Newspapers / Watauga Democrat (Boone, N.C.) / July 11, 1957, edition 1 / Page 14
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AD STIRS MEMORIES n Roc Traffic Of Olden Days! K By NANCY ALEXANDER M fal I^enoir Newt-Topic | The oM MM «tood hum on the Mountain looking down the nar ihidod l«ne runmn){ between tko overhanging tract. Hit tboul deca wore heat with the weight of the yam that hod tprinkled the pepper tad ttlt into hit hair flfWaoaing to r«at he permitted hit thought* to wiag along 4m trail tad tlip into faded memory to that it trtmad that through the ml tit ha one* again could toe the htiggiet and turrlet rolling un evenly and Icitareiy up the old rOad There it lay—or, at loatt. all that roaalned of it—the old turnpike that ooce ran between Lenoir and etaoc and the back country. Hotiy carpeted fragment! tnd thrubbed vettlgei wort only dim lott relict of a once hailed major development of the State. Hit v it ion blurred and he re. membered, at a child sitting by the firetide while the coalt tpit mow. on long wintry day*, listening to hla grandfather weave tale*, In Ike lin*ey-woolaey of tin*, of year* when there wasn't a road between the valley and the mountain—only • rough trail. There were frontier Ulea of the trail worn by the In diana and wild animal*, of trapper* and trader* and Indian battle*. For almoit a hundred year* after the first pioneer came (truggling up the mountain*, walking beiide Ihcir ox drawn (led* hauling their meager bouiehold (upplie* over the twilting torturou* trail wind ing between the great gnarl* of twiated rhododendron, that wa* all there had been—ju*t a little path clinging to the great peak*. After the aetttler* built their cabin* among the hill* the path widened ■ little a* they made annual tripe down to the valley driving before them herd* of horie*. cattle, and hog*, and flock* of turkey*, geeae, and other fowl* to market, aome going a* far a* Columbia and Charleaton and other diatant mar ket*. They camped by the wayalde ■ear feeding atationi where they could buy grain and other food* tor their liveatoek. The* trip* were long awaited expedition* on which entire famine* shared the difficultie* and pleasure*, sleeping and eating by campfire* and hav iag merry, joyous Unc*. But (or j the moat part of the year they liv 1 ed to isolation. The road *M i too narrow lor even a wagon to 1 travel it. About the only way a peraon could make his way out was ob foot N by hone back. And then there w*r» recollec tions of his grandfather reminis cing of loading mea of the time -men with foresight and vision, who saw the great necessity for a link between the lowlands and the mountains—men like James Clar ence Harper, Samuel Pattersoa, Edmund Jones and others, with belief k the future and dreamt be yond their years, who envisioned a road up the mountain, and set about to build it ,Mr. Harper, the man who had surveyed the town of Lenoir, four years later, engineered the turnpike, sometimes following the valleys and streams and some times following the old trail of the hills. It took hundreds of men, many of them slaves, with hard back breaking labor, to carve the turnpike from the age.old granite cliffs. The Blowing Rock Turnpike was incorporated in the Legislature of IMS Hi* grandpa Mid the road waa a good one (or thoae days. It took a long time to build, but when it was finished it was like cutting an opening in an impaasable stone wall. People rushed to travel it —not that they could do much ruahing in horsedrawn wagons and carry-alls—what with the trip tak ing most of the day, and then when the rain turned it slippery and muddy a-body could hardly travel it at all. There had been a stage coach route started soon after that On good days, grandpa said, the folks liked to ride on top with the driv er, who impressively and skillfully cracked his long whip across the heada of the straining horses. And thoae who rode inside rushed to get the seats that were in 'the back of the vehicle. No one wanted to ride backwards, for it often made folks sick. They strapped their trunka and baggage on top. At Blowing Rock and Lenoir crowds gathered when they heard the driver's bugle blast a mile or so from town, to