NC Archives Month, October 2014

“North Carolina at Play: Health and Leisure in Our State”

Archives Month is an annual observance of the agencies and people responsible for maintaining and making available the archival and historical records of our nation, state, communities and people.

Two photographs from the Transylvania County are included on the poster.  The Pisgah Tavern photo is in the C and H of "Archives" and the July 4, 1895 photo is in the North Carolina map collage twice.

At the Pisgah Tavern, 1942

July 4, 1895

Do You Remember "Miss Daisy"?

"Miss Daisy"

Daisy Norton, known by generations of library users as “Miss Daisy” died on September 7, 1964.  Miss Daisy was a fixture at the Transylvania County Library since the days of the first library on the courthouse lawn.  Miss Daisy began working at the library around 1936 along side of Miss Annie Jean Gash.

Miss Daisy was responsible for preparing the books for the shelves, mending any damaged books and circulation.  Although Miss Daisy was quiet and rather shy, everyone who used the library knew and loved her.

 When Mrs. Kapp became the head Librarian in 1944 Miss Daisy remained on as the little library grew.  In December 1956 the library moved into a new building (today the County Administration Building beside the Courthouse).  Miss Daisy continued to work at the library until June 1964.

Library, 1912-1956

Library, 1956-1974

Car Crashes Over Toxaway Falls

A car crashed over Toxaway Falls at 3:30 on Friday afternoon!  

A 1957 Ford was sent plummeting off the roadway after a fiery explosion.

This was all part of the filming of "The Whippoorwill", starring Robert Mitchum.  

The movie was released on May 10, 1958 under the title "Thunder Road".

Transylvania Times, September 5, 1957

Digital Photos Laptop

Do you enjoy looking at old photographs? The Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room has an extensive collection of historical photographs from Transylvania County and now you can browse them easily with our Digital Photos Laptop.

Photographs are organized by the collection in which they are archived. If you find a photograph in which you are particularly interested, you may request a digital or print copy. Stop by during our regular hours to see the Digital Photos Laptop for yourself!

King Mill Destroyed by 1916 Flood

The original King Mill was built by Jonathan King around 1840 on King Creek north of Brevard.  It was used to grind wheat and corn.  When the old mill was beyond repair Jonathan’s son, Samuel Barnett King, built a new mill across the creek.  The new mill powered the production of fine furniture and lumber for home building and other uses.      

James Columbus King, son of Samuel, operated the mill his whole life.  In poor health, James King died on July 18, 1916—the same day flood waters  destroyed the mill.  King never knew that his life work had been washed down the small stream turned raging river named for his family.

Brevard Festival Postcards 1997

 

Transylvania Tornadoes

Only three tornadoes have been officially recorded in Transylvania County since they began keeping records in 1950.

April 3, 1974 3:00 pm,  F1--Moderate Tornado, 73-112 mph winds

January 10, 1975 8:30 pm, F2--Significant Tornado, 113-157 mph winds

June 20, 1984 1:00 pm, F0--Gale Tornado, 40-72 mph winds

Transylvania County Slave Owners, 1862

According to the Transylvania County, Board of Tax Listing from May 3, 1862 there were 414 slaves owned by 70 families in the county.  Most of these families owned only 1 or 2 slaves.  There were 12 families with 10 or more slaves.

Brevard Company (town)
25--McKeown Johnstone
16--J.A. Gadsden
11--J.W. Killian
  6--B.C. Lankford
  4--A.D.B. Allison
  4--W.P. Poor
  3--Jonathan King
  2--Elizar Patton
  2--Wm. Wilson, Jr.
  1--Matthew Wilson
                                                                                 
Catheys Creek Company (township) 
37--Francis Withers Johnstone
36--W.C. Kilgore
12--O.L. Erwin
  8--G.W. Galloway
  8--P.L. Horry
  6--William Duckworth
  5--Giles Glazener, Sr.
  4--Sarah Johnstone
  3--Squire Morgan
  1--H.E. Hull
  1--Rebecca King
  1--Robert Whitmire

Cedar Mountain Company (township)
3--Micjah Thomas
2--C.C. Orr
1--C.B. Griffom
1--Baylas Tinsley

Davidson River Company (township)
14--W.C. Johnstone
  7--William Deaver
  6--T.E. Frazier
  5--E.B. Clayton
  5--John Clayton
  2--T.B. Clarkson
  2--S.S. Lyday
  2--Straub Young
  1--A.J. Lyday
  1--J.E. Mackey
  1--Luke Osteen
  1--Charles & Eli Patton
  1--W.D. Perry
  1--John H. Phillips
  1--J.R. Pressley
  1--A.E. Reese

East Fork Company (township)
21--Hume, Robert H.
 9--J.J. Chillom Estate
 9--D.P. Johnstone
 8--J.H. Elliott
 5--H.R. Rutledge
 4--B.T. Aiken (Akins)
 3--J.E. Duckworth
 3--Wm. Mull
 1--A.J. Cisson
 1--W. Sadler
 1--J.A. Shatart

