THE SPIRIT OF CONNESTEE FALLS
A historical perspective in celebration of Connestee’s first 30 years
1971-2001
The History Committee- Lil Saleski, Luann Ham, Bob Wollenweber, Renie Cottingham, Gloria Nordmeyer, Layout-Jack Frederick
Table of Contents
Dedication
Foreword
Chapter 1 Early History and Indian Lore Luann Ham and Lil Saleski
Chapter 2 Connestee Falls Development Luann Ham
Chapter 3 The Growing Years: 1975-2000 Gloria Nordmeyer
Chapter 4 Connestee’s Natural and Unnatural Resources Gloria Nordmeyer
Chapter 5 Getting Involved Renie Cottingham and Lil Saleski
Chapter 6 Carrying on the Spirit of Connestee Bob Wollenweber
Chapter 7The Thirtieth Year: 2001 Lil Saleski, Gloria Nordmeyer and Renie Cottingham
Appendix A: A Cherokee Syllabary – Connestee Falls Road Names Luann Ham
Appendix B: Connestee Falls Musical Compositions Lil Saleski
Acknowledgements Lil Saleski
Bibliography Luann Ham
This publication is dedicated to two untiring individuals who have been most instrumental in developing the “Spirit of Connestee Falls” Sharon and Earl Jenkins
Emily Dickinson wrote, “The past is not a package one can lay away.” This book is about the past, but it was not written to be stored away in dusty, historical archives as some official document, and then to be forgotten. Instead of a textbook history, the writers of Connestee Falls’ first thirty years offer you a collection of tales, a recipe book, so to speak, of Connestee’s prime ingredients. We feel history affects the present and will influence the future. As the authors researched these years, they discovered that the history of our community is not simply a record of events that took place. It is also, and more importantly, a chronicle of the lives of our residents, who together over the years have created in our midst an aura of neighborliness and accordance that we have chosen to call “The Spirit of Connestee Falls.”
We believe that Connestee is a unique community. It blends the beauty of nature, the joy of human relationship and the peace of mind we experience by knowing that our neighbors care about us. Whether you are a past or present resident, or someone who has never lived here, we hope that you will read these pages with enjoyment and interest.
History is the written, and oral, chronicle of events in the past. The committee responsible for putting this book together has tried to record notable events during the three decades since Connestee Falls was founded. By no means can this book be considered a complete account; that effort would have consumed more space and time than was available. We have, however, included a brief look at the history of this region much earlier in time. In the case of the geology of the mountains, for instance, we have even delved into prehistory.
Board member Ruth Bailey, who inspired this project, proposed to the Members Information Committee (MIC) that a written history of our community should be undertaken as part of the Connestee Falls Property Owners Association’s 30th anniversary celebration. The MIC then created the History Committee, a temporary subcommittee, to research and write Connestee’s history. MIC members Lil Saleski and Bob Wollenweber volunteered to co-chair the History Committee. Ruth Bailey recruited Luann Ham and Renie Cottingham as writers. The first meeting was held on December 8, 2000. In 2001, Gloria Nordmeyer and Jack Frederick added their talents. Connestee residents submitted drawings, poems, songs, short stories, and photos for the book. Gathering information turned out to be both fascinating and daunting. Hours were spent interviewing past and present residents, researching records at the courthouse and the library, and reading old newspaper accounts of past events. Organizing, sorting and sifting through all the information consumed much of our time. We looked through hundreds of photographs and slides. No one guessed the book would demand an entire year’s effort to produce.
The Table of Contents lists the chapter’s author to give the book the flavor of an essay collection. However, this was a joint project, and every committee member contributed to the researching and editing of the book. We made every effort to be accurate with names, dates, and events. With the passage of time, and the fading of memories, however, conflicting reports, errors, and omissions are inevitable.
To gather information for the book, the History Committee invited early property owners and those who worked for the developer to a meeting on March 1, 2001, at the Overlook Clubhouse. Many brought treasured newspaper clippings and photographs of Connestee’s formative years to share. Ron Kolstedt recorded the session on videotape and audiotape. Their reminiscences inspired the title of this book. Quotes from that special day follow.
Charlie Duke “I came in…1976 as a consultant to Realtec…We visualized the property along 276 as a little shopping center for the residents. We saw it as the front end of Connestee. In fact, we encouraged the property owners at one time to purchase the land. That never materialized.”
Don Stinchcomb “…originally there were eight areas within Connestee that were set aside for multifamily housing…Eventually, individuals bought those parcels of land and came to the Board and asked them to convert them to single home lots. If all of those condos had been built, there would have been four or five hundred units.”
Jim Brede “…we came here to play bingo. We hate bingo. But we thought that is a good way to meet people. After six months or so that disappeared. Another thing you may not remember. It’s a name tag from Connestee Squares…Square dancing was a lot better than bingo.”
