This Brevard Institute receipt shows a breakdown of possible expenses.

This
week Picturing the Past continues to feature items from a collection of County
Commissioners documents of the early 1900s by looking at the contents of a few
specific items.

A Brevard Institute tuition receipt dated February 28, 1910
shows fees of $30.25 paid in full for a twelve week term for Donnie Mae Wilson.  Brevard Institute offered four years of standard high school work in home
economics, agriculture, business, music, college preparatory, and normal
education in preparing teachers from about 1900 through 1933.  There is no indication who paid the fees or
why this item would be in with Commissioners papers. 

Chain gangs were used for road construction in the early 1900s.  Presumably the dynamite was used to break up rock for clearing the roadway.

A March
1, 1915 Brevard Hardware receipt showed that L. Ashworth purchased 100 sticks
of dynamite for the county chain gang.  The
Annual Statement of Expenditures for Transylvania County in the Sylvan Valley
News on December 17, 1915 shows total expenses of $2,572.82 for Chain Gang
Claims during the fiscal year ending November 30, 1915 for items such as
clothing, equipment, food, camp supplies, animal feed, and a guard. 

On January 4, 1928 F.F. Bagwell received $20.30 for groceries purchased for the County Home.

There
are a number of Brevard Banking vouchers for expenses paid by the county beginning
in 1927.  Included are many for supplies
for the County Home and assistance to those in need who did not live at the
County Home.  The State Board of Public
Welfare mandated that “county commissioners have the duty of providing for the
poor, either in county homes or in such way, as they deem best.”  Generally this population was made up of the
elderly without family support or those with disabilities.

These
items offer a look at county government services at different times.

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 [email protected]
or 828-884-1820.