954 to 1965.

Brevard College was experiencing growth.

The August 29, 1964 issue featured Transylvania County.  The lead article, “Through the Woods to Prosperity” presented an overview of a prosperous and growing county.  Additional articles spotlighted the Pisgah National Forest, the Rosman Tracking Station, Brevard College, Brevard Music Center, Lake Toxaway and Transylvania’s large industries—Ecusta, DuPont and American Thread.  

Several Transylvania County businesses ran advertisements in the issue.  The back cover was a full page ad and description for “Sherwood Forest:  The Audubon Colony in the Blue Ridge Mountains”, 8 miles south of Brevard.

The State became a monthly magazine in 1973.  In August 1996 new owner Barnard Mann wrote, “For 63 years this magazine has told wonderful stories about people and places that make up our state.  We thought, therefore, that a more fitting and descriptive title for this magazine would be Our State.”

North Carolina’s state magazine has offered a view of the state for over 80 years.  The Library has a complete collection from 1982 forward and many issues dating back to 1939.  Back issues from 1933-2011 can be view at North Carolina Digital Collection, digital.ncdcr.gov/cdm/home/ourstate.

The Moltz Mansion on the rebuilt Lake Toxaway
was key to county development in 1964.

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.

Many Newspapers Have Served the County

Many newspapers have served Transylvania County since the late 1800s.  In 1955 The Transylvania Times ran a contest asking folks to bring in the earliest local newspaper they owned.  Mrs. J.W. McMinn won $10 when she brought in the July 22, 1887 issue of Transylvania Pioneer.  It was volume 1, number 1.

The front page, which was reproduced, includes a letter from E.S. Warrock stating the goals of the paper, a list of Town of Brevard Ordinances, an article about surveying for the Greenville & Knoxville Railroad to run through Transylvania and Haywood counties and general news items from the southeast.

Other 19th century papers included The French Broad Hustler, The French Broad Voice, The Transylvania Hustler, The Brevard Hustler and The Brevard Leader.  The Sylvan Valley News began in late 1895 and continued until 1917, when it became The Brevard News. 

For a time The French Broad Hustler and Sylvan Valley News were both published in Brevard until the The French Broad Hustler moved to Hendersonville.

Most of these early newspapers operated for relatively short periods of time and little evidence of their existence remains.  The library has on microfilm, one edition each of The Brevard Hustler, The Transylvania Hustler, and The Brevard Leader from the 1890s, as well as one issue of the Sylvan Valley News from 1900 and one from 1902.

The earliest actual newspaper available in the Local History Room is The French Broad Voice from May 18, 1888.  Much of the news within this paper is not local.  There was an article on the railroad survey through the county from Greenville and obituaries for Alex D.B. Allison and Mary Lila Henning. 

Beginning in 1903 the microfilm holdings at the Library become more complete with only occasional gaps. 

The largest gaps in The Transylvania Times holdings are October 1931 - December 1932, July 1940 - March 1941 and April - August 1953.  If you have any papers from those dates the Library is interested in helping preserve them.  

The Sylvan Valley News (1900-1916) and The Brevard News (1917-1922) are also available at digitalnc.org.

A column in the October 8, 1931 edition of The Brevard News  welcomes The Transylvania Times, a new newspaper in the county.  James T. Fain was the editor and C.M. Ogle the business manager.  Miss Alma Trowbridge ran the local office, which was located in the former Chamber of Commerce rooms of the Breese building.   The paper was printed in Hendersonville though.  The two newspapers co-existed through the end of December 1932 when The Brevard News ceased publication. 

Researchers use these old newspapers to learn about the community, early businesses, industries, organizations, churches and much more.  Genealogists use the collection to find out about their families through news stories and obituaries.

                 

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.

ABOVE:

Banners from early Transylvania County newspapers, including Transylvania Pioneer, July 22, 1887; French Broad Voice, May 18, 1888; The Transylvania Hustler, November 2, 1893; The Brevard Hustler, April 30, 1896; The Brevard Leader, June 22, 1899 and Sylvan Valley News, November 30, 1900.

Early Maps Depict Brevard, Transylvania County

1868 Transylvania County Map

The map collection in the Local History Room at the Transylvania County Library has over 500 maps.   This includes a variety of maps covering different areas of the county, the Pisgah National Forest and western North Carolina, as well as a small number beyond the region.

The largest group is USGS topographic maps from the 1930s through the 1970s.  Topographic maps feature large-scale detail, usually using contour lines, showing both natural and man-made features. 

Natural land features include named mountains, knobs, rocks, coves, gaps, and valleys, along with their elevations.  Water features include rivers and lakes, as wells as smaller streams and creeks and waterfalls.

