Etowah NC Heritage
  • Home
  • SPECIAL
    • Virtual Tour of Selected Historic Places
    • History Displays in Etowah & Library Notebooks
    • Etowah Heritage Day 2019 - 130 Years
    • Etowah Treasures Exhibit, Sept/Oct 2019
  • PEOPLE & PLACES
    • Maps
    • Memorabilia
    • Places, Early Homes, Other
    • French Broad River & Valley Views
    • People - early times
    • People - later times
    • People - Gash Family descendants
    • Veterans
  • HIST. I
    • Timeline
    • Formation of Henderson County, est 1838
    • Etowah History Notes - Research To Date
    • 1889 Money, then Etowah
    • Etowah - Creek/Muskogee Translation
    • How Etowah Got Its Name
    • Postmasters 1889 - 1968
    • Etowah Train Depot - 1895 >
      • Trains of Etowah
    • The Railroad - Hendersonville to Toxaway
  • HIST. II
    • 1900 U.S. Census
    • Farms of Early Etowah
    • Historic Etowah High School 1928 - 1960 >
      • 1st Annual 1938 -The Chief
      • Little Chief - Gleanings from
      • Students & Faculty EHS
      • EHS Memorabilia
      • Etowah High School - Memorial Plaque 2014 - HCEHI
    • Historic Schools 1800s - 1928 >
      • Etowah Institute 1911
    • Schools of Nearby Communities
    • Historic Churches
    • Historic Cemeteries
    • Thomas-Fletcher Cemetery >
      • Adopt-A-Cemetery: Thomas-Fletcher
  • HIST. III
    • Sheriff Robert Thomas
    • Civil War Union Monument
    • Orr Cabin Homeplace - early 1800s
    • Mountain Lily - 1881
    • Welsh Colony 1880s
    • Grist Mills
    • Shape Note Traditions
  • HIST. IV
    • Community Fairs 1938-1941, 1950s
    • Stores of Early Etowah
    • McKinna General Store
    • More Business Ads 1938 - 1960+
    • "Etowah Brick" Moland-Drysdale Corp. - 1923
    • Calx Mfg. Company - 1919
    • Camp Peep-Out - 1935
    • Etowah Grange #984 - 1937 >
      • Grange - 25th Anniversary 1937-1962
      • Grange Quilt - 1953
  • HIST. V
    • 1952 - Hatheway Floral Company
    • 1954 - Etowah Lions Club, Park & More
    • 1960s - Growing & Changing
    • 1964 - Etowah / Horse Shoe Volunteer Fire
    • 1966 - Water & Sewer System, Tower
    • 1966 - Etowah Riding Club
    • 1982 - A Library Comes to Etowah
  • Stories
    • Eade Anderson, Reverend
    • Lois Adcock Bayne
    • Emma Louise Curtis Bradley
    • Richard Brown
    • Patricia Bell Cantrell
    • Jerri Whiteside Lambeth
    • Wanda Sumner Love
    • David S. Mallett
    • Opal Dalton Parkinson
    • Jeannie Huggins Revis
    • Glenda Maxwell Simpson
    • Marylin Annette Jones Thomas
    • "The Follies" & "Matilda's Folly"
  • About
TIMELINE

​NORTH CAROLINA AMERICAN INDIAN TIMELINE - NC Museum of History

​WNC BEFORE EUROPEAN CONTACT  -  Native Americans of the western North Carolina mountain region included Cherokee, Catawba and Cheraw
More info:  hendersonheritage.com/cherokee-catawba-cheraw/

1738-1739
Smallpox epidemic decreases the number of Cherokee in NC by 50%

1754 - 1763
French and Indian War fought between England and France throughout the colonies.