Earl Jenkins “Way back when this thing first started,I met Jack Stump, the director of operations. Jack invited me to go to work at Connestee Falls for the developers. I started as a common laborer. About a week later, they put me on as an operator. In 1972, they put me on a big new dozer to start working on the first hole of the golf course…In 1974 when Mr. Ford came in a lot of lots had been sold. Mr. Ford said,‘We have a community to finish. We have 12 million dollars worth of work to do and six million dollars with which to do it. We’re going to turn it over to the property owners in 1975 whether they want it or not.’…We’ve got a lot of history here. We’ve enjoyed it. It’s been a challenge, too…I’ve worked with 15 or 16 managers here and they’ve all been different.”
Seavy O’Neal “We kept our house in Columbia, SC until December of 1976, and that was all I could take of two homes. I said to Lee,‘Which one do you want to get rid of, Connestee or Columbia? She said ‘Columbia,’ and we have been here ever since.”
Polly Stinchcomb “We originally had a Decorating Committee who worked with the Social Committee and Lee [O’Neal] headed that for many years and her creations were just unbelievable---such talent.”
Jeanne Smith “We came here in January 1978…If the realtor showed us a house with a lawn, my husband wouldn’t get out of the car…The fondest thing I remember is the community spirit.”
Barbara Higby “…we came here in 1981…There was a wonderful spirit, a spirit of camaraderie, and we called ourselves pioneers.”
Nancy Brookshire “Cliff [Brookshire] had at least 25 salesmen on site working for him. The salesmen were some of the most colorful characters I have ever known. The salesmen were always vying for trips that were offered by the developer for top sales. March 1973, 66 of us flew to London and stayed for a week all expenses paid by the developer. In April 1974, 26 of us flew to Acapulco all expenses paid.”
Jean LaForce “…we came to see a lot that my sister had just bought [1972]. On the way to the lot, we had to kill a rattlesnake with a golf club.”
Olga Terry “We were staying in the roundettes when we received a phone call at 2 am that the river was rising and that we were going to be flooded out. The staff piggy-backed us out. One couple also staying as guests made sure before they departed to grab their valuables. She brought her jewelry and he brought his booze.”
Ruth Davison “…the jazz festival was started here and eventually moved into Brevard.”
Larry Host “The Lounge originally had a large square padded bar with stools, low ceilings, and a pool table.”
Tony McNally “We stumbled on Connestee Falls by luck [1974] and were immediately pounced upon by two Indian women and an aggressive sales force. Security was provided by Connestee Falls employees and had problems at the time. They didn’t understand the danger of firearms and used to target practice at the main gate at night.”
Jean Pearson “The camaraderie among the people is one of the special things at Connestee Falls.”
Virginia Stone “This has been great fun for us old-timers.”
Ron Kolstedt “We are all displaced people who came from places other than this, and the people became our extended family. We have visited other communities where your past title is still important. We have left our titles behind us.”
THAT’S CONNESTEE FALLS;
The best little place in North Carolina That’s Connestee Falls. People you meet always make you feel so welcome in Connestee Falls. New York may have its forty second street, Paris it’s Que De La Paix, or take the Taj Mahal You can have them all, Believe me brother when I say, It’s the best little place in North Carolina, That’s Connestee Falls.
Here’s the song I wrote for your beautiful community, Blanche, Have fun with it.
BarneyYoung 10/13/82.
“The natural splendor and unspoiled beauty of Connestee Falls is our inheritance. We pledge to preserve and protect that trust with all the resources at our command.” Gilbert P. Edward, President, Realtec, Inc., a subsidiary of Certain-teed Corp.
Early History and Indian Lore
The spirit of Connestee Falls begins with its land, the mountains and water, and tales about prior generations that have been passed to us. Some tales are myth, some fact; all have infused Connestee Falls with a living legend that should be kept alive and shared with future generations. The passage of time blurs the edges of fact and lore. We present what we have found in our research. For the early history, we call upon past writers as guides. We also have added accounts and stories told to us. Like a quilt, we have stitched together bits of myth, truth, tales, and lore, which is the spirit of Connestee’s legend.
One of our guides to this legend, Mary Jane McCrary, a local historian who gave the streets of Connestee Falls their Cherokee names, tells of Connestee’s Indian heritage in her book about the county, Transylvania Beginnings. McCrary says, “On the Greenville Highway (Route 276) at Island Ford Road, a stone marker bears this inscription: ‘Site of Connestee-legendary Lost Settlement of Ancient Cherokee Nation. Visited by British troops in 1725. Disappeared in 1777.” Little is known about the lost settlement and there are conflicting reports about its location. McCrary notes, though, that the Indians in the Connestee area “hunted deer and turkey” and that trade “flourished between the English in Charles Town and the Cherokee towns. White traders passed this way, over the old Indian Path, which can still be traced over Connestee Falls and the surrounding area. The Indians who accompanied them did not carry tomahawks – they were ‘burden bearers’, carrying skins to the port of Charles Town.”
Another of our guides to the past, Jim Bob Tinsley, writes in his book, The Land of Waterfalls: Transylvania County, North Carolina, “An old recorded spelling of the name Connestee is Kan’sta, identifying one of the few ancient Indian villages in the high mountains of North Carolina. It became a lost settlement when all members of the village were lured away to Pilot Knob and promptly disappeared.”
