Rotary Created Brevard Version of Monopoly

The popular board game Monopoly dates back to the early 1900s.  The main objective of the game is to purchase property and become rich, ultimately bankrupting other players.   The game board is made up of nine spaces on each side, plus the four corner spaces.  The spaces represent properties that players can purchase as well as spaces offering advantages and disadvantages.  The game, which is known world-wide, has hundreds of different editions and spin-offs.

Brevardopoly board, 1985

Opoly fundraisers offer a way to design and customize the board to individual towns, universities, groups, and organizations.  In the town-opoly versions funds are raised through selling board properties to local businesses or organizations for advertisement and by selling the game itself.

In 1985 the Rotary Club developed a Brevardopoly version of the game.  Properties were owned by local stores, real estate companies, restaurants, and other businesses and organizations. While many of them are no longer in business, there are several including Harris Ace Hardware, Eldridge Motors, Smith Systems, and Love’s Jewelry & Gifts that are still operating more than 30 years later.  Belk had the honored space of Boardwalk and the Olin Corp. was on GO where players collect $200 each time they pass.

Examples of Chance and Brevard Chamber of Commerce
cards from the game.

Spaces traditionally used by railroads were sponsored by local banks—First State Savings & Loan, Brevard Federal Savings & Loan, First Citizens Bank, and First Union National Bank.

The game also includes the traditional Chance and Community Chest cards that offer players bonuses such as Bank Pays You Dividend of $50 or $75 from the Chamber of Commerce.  Other cards demand payment of $15 to Brevard for Poor Tax or $100 to the Hospital.  And of course, there are the traditional “Go Directly to Brevard Jail” and “Get Out of Jail Free” cards.  The Brevardopoly version refers to the Community Chest cards as Brevard Chamber of Commerce cards.

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.

Weather Records Reveal Number of Snowy Christmases

The State Climate Office of North Carolina has operated through the University of North Carolina system for over 40 years.  Since 1980 it has been under the Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences at NC State University. 

Digging out near the Clayton Hotel on Main and Caldwell streets, late 1920s.

Their website, climate.ncsu.edu, offers a wide range of information related to our weather.  Many of the records date back to 1870, although for Transylvania County record keeping begin in 1902. 

The Weather Extreme database is searchable by location and date.  It includes high and low temperatures, temperature changes, and warmest and coldest weather station.  It also identifies highest precipitation amounts within a day, a 24-hour period, and within a calendar year, along with wettest and driest weather stations.

Snowy scene from the past on West Main Street, early 1920s.

Lake Towaway is the wettest weather station across the state with 91.72 inches of precipitation annually.  Rosman ranks third with 79.06.  Highlands in Macon is second.  The state record for highest amount of precipitation in one calendar year is held by Rosman with 129.60 inches in 1964.

The recent unexpected snowfall was recorded as 8.5 inches in Pisgah Forest on December 9th which ranked 4th on the state-wide greatest amount of snowfall for that day over all years.  It should be noted that information for 2017 was only available through December 9 at the time this article was written.

The top five one-day snowfall events for Transylvania County since 1902 are 17 inches in Brevard on December 3, 1971; 16 inches in Rosman on March 3, 1942; 15 inches at Lake Toxaway on December 4, 1971; 14.7 inches at Lake Toxaway on January 22, 2016; and 14 inches in Rosman on January 8, 1988.

The website also contains a White Christmas section that shows the probability of snow on Christmas Day by weather station.  Over 104 years of records Brevard has had a snowy Christmas just 7 times, Rosman recorded 6 snowy Christmases in 80 years, and Lake Toxaway 5 in 61 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 828-884-1820.

Library Has Christmas Card Collection

The first Christmas card was created by Sir Henry Cole in England in 1843.  Cole was looking for an efficient way to respond to hundreds of Christmas letters.  He asked artist John Horsley to design a card containing three panels and a simple message. The outer panels pictured people caring for the poor, while the center panel showed a family Christmas celebration.  He had a thousand copies printed.

Cole’s peers liked the idea and soon began having their own Christmas cards designed and printed.  The idea spread and anyone with the funds could purchase a Christmas card for a shilling each.   

Christmas cards were first sold in the United States in 1875 by lithographer Louis Prang.  Prang used chromolithography—color printing.  The cards featured animals and nature scenes and a simple message.  Within a few years Prang was selling 5 million cards a year. 

The popularity of Christmas card brought about competition in the industry.  Cash prizes were offered for the best design.  In the late 1800s elaborate Victorian style cards with snow-scenes were the most desired.  Around 1900 holiday postcards, which were less expensive to produce and mail, came into style. 

This Christmas postcard was sent to Miss Hattie Aiken
in Mt. Airy, NC on December 24, 1931.

The Transylvania County Library has a number of holiday postcards.  Most of these came from the collection of Hattie Aiken.  Born in 1886, Hattie Aiken grew up in the East Main St. home of her parents William and Mary Lankford Aiken.  After teaching at Brevard Institute for a few years, she taught at schools in Wilkes and Surry counties for 29 years.  Upon retirement Miss Hattie returned to the family home in Brevard and operated it as a boarding house for many years.  Legible postmarks on the cards dated them from 1908-1935.  Miss Hattie passed away at the age of 96 on Christmas Day, 1982. 

A cousin from Candler, NC mailed this Christmas postcard
to Miss Jerdie Pressley on December 23, 1910.

There are also a small number of Christmas postcards sent to Miss Jerdie Pressley of Glenville, NC in Jackson County.  Jerdie Pressley was born in 1898 and married H. Jasper Wilson on August 19, 1917.  The postcards are all addressed to Jerdie Pressley, with the earliest postmarked 1910.

The library's postcard collection is available for browsing in the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room on the second floor.

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.

Growing, Decorating Christmas Trees Provided Cash, Fun

Checking the tree crop on a Balsam Grove farm in 1961.

The modern Christmas tree, which found its way to the United States with German immigrants in the early 1800s, dates from 16^th century Germany. 

By 1900, one in five American families decorated trees during Christmas.  An article on the front page of the December 1, 1905 Sylvan Valley News advises setting the tree in place the day before it is to be used.  Strings of popcorn and popcorn balls should also be prepared a day ahead as well.  On the day of the Christmas party everyone joined in to put on decorations including tiny twinkling bells, golden stars, shiny tinsel, and gleaming candles. 

Beginning in 1906 Joseph and Elizabeth Silversteen held an annual Open House at their Rosman house for the community.  A description on the 1908 event states, “The tree was beautifully trimmed and the yard under the tree was larger than ever before, and contained tiny toy fowls and animals which greatly pleased the children.  The little green and red picket fence surrounding it, gave a touch of completeness to the whole.  All the children and old people received oranges and Christmas stockings filled with candy and Mr. Aiken very kindly entertained the callers with his excellent phonograph.”

This undated photo shows children at a Baptist church Christmas program.
Contact the Local History Room staff at the Library if you can identify
any of the children.

The first mention of a community Christmas tree in Brevard was for the evening of December 24, 1907 at the court house. 

Many of the local churches and schools also had a Christmas tree and entertainment for children and the communities they served.  The presentations typically included readings, songs, plays, and a visit from Santa Claus who brought children a small treat bag, as well. 

Brevard High School Christmas Pageant, 1955.

C.M. Siniard was one of the first to make a profit from the growing popularity of Christmas trees.  In 1912 he advertised, “Holly Christmas trees and trimmings delivered to any part of town.  Rates reasonable.” 

The Christmas tree industry grew quickly until nearly every family had one by 1930.  By the mid-1900s Christmas trees had become a cash crop in the mountains of Western North Carolina. 

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.