|
‘In the heart of a natural wonderland’
Two weeks ago we first examined “Land of the Sky,” an old booklet on loan to the Cafe library from Rachel Phillips.
A regional publication transparently aimed at boosting Western North Carolina’s burgeoning tourism industry, it includes descriptions of Sylva and surrounding towns. “Land of the Sky” was published in 1929 by the Great Smoky Mountains Publishing Co., which lists offices in Asheville and Knoxville, Tenn. It was expensive for the time – $1.75 per paperback copy – but it does boast a lot of photos.
Jackson County’s seat is described as being “in the heart of a natural wonderland,” and a two-page spread includes images of Western Carolina Teachers College (now Western Carolina University); a view of the “Appalachian Scenic Highway” one-half mile west of Sylva; and the high falls of the Tuckaseigee River, which the authors, who are not listed, locate as “near Sylva.”
Here are the five paragraphs that describe Sylva, with period spellings and punctuation intact:
“Located in the very heart of the mountains, Sylva lies nestled between the Great Smokies, the Balsams, the Cowees, and the Blue Ridge, giving it one of the most delightful year-round climates in all Western North Carolina.
“The altitude within the limits of the town itself ranges from a minimum of 2000 feet, at the water level of Scott’s Creek, to more than 4000 feet.
“Within a radius of a few miles from Sylva can be found many natural wonders of unusual charm and beauty. It’s a land of forest and waterfalls, with views of magnificent mountain grandeur on every side. Sylva is very near the boundary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, some of the highest mountains in the Park area towering above the town.
“Approaching Sylva from the south, either via Highlands and Franklin, or via Cashiers and the valley of the Tuckaseegee, affords the traveler views so sufficiently beautiful and varied as to make it alone well worthwhile traveling a long way to see. From every farm home a glimpse of the towering Smokies or a stretch of fertile valley and a timbered ridge land can be seen. The natural beauty of the entire region reaches its culmination in the outlook from the top of any of the large number of peaks in the Park, reaching an altitude of from five thousand to nearly seven thousand feet above sea level.
“The Appalachian Highway, leading from Canada to Florida, giving the traveler an unbroken stretch of modern roadway ‘from the far North to Sunny South,’ traverses the heart of a natural wonderland.
“Western Carolina Teachers College, at Cullowhee, eight miles from Sylva, is one of the outstanding educational institutions of the State, being an important unit in North Carolina’s nationally recognized educational system. Dr. H.T. Hunter, president of the college, within the past few years has through his tireless energy been instrumental in making Western Carolina Teachers College a widely known school for the training of teachers who wish to specialize in botany, geology, and kindred subjects. The Great Smoky Mountains, within sight of this institution, afford a vast field for study and research to the student in these courses.”
Moving on to our surrounding towns, the authors describe Waynesville as the “metropolis of the Balsams,” and Brevard as
in “the land of waterfalls.” Tryon is “an unspoiled paradise,” while Hendersonville is the “gem city of the Blue Ridge.”
The only other Jackson County site described in any detail is High Hampton Inn and Country Club in Cashiers (“atop the great plateau”), which the authors list with Highlands, though they do mention the “famous Cashiers Valley” under a photograph of the inn. The photo, however, shows a High Hampton that is no more. That building was destroyed by fire in 1932, and the present inn was constructed in 1933.
|