The June 12, 1972, edition of Connestee Falls’ newspaper, titled Connestee Un-City News, reprinted a tale of the lost settlement called “A Myth From the Cherokees From James Mooney.” Originally published in the Transylvania Times, Brevard Centennial Edition, July 18, 1968, Mooney’s tale says that the Indians of Kana’sta were lured away by two Cherokee-looking Indians. Pilot Knob, mentioned in the Mooney account, is in Pilot Mountain State Park, north of Winston-Salem. The myth goes like this:
Long ago, while people still lived in the old town of Kana’sta, on the French Broad River, two strangers, who looked in no way different from other Cherokee, came into the settlement one day and made their way into the chief’s house. After the first greetings were over the chief asked them from what town they had come, thinking them from one of the western settlements, but they said, “We are of your people and our town is close at hand, but you have never seen it. Here you have wars and sickness, with enemies on every side, and after a while a stronger enemy will come to take your country from you. We are always happy, and we have come to invite you to live with us in our town over there, “ and they pointed toward Tsuwa tel’da (Pilot Knob). “We do not live forever, and do not always find game when we go for it, for the game belongs to Tsul kalu, who lives in Tsunegun’yi, but we have peace always and need not think of danger. We go now, but if your people will live with us let them fast seven days, and we shall come then to take them.” Then they went away toward the west.
The chief called his people together into the townhouse and they held a council over the matter and decided at last to go with the strangers. They got all their property ready for moving, and then went again into the townhouse and began their fast. They fasted six days and on the morning of the seventh, before yet the sun was high, they saw a great company coming along the trail from the west, led by the two men who had stopped with the chief …They seemed just like the Cherokee from another settlement, and after a friendly meeting they took up a part of the goods to be carried, and the two parties started back together for Tsuwa tel’da. There was one man from another town visiting at Kana’sta, and he went along with the rest. Whey they came to the mountain, the two guides led the way into a cave, which opened out like a great door in the side of the rock. Inside they found an open country and a town, with houses ranged in two long rows from east to west. The mountain people lived in the houses on; the south side, and they had made ready the other houses for the new comers, but even after all the people of Kana’sta with their children and belongings had moved in, there were still a large number of houses waiting ready for the next who might come. The mountain people told them that there was another town, of a different people, above them in the same mountain, and still farther above, at the very top, lived Ani’Hyunitikwala’ski (the Thunders).
Now all the people of Kana’sta were settled in their new homes, but the man who had only been visiting with them wanted to go back to his own friends. Some of the mountain people wanted to prevent this but the chief said, “No; --let him go if he will, and when he tells his friends they may want to come, too. There is plenty of room for all.” Then he said to the man, “Go back and tell your friends that if they want to come and live with us and be always happy, there is a place here ready and waiting for them. Others of us live in Datsu’na lashun’yi and in the high mountains all around, and if they would rather go to any of them it is all the same. We see you wherever you go and are with you in all your dances, but you cannot see us unless you fast. If you want to see us, fast four days, and we will come and talk with you; and then if you want to live with us, fast again seven days, and we will come and take you. “Then the chief led the man through the cave to the outside of the mountain and left him there, but when the man looked back he saw no cave, but only the solid rock.
The people of the lost settlement were never seen again, and they are still living in Tsuwa tel’da. Strange things happen there, so the Cherokee know the mountain is haunted and do not like to go near it. Only a few years ago a party of hunters camped there, and as they sat around their fire at supper time they talked of the story and made rough jokes about the people of old Kana’sta. That night they were aroused from sleep by a noise as of stones thrown at them from among the trees, but when they searched they could find nobody, and were so frightened that they gathered up their guns and pouches and left the place.
Scientific evidence, what we usually perceive as the truth, helps us identify approximately when the Indians of this lore may have lived. Dr. Larry R. Kimball, Associate Professor and Director of Appalachian State University (ASU) Laboratories of Archeological Science, says that before the Cherokee, there were the Connestee Indians: “The Middle Woodland Connestee was very widespread in the Southern Appalachians.”An article in the July 6, 2001, Asheville Citizen Times, explores a recently discovered Connestee Indian archeological site on the Biltmore Estate. According to Scott Schmate, assistant director of ASU Laboratories of Archeological Science, the site of the Connestee village on Biltmore land may date to 200 B.C. “This is a phase of the Middle Woodland period,”Shumate says in the article. “The vast majority of Connestee is 200 B.C. to 600 A.D. These people don’t have a written record so we have to affix a name to them. Whether they’re direct ancestors of the Cherokee, we’re not sure.” However, in her book, An Archeological Survey of Transylvania County, North Carolina including the City of Brevard and the Town of Rosman, Deborah J. Thompson dates the Connestee “phase” in the Middle Woodland Period as A.D. 200-600. What we are certain of, though, is that the spirit of the Connestee Indians lives on in our community’s name. The later arriving Cherokee, who would have resided in this area, according to Thompson, from A.D. 1550 to 1838, are also a significant part of our heritage.