1776 - 1783 ​
​War of Independence - Revolutionary War ​

1791

Buncombe County formed and includes all of Western North Carolina. 
​Later, Henderson County - 1838, Transylvania County - 1861.​

Late 1700s  -  Land Grants to Revolutionary War Patriots
Settlers claiming land and living in or near the Etowah Valley included:      
​ Early Families & more:  hendersonheritage.com / Etowah
Lambert Clayton - 1791
James Davidson, William Davidson & Benjamin Davidson - 1783
Martin Gash - 1794
Joseph Henry - 1783
Andrew Lyda (Lyday) - 1794​
Charles McDowell - 1783
Robert Orr - 1794 

1795 - 1920
Speculation Land Company era, Tench Coxe et al.  Numerous transactions for the buying & selling of large tracts throughout Western North Carolina, then re-selling to new settlers

1800s early (year unknown)
Orr Cabin on Etowah School Rd  -  John & Jane Clayton Orr build their homeplace along what is now called Etowah School Rd

1807
​
​​Claytonville Post Office established, Penrose area  (Transylvaniaheritage.org > timeline).
​Other sources may differ on this date and location.

1812 - 1815
​War of 1812, US & Britain


1815
​Beulah Baptist Church established
​
​1830
Burns Creek School established
​
1833
Joseph Leander Gash was born on the homestead of Alfred and Mary Livingston Gash, off Holly Springs Rd.  Later in life, Joseph donated land for the Etowah Train Depot.

​1838 - 1839
Cherokee Trail of Tears


1838 December
Henderson County established.  No county seat decided until 1841
​
1839 February
​1st Court of Pleas & Quarter Sessions (CPQS) convened at home of Hugh Johnson in Horse Shoe.
​Robert Thomas, 1st appointed Sheriff by CPQS, term of office:   Served 1839 - 1844.  Sheriff Thomas supervised the special (vote) referendum in 1841 that determined the location of the county seat. 
​
1840
​Joseph Henry, Revolutionary War Patriot and early pioneer settler, buried at Old Beulah Baptist Cemetery

1838 - 1841
River Party v. Road Party  -  Location of Henderson County seat determined by controversial special election

​1845
“Drought of WNC, widespread failure of crops on mountain farms”   (highway marker, ncmarkers.com  P-46)


1847
City of Hendersonville chartered

1859
Pleasant Grove Baptist Church established

1861
​Transylvania County established

1861 May
​Civil War begins.  NC votes to secede from US.

​1865 April 
Robert Thomas, former Henderson County sheriff (1839 - 1844) living with his family in Pleasant Grove section of Etowah Valley, murdered by bushwhackers on his farm (area of Thomas-Fletcher Cemetery, Bright Farms Inc, and other properties)
​
1865 May
Civil War ends

1866
Hopewell School established

1868
Brevard incorporated

1868
​Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians created December 1868, Cheowa (Robbinsville NC)

1874
Oak Forest School established

1878 - 1880
​Joseph Leander Gash returns to Henderson County from living in Adairsville GA with wife Margaret and three children.

​1879
Two significant railroad events that shaped WNC and Henderson County
1.  passenger and freight train service began from Charleston SC to Hendersonville NC
2.  the Swannanoa Tunnel was completed, and by October 1880 train service connected  Asheville to Salisbury and all of east NC


1881
“Mountain Lily” launched in Horse Shoe.  1885, runs aground near King’s Bridge after flash flood.
​
1880s
​John W. & Harriette L. Jeudwine home of the Welsh Colony, aka “The Meadows.”

1886
​Charleston Earthquake Rattled North Carolina

August 31, 1886, at 9:50 PM, the largest earthquake ever recorded on the east coast of the United States.  Registering between 6.6 and 7.3 on the modern Richter scale, the quake cracked chimneys and plaster walls across North Carolina.
​
​1889
Money Post Office established
, later renamed Etowah.  First postmaster James A. Collins operates a store about two miles north of present site of Etowah.  He names the post office “Money.”
​
​1892
Postmasters, brothers Ozark & Hugh Greer, mother Rebecca Brittain Greer.

