The Art Loeb Trail and Its Namesake: Part Two – Arthur J. Loeb

 

Art Loeb, Shining Rock Wilderness, 1963

In last week’s article, the Art Loeb Trail’s formation and location were described. In this second and final article, the focus will be Art Loeb’s life and accomplishments.

Arthur Joseph Loeb was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on April 27, 1914. His father Adolf Loeb immigrated to Pennsylvania from Germany in the late 1890s and worked in the family tobacco importing business known as K. Straus & Co. Inc., which was started by Adolf’s uncle Karl Straus. Karl had learned the process for making fine papers in Germany, and the family business expanded to include the production of thin paper made from flax and used for Bible pages and cigarette wrappings.

Arthur, known to many as Art, grew up in Philadelphia and graduated from Mercersburg Academy and Yale University. After graduating, he began to work for the family business and was in charge of sourcing raw materials, including flax, from all over the country. During his business travels, he met Kathleen “Kitty” Vachreau in Minnesota. The couple married in 1940, and in 1942, Art served in the U.S. Army Air Corps for 4 years, achieving the rank of captain before being discharged from service. He and his wife moved to Brevard, where Art was hired by his cousin Harry Straus as the assistant to the research director. They raised a family there and had three girls: Barbara, Joan, and Katie.

Over time, Art worked his way up in the company, eventually becoming the vice president and general manager of the Ecusta Paper Division of Olin Matheson Chemical Corporation. He was actively involved in the community as a member and officer in local civic groups, such as the Transylvania Community Hospital Board of Trustees, the National Advisory Council of the Brevard Music Center, and the Carolina Mountain Club; as well as numerous national groups, such as the Advisory Council of the School of Engineering at N.C. State University, the North Carolina Tobacco Advisory Council, and the Society for the Advancement of Management.

Art Loeb, Pisgah National Forest, 1965

Art had a family predisposition toward heart disease and a high-pressure work environment, so it is not surprising that he had a heart attack in his mid-40s. His doctor advised regular cardiovascular exercise, and this is what sparked Art’s passion for hiking. He began by exploring the areas within walking distance of his home in what is now Straus Park, eventually branching out into further and further areas near and in the Pisgah National Forest. Hiking was a different experience than today, and it often required bushwhacking, orienteering, and utilization of not-always-accurate maps. Art and his friends in the Carolina Mountain Club created or connected many of the trails that enthusiasts of the region enjoy today.

It was this connection that inspired the Carolina Mountain Club to name the connected trail system in honor of  Arthur J. Loeb after he unexpectedly passed away in 1968 from a brain tumor. His legacy of conservation, trail maintenance, and community involvement lives on with his namesake trail, a truly iconic recreational institution so representative of the beautiful Pisgah National Forest.

Thanks to a generous donation by Art Loeb’s daughter Joan, the Local History department of the Transylvania County Library now holds in safekeeping Art’s backpack, hiking boots, walking sticks, camp stove, and memorabilia associated with his namesake trail. A display is forthcoming. Photographs and information for this column are provided by the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room, Transylvania County Library. This article was written by Local History Librarian Laura Gardner. For more information, comments, or suggestions, contact NC Room staff at ncroom@transylvaniacounty.org or 828-884-1820.