Do You Remember The Rosman Rocket?

Last week Picturing the Past featured a scrapbook and photograph album created by Selma Morgan when she was a student at Rosman High School in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s.  Along with those items from Miss Morgan’s school days was a copy of “The Rosman Rocket” dated April 18, 1930. 

1929-30 Rosman High School girls' basketball team.

Rosman High School did not have a yearbook until the late 1940s.  “The Rosman Rocket” appears to be an annual publication for the purpose of commemorating the past year.  It cost 25 cents, which would have been the equivalent of about $3.70 today.  School news, photographs of the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams, alumni updates, the upcoming graduation exercises schedule and general articles were featured in the publication.

In addition, there were numerous business advertisements to helped cover the cost.  About half of these were from Rosman merchants.  In 1930, when the town population was 484, Rosman had a variety of businesses.  The Rosman Extract Plant and Gloucester Lumber provided jobs and helped support a busy commercial district. 

Advertisers of groceries and general merchandise included stores owned by D.L. Glazener, James Glazener, Dewey Winchester, Berlie White and Walter Whitmire, as well as the Gloucester Company Store and Rosman Cash & Carry.  Other businesses represented were Mrs. Nath Galloway’s dress shop, Arthur Pharr’s café, Rosman Drug, Rosman Hotel, Rosman Motor Company and Whitmire’s Barber Shop.  Walter Reece, an authorized dealer of Delco lights, pumps, batteries and radios had an ad in the publication. 

If you know more about “The Rosman Rocket” or have other issues please contact a staff member in the North Carolina Room at the Transylvania County Library.

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.

Snapshor of a Teenager in the 1920s-30s Rosman

Many of the materials in the Local History Collection at the Transylvania County Library come from the generous donations of individuals.  A recent donation included a scrapbook and photograph album created by Selma Morgan.  Miss Morgan was raised in the Cherryfield area and graduated from Rosman High School in 1930.  She attended Western Carolina University when it was still known as Western Carolina Teachers College at Cullowhee.

Eighteen students graduated from
Rosman High School on April 30, 1930.

The scrapbook includes Graduation Exercise programs for 1926, 1927 and 1930.  Graduation was much different at that time than it is today. It was comprised of multiple events over a period of several days.  In 1930 the exercises began with a musical recital on Friday evening.  Commencement Exercises on Sunday consisted of an invocation, songs and hymns, scripture readings and a baccalaureate sermon.  Class Day on Monday was a more light-hearted event featuring the Senior Class history, music, poem, statistics, prophecy, will and gifts.  The Senior Class presented “The Dust of the Earth: A Rural Drama in Four Acts” on Tuesday evening.  The events culminated on Wednesday evening with the presentation of diplomas and honors at the final graduation ceremony.

Numerous clippings featuring school events, athletes and community news are also in the scrapbook.  The largest number of clippings though are for wedding announcements of Morgan’s classmates and friends.

Selma Morgan's photo albums features pictures from the
late 1920's and early 1930's in and around Rosman.

  The photograph album contains over 60 photos.  The photographs are not identified but appear to be Morgan’s classmates, friends and family.  In addition there are 36 personal name cards from classmates in the back of the album.

These items offer a wonderful snapshot of the life of a teenager and those central to her life in Rosman in the late 1920s and early 1930s.

If you have materials of local interest that you would like to donate to the local history collection please contact a staff member in the North Carolina Room at the Transylvania County Library.

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.

Pisgah Builders Supply: Once A Local Icon

Pisgah Builders’ Supply, Inc. announced their formal opening in Pisgah Forest on February 28, 1946.  The business carried a wide range of supplies including lumber, wall board, brick, cement, shingles, composite roofing and more.  A year later they expanded their facility to include a large warehouse and to allow for a showroom featuring model kitchens and bathrooms.

Frank Carr was the company president and general manager of the store.  His partners were H.H. (Harry) Patton and F.J. (Frank) Patton.  All three had long been associated with businesses in Pisgah Forest.  Carr was the son of Carr Lumber Company founder, Louis Carr and had worked in the lumber business in Pisgah Forest and New Mexico for many years.  Harry Patton was the son of T.T. (Thomas) Patton and had worked in the family’s mercantile business, as well as the City of Brevard clerk.  Frank Patton was the son of Robert Patton.  He had worked as a bookkeeper for Sid Barnett, operated a general store in Pisgah Forest and was employed at Ecusta.

The original Pisgah Builders Supply store in Pisgah Forest, 1959.

By the mid-1950s the business had grown to include an assistant manager, Ed Morgan and office manager, Tom Holmes.  In June 1957 Carr sold his stock in the company to Morgan and Holmes.  Morgan became the president of the corporation, Patton was the vice president and Holmes was the secretary and treasurer.  The business also announced that they would “no longer engage in any building or contracting” but would continue to carry a complete line of lumber and building supplies, hardware, tools, and Benjamin Moore paint.

On Sunday evening, December 22, 1968 a fire completely destroyed the Pisgah Builders Supply store.  Fire fighters were able to keep the fire from spreading to the nearby lumber yard and houses in the area.  Everett Norris, a co-owner of the business at the time, stated that they would set-up at a temporary location until a new building was built.  By late March 1969 the new modern facility was open.  The business closed in 1977.

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.

General Merchanise and Hardware Store Were the Hub Brevard Community

In the early 1900s most small communities had a general merchandise store.  On the Hendersonville Rd. about 2.5 miles from downtown Brevard the Deaver-Patton Company’s store was located at the busy crossroads of Pisgah Forest surrounded by Brevard Tannin’ Company and Carr Lumber Company.

Deaver-Patton Company brass token for merchandise.
Notice the spelling of Pizgah Forest, NC.

The Certificate of Incorporation of the Deaver-Patton Company on file at the Register of Deeds Office is dated September 1, 1909.  The stockholders were John C. Deaver, T.T. (Thomas Taylor) Patton, T.E. (Thomas Edward) Patton, and H.H. (Harry Heiss) Patton.  A notice for spectacles lost near the store in the September 11, 1903 Sylvan Valley News gives evidence that Deaver and Patton were in business by 1903 though. 

Deaver was the manager of the business, which sold dry goods, clothing and shoes, groceries, feed and seed, and farm implements.  In 1910 the store’s capacity was enlarged to carry hardware and furniture, as well.

A Certificate of Dissolution was filed on March 19, 1914 after Deaver sold his shares to Henry M. Brown and T.C. McCoy of Asheville.  At that time Brown took over management of the store which was rename Brown-Patton Company.  By 1919 the store had added automobile tires to their inventory.

Later the company again changed its name when Brown apparently sold his interest.  It was known as the McCoy-Patton Company from about 1922 until 1927.  An announcement in the January 20, 1927 issue of the Brevard News stated that the McCoy-Patton Company was going out of the dry goods business.  McCoy-Patton did continue to sell tires for a while longer. 

Ed McCoy, son of T.C. McCoy, served as the Pisgah Forest post master from 1920 through 1933.  During that time the post office operated from the store.  When Sid Barnett took over as acting post master in December 1933 it was announced that the office would remain in the old McCoy-Patton store building indicating the store was no longer in operation. 

In December 1934, a news Patton's Store operated by John C. Deaver's half-brother, Frank Patton and Pisgah Forest post master, Dewey Edwards opened in the building.  April 4, 1940 article in the Transylvania Times stated that, “Harry Patton has about completed plans for the wrecking of the present Patton’s Store to be replaced on the opposite side of the highway with a new and modern store building.”

Next week, Picturing the Past will feature more Pisgah Forest businesses of the mid-1900s.

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.