1894
Etowah Presbyterian Church established on Turnpike Road, near Holly Springs.

​
1894
​1st Sears Catalog published

​
1894
Deed to land for train station, donation from Joseph L. Gash to railroad H&BT&T Co

1895
​Money Train Station built, later called Etowah (Old Hwy 64 & Etowah School Road).  Railroad service from Hendersonville to Brevard, later Rosman & Toxaway.

​​1895 July
Train wreck at trestle crossing French Broad, Etowah / Horse Shoe

​1896 or 1897
Etowah “colored school” near Joshua Ridge Road.  Number of years of operation unknown

​1897

​​Postmaster, Joshua M. Laughter

​1898

​Money Post Office renamed "Etowah"
​
1898
Spanish American War
​

1899
Etowah Mission (Episcopal Church Asheville) met at Oak Forest School until 1906

1900
​​Postmaster, James A. Laughter

1900
​​Box Brownie Camera introduced by George Eastman

​1903
​Railroad service to Lake Toxaway begins

1903 (?)
Rural Free Delivery, RFD, comes to Etowah
​
​
1904
Chestnut trees carrying blight enter US at NYC port

​
​1907
Etowah Methodist Episcopal Church, white frame church on present site.  Previously, worship was held at Belew’s Chapel (Pine Lake subdivision), circa 1904 (?).  Now called Etowah United Methodist Church.

​1908
Orr cabin sold to George W. Weese

1908
Margaret Stewart Gash placed classified ad in Montgomery AL paper for boarders.  In 1913, Valley View Hotel (the Gash home) was listed as boarding house in tourist publication for WNC.​

​1909
Shape Note Sings began at the Methodist Church.  William Walker, aka “Singin’ Billy,” renowned SC Baptist composer visits sometimes.

​1911
Etowah Institute established, operated by Methodist Episcopal Church.  Closed (when?)
​
1913 - 1918
McKinna & Son general store in Etowah - collection of store ledgers.  Location?

1914
Postmaster, Pearl G. Gash (1883 - 1971).  Post Office located in Gash home, later moved to the train depot.
​

1914 circa
First telephone in Etowah.  McKinna's store ledgers have notes about messages taken by telephone.​

​1914 - 1918
World War 1​

​
​1916 July - August
July, the Great Flood of 1916.​  August 13, a month later, Lake Toxaway Dam broke.

​1917
Etowah Baptist Church organized, met at Oak Forest School.

​​1920 - 1933
Prohibition years

1923
Moland-Drysdale Corp. began operations, aka Etowah Brickyard

1921 - early 1930s
Carr Lumber Co. operated a rail spur from Etowah to Mills River.  Eubank Road near the golf course is on the old railroad grade.​

1924
Etowah Post Office moved from ​Gash home to Train Depot

​
1926
Etowah Baptist Church built
​

1928 - 1960
Etowah High School built in 1928 as one room schools consolidated throughout the county
​

​1935
NC passes law to require drivers license


1935
Whiteside's Service Station, Tuff Whiteside (1874 - 1962)​

​
1937
Etowah Grange established and began meeting at Etowah High School (source:  Hy-Tower school newsletter 1937)​

​
1939
Ecusta Paper Corp. begins operation in Transylvania County (Pisgah Forest) bringing jobs to the area.​  Flax fibre used to make cigarette paper and more.

1941 - 1945
World War II


​1948
Etowah Train Station becomes a "non-agency station," no agent on duty. Freight trains continue to use the tracks until 2002.  Pearl Gash retired as postmaster August 1948.  Post office is relocated.

​1949
Charlotte's WBTV, the first television station in the Carolinas signed on

1949 November
Olin Industries purchased Ecusta in Transylvania County. Production shifts to include cellophane in 1950s.

​1950s - mid
Iron bridge over French Broad River on Etowah School Rd was​ replaced with bridge in use today.   [need NCDOT verification]
​
​1956 - 1958 ?
New Hwy 64 reconfigured through Etowah.  Original road renamed Old Hwy 64.​  Another source states new Hwy 64 was completed in 1954.  [Need NCDOT verification]

​​1956 - 1959
Grange building built on Brickyard Road.  Became branch library in 1985.  Today, the WCCA.
​
​1950s +
See HISTORY IV

1968
The last "Carolina Special" train service to Hendersonville and beyond

1972 ?
Gash home and property purchased by developer Lloyd Ducote.  A large part was developed into the original Ingles Shopping Center.  Today's Etowah Shopping Center.

