Herald's history series:

Highway 107 Officially Opened With Ceremonies

Col. D. Lee Hooper was chairman of the Jackson County delegation, representing the Chamber of Commerce as vice president.

Just as the North Carolina motorcade arrived at the state line, black clouds began to roll up out of the south, and within a few minutes a heavy downpour rained out the schedule ceremony at the state line. The rain continued and after it was apparent that no letup was in sight, the 200 persons from the two states drove back 8 miles into North Carolina where the dedication program and formal opening ceremony was held in the Cashiers Elementary School auditorium. Joseph T. Rogers of Walhalla, treasurer of Oconee County, S.C., which the highway bisects, said the completion of the road meant that "the dream of our forefathers have come true."

The history of the road from the time of its construction in pre-Civil War days as a toll road was traced by R.C. Carter of Walhalla, Oconee judge of probate.

Carter said that General Wade Hampton, Reconstruction governor of South Carolina, traveled the route to establish his summer home at the present site of High Hampton Inn near Cashiers. For this reason, Carter said, the route was designated the Wade Hampton Memorial Turnpike by the South Carolina Legislature some 25 years ago.

Jackson County leaders, headed by Col. D. Lee Hooper of Cullowhee, hailed the road as an important link between the two states.

They predicted ever-increasing numbers of tourist will travel the road from Charleston, Augusta and other southern points through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park to Knoxville and mid-western states.

Others from Jackson County on the program included Jennings A. Bryson of Sylva, county commissioner of finance; Mayor Hugh Monteith of Sylva; W.B. Harrill of Western Carolina Teachers College; Raymond U. Sutton of the Mead Corp., Sylva; William D. McKee, Sylva industrialist; and Sol Schulman, president of the Sylva Merchants Association.

Mrs. Doyle Alley of Waynesville, secretary to the N.C. National Park, Parkway and Forest Development Commission, also spoke briefly.

A modern highway connecting Cashiers and Sylva in North Carolina with Walhalla, S.C., has been a long-sought goal in both states.

North Carolina completed its section of Highway 107 from Cashiers through a sparsely mountain region to the South Carolina line in 1940 during the term of E.L. McKee of Sylva as 10th Division Highway commissioner.

South Carolina improved the paved part of a 12-mile section several years ago, but not until this week was the last 4.6-mile stretch completed and opened to traffic.

Z.W. Meeks of Anderson, president of the Highway 107 Association, said an intensive effort will be launched in the near future to get a federal number for the road and connecting highway from Augusta, Ga., to Lake City, Tenn., 33 miles northwest of Knoxville.

However, he said, the road could not become a federal route until several one-way bridges are eliminated on Tennessee Highway 71 north of Gatlinburg.

Federal highways are designed by the National Association of Highway Officials.

Bands add to occasion

Sylva High School band, under director Guy Hague, traveling in a special Trailways, along with the band from Walhalla, added much to the opening occasion.

The modern new elementary school building at Cashiers, just completed by Jackson County, is one of which to be proud. The dedication program was held in the auditorium, which is attractively finished and furnished with a stage decoration of which any community can be proud.

Editor's note: This is the weekly installment of a review of our back issues as The Sylva Herald and Ruralite celebrates its 75th anniversary throughout 2001.

Back to Archive: 09/13/01.