TRANSYLVANIA—
rhe Land of Waterfalls,
Mecca for Summer Camps,
Entrance to Pisgah Na
tional Forest and Home of
Brevard Music Festival.
The Transylvania Times
A Stale And National Prize-Winning A.B.C. Newspaper
Vol. 67—No. 27 * 18 PAGES TODAY *
BREVARD, N. C., THURSDAY, JULY S, 1956 ,_* SECTION ONE ir
TRANSYLVANIA—
An Industrial, Tourist, Id
ucational, Agricultural
and Music Center. Popula
tion, 1950 Census, 15,321.
Brevard Community 7,394.
PUBLISHED WEEKLY
THE DU PONT COMPANY has pur
chased 10,500 acres of land in Transyl
vania and Henderson counties for possi
ble future expansion of its silicon pro
duction, and the proposed plant site can
be noted within the jagged lines on the
map above. This area is located in beau
tiful Buck Forest, some two and one half
miles from Cedar Mountain.
Commissioners Approve New Budget
Of $1,287,853, Open For Inspection
Tax Rate Remains At $1.55.
Various Expenditures
Are Listed
An annual budget estimate of $1,
287,853.00 for Transylvania coun
ty for the year 1958-57 was pre
sented to the commissioners Mon
day by County Accountant Lewis
Osborne.
The new budget was accepted
and ordered to be filed with the
register of deeds for public inspec
tion for a period of 21 days before
it is adopted on July 23.
The proposed budget anticipates
the passage of the proposed school
bond issue of $647,000.00 and not
*0|king this into consideration the
budget is slightly higher than that
of last year.
The tax rate, however, will re
main the same, $1.55 per $100 val
uation.
The new budget is based on an
estimated property valuation of
$22,000,000.00, which is a million
dollars more than the estimated
budget of the past year.
A financial statement shows that
the county finished the current
fiscal year June 30 with a good
cash surplus in a number of ac
counts. In view of this cash bal
ance, plus the anticipated increase
in total valuation, it will not be
necessary to increase the tax rate
—Turn to Page Ten
CALENDAR OF
. COMING EVENTS
V
Thursday, July 5, — Lions club
meets at Gaithers at 7:00 o’clock.
Friday, July 6 — Kiwanis club
meets at Gaither’s at 7:00 o’clock.
Concert at Music camp at 8:15 o’
clock.
Saturday, July 7th — Concert at
Music camp at 8:15 o’clock.
Sunday, July 8th — Attend the
church of your choice. Music camp
concert at 4 p. m.
Monday, July 9th — Rotary club
meets at Gaither’s at 7:00 o’clock.
Shriners meet at Gaither’s at 7 p.
m. VFW and auxiliary meet at 8:00
p.m.
Tuesday, July 10 — Moose and
Elks meet at their respective lodg
es at 8 p. m.
Wednesday, July 11th — Jaycees
meet at Gaither’s at 6:30 o’clock,
Cosby Choir Camp To
Be Dedicated Sunday
Cosby Choir Camp, Inc., at Lake
Toxaway, will be dedicated in ap
propriate services this Sunday af
ternoon with the opening session
to begin Monday, July 9th.
Rev. Ben F. Ormand, pastor of
the Brevard-Davidson River Pres
byterian church, will be in charge
of the dedication service. He will
be assisted by Dr. Robert L. Mc
Leod, professor of Christian educa
tion at Lindenwood College.
The dedication will take place at
3 p. m., at the camp, which is lo
cated adjacent to the site of the
famed old Toxaway Hotel. New din
ing rooms, dormitories and other
structures have been built, and sev
eral of the cottages once used in
connection with the old hotel op
eration are also being utilized.
The Transylvania Ministerial as
sociation will be represented at
the dedication Sunday by Rev.
Douglas Corriher, pastor of the Bre
vard Methodist church.
A musical program will be fur
nished by the faculty and counsel
lors from the choir camp, directed
by Frank L. Pugh, camp director.
The first of two sessions for 1956
begins at the choir camp July 9th
and continues for three weeks. The
second session will begin on July
30 and also lasts for three weeks.