A widely known Cherokee myth, involving an Indian Princess and her lover, survives in the mist of Connestee’s waterfall. One version found in the magazine Blue Ridge Peaks and told by Diane Petryk in her article “Connestee Falls: A place where climate, scenery are a peaceful way of life,” reads:
In the early 1700s, after a fierce battle between British troops and Cherokee Indians, a handsome British officer, wounded and left to die by his comrades, was taken captive. The young officer was nursed back to health by the beautiful Princess Connestee. The two fell in love, were married in the Indian fashion and lived happily together for two years. One day while on a scouting mission the young Britisher encountered his old army friends and was persuaded to rejoin them and renounce the Indian way of life. When it was obvious to the lovely princess that he would never return, she climbed to the top of the twin falls and cast herself to the bottom, 110 feet below. Hence the name Connestee Falls, after the princess who killed herself over a lost love.
In his book, The Land of Waterfalls: Transylvania County, North Carolina, Jim Bob Tinsley writes the following version of the Princess Connestee tale:
Legend recounts that before the coming of the first white settlers to the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, a young Englishman with an exploring party from Charleston, South Carolina, was wounded and captured by a band of Cherokee warriors. The Indians spared his life, and he was nursed back to health in their village by the Princess Connestee. Soon they fell in love and often sat beside a beautiful waterfall during their courtship. Later, with the consent of the girl’s father, Chief Wahilla, they were united by a tribal shaman. While visiting a trading post on the coast sometime later, the white man was persuaded to desert the tribe and return to his own people. A heart broken Connestee is said to have jumped to her death from the top of the 110-foot high waterfalls that now bear her name. According to legend, glimpses may be had of the tragic figure of Connestee when it is midnight and the moon is out, echoes of Indian tom-toms and chants of the dead can be heard rising from the deep and shadowy gorge at the foot of Connestee Falls.
Jim Bob Tinsley also tells us of Dr. F. A. Miles’ version of the tale. Miles was the owner of the Caesar’s Head Hotel in 1882. In a handwritten letter, Miles writes, “I remember at some time in life of reading a legend of a beautiful Indian Maiden, named Connestee who, in escaping with her lover was persued, the trail led across a cataract on a foot-log. When they came to this place, their persuers was close at hand, and in the hurry and excitement – the stream swollen, the waters turbulent – her foot slipped upon the log and she went down to death, her lover going with her.
A fourth version of the tale as told by Ora Jones, ties the incident to the removal of the Cherokees from the Connestee area:
In 1838 an act of Congress authorized the removal of the Indians to Indian Territory. A company of volunteers was raised in that part of Buncombe County now embraced in Transylvania and Henderson Counties to assist the government soldiers in removing them. In some instances the soldiers met with stubborn resistance. A number of nasty little skirmishes were engaged in. There are many legends current in the county today relating to the removal of the Indians. Probably the best known of these legends is that of “Connestee.” The heroine of this story was a maiden who, because of love of one of the white soldiers, committed suicide at the beautiful waterfall that bears her name.
All versions of the Indian maiden enhance the legend’s spirit. The beauty of myth is its timeless spirit. Our name “Connestee” has ancient origins rooted in Indian lore. Through the telling of these tales, what transpired long ago touches us today.
Euro-American Settlement
Mary Jane McCrary tells us, “We do not know who was the first to arrive…. The upper French Broad (River) was an uncertain territory when settlement began. In the first years it was Cherokee country by the will of the king of England, and so title to the land in this location could not have been produced by the royal colony of North Carolina. This fact was not known to some of the first settlers and was ignored by others.”
By the late 1700s, when Euro-American settlers claimed the land, few Cherokee lived in this area, although they would come from elsewhere to hunt and gather. Interestingly, over the centuries the flora has changed drastically. It is hard to imagine the area as described by historians. In his book The History of Transylvania County, written around 1915, Ora Jones tells us about the landscape:
When the first white men came they did not find virgin forests untouched by axe or saw, as one would expect. Rather the exact contrary was true. Except for one very small area near the present town of Cherryfield…there was not a tree in any part of the territory now in Transylvania County . . . According to an old record, on of the first white settlers is said to have described the country as a “mountainous prairie.”
Mary Jane McCrary quotes Jones who said, “Fires had “swept the Little River Valley and the French Broad Valley at least as far up as Rosman, including the hills and mountains in the Island Ford and Connestee sections.” The Indians used fire, according to Jones, to make traveling easier through the rough terrain, to create better hunting grounds, and to shoot the wild game with bow and arrow at a greater distance. McCrary does feel that there would have been an abundance of timber somewhere nearby or the settlers wouldn’t have been attracted to the area. Nor would they have been able to build homes. Jones points out, however, that, “There has never been found in this territory any trees whose ‘rings’ disclosed a greater age than would be possible for it to attain by being planted after that time.” In 1915 Jones also recalls, “There are today men living in Transylvania county who have heard their grandfathers say they could remember when all the houses were build of very small saplings, much smaller than those usually used, for the reason that trees of suitable size could not be found.”
