Picturing the Past Local History Blog

Many of the first settlers of Transylvania County came here before it was officially designated by that name. One such founding family is that of Lambert Clayton, Revolutionary War veteran

The Franklin Hotel opened in Brevard in July 1900.  J. Frances Hayes and his business partners had purchased the Hendersonville-Brevard Railway Telegraph and Telephone Company, renamed it Transylvania Railroad Company,

Tourism brochures dating from around 1907 through 1929 invite “vacationists” to relax in the small-town comforts of Brevard and Transylvania County.  Although there were several larger hotels including the Aethelwold

Picturing the past: The Red House of West Probart Street By Marcy Thompson In honor of Preservation Month this May, we will run a series of reprinted articles about historic

In her 1876 novel, The Land of the Sky, Christian Reid promotes the mountains of western North Carolina for adventure travelers.  Reid is speaking of the French Broad and Little

Imagine walking in downtown Brevard in the early evening and you hear the faint, distant sounds of a voice intoning “And in this corner, at 140 pounds…” Casual strollers could

Those who remember days gone by in Brevard are sure to think fondly on Burgerland. Its iconic sign, so recognizable to locals, was a mainstay for decades, even as ownership

When Brevard was created as a county seat in 1861, the town founders mapped out what the donated land on top of the hill would look like. Some may be

At the turn of the century, industry and innovation in America were exploding. High-profile industrialists became like celebrities, marketing their personas as much as their products. As part of this

One of the most interesting of the early residents of Brevard was Thomas Whitfield Whitmire, also known as T.W., or Whit.  T.W. is an exemplar of the small-town “main street”

The unofficial mascot of Brevard, the white squirrel, is a novelty that many visitors initially think is a hoax. Surprise and delight result when a white squirrel is spotted for

The Gash family has deep roots in Transylvania County, and one prominent Gash who had an impact on her community was Annie Jean Gash. A native of Transylvania County, she

During the late 1870’s, a roller-skating craze spread throughout Europe and the United States, primarily the result of new technologies allowing the mass production of skates.  The fad blazed intensely

Fly fishing has been an angling technique for hundreds of years. Like many activities with this lengthy of a history, time has refined and perfected the techniques into a nuanced

Mt. Hermon Academy in Brevard was originally intended to be an all-girls boarding school, with plans to add boys’ dormitories and programs that never came to fruition. The school was

Many readers are familiar with the development of the Rosenwald School in the African American community. Fewer may know about the pioneering educators who worked tirelessly to create and staff

Near the very end of the 19th century, a young man graduated high school in Rhode Island and got his first job as a reporter with the “Providence Evening and

Creating the regular Picturing the Past column is a source of learning, amusement, and fascination as myself and staff in the NC Room of Transylvania County Library delve into the