—Turn To Page Te*
BUCK FOREST
HAS COLORFUL,
LONG HISTORY
Vast Amount Of Land Accu
mulated By Colonel Coxe.
Background Given
BY FRANCES WALKER
The beautiful Buck Forest prop
erty, which has been used in recent
years for nothing but private fish- •
>ng and hunting and the sale of
timber, was‘once a bustling • place
and has enjoyed a colorful his
tory. r ’* ''— ‘
The acreage was accumulated ov
er a period of years by Colonel
Frank Coxe, who among other
things was reported to have fought
on both sides during the War Be
vveen the States. Old Col. Coxe
.’erne to Western North Carolina
from Charleston and was one of the
'argest property holders in this
rea.
He was the father of the late
Tench Coxe and grandfather of
Frank Coxe, of Asheville. Through
out the years most of the Buck
Forest property has remained in
the hands of the Coxe family.
According to Paul Roberts, who
was caretaker at Buck Forest from
1928 until 1944/ here was once the
scene of much activity?
The old Jones Gap road, once
the main highway from South Car
olina into the Caesars’ Head-Cedar
Mountain area, was not completed
until just after the Civil War. It
passed by the old Buck Forest Ho
tel which was then one of the
—Turn to Page Ten
BOARD ACQUIRES
SCHOOL PROPERTY
Church Lot Purchased At
Rosman. Silversteen Do
nates Acre Of Land
The Transylvania board of edu
cation has purchased the Metho
dist church propety adjacent to the
Rosman schools, and at a later date
a vocational building will be erec
ted on this site.
According to Supt. J. B. Jones,
an adjoining lot which is about an
acre in size, has been donated to
the schooi system by Joseph S. Sil
versteen.
This will give access to the prop
—Turn To Page Ten
PRINCIPAL FIGURES at the annual
Brevard chamber of commerce last Fri
day night at the country club are shown
above looking over the program of the
evening. At the left is Ed M. Anderson,
publisher of The Times and president of
WPNF, who introduced the speaker. In
the center is Walter Smith, of Ruther
fordton, who made the principal address
and inspired his hearers to do more and
better civic work. At the right is J. C.
Gaither, president of the Brevard cham
ber of commerce, who presided over the
dinner meeting. See story on page four,
first section. (Times Staff Photo)
10,500 Acres Bought In
This County, Henderson
COUNTY BOARD
GIVES NOTICE
OF BOND VOTE
Election Is Expected To Be
Held September 8th. Needs
In System Cited
In compliance with the law, the
Transylvania board of commission
ers is giving public notice this week
that a school bond election in the
amount of $647,000 is being called.
The date of the election is ex
pected to be on Saturday, Sept.
8th.
The commissioners heard mem
bers of the school board tell of
needs in the school system at their
last regular meeting. It was ex
plained that to provide adequate
buildings and to repair existing
ones, an expenditure of $1,027,
000.00 would be necessary.
Of this amount, $647,000 will be
provided by bonds, and the re
mainder by county ad valorem tax
es in the regular budget under the
heading of capital outlay.
The total indebtedness for school
purposes would be $1,086,000.00,
which is the maximum allowed with
the present property valuation of
$22,000,000.00.
School officials point out that
—Turn To Page Tea
Expect To Build Plant
In Buck Forest Area
The Du Pont Company has bought l^SQ^acres of
land in Transylvania and Henderson countiesas“SrTJtSs^
sible site for the future expansion of its silicon produc
tion, company officials announced here this morning.
The site lies on the boundary line between the two
counties and is roughly bisected by the Little River.
Three large parcels are included in the property and they
are the Buck Forest tract in Transylvania, consisting of
around 5,000 acres and owned by the Frank Coxe fam
ily of Asheville; the A. H. Guion tract of 5,400 acres lo
cated mainly in Henderson county and the Donald
Rhoads tract of 139 acres.
It is understood that the proposed plant area will
be located on the Buck Forest tract near Cedar Mountain
in Transylvania county, about 12 miles from Brevard.
