U.D.C. Started First Transylvania Library

The United Daughters of the Confederacy or U.D.C. is a patriotic organization of women descended from those who served for the Confederacy during the U.S. Civil War.  Founded in Nashville, Tennessee in 1894 there were about 100,000 members in chapters throughout the southeast at its peak around the time of World War I.

The Transylvania Chapter was chartered on June 7, 1911 with 25 members.  Miss Annie Jean Gash was the first president.  Their purpose was to aid Transylvania’s Confederate Veterans.  They attended reunions, secured and presented Crosses of Honor, attended funeral services, purchased metal markers for graves, and obtained government headstones.

Postcard of Brevard's Transylvania Confederate Memorial Library
operated by the Transylvania Chapter of the U.D.C.

In July 1912 the U.D.C. rented a room on the second floor of the Fraternity Building on South Broad St. to serve as a library.  The collection consisted of 300 books willed to the Town of Brevard by Lowndes Hume, son of Confederate Veteran Robert W. Hume.  In November they purchased the 600 square foot bungalow beside the courthouse and relocated. 

The library was originally open three afternoons a week.  Membership was $1.00 annually and books were rented for 5₵ each for one week.  The U.D.C. operated the library for over 30 years until 1944 when it became a public library supported by town, county, and state funding.

U.D.C. Library sign made by Mr. Avery Case in 1932 is displayed in the
Local History Room at the Transylvania County Library.

In 1918 the Transylvania Chapter of the U.D.C. organized a Red Cross Unit to make hospital garments for soldiers.  During WWI the Home Service Committee of the Red Cross Unit provided assistance to needy families of soldiers.  They had office hours twice a week at the U.D.C. Library.

The local U.D.C. chapter filled another need of the town in 1918 by providing rest rooms for women visiting or shopping in downtown Brevard.  A state law required the service and a Superior Court judge ruled that it would be enforced.  Space was provided by an addition to the library.  The County Commissioners paid for installation of plumbing and gave $50 annually for maintenance.  The Town of Brevard agreed to supply the water. 

The U.D.C. presented, "The Girl Who Dared",
a musical comedy on August 26, 1915 as a
fund raiser.

In addition to providing a lavatory the rooms offered a place for women to relax while in town. There was also a kitchenette to prepare refreshments for fund raisers and entertainments.  One popular means of raising funds for U.D.C. activities and projects was to hold productions.  Admission ranged from 25₵ for children to 60₵ for reserved seating.

In a brief history of the Transylvania Chapter written by Mrs. J. M. Allison she stated that the organization acted as a local social agency but was not very active on the state level.  The Transylvania Chapter had 60-70 members in the early years but by 1950 it had dropped to just ten.

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.

John Sledge Brought Television to County

Advertisement from July 21, 1949
Transylvania Times.

Television, like radio had previously, opened up the world to people across America by providing quick access to news and events.  Television added images to the experience.  The first television station in the world was W2XB in Schenectady, NY, which began operation in 1928.

North Carolina saw its first two commercial television stations in July 1949 when WBTV in Charlotte and WFMY-TV in Greensboro went on the air.  Within days people in Brevard were able to view Charlotte programming each weekday evening.  Brevard businessman John Sledge had been experimenting with radio and television for over 20 years.  Sledge operated a radio sales and service shop on Caldwell Street.  He invited everyone to come by and watch from 7:00 p.m. until signoff.  Sledge also sold Motorola televisions, “for as low as $190.”  By 1953 Sledge had competition in the radio and television market from Brevard Radio & TV and Pearlman’s.

Sledge was considered a pioneer in radio and television across Western North Carolina.  He demonstrated his hand-built television for the Asheville Amateur Radio Club on February 28, 1938.  This was the first showing of a televised picture in Asheville.  The image was sent by radio from one location to another, in this case just across the room.  In Brevard, Sledge had a transmitter and other equipment to send images across town.  He was also able to receive images from television stations throughout the U.S. on his home-made television.

Byron Olney and John Sledge experiment with
radio equipment on Caesar's Head, circa 1934-35.

Sledge, along with Bryon Olney, Frank Bridges and Jim Winget, would occasionally take his equipment to Rich Mountain where they were able to clearly receive an Atlanta station.  Large crowds would turn out to view the shows when they set up on the mountain.

