A To Z Tour of Transylvania County

For the next several months Picturing the Past will be presenting an A to Z tour of Transylvania County.  We are starting off with A is for airstrip, as in the former Camp Summit airstrip located within the current boundaries of DuPont State Forest.  The following article was written by Kent Wilcox for the Friends of DuPont Forest newsletter.  For more information about FODF visit their website at www.dupontforest.com

In the fall of 1967, Ben Cart purchased more than 1,400 acres in Cedar Mountain from private landowners and the DuPont Corporation. The mostly-forested land, locally referred to as Buck Forest, encompassed portions of the watersheds of the Little River and Reasonover Creek and was adjacent to a large tract of more than 6,000 acres owned by the DuPont Corporation. Soon thereafter, Mr. Cart built a dam on Reasonover Creek to create Lake Julia, which became the centerpiece for his two summer camps, one for boys and one for girls, called Summit Camps. By the mid 1970's, youth from 25 states and several foreign countries were enjoying their summer vacations at Summit Camps.

Ben Cart, Sr. beside his Beechcraft Bonanza airplane.
Photo courtesy Ben Cart, Sr.

During the off season, Mr. Cart traveled extensively around the country to promote Summit Camps. He gave presentations about Summit Camps and met with parents and their children at expositions sponsored by youth camping associations. Three of Mr. Cart’s children had private pilot’s licenses and encouraged their father to do the same. Mr. Cart attended ground school at Blue Ridge Community College, obtained his pilot’s license, and purchased a Beechcraft Bonanza airplane to use for business and pleasure.  To make his frequent traveling more convenient, he built a runway and hanger at Summit Camps, both of which are still highly visible landmarks for those who hike to Bridal Veil Falls from the Fawn Lake parking lot.

Mr. Cart recruited local friends to assist in construction of the airstrip, which began in 1975-76 and was completed in 1978-79. His business partner, Dick Garren helped with the engineering phase and built a house on the east side of the airstrip, where he lived while he worked at Summit Camps. The house is currently used as a residence for forest service staff. Mr. Garren’s two nephews, Kit and Tom, spent a year on-site clearing brush and doing other chores while the airstrip was being built.

Ron Hubbard, who currently owns Hubbard Grading in Pisgah Forest, NC, oversaw the grading operations. Mr. Hubbard and his crew (including Ben Cart and Dick Garren) used heavy equipment such as bulldozers and scrapers to carve through a large hill at the south end of the runway and to level a smaller hill at the north end of the runway. These hills were composed mostly of soil and loose rock, but removal of the last layers required dynamite. For this task, Mr. Cart hired a professional who lived for six months in a tiny trailer near the north end of the runway while blasting rock. The contents of the two hills were sufficient to create a level foundation for the entire runway. On more than one occasion, a truck or bulldozer slipped down the steep slope on the west side of the airstrip and had to be hauled back up by winch. The three year project left a legacy of worn out equipment that is slowly rusting and rotting away in DuPont Forest.

Mt. Pisgah in the distance from the Camp summit airstrip.
Photo courtesy Kent Wilcox.

The asphalt-paved Summit Airstrip is 2,800 feet long and 40 feet wide with a bearing of 340° NWN. This is exactly the same bearing as the Asheville Airport runway, which, for comparison, is 8000 feet long and 150 feet wide. The iconic view of Mt. Pisgah from the north end of the runway was purely coincidental. Although the Summit Airstrip was intended for private use only, it was listed on FAA charts and could be used for emergency landings. Mr. Cart installed lights for night landings, but after a few attempts, he decided that night landings were too risky due to inadequate lighting and frequent fog. Night landings were banned after the lights were removed, but Mr. Cart continued to use Summit Airstrip for night departures. Aircraft fuel was available on site from a 5000 gallon aviation refueler truck. The airstrip was frequently used by Mr. Cart, his family and friends, as well as parents who brought their children to Summit Camps in single and twin engine planes.

In the mid 1980's, Mr. Cart decided to close the Summit Camps and sell his properties. Next week Picturing the Past will complete the story of the Camp Summit airstrip.

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.

Records Rainfall Set on July 16, 1916

During July 1916 Western North Carolina, along with much of the southeastern U.S., suffered massive flooding when two hurricanes struck the region.  The first, on July 5-6, came up from the Gulf of Mexico through Alabama.  The second hit Charleston on July 14 and moved inland dumping record amounts of rain.

The greatest one-day precipitation amount ever recorded in Transylvania County occurred in Brevard on July 16, 1916.  The only official recording station in the county at that time was in Brevard and it recorded 14.70 inches.   The largest 24-hour rainfall ever recorded in the entire state of North Carolina occurred on July 15-16, 1916 in Mitchell County with 22.22 inches.

Landslide above the French Broad River south of Brevard.

Records aside, flood waters across five states took lives and destroyed property.  In Transylvania County Mrs. Caldwell Sentell and her 7-year-old daughter were killed when their home near the Davidson River was struck by a landslide and knocked from its foundation.  Johnny Heath, of the Dunn’s Rock area, died as the result of injuries caused by a landslide.  The landslide, one of 25 reported in that section of the county, also seriously injured Heath’s mother and a neighbor child.

The Sylvan Valley News reported, “Thousands of acres of river farms transformed into vast lakes, and hundreds of bushels of rye washed down stream while crops stand several feet underwater; railroad transportation suspended for three days without mail and passenger service; power plant out of commission and town in darkness; dams of big lakes threatened; lumber road seriously damaged and farm crops injured to extent to thousands of dollars; all result of four days of storm which sweeps southern states.”