During the Revolutionary War, the isolation of this area made it useful in a strategy of outwitting the British. McCrary provides the following piece of history:
Near the end of the war (the late 1780) occurred an episode that has a lasting influence on the history of the upper French Broad (River). This frontier was to new, too unpeopled, too isolated from the battlefields to be a factor in the conflict. . . . Bound on an errand of defense, a party of militiamen was dispatched to special duty in the high mountains along the Carolina boundary. They were the men who became known as “the Cowpens Men” and they still live in our legends and traditions . . . The Americans knew that the British force had spent the winter quartered in Charleston and has subsisted on lean rations. The king’s soldiers were hungry for fresh meat and they were capturing and slaughtering beef wherever found. In the grassy uplands large herds owned by South Carolina farmers and cattlemen were grazing in the districts called the cowpens, where the cattle were kept under watch by their herders.
The militia officers realized that the cattle would be a prize for the hungry British. They determined to save the herds from slaughter by the invaders, and so reduce the source of British supplies. For protection the cattle were driven up the old buffalo trails to the safety of the nearest mountains . . . Some of the herds may have been driven as far up the French Broad as the present Island Ford.
The time period between the Revolutionary War and the Civil War was one of turmoil and change as settlers moved in and claimed the land that the Cherokee has used for hunting. According to Deborah J. Thompson, “Many of the earliest settlers of the area which became Transylvania County were men who had fought in the American Revolution and received land grants in return for their military service.” Jones reports that for the most part, “The settlers of the upper French Broad valley, so far as the records show or tradition tells us, never had any serious difficulties with the Indians.”
However, the Cherokee’s annual fall hunt did cause concern to the settlers. Jones gives an interesting and colorful account of the tension the hunt caused:
At a certain phase of the moon in the fall the Indians would gather in a large band sometimes numbering several hundred on the headwater of Davidson River. From that point they would start the annual game slaughter, always taking the same route through the forests each year. For these hunts other groups would come to this section from points many miles distant.
On these hunting trips the Indians would be fully armed but without their war paint. They traveled “Indian fashion” – that is, in single file. Their moccasined feet made little sound as they traveled along a long line, marching mile after mile without uttering a word or making a sound as they silently forded the streams, ascending and descending the steep mountains as they came to them.
By reason of the fact they always followed the same route this section crossing the mountains from the Davidson River to the French Broad near Rosman, their movements could be accurately anticipated, each group returning to its home by the most direct route. Several mountains, streams and localities derived their names from these Indians. “Indian Creek” was a stream they always crossed. “Eastatoe” was always traversed. Their trail became known as “The Indian Path” or “The Path”. A mountain near the South Carolina line, near which they always camped, is known today as “Indian Camp Mountain.”
The annual hunting expeditions came so regularly that the white settlers could foretell their coming to a day and thus measures of preparedness could be perfected, as a precaution. For a number of years prior to the removal of the Indians, the women and children in the entire section were sent under guard over to the section new embraced in Burke county just before the fall hunt. There they would remain until the Indians disbanded. Since there were no gristmills near the place, frequent trips had to be made to the mill. As the corn was transported to the mill, the women and children went along with the grain. As an extra precaution John Carson and others built a fort at a point near the “Indian Path” about the year 1800. This fort was located somewhere between the Island Ford section and Connestee Creek. Fortunately the fort was never used and gradually fell into decay. It was known as “John Carson’s Fort.”
Hunting caused increasing tension between the two groups as the Euro-American population grew. Jones tells us, “The annual fall hunting expeditions of the Indians were a menace to the white settlers as long as they continued. These seasons were attended by fear and trembling on the part of the settlers.” One of the first industries, writes Deborah J. Thompson, was the Gillespie gun works on East Fork, which probably began operation prior to 1803. An attempt was made at the end of the 1700s to establish a line that would divide the settlers and the Indians. Neither group was to cross over into the other group’s territory. Of course, skirmishes broke out. Supposedly, the final resolution to territorial claims came with the removal of the Indians to the Indian Territory.
However, instead of ending conflicts, the removal of the Indians from their mountains only led to more territorial disputes. According to McCrary, this area “was for a time, presumed to be in South Carolina. Much later there was a dispute over the boundary between North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. This culminated in a gun fight that lives in local history as the Walton War. “The lands of present day Connestee Falls were once a part of Walton County, Georgia. McCrary recounts the conflict:
Prior to 1786, several families banded together and formed a company for settling lands at the head of the French Broad River, an area in the Cherokee Indian territory and in what these frontiersmen believed were the western lands claimed by South Carolina. At first, that state allowed these people to take out land grants, but shortly afterwards, ordered the grants annulled and ceded any claims to the western lands to the national government. For several years afterward, the settlers unsuccessfully petitioned Congress to have their settlement annexed to South Carolina. In 1793, these families formed their own government ... to last until the United States ceded them to a state. Because no state would accept them until that happened, their area became known as the “Orphan Strip.” The Federal government obtained this area from the Cherokees in 1789 and in 1802, believing the settlement to be below the southern boundary of North Carolina, ceded the territory to the State of Georgia. The leaders of the Orphan Strip community immediately sent a signed copy of the minutes of their community meetings to Georgia Governor John Milledge as a petition that their settlement be recognized. Governor Milledge mentioned this community in his next address to the State Legislature, reporting that the Surveyor General “described the country as mountainous, inhabited by orderly and industrious people (in number about 800) . . . .The Georgia Legislature responded by creating Walton County from this area on 10 December 1803 . . . .