​
1978
Ingles Grocery opened in its first location, the Etowah Shopping Center

​
2002
Olin Industries / Ecusta plant closed.  Last freight cars on Southern Railway, Hendersonville to Brevard.  Tracks no longer in use.​

​
2021
EcustaRails2Trails, LLC purchased the rail corridor to create the ~19 mile Ecusta Trail between Hendersonville and Brevard
​

​

  • Home
  • SPECIAL
    • Virtual Tour of Selected Historic Places
    • History Displays in Etowah & Library Notebooks
    • Etowah Heritage Day 2019 - 130 Years
    • Etowah Treasures Exhibit, Sept/Oct 2019
  • PEOPLE & PLACES
    • Maps
    • Memorabilia
    • Places, Early Homes, Other
    • French Broad River & Valley Views
    • People - early times
    • People - later times
    • People - Gash Family descendants
    • Veterans
  • HIST. I
    • Timeline
    • Formation of Henderson County, est 1838
    • Etowah History Notes - Research To Date
    • 1889 Money, then Etowah
    • Etowah - Creek/Muskogee Translation
    • How Etowah Got Its Name
    • Postmasters 1889 - 1968
    • Etowah Train Depot - 1895 >
      • Trains of Etowah
    • The Railroad - Hendersonville to Toxaway
  • HIST. II
    • 1900 U.S. Census
    • Farms of Early Etowah
    • Historic Etowah High School 1928 - 1960 >
      • 1st Annual 1938 -The Chief
      • Little Chief - Gleanings from
      • Students & Faculty EHS
      • EHS Memorabilia
      • Etowah High School - Memorial Plaque 2014 - HCEHI
    • Historic Schools 1800s - 1928 >
      • Etowah Institute 1911
    • Schools of Nearby Communities
    • Historic Churches
    • Historic Cemeteries
    • Thomas-Fletcher Cemetery >
      • Adopt-A-Cemetery: Thomas-Fletcher
  • HIST. III
    • Sheriff Robert Thomas
    • Civil War Union Monument
    • Orr Cabin Homeplace - early 1800s
    • Mountain Lily - 1881
    • Welsh Colony 1880s
    • Grist Mills
    • Shape Note Traditions
  • HIST. IV
    • Community Fairs 1938-1941, 1950s
    • Stores of Early Etowah
    • McKinna General Store
    • More Business Ads 1938 - 1960+
    • "Etowah Brick" Moland-Drysdale Corp. - 1923
    • Calx Mfg. Company - 1919
    • Camp Peep-Out - 1935
    • Etowah Grange #984 - 1937 >
      • Grange - 25th Anniversary 1937-1962
      • Grange Quilt - 1953
  • HIST. V
    • 1952 - Hatheway Floral Company
    • 1954 - Etowah Lions Club, Park & More
    • 1960s - Growing & Changing
    • 1964 - Etowah / Horse Shoe Volunteer Fire
    • 1966 - Water & Sewer System, Tower
    • 1966 - Etowah Riding Club
    • 1982 - A Library Comes to Etowah
  • Stories
    • Eade Anderson, Reverend
    • Lois Adcock Bayne
    • Emma Louise Curtis Bradley
    • Richard Brown
    • Patricia Bell Cantrell
    • Jerri Whiteside Lambeth
    • Wanda Sumner Love
    • David S. Mallett
    • Opal Dalton Parkinson
    • Jeannie Huggins Revis
    • Glenda Maxwell Simpson
    • Marylin Annette Jones Thomas
    • "The Follies" & "Matilda's Folly"
  • About