The Quebec community extends from Quebec Mountain, east of
Silversteen Rd, to approximately Reid Road along Highway 64.  In the late 1800s the area was known as
Tiptop.  The Tiptop post office operated
from July 31, 1886 – December 17, 1888 and then from October 29, 1889 until it
was closed and service transferred to Lake Toxaway on February 1, 1930.  The name was changed to Quebec on February
10, 1904. 

Railroad at Quebec

In 1903 when the railroad was extended through Transylvania
County to Lake Toxaway a depot was located in Quebec.  This was typical small station designed for
receiving and shipping freight.  It was
located 4 miles from Rosman and it was an additional 6.8 miles to Lake Toxaway.

Passenger trains headed for the Toxaway Inn did not make all
the stops.  The trip from Rosman (still
know as Toxaway in 1903) to Lake Toxaway took about 50 minutes with a stop in
Quebec, 35 minutes non-stop.  Although
passengers could board or disembark the train at Quebec there were no services available.  The depot was located just passed the junction of
Old Quebec Rd and Silversteen Rd. 

The early Quebec school was a one-room log cabin located on Kim
Miller Rd.  It also served as the first
Oak Grove Baptist Church.

In 1903 the congregation at Oak Grove Baptist built a large
one room church on property donated by G.W. & Millie Henderson.   The Hendersons along with John & Martha
Jackson, John Whitmire and Henry Galloway were the Charter Members of the
church in 1880.  Construction on the
current church began in 1939.

When the new school was built in 1907 it was located about 1
½ miles southeast between Highway 64 and the Southern Railway tracks.  It was a modern multi-room school.  The Quebec School District was the first in
Transylvania County to vote for a bond to cover much needed school
improvements.  Today T.C. Henderson
Elementary is located near the old school site.

Visit the Local History blog at nchistoryroom.blogspot.com
to see a map identifying the locations of Quebec, the Quebec School, Oak Grove
Baptist and the Southern Railway line.

After the Toxaway Dam burst in August 1916 rail service from
Rosman to Lake Toxaway was reduced to mainly freight.  The logging industry continued to use the track
as a connection from logging camps to Silversteen’s lumber and tanning
businesses in Rosman for several years. 
Southern Railway officially abandoned the track in August 1953 and it
was removed in March 1954.

The local story is that birds in the area make a sound of kwee-beck,
kwee-beck which led to the name and pronunciation of Quebec.

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 828-884-3151 X242.

Quebec area–blue line is Hwy 64, red line is Southern Railway line.