All of present day Transylvania County
was once home to the Cherokee Indian. White settlers came
here in the 1770s and by 1838 government policy led to the
removal of the Cherokee from the area. For many years these
frontier lands' ownership was disputed between South Carolina,
North Carolina, and Georgia. In 1819, after much legal maneuvering,
the area was declared part of North Carolina and in 1861
Transylvania County was established. The economy of this
young community was primarily agricultural. The Davidson River Iron Works was
the first industry of note and it contributed heavily to
the Confederate army during the civil war. Growth was slow
after the civil war until 1895 when the railroad arrived.
The new transportation spurred the
economy in new directions; developing industry, tourism,
forestry, and education. In 1916 the Pisgah National Forest
was created, a first of its kind in th eastern United States,
developing recreation on its rivers and trails. Education and culture were developed
with the creation of Brevard College and Brevard Music Center.
Resorts and summer camps sprang up to boost tourism due
to the abundant beauty and comfortable climate. The Great Depression came in 1929
and hammered the county hard but the federal government's
Civilian Conservation Corps program revitalized the area
with the most noteable being the construction of the Blue
Ridge.
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