Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1913-10-24
Highland Trade Means Much
To Staunton People

Monterey, Mcdowell and Highland
county, though to most of them
these places represent nothing but
vauge ideas of a mountain wilder
ness. There are many ties of bus
mess and blood, however. between
the people of Highland and Angus
ia, for Staunton has been the natu-
raj trading center for Highland peo-
pie for almost century. Ofrecent
years this trade has been diverted
to some extent to the railroad
points at Durbin, W. Va, and
Stokesville and Christian, in this
county, the big Highland stock
raisers shipping most of their stock
from these points. But the mail
route from Staunton to Monterey
and the Highland wagons are still
doing an active business, this trade
meaning thousands of dollar annu-
ally to Stanton merchants.
Staunton people who have not
made the trip to Highland by way
of Jennings Gap, West Augusta and
Headwaters are under the impress
sion that the road is rough and
dangerous because i6 passes over so
many mountains; but this road is
in far better condition, even i'll bad
weather; than most of the dirt and
gravel roads of Augusta, and sad to
relate, the very worst part of the
road from Staunton to Monterey
and far beyond this beautiful
mountain town, lies in Augusta
county, from the end of the Church
vile pike beyond Lone Fountain to
Buckhorn Tavern, in Jennings Gap.
If the Augusta authorities would
improve this road they would do
much toward strengthening the
weakest link in the chain of travel
to Highland, but this roam is of ESQ
much Importance as the outlet for
the vast rich mountain and valley
lands of Highland and adjoining
counties, that Augusta should ma
cadamize to the Highland line, and
there is good reason to believe
that the Highland people would do
their part and metal that portion Of
thr road which lies in their county.
At least, this is the impression
gathered by the writer from leading
Highland citizens, on recent trip
tothe Highland county seat. -
| At this time of theyear the roads
are in good condition for a motor
trip to Highland; even after a heavy
rain, and the beauties of the noun
tain scenery will more than com
pensate for the time spent in trav-
ell. Leaving the Churchvi!le pike
at Lone Fountain, one strikes the
heavy clay road which leads to Jen
nings Gap, through which going is
good over the divide to West Au-
gusta and over Shenandoah noun
tain. The road leads across three
mountains to Mcdowell Shenan-
doah, Shaws Ridge and Bull Pas
ture, the latter of which is the Sc
verest pull, but over all three Of
which the road bed is of shale, and
hence very good the year round.
tits thirty-six miles from Staun-
ton to Mcdowell, and ten miles
across Jack or Monterey mountain
to Monterey. But either the driv-
ing or motor trip may be made at
leisure, with good stopping points
at West Augusta. the Bradshaw
House at Mcdowell and Pattersons
Hotel at Monterey, from which
point excursions may be taken up
and down Monterey valley, jack
sons River, or to Crabhottom oyer
mountains and valleys the scenery
of which is hardly surpassed by any
portion of the country east of the
Rocky mountains.
Monterey iaself is a prosperous
mountain town of some seven or
eight hundred of the best people on
earth, and the sojourner there is
made to feel that life is we'll worth
while and that he has truly found
the heart of Peaceful Valley"
The town is nearly 3 300 feet above
sea level, has electric lights and
good water, and granolithic side
walks; and what is most important
to the motorist, two well-equiDped
garages, for Highland people are
great believers in. the motor car as
the most comfortable mode of trav-
ell.
Seventeen miles down the Jackson
River Valley is the beautiful Bolar
Springs property, the chief asset of
which is the medicinal spring witha
flow of water almost equal to
small river. Fl. M. Lewis, of Staun-
ton is a part owner of this property
and, in cooperation with j. H.
Mackey. Joseph Gibson and several
others, to build a handsome hotel
at Bolar, with full modern equip
ment. Besides all the natural ad-
vantages of scenery and mountain
air, and the wonderful medicinal
properties of its spring, Bolar has
several fine trout and bass streams
within easy reach, and the hunting
in both Bath and Highland is ex-'