Eastatoe Company (township)
 5--Jonathan Zachary
 3--William Whitmire
 1--J.R. Gillespie
 1--T.G. Henson
 1--Henry Lyon

 Glouster Company (township)
 No recorder ownership

Little River Company (township)
 21--Francis Allison
 18--Joshua Ward
 13--Leander Sams Gash
 10--Carey M. Whitten
  8--Jeremiah Osborne
  5--P.C. Orr
  3--J. P. Jordan
  2--J.S. Sims
  1--J.L. Haddon
  1--Joseph Jordan
  1--Rebecca Lyday
  1--Mary Slagle

High School Year Books?

Did you know that the Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room has a collection school year books? The collection include annuals from Brevard High School, Rosman High School, and other local schools.

Check our online catalog to see if a year book you are interested in is held by the library or call the North Carolina Room at 884-3151 ext 242.

You are also always welcome to stop by during regular ours to browse through all of the resources.


Local History Room Hours

Monday 9:30-8:00
Tuesday 9:30-5:30
Wednesday 9:30-5:30
Thursday 9:30-8:00
Friday 9:30-5:30
Saturday CLOSED
Sunday CLOSED

First County Officials Meeting, May 20, 1861

          

           Transylvania County was officially formed from Henderson and Jackson Counties on February 15, 1861.  Within the act that established Transylvania County it states that “a court of pleas and quarter sessions shall be held, and the same is hereby established in and for the county of Transylvania, to be held by the justices for said county on the third Monday of February, May, August and November.  The first session of which shall be held at the house of B. C. Lankford, on the third Monday of May next, when the court aforesaid, a majority of the justices of the said county being present, shall elect a clerk, a sheriff, a coroner, a register and entry taker, a surveyor, constable, and all other officers for said county.”             
            As it turned out the first shots of the US Civil War where fired at Fort Sumter, SC on April 12, 1861.  On Monday, May 20th North Carolina joined nine other southern states and seceded from the Union.  And, as the 20th was the third Monday of May, Transylvania County’s Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions met for the first time.  The justices elected George Orr, Clerk of Court; Robert Hamilton, Sheriff; J.W. Clayton, Coroner; John J. Wilson, Register of Deeds; James Hamlin, Entry Taker; T.G. Henson, Surveyor; John E. Rice, Constable; A.W. Beck, Standard Keeper; J.W. Killiam, Chairman of Court of Please & Quarter Session; W.P. Poor, Trustee for County; P.C. Orr, Treasurer of Public Buildings; and A.D.B. Allison, County Ranger to serve Transylvania County, North Carolina in the Confederate States of America.         
            According to a letter dated May 19, 1861 from Amanda Lankford, B.C. Lankford’s wife, to her brother, Jimmy Morris, “This week is to bee court & it is raining now.  I think tha will hold court at the camp ground, it is said there is to bee a flag hoisted & a cannon fired on Tuesday next & a speech by Jourden to make up a company in this part of the state as hard times are here & worse comeing I feare.” 

Road Construction Continued

Transylvania County "chain gang", 1931.

For years I have wanted to pin down where the chain gang 1931 Road Construction Photo was taken. I felt that it was taken along Hwy 276. I hiked to the two spots that I considered most likely.  One ended up being rejected do some terrain differences.

Probable location of 1931 photo, 2014.

However, I believe the second site is a good match. I cannot say that the site is definitely where the photo was taken but I feel that it is highly probable. The terrain matches. There is some minor difference in the excavated cut profile but you can see from the old photo that the crew was not finished excavating the cut - the steam shovel is still at work on the cut. I was unable to get to the exact spot that I think the photo was taken due to view blockage by rhododendrons. Nonetheless, I got reasonably close. I also walked the original road bed in two places. It is quite well preserved. I believe that the chain gang 1931 Road Construction photo was taken near 35.167729, -82.732357

In addition to the remnants of old Mill Hill Turnpike, at that spot there is a second road coming up from the Gwynn Valley area that joins Mill Hill Turnpike. It cannot be seen from the road.

This mark-up of a topographical map shows the area where I think the 1931 Road Construction photo was taken - where the GPS coordinates are. I have marked in blue the approximate location of the Mill Hill Turnpike in that section as existing remnants in solid and destroyed roadbed in dotted blue.

New photograph, topographical map and information provided by Ed Comer.

Digital Microfilm/Fiche Reader

The Rowell Bosse North Carolina Room has a new microfilm reader. It is the Powerscan 3000, and it allows users to digitally enhance images for printing. The Powerscan 3000 is very easy to use and provides more options for viewing, saving, and printing microfilm images.

Feel free to stop by anytime during our regular hours to try out the reader yourself or call ahead to make an appointment with our staff if you would like help learning how to use it.