THE DAVIDSON
When pioneers first saw the Sylvan Valley, they
were amazed by the beauty and invitingness of
the area along the Davidson River. Many were so
impressed that they decided to build their homes
along the banks of the crystal-clear stream.
Shortly after the Revolutionary War, Benjamin
Davidson liked this area so well that he built his
home where our warehouses are now located. He
had fought in the war, and was paid off in Con
tinental script, which was valueless except for pur
chasing land. After living at the location for a few
years, Davidson purchased the land from the State
of North Carolina.
On an old map of North Carolina the area was
titled "Ben Davidson’s Grant”, and the stream
was known as "Ben Davidson’s River”, later
shortened to "Davidson River.” The Ben David
son’s Grant described the land as "land on both
sides of Ben Davidson Creek.” The grant included
the land from about the present Osborne Dairy to
a big oak tree on the banks of the river at the
entrance to Pisgah National Forest, then easterly
to about the Wolfe farm, then southerly to where
the Davidson joins the French Broad, and then
westerly to the starting point on the Osborne
farm.
Noted in the History of Western North Caro
lina, by J. P. Arthur, is the following: "on 25th of
July, 1788, Charles McDowell entered 500 acres
in Rutherford County on Ben Davidson’s River,
including the Great Caney Cone two or three miles
above the Indian Path, though the grant was not
issued till December 5, 1798, and in November,
1790, Ben Davidson got a grant for 640 acres in
Rutherford County on both sides of the French
Broad River, above James Davidson’s tract, in
cluding the mouth of the Fork on the north side
and adjoining Joseph McDowell’s line, since trans
ferred to Charles McDowell.”
Transylvania County, formed in 1861, was a
part of Rutherford County at the time of the
grant. The area was Indian Territory until 1783.
Buncombe County was formed out of Rutherford
County in 1792, Henderson was formed out of
Buncombe in 1830, and Transylvania was formed
out of parts of Buncombe and Henderson Coun
ties by an act of the State Legislature in Jan
uary, 1861.
Bishop Asbury, the great missionary of the
Methodist Church, visited this area many times
between 1790 and 1814. One of his favorite stop
ping places was the home of Ben Davidson, where
he held several church meetings.
Every inch of rainfall on the watershed of the
Davidson represents 700 million gallons of water.
The average daily flow from 1929 to 1948 was
around 80 million gallons. The highest daily flow
recorded on this river was on August 15, 1928.
when the water rose to a height of 11.8 feet—
5,420,000,000 gallons.
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