Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1913-10-09
Among the Pioneer Settlers Of Wataura
County. ,
By L. d. LowE.1

\SNSA HSW iooo VCCh'/
While a number OF the first set.
tiers belonged to different church.
es, no one. denomination was sui.
hcently strong to build q church
without aid from the others, 90
a number OF the neighbors gath.
cred at the place where Banner
Elk is now located many years
ago, cleared a polt OF land, deliy.
cred q portion OF 9he lumber for
the purpose of erecting a church
when the question arose as to
whether the church doors should
BE- thrown open for all denomina
tions, or should some be allowed
to hold religious services while
Others beexcIuded; and of course,
after much discussion, the mat.
ter terminated In confusion and
dissatisfaction, the assembldge
broke up in despair; the hope Of
building a church was discarded
and the lumber which bad been
delivered was permitted to decay
and for a number Of years the
small cleared spot was designa.
ted as "The Framing Yard" Re
llgious services OF almost all de.
nominations, Mormons excepted,
were conducted in q log school
house until about the year 1881
when q number OF the citizens
collected and erected a Metho.
dist church at Banner Elk, at
the Identical spotknown as "The
Framing Yard" About the time
this church was built the East
Tennessee & Western North Car.
olina lRailroad was completed
from Johnson.City, Tennessee, to
Cranberry, N. e., and the compile
tion of this line of railroad with.
in eight miles Of Banner Elk caus:
ed the people to begin to build
new public roads from Banner
Elk in different directions, and
put the old ones in better repair,
and as Banner Elk was q com
mon road center.it was soon re-
allied that q town would spring
up. A few lots were sold and tht
little town began to grow a littl'
each year.
The Presbyterians realized thai
was a good opening for a aschool
and seized the opportunity OF
tered; q small school was start
I'd and it was soon seen that tht
school became more importan
and prosperous each year;
church was built and q schoo
building and dormitory tor tht
girls we're constructed: the it'll
to small tracts of land we're &C
uuired and finally the lnstitu
tion took the name of Lees.Mc
Rae Institute; and since t b q
time more costly buildings hav
been added, and the school ha
acquired a nice farm to run il
connection with the school 80 a
to keep the cost OF board and tt
itlon down to a minimum price
Rev. Edgar Tufts il doing grea
work at this school. not only to
this immediate section, but to
the girls throughout this. moul
tain country, as we'll as for thot
who attend from other state'
Another large building for tt
: higher grades is now in the cour'
S OF construction, and 1t will I
2 completed by the beginning OF IL
next term. Great good has al
ready been accomplished b'
from the improvements beir
added from year to year, it q
pears that the great Institute
is yet in it's infancy.
u Mr.. Tufts has recently insta
u ed an electric plant at q cost
several thousand dollars: IT
plant is operated by water po
Il or and it furnishes lights Tor
the departments OF the scho'
church. hospital, private reside
: ces and business houses. aud p
haps in the near future hgu
will be furnished to the hote