Cedar Mountain, NC: A History of the Village and the Turnpike – All Things Appalachia Speaker Series

All Things Appalachia Speaker Series
“Cedar Mountain, NC: A History of the Village and the Turnpike”
Thursday, June 2, 6:30 pm
Rogow Room

Program Description

Each village in Transylvania County, NC, has its own story. Ours is the story of Cedar Mountain, sitting in the southeast corner of the County, two miles from the SC state line, and presently at the entrance of DuPont State Recreational Forest. Cedar Mountain became a viable community at a point where two trails (later fee-charging Turnpikes) met with an old Native American path. A few European settlers put down roots here along the Little River, and a strong Post Office helped keep this little village on the early maps. Come join the authors of The Village and the Turnpike book as they take a historic hike along the most active of the early turnpikes, often bushwhacking, sometimes climbing, sometimes crawling, and sometimes strolling down the middle of US Hwy 276 (where it occasionally overlaps the old Johnstone Turnpike). Consider what is unique about the early development of Cedar Mountain, and what may be universal in the development of communities as they emerged west of the Appalachians.

Presenter Bios 

Bio of Charles A. Burden

Cedar Mountain, NC, has been a very important part of the life of Charles Burden since age 1 . . . or so his parents told him, because he just can’t remember back that far. Who can? Anyway, he has been around the track a few times, and by profession he has been reasonably observant on these laps. He and his friends here tonight decided to write down and photograph their shared Cedar Mountain observations, and here we are. Dr. Charles A. Burden is a Professor Emeritus of Organizational Behavior at Georgia State University and has taught and traveled abroad for parts of the past 50 years. He is a military veteran. These various experiences have been useful for the purposes of “seeing” Cedar Mountain for the treasure that it is.

Bio of Doug Pace

Doug Pace was born in the family home on Reasonover Road in Cedar Mountain and throughout his life has wandered along the area’s streams, trails, and old roads. He heard the stories of earlier times from the older generations in Cedar Mountain, both kinfolk and neighbors, and employed this knowledge to lead the Turnpikers as they rediscovered the old roadbed and the village that developed alongside. Doug graduated from Brevard High School and was employed with Ecusta for 42 years, retiring in the year 2000. He and Thelma Jones, also of Cedar Mountain, were married in 1960 and raised a family of three children, several grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Doug and Thelma owned and operated Kelly’s Restaurant in the early 2000s.

Bio of Patricia Lee Stahl

Also a Cedar Mountain native, Patty is the niece of Doug Pace and the daughter of Ralph and Dorothy Pace Lee. Their Cedar Mountain ancestors arrived in the community in the early 1800s. Dot Lee, her mother, was a collector of historical documents, photos and recollections and passed her love of Cedar Mountain history to her daughter. Patty holds a B.A. from Furman University and a M.A. from Western Carolina University and taught in the Hendersonville City and Transylvania County Schools for thirty-one years. She is married to Clyde Stahl and they have two sons. Many of the photos and documents shared in “The Village and the Turnpike” book are from the collections of Dot Pace, Patty Stahl and Doug Pace.