However, the boundary between Georgia and North Carolina had not been located by the time of the county’s formation, and this would cause major – later fatal – problems for Walton, North Carolina believed that most, if not all, of the area claimed as Walton County by Georgia was actually within the bounds of its own Buncombe County, formed in 1791.
The problem stemmed from inadequate land surveys of the area and the inability to locate the 35th latitude, the actual boundary between Georgia and North Carolina. After much confusion and arguing over who had jurisdiction, a militia was sent out from Buncombe County to suppress rioters in Walton County. McCrary says, “Violence continued between the pro-North Carolina and the pro-Georgia settlers for some time, including house burning and murder.” Finally, in 1813 after determining that the border was even further south than anyone thought, Georgia gave up Walton County. (Although, Georgia did keep the name, reusing it to create the present day Walton County in 1818.)
North Carolina decided to drop the name Walton County. McCrary says, “An attempt was later made to have the area that had been Walton County, or “New Georgia,’ organized into a new North Carolina county by the name of Hawkins, but the bill was never passed.” In their book Transylvania: The Architectural History of a Mountain County, Laura A. Phillips and Deborah Thompson say, “In 1838, when Henderson County was formed from the southern portion of Buncombe County, the boundaries of the new county were nearly identical to those of the proposed Hawkins County.”
By the mid-1800s, the mountains began to attract people who we still see today – the summer residents. Back then, Thompson writes, a land developer named “The Speculation Company”, advertised the “ground fertile and the ‘salubrious’ climate of the area” pleasing to individuals. Thompson says, “As part of this movement, two large hotels were built and several coastal South Carolina families established large homes along the French Broad River in the 1850s, south of what was to become Brevard, in Dunns Rock.”
The County of Transylvania (meaning across the woodland) was created from Henderson and Jackson Counties in 1861. Also in that year, North Carolina seceded from the Union and Civil War broke out between the North and the South. According to Phillips and Thompson, “Many men in Transylvania County volunteered to serve in the Confederate army, but some joined the Union army ....No Civil War battles were fought on Transylvania soil. “By the end of the Civil War, Phillips and Thompson say, Many of the wealthy South Carolinians who had regularly visited the upper French Broad River Valley for the summers could no longer afford this luxury, thus leaving the once-thriving community at Dunns Rock nearly deserted . . . When the trend for summering in Transylvania’s pleasant climate resumed during the late nineteenth century, it was no longer the Dunns Rock area but rather the Cedar Mountain area.
In the late 19th century, gristmills and sawmills were numerous. In 1870, the Lewis Summey gristmill sat at the top of Connestee Falls. The nearest town, Brevard, was developing rapidly. The book Transylvania County Heritage-North Carolina reports, “In 1867, one year before the incorporation, the town was only a collection of a few frame houses; the population guessed to be about fifty. By 1899 the town was booming and the population had reached 300. Stores were being built, the Transylvania Cattle Club had been formed, and the first railroad came to Brevard in 1895.” By the early 1900s, the land around Connestee was no longer considered “mountainous prairie.” Chestnuts, oak and maples were among the trees that grew tall and later fell to axes of the loggers, who left behind their trails through Connestee. The backside of a penny postcard read, “A ten cents admission in 1919 permitted visitors to view the legendary death site of the heart broken Cherokee Princess Connestee who the story claims threw herself over the falls when her Englishman husband returned to live with his own people.
Connestee Falls Development
The land that is now Connestee Falls was originally purchased in 1943 by the families of Spivey and Holmes. According to deed records at the Transylvania Courthouse, Mary Trenholm Spivey Foxworth, et al., sold 2,930 acres to James Lewis in 1965. The next month, James Lewis sold this land to Connestee Corporation. In 1971, Realtec Corporation of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, then a subsidiary of Certain-teed Products Corporation of Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, one of the leading producers of building material, purchased the Connestee Corporation holdings along with other lands to create the Connestee Falls Development Corporation.
A large land sale was news in this quiet, remote community. The June 10, 1971 headline of the Transylvania Times reads, “3900 Acres of Land in Connestee Falls Section Sold to Fort Lauderdale Firm.” The paper reported that 2,700 acres were purchased from the Connestee Corporation tract; 516 acres from George P. Hunter; 289 acres from Paul G. Stone; 356 acres from Charles E. Griffin and William B. Crow; 4 5/8 acres from Fred Israel and wife and Clyde Hubbard and wife, and 10 acres from George F. Gibbs and Michael A. Clarke. Founded in 1969 by Stanley Whitcomb, executive vice president, Realtec had “plans,” the news article says, “for the development of a new year-round recreational community of more than 2,500 home sites. “At the same time of the Connestee purchase, Realtec also acquired 5,000 acres in Sapphire, including the Sapphire Valley Inn, country club, and golf course. The design for both developments, Whitcomb says in the newspaper, “will provide planned communities for America’s growing population while preserving our nation’s ecology.” In the early 1970s, a third Realtec project was also developed at Keowee Key in South Carolina.
