Wartime Gasoline Rationing

On this day in North Carolina History,

"Wartime gasoline rationing goes into effect in North Carolina and 16 other Eastern states. The maximum purchase per week: three gallons." (1942)

Source: Powell, L. (1996). On This Day in North Carolina History.Winston-Salem, North Carolina: John F. Blair, Publisher. 

Connestee Was Part of 'Walton War'

Although Native Americans never had permanent villages within the boundaries of Transylvania County they certainly travelled through the area, camping for extended periods of time while on hunting expeditions.  They also fished the abundant streams and rivers and gathered berries and nuts.

Folk history tells of the Connestee tribe having a village in this area.  And legend says that a heart-broken Cherokee maiden plunged to her death off Connestee Falls.  Folklore is full of similar tales and although there is no evidence to support it, it does make a good story.

As white settlers began moving to the area in the late 1700s, North Carolina and Georgia engaged in a land dispute over the exact location of the state boundary lines.  At stake was a piece of land, often referred as the “Orphan Strip”.  Georgia claimed it as Walton County and North Carolina claimed it as part of Buncombe County (today Transylvania County).  Skirmishes broke out, folks were jailed but “escaped”, there may have been one or more deaths, and law suits ran on for years.  While the facts concerning exactly what happened during the “Walton War” vary, today Connestee Falls, Dunn’s Rock and Eastatoe are all within the boundaries of this disputed territory.

In the late 1880s The Carolina, Knoxville & Western Railway planned to construct a rail line from Augusta, Georgia to Knoxville, Tennessee through the mountains of western North Carolina.  It would have run through the Connestee Falls area.  Deeds show right-of-ways granted through Transylvania County.  There remains evidence of clearing for the proposed railway near the Connestee Falls main gate and on to where a trestle would have crossed above Batson Falls as well as in other places along the route.  Rails were never actually laid in Transylvania County and the project was abandoned by 1899.

The steep mountains and poor roads in the area above the Dunn’s Rock valley kept Connestee from having many early settlers.  However, the little community of Reba flourished from 1898-1907.  There was a post office, along with Carson Creek Baptist Church and Carson Creek School.  If The Carolina, Knoxville & Western Railroad had been built the area would have been much different than today. 

The current Connestee Falls community began with the purchased of nearly 3000 acres in 1971.  Connestee Falls was developed as a vacation community but over the years many property owners became full-time residents.  Originally there was a small motel and restaurant at the entrance. 

Some of the information for this article came from Ed Comer’s book, Shadows of the Past, a history of the Reba community and early residents of the area.

Photograph above:  Carson Creek School, 1907.  Teacher, Bonnie Wilson.  Children include Bagwell, Batson, Clark, Garren, Hubbard and Raines.

Left:  Lewis Summey built a mill at Connestee Falls after the Civil War.  It is unusual in that it sat above the falls and had an undershot wheel. It operated as a grist mill only. According to the Summey family around 1900 he traded the mill for four fine horses and the family moved to Brevard.

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.

Seeoff Has Always Been a Strong Community

Long before the community of Seeoff was named pioneer families settled in the area from the top of Dunn’s Rock moving east toward Rich Mountain.  Most have descendants who still live in the Seeoff community.

Old Buncombe County deeds show that Samuel Walter Hogsed had property in the area prior to 1800. He was married to Rebecca Ashworth.  Among their children was Samuel (b. 1833) who married Caroline Hefner.  Samuel and Caroline’s children included Riley and Walter who married sisters Louise and Mary Kate Raxter, daughters of Samuel and Tabitha Raxter.

Other early families in the area included Dunn, Eubanks, Gravely, Hamet, Hamlin, Heath, Holden, Lance, Landreth, McCrary, McGaha, Raines, Saltz, Wilson and others.

Dunn’s Creek Baptist Church was organized in 1876 although the first building wasn’t constructed until the 1880s.  Joshua and Sarah Ann Holden deeded over property on which a one-room log church and school was built.  This building was destroyed by fire and replaced in 1882 by a wooden building also used as both a church and school.  Around 1890 a new church was built on land deeded to the church by Walter and Laura Raxter in 1894.  On March 23, 2011 that church was destroyed by fire.  People in the community and beyond have come together to build the new Dunn’s Creek Baptist Church.

After the new (1890) church was built the school continued to use the old building.  It was known as the Holden School.  When it was condemned as a fire hazard and closed a new school was constructed nearby.  Later the children from Seeoff went down the mountain to the new Connestee School in Dunn’s Rock (today the Dunn’s Rock Community Center).

In 1912 the Appalachian Club Estates held nearly 1000 acres of land in Seeoff.  They intended to develop it as “an exclusive, co-operative summer club, whose membership is open only to ladies and gentlemen of good repute, their families and guests.” The Appalachian Club Estates built an office beside the courthouse.  After they went bankrupt the building was sold at auction in November 1912 for $200 to the United Daughters of the Confederacy for the first library in Transylvania County.

In 1955 a group of Seeoff women led by Mrs. Eliza Ware and Mrs. Allie Harllee organized “The Homesteaders” to form a “Closer Unity of Seeoff Community.”  Originally they met in the homes of Mrs. Ware and Mrs. Harllee, then in the old schoolhouse.  In 1968 Eliza Ware’s children donated property to build a community center beside the Dunn’s Creek Baptist Church and cemetery.  From the beginning the clubs goal was to help others.  Over the years they were the driving force in bringing advancements to the community, including rural free delivery mail service, telephone services and improvements to Becky Mountain Road.  In 1968 the Ware-Harllee Memorial Scholarship Fund was created for Seeoff students pursuing a college education.

The Seeoff Community Club continues to be active within the Seeoff community.

Photo 1: Dunn’s Creek Baptist Church, 1890-2011.  In 1920 Andy Hamet, Joe Hamet, Andy McGaha and Ed McGaha built the belfry and the entrance to the church.

Photo 2:  Mrs. Eliza Ware at her Yanside home overlooking the valley, with Cecil Wilson, Fred Landreth and Herman Hogsed.

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.

Ecusta Basketball Team, 1947 Identified

Bob Merrill was able to identify the members of the 1947 Ecusta Basketball team.  Left to right:  Head of Personnel, Buddy Baldwin, Pete Dockins, Troy Drake, Jay Merrell, Claude Laughter, Willie Nelson, Conley McKinnis, Bob Merrill, Mitchell Taylor, Oliver Taylor and Fritz Merrell.