The North Carolina Highway Commission has ag
reed to build roads into the plant site and it appears that
the main entrance to the site may be from U. S. highway j
276 near Cedar Mountain. > ?
The Crab Creek road runs parai/^l to the northern
most boundary and an entrance from that direction may
also be desired.
Du Pont officials pointed out that the location of the
site, largely in rolling timberland remote from any indus
trial or agricultural activity, was dictated by the extreme
requirements for air purity in manufacturing hyperpure
silicon. I Jjest Of fi? Sjtgg—■—
AN EDITORIAL
Welcome, DuPont Company
This is indeed a Happy Fourth of July for Bre
vard and Transylvania county and we feel like stag
ing a celebration that would even surpass the one
which our forefathers held on that first Fourth one
hundred and eighty years ago.
On behalf of every citizen of this fine county,
The Times takes pleasure in extending a most hearty
welcome to the Du Pont Corporation, one of the na
tion’s largest and most outstanding industrial organi
zations.
We are thrilled that this gigantic company has
purchased the Buck Forest property in this county as
a proposed plant site, plus other property in Hender
son county.
It was a great day for us when the late Harry
Straus announced in 1938 that he would establish the
Ecusta Paper Corporation at Pisgah Forest. It was a
great day for the county when Mr. Straus announced
in 1949 that Olin Industries would erect a large plant
for the manufacture of cellophane. And today it is
a great day for Transylvania as Du Pont is announcing
the purchase of a plant site.
Both Ecusta and Olin have been happy with their
location in this “land of waterfalls” and we hope Du
Pont will soon start construction and that they will
be most happy, too!
Program Highlights
WPNF to Observe Sixth Birthday
On Friday, Public Service Stressed
On Friday of this week, WPNF
will celebrate its sixth birthday,
and President Ed M. Anderson says
that this is an appropriate time to
rededicate the station to serving
Brevard and Transylvania county.
The president also extends
thanks to listeners and advertisers
for their fine cooperation and sup
port.
“We have expanded our musical
library and endeavor at all times
to carry the latest hits in all types
of music,” Mr. Anderson stated.
News coverage and public ser
vice messages have also been ex
tended.
WPNF has one of the finest and
most modern buildings of any sta
tion in the Carolinas. Its equip
ment is also of the highest quality
obtainable.
The station is owned and operat
ed by the Pisgah Broadcasting com
pany of which Ed M. Anderson is
president; John Eversman, vice
president; and John Anderson,
treasurer and executive director.
Members of the staff are Bobby
—Turn to Page Four
The newly acquired site near"
here meets those exacting require
ments and it was selected over 62
other prospective sites located is
various sections o£ the country.
Du Pont officials said impurities
in silicon are measured in parts
per billion and the material coufcf
easily pick up detrimental elements
from industrial smoke or particles
of fertilizer in the air. The size of
the site, they said, offers protec
tion against this type of contamina
tion.
Company officials pointed out
that the land is being purchased
in anticipation of building a plant
initially employing about 200 per
sons. Future plans, it was stated,
call for a still larger unit.
They stated that engineering de
sign studies and construction cost
estimates for the first plant are
going forward, pending final ais
thorization.
Du Pont developed silicon dur
ing World War II for radar pur
poses and since then has found
many other uses for the product.
At the present time, the Company
has only one other plant making
silicon and it is located at Newport,
Delaware.
Today silicon material is used in
such tiny electrical and electronic
devices as transitors, diodes, and
rectifiers.
Because of its extreme high pur
ity, it sells for $350.00 a pound.
However, it is explained, a small
—Turn To Page Ten
Ecusta Picnic Is
Highlight Event Of
Fourth In County
The Ecusta picnic, expected
to be attended by more than St
000 people, highlighted the
Fourth of July celebration in
Transylvania.
All stores, town and county of
fices closed for the day, and a
record number of visitors were
anticipated in the Pisgah Na
tional Forest.
Beginning the events of the ob
servance was a dance at the Bre
vard country club, and special
programs were slated at the dif
ferent organised camps.