There was concern the “big lakes would overflow and cause their dams to break” at Lake Toxaway and Lake Fairfield.  Both held though, and by late July both resorts were again advertising for visitors.   In early August thousands of tourists were flooding into Western North Carolina for a shorten tourist season.  Most of the boarding houses in Brevard were full.

Lake Toxaway after the dam broke.

Then on August 13, 1916 the earthen dam at Lake Toxaway burst sending over five billion gallons of water barreling down the Toxaway River into South Carolina.  Although a third hurricane had brought additional heavy rain to the area in early August, the cause of the dam break was believed to be an unrepair leak on the lower part of the dam. 

The dam gave way at about 7:00 pm on Sunday evening when more the three quarters of the 600 foot long, 62 foot high structure broke loose, emptying most of the 550 acre lake in just 15 minutes.

The combined fallout from the floods and the failure of Toxaway dam was devastating to families, businesses, the landscape and the economy. 

The North Carolina Office of Archives and History has created an exhibit, “So Great the Devastation:  The 1916 Flood” that is traveling the area.  The exhibit will be on display on the 2^nd floor at the Transylvania County Library throughout August.

In addition, David Weintraub’s film, “Come Hell Or High Water, Remembering the Flood of 1916” will be screened in the Library’s Rogow Room at 12:00 noon on Tuesday, August 9.  Weintraub will answer questions following the approximately 40 minute documentary that explores the history of Western North Carolina's worst natural disaster and asks the question, what have we learned? 

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.

Rowel Bosse Created Historical Archives

Rowell Bosse’s interests in hiking, botany, and history led him to spend over 20 years working to preserve the history of Transylvania County.

The North Carolina Bartram Trail Society was organized on November 1, 1977 by eleven North Carolina residents, including Rowell Bosse.  Their goal was to build an 80 mile trail honoring naturalist, William Bartram.  Bartram had traveled through the Southern Appalachians from 1773-1777, recording the plants, animals, and the life of the Native Americans he encountered.  Bartram’s Travels of William Bartram offers detailed descriptions of his journey.  Bosse, along with Transylvania residents Charles Moore and Walter McKelvey, was instrumental in mapping and flagging Batram’s route through North Carolina.

Rowell Bosse.

For many years Bosse served on the Historic Properties Commission board.  He is credited for helping the county achieve CLG (Certified Local Government) status, obtaining grant funding for a county-wide architectural survey of historic buildings, and recording oral histories of the memories of long-time residents.  Through the Historic Properties Commission Rowell also worked to assist Mary Jane McCrary in publishing her book, Transylvania Beginnings.

He created an archive where documents pertaining to the businesses, organizations, families and general history of Transylvania County could be preserved.  This collection was the beginnings of today’s Local History Collection in the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room at the Transylvania County Library.

Bosse was also active with the Transylvania County Historical Society in its early efforts to acquire and preserve the Allison-Deaver House.

In 1992 Rowell Bosse was presented with the Gertrude S. Carroway Award of Merit for his, “outstanding efforts in the field of historic preservation” by Preservation North Carolina.

Bosse died on May 30, 1999.  His preservation efforts live on through the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, the Transylvania County Historical Society, the Transylvania Heritage Museum, and the North Carolina Bartram Trail Society.  Display cases on the 2^nd floor of the Library currently feature information about Rowell Bosse.  On Friday, July 15 there will be a celebration of Rowell’s preservation efforts and how they live on with a brief presentation at 1:00 pm.

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.

Rowell Bosse Served Country, County

The Bosse family, 1906.  From left:  W.T., Ernest, Effie, Karl.

The Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room at the Transylvania County Library is named for local historian Rowell Bosse.  Bosse was born on July 16, 1911 to William Thomas and Effie DeLong Bosse.  He had two older brothers, Ernest (1903-1924) and Karl (1905-1947).  Rowell graduated from Brevard High School in 1929 and worked at Transylvania Tanning for several years. 

Rowell Bosse, left, WWII.

Bosse entered active service with the U.S. Army on January 7, 1943.  He served in Europe and was involved in battles at Normandy and Rhineland.  Bosse was awarded the EAME Campaign Medal with four bronze stars.  He was discharged on November 2, 1945.

In May 1948 Rowell Bosse began working as a cashier for Transylvania Trust on Main St. in Brevard.  He worked for the bank for 28 years, even as it was bought out and changed names. 

When First Union National Bank opened a Rosman branch in February 1958 Bosse was placed in charge of it.  The Rosman bank was robbed on October 26, 1964 and again on April 29, 1966.  Both times Bosse was working.  It was robbed a third time in August 1966 while he was on vacation.  Although the thieves got away with money all three times, Bosse’s calm and clear thinking helped lead to their capture and prosecution.  One of the August 1966 thieves was involved in the April hold-up and Rowell was able to identify him after his capture.

Rowell Bosse retired from banking in 1976 and began full-time pursuit of his main interests—hiking, fishing, camping, botany, and history.

Next week’s article will focus on Bosse’s activities with the North Carolina Bartram Trail Society, the Historic Properties Commission and the Transylvania County Historical Society.  Throughout July, the 2^nd floor display cases at the Library will feature materials representing his life and interests.  On Friday, July 15 there will be a celebration of Rowell’s preservation efforts and their continuation with a brief presentation at 1:00 pm.

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.