The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-08-01
OUR VALLEY
Bv S. P. WERNER
XIII


| A natural inquiry might arise
from any one not closely familiar
with the history of Western North
Carolina as to why the French
Broad Valley, with such attrac-
tons and resources, has not al
Iready been much more highly de-
Iveloped. For example. Greenville
Icounty, South Carolina. just across
the ridge from Pennsylvania coun-
Ity, n. c., has ten times the popu-
llation and probably thirty times
the wealth, of the latter county.
The explanation lies in facts re-
lated to the general history both
of the South and Of the whole
country. Of course, it is familiar
phenomenon to see relatively UNI
developed regions in close proXim-
lily to highly improved neighbors.
There are sections of Virginia
within an hours ride of the. ma
tional capital less highly develop
ed than the French Broad Valley,
although possessing many splendid
resource. In the early settlement
Of the colonies. immigrants natur-
ally started their operations near
the ocean. 1t took time to explore
the interior, to eliminate the IN
dams, to open roads. and for in
formation about the. desirable
character Of western lands to be
disseminated. The Revolutionary
war temporarily delayed progress
westward, although its outcome
was a stimulus and really prompt
ed much of the movement.
in immediate post-revolution-
airy days, attention was largely TO-
cused upon developing" the broad
domain wrested from Great Brit
ain and very snarsely settled.
There was little necessity for much
of the population to leave the wide
stretches Of territory in the Coast
al !ains and the Piedmont. A few
venturesome souls, inveterate
game hunters and born explorers,
pushed into the mountains and
across them before the Revolu-
ltion and others followed later, but
the vast difficulties presented by
rocky ramparts and dense wilder
ness deferred any large migration.
Then the slave regime nlaycd its
part in delaying the assimilation
| Of Western North Carolina. Slave
labor proved profitable in the de-
velopment of cotton production,
and cotton could not be raised in
the mountains, but it could be in
the lower Southwest and migra-
ton moved in that direction. Slave
labor also promoted conccntra-
ton upon lands near the coast. A
curious exception to the broad
rule that few slaves reached
Western North Carolina was found
in the summer-hOmeS colonies es-
tabhshed by some of the wealth.
lest slavc-oWners along the French
Broad in the hey-day Of antebel-
lum prosperity. Most of the native
colOred population now is descend
ed from some of the slaves brought
there. then, and establishing a
status maintained after their
manumission. The number of COL
cred people is still proportionatcly
much less than in any other sec
ton OF the South. The loss of their
fortunes by the war deferred those
early Slavc-owners from keeping
up their places and postponed the
resumption Of interest in the reg
ion by their Successors for prac
itically generation after Apo
imattox.
The difficulty Of carly road
building was also a deterrent. The
steep grades, the rocks. the dense
vegetation, the swift rivers. all
caused roads to be poor and their
Improvement slow. The construc-
ton OF the Salisbury-Asheville
railroad and Of the Spartanburg-
Asheville railway lines marked the
turning point of effective develop
ment of the mountain region, and
that was not much more than q
generation ago. After that the req
ION began to assume a highly i'm
,p0rtant part in the economic life
of the state and to become fam
Gus throughout the country. until
Mr.. Vanderbilt's contribution to
It's progress. already referred to,