see who waa on the stage and to get the mail the stage carried. A toll gate—part of the time here had been two—was operated to help pay th« cxpoanc of Um upkeep on the road, which re quired «Mk ink of Um Ubm Mr. Harper had president and auperin tendent oI the turnpike until hit death. Later Um Lenoir-Watauga Turnpike Company had operated I ,"'y When the pike was opened that waa when Um first Caldwell folka started building summer homes on top of the mountain— they'd pack up at the tint of the summer, spending daya getting ready, loading wagon* highland then take all of one day to make Um trip With them went their slaves, old and young, except the onea left at home to tend the farms. Even the livestock waa driven up the mountains to atay for the aummer and grow aleek on the green pasture landa. Folks had called Blowing Rock, Summer vllle then, hia grandpa said. Before that the mountain land had had no value. The lack of a road had made It impoaaible for people to enjoy the summer cool neaa and the magnificent views to any great extent. Not long after the road waa completed there had been built be •ide it at Patteraon, the firat cot ton mill In the weatern end of the State and people came from the mountaina to get thread for their looma. Then, too. they started hauling from the htlla wagon loada of cabbage, applea, and cheatnuta to the marfceta In the fall. They were uaually met in Lenoir by wagonera from the Piedmont haul ing flour, molaaaea, and potatoea to exchange. After the train came to Lenoir they could ihlp their pro duce by rail and for the firat time mountain people could really aell in quantity for money inatead of in exchange. The lection 9l trail before the old man ran beneath the gray akeletona of ancient cheatnut trees, where he remembered buggies of roay cheeked young poeple, bun dled in warm clothing, coming up the mountaina to gather the brown gloesy nuts in the fall and carry them home by the sackfula to roaat beneath glowing coals. That waa long before the blight came and sickened the treea. It seemed that once again he could hear the muffled hoofbeata of fine horses owned by the aummer folks —how they'd act out In spanking tugging (training horse* pulling the materials far the Cow* man sion from the railroad in Lmo<(. That was in Um days when the Aherncthy, Hcnkel. and Bobbins •tables ran hacks (ran the train to the aid Blowing Rock Hotet. The trip had taken about throe hours met way Sometimes the rtugh road had caoaad accidents. Ua MssiasmlkAfliAil nnna mIkah a htfmm rac reracniueiru oner wncn ■ mrw. Brenlaer from Charlotte* had suad Mr. Henkel because *\e had broken a led when a buggy from his stable overturned. Not far away he could see the bend in the road where down be low the cool, clear spring, now overgrown and forgotten in the waeda. was once the stopping place for all travelers. With weU filled baskets they picniced by its brink, drinking Its crystal pure waters. Then there were the days when' the first touring cars had chugged,: huffing and puffing, up the pike. | Slower than molasses in January ! they'd been, though folks had thought them mighty fast then, i . Folks had called them new-fangled j i contraptions snd said they'd never j | replace the horses, what with their | j flat tires snd heating radiators th.it had to be cooled several tiaies | up the mountain with spring or I ! creek water. People had worn j dusters and goggles and big gloves. And the stables st-.rted using Jit neys instead of hacks. The road in-those days was high in the middle with the ear tracks lower. A-body could hardly ptu another car in lota of plscei, some time* • person had to back a good distance, frightening the passen gers nearly to death, along the high precipices—there were no road shoulders in those days, only the steep mountain sides along the pike. There were bad wrecks then, more so than now, it seemed. If one of the high cars got the wheels elevated in the center of the road it could overturn as quick as a wink and send its occupants crashing down the mountain sides. Times bad changed and now the mountain sides where a man years ago wouldn't dared have placed a cabin, were filled with low modern, picture