The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1883-12-08
COLONIZATION.


sTee<-sss Correspondence of 7zse c7srosss~Ge.
CHARLESTON, :. c. Dec. : Noticing
that much OF the spacc Of your valuable
Journal i taken UP with the description
and opportunities of the smaller cities ant
towns Of North Carolina shall ask your
many readers 10 follow. in thought. the
rugged range Of the Alleghani.s over IN.
terminus of lha Blne Ridge. which joins
the Old North State wish her twin sister
South Carolina. and bear with ms. while
notice what i going Ola In and around the
town of Walhalla. :. G.
At this time when immigration is espe-
clally invited and rs WaIhalIa NAV he re-
ferred 10 "a an instance Of what may he
done by the planting If colonies toward
the building up of the waste places OF our
country. narrative Of the early history
and settlement Of this growing and pros
porous mountain town, may prove Of In
terest and not fall short OF some good
With the abundance of lanCs As yet unoc-
cupied. with the undeyelotad resources
throughout North and South Carolina EN-
bracing a section of country which for
heathful climate and splendid agricultu-
raj, mineral and other advantages. is Sec
ond To none in this whole Union. tie at
tention of our citizens should be directed
as of'en as possible to the encouragement
OF tie settling of foreigners or northern.
ers in these States, whose character and
purposes will commend them 10 the good
will and welcome of our people.
IT'S ORIGIN
1t was with this object i'm view that
number OF German adopted citizens of
Charleston, ). c.. as early as October.
1913. conceived the idea Of organizing
The German Settlement Society" to cs-
tablish, for deserving German immigrants
to the South, home and resort in tile up
per portions of this State. The society
thus formed purchased large body OF
land in what Was then known as Pic,cns
District (now divided iuto Oconee and
Pickens counties) at the base If he Blue
Ridge Mountains. The first settlement
was chiefly from ',arlesEOn. Tie settlers
We're such had been for some time en-
gagged in mercantile aud other pn: suits in
Charleston, but the maj jority If them hail
been educated in the FatherfArd to the
cultivation of the soil. Ti,rougi, economy
and industry in their vsl..otls puiS.9is in tile
city, many who took part in the scheme
had already accumulated sotue Surplus
money and were thus enabled IT, pay cash
for the lands which they purchased from
the society.
The settlers encountered many ohstruc-
tions and hindrances in their progress.
Forests had TO be cleared and stumps and
roots removed for the purposes Of hus-
bandry. Dwellings had to be erected.
roads had to be laid out and bridges TO be
built. In short, along with conformity to
the habits and customs of the new coun-
try. q wild desert was to be trans formed
into state of civilization. Howe, er with
all the kindred rerplexities and difficulties
in view, goodly number took part in the
enterprise, became members Of the socie-
ETY. aud purchased lands, for cash or on
the installment plan, according to their
ability. The present site of Walhalla was
laid out into convenient streets and divided
into building lots.
THE METHOD OF BUILDING.
By certain resolutions each member of
the society, holding one of these lots was
required to erect thereon a dwelling house
within a specified time. Each member in
addition thereto was required TO pay the
annual arrears of $1,000. payable quar-
terly. ard the shares in the capital stock
of the company were placed at 800 each
The affairs OF the society very soon took
definite shape and the colony became an
established institution. / gather from the
report of the then President and founder
Of this society, the late Gen. Jno. A. Wag-
ener, dated October 1st, 1854. that within
three years from the date of the first set
Element when, in the language OF Mr.
WAGNER. ~ the locality was the home Of
the bear and the wild hog,' there were al
ready erected as many as sixty-five attrac-
tive buildings, CT which forty-six were
dwelling houses. The population num-
bering over three hundred souls, among
which he mentions several blacksmiths,
90 carpenters, 2 painters, several cabinet
makers, and coppersmiths, l apothecary,
I physician, merchants, baker, butch
er, l teacher, and minister Of the Gospel
The remainder of the population were
mostly engaged in farming
From this time forward the colony made
rapid progress, and everything tended to
show that the brightest hopes Of the colo
ny would be realized. The construction
of the Blue Ridge Railroad, which was to
run by way of Walhalla and connect
Charleston with the great grain centres OF
the West, gave an increased impetus to
trade and traffic. All went well until the
late war which came and passed leaving
its disastrous effects upon the people. Wal
halla suffered no less than like places :;
many OF her best citizens were called
away to sacrifice their lives on the field Of
battle the homes Of the settlers just be-
coming comfortable and attractive, became
desolate and the inmates were often times
wanting in the necessaries Of life, and
when the end came and peace was restor-
ed. it was some time before the ray OF pros
perity again opened upon Walhalia.
THE RESULT.
Very few foreign immigrants have since
settled there. But the foundations were
well laid, and native citizens from other
sections of the State, realizing the advan-
tages OF Walhalla, purchased lands and
freely interminged with the settlers. At
this time the population Of the place is
over 900, among which are many of the
first settlers who still assist in guiding the
old ship.
AS an educational centre Walhalla offers
many inducements. Besides a number Of
High Schools there are two colleges in first
class operation, ro-wit The Adger tmdle,
and the Walhalla Female College. There
are four churches, towit Baptist, 11etho-
dist, Presbyterian and Lutheran y the last
of which was erected by the members OF
the settlement society more th24n twenty
five years since. Steps are /now being
Catholic church.
Within the last few years improvement!
have been more general and extensive