REMINISCENCES
Another early grape grower was
a naval officer from Ohio, Lieut.
Commander Eugene B. Thomas—
(Captain was a title conferred upon
him, to his amusement, by his Polk
County neighbors). I met him and
Mrs. Thomas at McAboy’s in 1885,
saw them later in Thomasville,
Ga., and spent the summer of 87
with them, when we boarded at
“Antler Hall” overlooking the
French Broad from what was soon
to be the Biltmore Estate. On his
retirement, after finding the cli
mate of a Boston suburb undesir
able, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas came
back to McAboy’s, bought a neigh
boring orchard and built on it the
house which, later, became the
winter home of the Washburn
family. When I returned to Try
on, encouraged to do so by Mr.
and Mrs. Thomas, I found them
occupying their new home. Al
though he was a semi-invalid, Mr.
Thomas had had a vineyard plant
ed within sight of his home, across
the Pacolet, beyond the present
Lynn schoolhouse. In a few years,
it was sold to Judge Bacon, when
a McAboy guest, and eventually
•came into the hands of his son, Mr.
F. P. Bacon. It was his first busi
ness undertaking here and if he
has skipped a Tryon enterprise
since, I am sure it was an over
sight and not intentional.
That Mr. Thomas took a very
early interest in grape growing
seems to me proved by my recol
lection that it was he who selected
he told me, the “Kniffen” system,
for growing the vines, used in
vineyards along the Hudson River,
but not in this part of the country
By this method the grapes hang
from the wires, and make a more
attractive looking vineyard. In ’95,
it was fortunate to have an indus
try really becoming to the land
scape, since, at that date, the land
scape in Tryon and environs was
mostly vineyard. I can list only
a limited number of those vine
yards. .
Beyond Mr. Whitney’s and be
ginning on Laurel Avenue, was a
large vineyard under the manage
ment of Mr.'Harold Doubleday, son
of Gen’l. Doubleday, in partner
ship with Mr. Sidney Lanier, old
est son of the poet. This son, and
the youngest son, were, at that
time living with their mother in
one of the Mason cottages at the
end of Lanier Street. At one side
of the Doubleday property, a small
vineyard had been planted for
Mrs. Hatch, whose home,- compar
atively recently, was transformed
by Mr. Brooks, after a long period
iji Mr. Gillett’s ownership. That
vineyard still stands, below the
waterworks and is harvested by
Mr. J. W. Taylor.
At the other end of town was
a large vineyard owned by Mr.
Robert Alston and his father. It
was. at first, on the south side of
the railway track. Enlarged,, it
finally included the slope toM|e
gate from the house he built
became the Beaumont-Speed place.
At the foot of Warrior Mr. Geo.
E. Morton was an enthusiastic
fruit and flower grower. His suc
cess with flowers has a fitting
memorial in the border of crepe
myrtles which extends from his
home along the Asheville high
way. The Lindsey grape-growing
tract on Warrior Mountain covered
many acres. Beyond it, up the
mountain side of the valley, a
small vineyard belonged to Mr.
Alexander Beatson, beyond which
the property later called the Cruse
place, had not only grapes but an
astonishing variety of other fruit.
The best known industry connected
with the Cruse place was the serv
ing of “Afternoon Tea” to Tryon
and its guests, who scaled the
heights in the horse-drawn, tlvP
seated vehicles of the day. "
The two Rankin vineyards^Pne
now owned by Mrs. Fuldner and
the other eventually in the posses
sion of Dr. Juanita Lea, came later,
as did Dr. von Kahlden’s, about
1912, and the Vollmer grape-grow
ing acreage even later.
—-(To Be Continued).