John Reese Sledge died March 19, 1970.  He had begun experimenting with radio and television as a youth and operated Sledge Radio & Television for 35 years.

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.

Shaffer Lumber

Drawing showing the Shaffer rail line headed south off
the main line in Rosman and the "Y" where engines
turned around.

Shaffer Lumber was an unincorporated sole-proprietorship logging business owned and operated by Eugene A. Shaffer.  Shaffer moved his young family to Rosman from Pennsylvania in 1910 to log the rugged area south of town.

He leased iron rails from Southern Railway and a 30-foot wide right-of-way from local property owners to build a rail line from Rosman across the French Broad River, past Shipman Fields, and then across the Middle Fork.  The line continued to a flat where he built a saw mill at the present location of the Red Lion Inn.  A spur along Shoal Creek reached as far as Eastatoe Falls.

Eastatoe Falls on Shoal Creek.

A large wooden flume was constructed to move logs down the mountain to the falls.  The logs shot off the end of the flume and ended up at to bottom of the falls.  From there they were loaded onto rail cars and transported to the saw mill.

The logging operation and sawmill employed a crew of around 40 men.  A small village, known as Shaffer’s Camp, housed many of the employees and their families.  Today this is the Middle Fork community.  

The Shaffer home near Eastatoe Falls.

The Shaffer family home, a one-and-one half story craftsman-style house, was within sight of Eastatoe Falls.  The house was more elaborate than the typical homes of the area.  It had four large peaked gable dormers, a large front porch, and a fieldstone foundation and front steps.  The interior included a huge stone fireplace, moulded ceiling beams, hall transoms, beveled leaded glass windows, and egg-and scalloped lintel molding.  There was also a carriage house, a horse barn, and a corn crib on the property. 

In 1917 Shaffer sold his home and holdings, pulled up the railroad tracks and returned to Pennsylvania where he bought a power plant.  Eugene Shaffer died in Williamsport, Pennsylvania in 1958.

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.

WPNF Was First Commercial Radio Station

Radio broadcast experiments began in the early 1900s and became practical by 1920.  Amateur radio enthusiasts all across the country could obtain experimental licenses to broadcast at very limited ranges. 

The first commercial broadcasting station in the U.S. was KDKA in East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  The first licensed broadcast was the results of the 1920 Presidential election between Warren Harding and James Cox.

In North Carolina three men, trained in electronics, who worked for General Electric, Westinghouse, and Southern Bell created a partnership and started the state’s first commercial station, WBT, from downtown Charlotte in April 1922.

Brevard had plenty of early licensed radio operators.  In the 1930s the first Radio Club, The Transylvania Brass Pounders, was established.  George Bromfield was the President, members included Clarence Bowen, Frank Bridges, Lewis Hamlin, Alfred Hampton, Byron Olney, C.K. Osborn, Bill Perkins, John Sledge, and Howard Wilkerson.

For about 40 year WPNF was located on the Asheville Hwy., near the current Ingles.

Joan, Josephine, and Johnsee Lee give a live performance
 at WPNF in 1950.

It was not until 1950 that Transylvania County had its first commercial radio station though.  WPNF, Wonderful Pisgah National Forest, “the friendly voice of Brevard and Transylvania County” began broadcasting on 1240 AM on July 6, 1950.  The station was owned by Pisgah Broadcasting and initially had six employees.  Ed Anderson was the company’s president, John Eversman vice president, and John Anderson secretary.  The company was affiliated with the Mutual Broadcasting system which provided network programming.  It was on the air between 6 a.m. (7 a.m. on Sundays) and midnight. 

Judy Canova, Ed Anderson, and Adelaide Silversteen Van Wey
outside the WPNF station.

Local programming featured farm leaders, local ministers, and civic leaders.  Every Saturday morning Librarian Elizabeth Kapp reviewed new books, presented the Bookmobile schedule and discussed library activities.

WPNF, which could also be heard in neighboring counties and upstate South Carolina, was the voice of Brevard and Transylvania County until 1993 when it became WRAQ.  In 1997 Allen and Leah Reese purchased the station and began operating it as WSQL, White Squirrel radio.  In 2007 a group of local investors bought the station and moved it to it present West Main St. location.

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.