windowed houses. There had been two roada con structed since the day of the turn pike, but it was the turnpike that 'had first drawn prosperity to the hilla. Down below where the wide modern highway abruptly ended the old trail, sleek modern cars were traveling faster than the Wind, so that folks now days miss ed the real beauty of the hills in the little coves and valleys and springs that once delighted travel ers of the old turnpike. TRAFFIC DEATHS OFF Fatalities from traffic accidents in the cities of the nation during May were off six per cent from a year ago, according to the Na tional Safety Council. The nation al reduction in traffic deaths was only 2 percent, however. The May total of 3,100 deaths compared with 3,170 in May 1096. Recreation News h V By JACK CROCK Schedule tar July 11 through 17 to u follows: Thursday, July U— Little Little League, teams I and 4; 3:00-4:10, Little Little League, team* 1 and 2; 5:4V7 30, Adult aoftball—Boone Boys v». Vilaa, IRC field; IRC vs. Baptiat, Dormi tory field. Friday, July 12—1:301:00, Lit tle League; 3:00-5:30, County Pony League game. Blowing Rock at Boooe; 3:49-7:30, Adult soft ball—Kutherwood vs. Presbyter ians, Dormitory field; Oak Grove vs. Methodist, IRC field; 8:00 10:10, Teen Canteen, (Wear your Bermudas). Monday. July 19—1:10-3:00, Lit tle League; 3:00-5:00, Pony Lea gue practice; 9:45-7:10, Adult softball — Vilas vs. Mt. Lions, Dormitory field; Sportsman Club vs. Boone Boys, IRC field; 8:00 10:30, Teen Canteen. Tuesday, July 18 — 1:30-1:00, Little Little League, teams 1 and 1; 1:00-4:10, Little Little League, teams 2 snd 4; 9:49-7:10, Adult softball—IRC vs. Methodist, Dorm itory field; Oak Grove vs. Baptist, IRC field. Wednesday, July 17—1:10-1:00, Little League; 1:00-9:10, County Pony League game. Bamboo at Boone; 9:49-7:10, Adult Softball Rained out games. Standings W L IRC 0 Boone Boys 9 1 Oak Grove ........... 9 2 Methodist _..,4 2 yam , Aij Presbyterians f Mtanwi Ml Lion* ^ Sport*mis aub ' Zionville News Mr*. John Weidinger and Miss Judy Wei dinger of Detroit, Mich, have re'urned hoi.^e after a week's visit with Mr and Mrs K. N. Nor ris at Bethel Miss Diane Triplet! of Charlotte la (pending a few weeki with her grandparents, Mr. and Mri. J. B. Triplett of ZionvUle. Week end visitors were Mr. and Mr*. Boko Triplett and family of Charlotte. Those spending Sunday were Mr. and Mrs. C. R. Triplett of North Wilkesboro, Misses Suaanne and Marilyn Triplett of Millers Creek. Mr. and Mrs. James Cos and children, and Miss Jewel Phillips of Purlear. Mr. Frank Wilson of Cleveland, Ohio spent the week end with his family on Route 2, Boone Miss Hettie Greer haa returned to her home in Zionville from Blowing Rock Hospital. Mr. and Mrs. Clayton South of Torrance, Calif., are visiting Mr. and Mrs. Clay Pennell and others in the county. Mr. Ross Bumgardner has re turned to the home of the Rev. and Mrs. R C. Eggers after spend i ing some time in Baltimore, I Md. with Mr. and Mr*. Melvin Nelson. Mr. and Mrs. Nelson ac compnined Mb for • weeks «Wt Other visiters to thr turn home wtro Mrs Bessie Johnson of N«r», Tennessee and Mr. and Mm Ernest Eftgeri of Kingsport, Ton NATIONAL OUT DOWN The national debt has declined to *270,300,000,000 — the lowed point the debt has reached since March. 1M4. The decline resulted fan the retirement of *4,000, 000,000 at special tax anticipation securities. However, it promptly rose by (3,000,000,000 when a new issue of tax anticipation securities was sold. The debt is estimated to wind up fiscal IMS at *208,200. 000,000. NEWS ABOUT OUR Servicemen UnOU PROMOTED WASHINGTON. D. C. — The Navy Department announced the promotion of Eugene Carroll, *oa of Mr. and Mr*. Charlie J. Carroll of Route 1, Boone, N. C„ to radio man second elaaa, USN. while serving aboard the destroyer USS Soley. The promotion followed success ful completion of a Navy-wide petty officer examination con ducted last February. DEMOCRAT ADS PAY J. H. WINKLER REAL ESTATE - SALES AND RENTALS PHONE CY 5-3086 - BLOWING ROCK, N. C.
Watauga Democrat (Boone, N.C.)
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July 11, 1957, edition 1
14
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