Whitcomb, who was in charge of the Connestee property, said in an interview that he moved into the only house that was on the 3,900 acres of land at the time – the Hunter house. “To get to a paved road, it was about six miles off a dirt road out the back way,” he said. The brick Hunter house became the headquarters for the engineers, and later the office for the property association in 1975.
From the start, Whitcomb wanted to preserve the mountain beauty of the Connestee area while creating a recreational setting for residents. Whitcomb said he grew up outside of Boston and loved the natural woods, but hated the power lines. At Connestee, Whitcomb related that he “wanted the power lines all underground. But nobody was doing that back then. Finally, Duke and Nantahala Power agreed to it.” Connestee became the first development in the area to have underground power lines.
The land planner for Connestee was Edward Durell Stone, Jr. of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Stone’s father was the architect for the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and the Standard Oil Building in Chicago. The engineering firm for Connestee was Quibel of Chase City, Virginia. According to Whitcomb, “the original plans had four lakes and a campground for the resident property owners out on the East Fork. We planned several multifamily sites within the property. And we had a community village center planned around where the church is. We also had a town center planned for down at the entrance on 276 across the road.” In addition, G. W. Cobb, golf course architect, designed the 18-hole course. In the June 12, 1972, Connestee Un-City News, Cobb writes, “As a golf course architect with over thirty years experience and having designed over 250 golf courses, I feel that Connestee will fall in the category as one of my finest mountain golf courses.”
Whitcomb said that Realtec purposely priced Connestee to be “middle-ranged.” From the developer’s perspective of selling lots in a recreational community, the only competition was Beech Mountain, Grandfather Mountain, Sapphire, and Highlands were all higher priced. To its advantage, Connestee was the closest mountain range for people from Florida. All of these ingredients, including a topnotch sales force, made Connestee Falls a hot seller in the first few years of development. “When we did the original budget for this project,” reports Whitcomb, “we thought the first year we would do about three million dollars in business. We did ten and a half million.”
Within a few months of that first year, according to an article in the October 21, 1971 Transylvania Times, Connestee Falls was probably the most active real estate activity in Western North Carolina. The news report describes the rapid development that had taken place between June and October 1971:
Ground was first turned at the Connestee community the first of June this year. As of this writing, there is a Reception Center, 18 Motel units and a Restaurant finished and in operation. There are some 12 miles of road completed, with hard surface around the entrance and public area. Some 300 lots have been sold to buyers from 10 states and six houses are now under construction. The total property sale is expected to pass the $2 million mark this weekend, having passed the $1 million figure last Labor Day.
“A place where people and nature live together in harmony.” “Ensure that the beauty and purity of the natural environment is preserved.” Stanley Whitcomb, for the Developers.
Prior Occupants
In 1971, Realtec’s Odell Hunter hired Earl Jenkins as a laborer. He is our present day assistant general manager and maintenance superintendent. A person many would call Connestee’s greatest resource, Jenkins can relate vivid glimpses of those “wild west” days as he calls them. In 1971, he was bulldozing new roads and lakebed areas. There were old roads on the property before development started. According to Jenkins, “The old CCC road came around by the church and through what is now the Atagahi Lake bed. It went across and joined into this secondary road 1106 over off what is now Ugugu.” All that changed when new roads were built.
The construction crew also came across evidence of those who had lived here before. “Years ago,” Jenkins said, “people who did logging would just throw up some shacks to live in ‘till they logged out a section. There were some old homesteads. Frank Israel’s home was over where Lake Wanteska is now. That’s the place where we had the first company picnic. At that gathering in 1972, I can remember Whitcomb standing up and telling all of us on the crew, ‘This time last year we had 3 employees. Today we’ve got 150. Tomorrow we’ll have 300 plus.’ Later, they tried to take down Israel’s house and move it to the entrance, but it fell apart.”
In a Transylvania Times article dated October 24, 1996, Connestee resident and author Gloria Nordmeyer tells about an apple tree that grows on Number 6 green: “This apple tree is a lonely survivor of what once was an orchard of two dozen trees on a 400-acre farm owned by Porter Clark decades ago.” According to the Cunninghams, recent owners of the property where the apple orchard grew, the tree was grafted in 1915. The Porters also grew peaches and raised turkeys. The ancient deserted farmhouse burned down in 1954.
In the January 9, 1986 edition of The Transylvania Times, Bill Norris reported on the history of Carson’s Creek Baptist Church, located inside the Connestee Falls community. The church began in 1885 and built its first sanctuary in 1895. Norris reports that the “original sanctuary was showing the wear of years.” In 1952, “the new church was built on the site of the original one,” near a small graveyard now on Lake Atagahi. Because the developers wanted Connestee Falls to be a gated community, Realtec had to seek permission from the church to put up the gatehouse at the East Fork Entrance. Norris quotes the minister at that time, the Rev. Beauford Hardin, as saying, “Since this change, we have never had anything but good relations with the Connestee Falls people. They have put new siding on our church, installed bathrooms there, and done many other things to make our sanctuary more beautiful and comfortable to attend. They have done a number of things to assist us and in return I hope we have been able to help them.”
