Carney Recorded Much of DuPont's History

Carney beside the stone chimney of a former home site
within DuPont State Recreational Forest.

One of the document collections in the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room at the Transylvania County Library looks at the history of the area that is today DuPont State Recreational Forest.

The late John Carney was an active member of Friends of DuPont Forest.  Carney spent countless hours exploring home and grave sites in the forest, interviewing past landowners and descendants, and researching deeds and other records.  He worked diligently to put it all together to create a sense of place.

Significant places once located in the area include the Buck Forest Hotel, the Cox family hunting lodge, Summit Camps, and of course, the DuPont Plant.  Among the families with roots in the forest are Micajah and Anna Hightower Thomas, Clinton and Sallie Shipman Moore, Isaac and Jane Shipman Heath, James and Melinda Shipman Sentelle, John and Margaret Hinz Hooker, and many others.

The Thomas Family Cemetery and other old graveyards give
evidence of past lives in the forest.

The collection contains newspapers articles from 1999-2013 covering the proposed Cliffs Community and efforts to protect the area from development, the State’s condemnation of the property, and the creation of DuPont State Recreational Forest.  Also included are the Heritage Resources Evaluation of the Big Rock Trail, Bridal Veil, and Long Rock Petroglyphs from 2011 and Jon Strom’s 2006 Brevard College Senior Project on the petroglyphs.  In addition there are correspondences, newsletters, maps, and photographs.

View from the Cox family lodge
across from High Falls.

Carney passed away on May 15, 2012.  After storing his research material for a few years Friends of DuPont Forest donated it to the North Carolina Room at the Library.  Through this generous donation Carney’s legacy lives on and some of the history of DuPont State Recreational Forest is available for all.

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 828-884-1820.