Man-made features include the roads and towns but also mark small communities, such as Cedar Mountain and even subdivisions, like Sherwood Forest.  The older editions can also aid in pinpointing locations of sites that no longer exist, such as Breese Mill on Hogsed Creek, the Little River School or Camp Burgess Glen.  Other man-made features include churches, cemeteries, 

community centers, airports, golf courses, lookout towers, power plants, gaging stations and bridges.

The earliest map of Transylvania County is dated 1868.  It shows townships, rivers, roads, bridges, churches and mills.  The map was drawn by T.G. Henson, the first county surveyor.

Early Town of Brevard Map

The earliest Town of Brevard map shows a town square for public use with four small lots on each the east and west sides.   Main Street was laid out running east-west through the square.  Broad Street ran to the south only.  Caldwell Street was the main north-south thoroughfare.

Another group of maps cover forest lands in the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forest and along the Blue Ridge Parkway.  These included both trail and land management maps.

There are over 100 subdivision plats from the 1970s covering housing developments in Boyd, Brevard, Cathey’s Creek, Dunn’s Rock, Eastatoe, Gloucester, Hogback and Little River Townships.

In addition there are reprints of historical North Carolina maps.

To access an index of the map holdings visit the Transylvania County Library website at library.transylvaniacounty.org.  Click on the Local History button and then Indexes.

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.

Old Certificates Are Interesting Documents

Scripophily is the study and collection of stock and bond certificates.  Old certificates may be valued for their historical significance or aesthetic value. 

V.B. McGaha purchased 2 shares of  Transylvania Turnpike stock
on August 10, 1898/

The certificates referred to in this article were issued from 1898-1968 by local companies to raise money for their business ventures.  They contain a variety of information including the company name and seal, the value, and signatures of the company president and secretary or treasurer. Completed certificates also have the date and the name of the shareholders.

The Local History Room at the Library has three books containing stocks from Gloucester Lumber Company and one Transylvania Tanning Company stock book.  Gloucester Lumber and Transylvania Tanning were both owned by Joseph Silversteen.

J. M. Zachary's
1909 French Broad Flume & Lumber Company stock certificate.

The collection also contains individual certificates for Brevard Community Hatchery, Brevard Country Club, French Broad Flume & Lumber Company, Plummer-Cobble Company, Rainbow Lake, Rosman Improvement Company, Rosman Knitting Mills, Transylvania Publishing Company, Transylvania Tribune and Transylvania Turnpike Company.

The appearance of the certificates varies.  The oldest certificate, from the Transylvania Turnpike Company, is black ink on cream paper with a wide detailed border but little other ornamentation.  The others use black, green or orange ink and include decorative borders, as well as some type of illustration.  The illustrations include the official North Carolina State seal, various eagles, an industrial image and a woman with a star on her forehead.

Carolina, Knoxville & Western Railway Company coupon for $15.00,
redeemable in April 1894.

Coupons were attached to some bond certificates.  The bond owner detached the coupon for payment when the interest became due.  A partial set of Carolina, Knoxville & Western Railway Company redemption coupons dating from 1891-1894 was recently donated to the Local History Room collection. 

The Carolina, Knoxville & Western Railway was part of a rail line intended to link Augusta, Georgia to Knoxville, Tennessee.  The route would have run through Transylvania County.  Right of ways were purchased and some clearing and grading completed, although no track was ever laid locally.

The South Carolina section of track would continue to be used for many years by other rail companies.  Today the Swamp Rabbit Trail follows the former Carolina, Knoxville & Western Railway bed from Travelers Rest to Greenville.

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.

Driverless Car Appeared Here in 1937

In August 1937 a Safety Parade was held in downtown Brevard.  The feature attraction was a driverless car.  The “magic” car was actually piloted by remote control by Capt. J.J. Lynch, who was riding in a second car several feet behind.

Close inspection of this photograph shows Capt. Lynch with a remote control in the second car.
A line runs from the control to the driverless car leading the parade.

The driverless car followed all traffic laws, made left and right turns and U-turns, while driving through the downtown area.  The car also sounded its horn when necessary for safety. Local businesses and organizations entered vehicles and floats decorated with safety banners in the parade.  The state highway motorcycle patrolmen, the Brevard Fire Department and Brevard Boy Scouts participated as well.

Participants lined up west of City Hall on Main St., proceeded to the Courthouse, turned right onto Broad St. and left onto Jordan St. as they circled the block.  They then returned down Main St., passed the Courthouse to City Hall.

At the end of the parade was a wrecker pulling a smashed car and an ambulance.  The main object of the parade was to show that the automobile itself is safe when properly handled.   Safe driving and traffic rules were stressed.

While a driverless car may not seem extraordinary in today’s high-tech world, the remote controlled car travelling through the streets of town in 1937 drew a large crowd.

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.