The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-06-29
ROADS AND MODES
OF TRAVEL
CECTI0N 7
SECTION |

SEC 11ON L
When the Revolutionary war
had ended and increasing num-
bers of settlers began to push INTO
Western North Carolina, the Sa-
luda gap became the concentrlc
point toward which all efforts
were directed in building roads
across the mountain top into this
part of the state. g,
As early as 1893, it is recorded
as an outstanding achievement
that a wagon had been brought
through this gap and into what
was then Buncombe county. One
of the first settlers was regarded
as a public benefactor when he
devised the scheme of placing the
large wheels on the lower side OF
the wagon, then pushing, pulling
and carrying the vehicle across
the mountains. This was no small
task, with the old broad trimmed
wheels five or six feet high, and
men cheerfully paid five dollars
for this service, in, order that they
might reap the greater benefit OF
bringing wagons into an other
wise impenetrable country.
The roads and trails, steep,
rough and often dangerous, were
the only means of communication
between the sparsely settled clear
ings on the frontier and furnish
ed the sole. access to the outside
world. Pushing them forward in
to the unbroken forests must be
carried on if the virgin country
was to be tanned and opened for
colonization, so this work became
of prime Importance.
1t has been said so often that 1t
has become a tradition that. the
first road builders, wanting to lay
oat a new route, drove one OF
their animals to the lowest gap in
the mountain and from there al
lowed it to pick its way down on
the other side, the owner follow
ing behind and stalking out the
path chosen by it.
Tools and power were almost
impossible to obtain for road con-
struction in those times; dynamite
and blasting powder were still
unknown. The ridges offered the
routes easiest of opening, because
timber on the crests was light
and scattered, and most impor-
tant of all, wagons found safe
passing on the more level noun
tain tops.
Level places along creeks and
rivers furnished places where
roads could be built with a mini
mum of labor, but these were
subject to overflow, and cliffs
shutting in often forced road
makers to carry the route across
stream. Sometimes the rock bluffs
closed in on both sides of the
stream, and then the road would
have to be carried up hollow or
across some gap. When there was
no other way, 'side cutting" or
grading out route was done,
but this required a longer
stretch and was avoided when
possible.
-"AbcH TIE SJTcdlIlS were an OO-
stacle on account of their depth
and side fords would be found,
which carried the road over rock
formations jutting out into the
streams, and then back on the
same side. fording the waters, but
not crossing to the opposite bank,
The rock lodges and cliffs pre-.
scented great difficulties. and
wherever possible, the route was
turned aside to go around them
In some places they had to be re-
moved. Breaking the rock pre-
sented problems which at frs
were solved in primitive man
jner by driving pieces of dry wocC
into cracks and crevires, ther
waiting for d rainy spell to burs
the obstruction by swelling of tn,
wet wood.
Another simple and cheap wa,
was to build fire with heaps O
logs on ton of the rock to be re
moved. These fires were allowe,
to burn until the rocks were we
heated, when barrels of waite
would be dashed on them. Thi
caused the rocks to split and the
were then easy to quarry.
GunpowdeT could be had at 90
a pound and this was never use