In addition to the graveyard near Carson’s Creek Baptist Church, there is a small family burial ground in Connestee. Gloria Nordmeyer wrote the following about the family in a February 27, 1997 article for The Transylvania Times:
In a quiet, remote corner of Connestee Falls, on a little knoll overlooking Lake Wanteska, is an old abandoned graveyard containing some 30 graves marked only with fieldstones. At the site is a granite marker thus inscribed: “Valentine Lance. B. 1773-D. 1858 Family Cemetery. He was the son of Peter Lance and Chloe, Union District of South Carolina. Erected by Nell Lance Waldrop of Brevard, N.C. and Robert A. Lentz of Decatur, Ala. in 1990.”
According to Brevard resident Elizabeth Barton, it is called the Lance-Hayes Cemetery after the two families whose members were interred there. Valentine Lance, she said, owned over 250 acres on the French Broad River in 1827. The area surrounding the cemetery was known as Lance Fields.
Little is known about the Hayes family except that a Hayes owned acreage in the Walnut Hallow area about the same time Lance did.
During the early days of Connestee Falls’ development, when they were clearing and bulldozing, Earl Jenkins said it was interesting what they’d find: “There was a whiskey still right outside what is now the clubhouse, near the stream.” Earl said that instead of the still, “We have a silt basin there now.” Gloria Nordmeyer wrote about Connestee moonshine in the May 1, 1997, issue of The Transylvania Times’ “Connestee Falls News.” The following is an excerpt from that article:
When the developer took the first survey of Connestee Falls there were at least three active moonshine stills operating in these hills. According to Earl Jenkins, in those days hereabouts was “moonshine heaven.” One was in Unit 6 at the end of our present driving range, another was near the Walnut Hallow gate, and as for the third . . .
Golfers teeing off on the 18th fairway stand only a few yards from the site of an old moonshine still – gone but not forgotten. According to Betty Kingston, whose property abuts the notorious spot, it was known locally as “Pigsty Run.”
The still itself was located in a thicket of rhododendron bushes, adjacent to a stream and convenient to an endless supply of firewood on the wooded slopes of what is now Connestee Falls. Thus, the moonshiner’s basic requirements were available: a remote and secret site with good water and plenty of fuel. Add some copper fittings and a supply of corn and the end product was “corn likker.”
Betty Kingston met an old man, born around 1900, who was involved in the moonshine trade. He showed her where the still had been and explained that, although he was but a youngster at the time, he helped deliver the moonshine whiskey to be bottled in what is now the basement workroom of the Mud Dabbers Pottery on Highway 276. {The pottery shop has since moved across the highway.} The still, he said, was built to be quickly dismantled in the event of a raid.
Betty asked, “Wasn’t that illegal?”
“No,” responded the old-timer. “My daddy was the sheriff.”
“Pig Sty Run” was so named because pigs were kept to dispose of the other evidence – corn mash residue.
Moonshine Recipe
Anybody with a grain of knowledge about moonshining wouldn’t think of putting their still on a stream branch with touch-me-nots growing along the bank. For touch-me-nots along the bank means hard water and hard water won’t make corn whiskey. It takes soft water. Now if you want the best kind of water, find yourself a branch where red horsemint grows. Good water will bead same as good whiskey. If you don’t see any red horsemint or touch-me-nots around, you take a jar of water from the branch and shake it up. If the bubbles rise when it’s tilted, then you know you’ve got the kind of water it takes to make whiskey. Put some sweet corn in a barrel and pour hot water over it until it begins to sprout. Take it out and dry it. Grind this sweet corn into meal. Make the corn meal into mash with boiling water and let stand for two or three days. Add rye malt and it will ferment at once. All old-time moonshiners double-distilled their whiskey. And that was where the real skill of whiskey-making comes in. Even after double-distilling a fellow could come up with a bad run of whiskey. If the second distillation wasn’t carried far enough, the whiskey would be rank, though weak. If it was carried out too far, it would be pure alcohol. After the moonshiners made a batch, they poured out the slop from the still. And it was this still-slop that brought the cattle and the hogs running.
From John Parris’s These Storied Mountains
Unfortunately, while researching the information above we could find no one who could attest to the quality of Connestee’s moonshine.
Actor Eddie Albert Promotes Connestee Falls
While Earl Jenkins and his crew were out on the grounds, Realtec developed a potent sales strategy. In October of 1971, actor Eddie Albert, who was at that time starring in the CBS television series, Green Acres, came to Connestee Falls to make a promotional film about the community. Stanley Whitcomb said that Realtec contacted Eddie Albert to act as spokesman for the project. “The thought that he was hired to be our environmentalist isn’t quite right,” said Whitcomb. “What we found out when we hired him was that he was an environmentalist. It was wonderful because he really did have an appreciation for what we were doing.” In addition to being the spokesman, Albert took on the title of vice president, environmental control. Albert was involved with the ecological concerns of all land projects for the company. In an October 21, 1971 article in The Transylvania Times, Cal Carpenter said, “Mr. Albert is obviously well-read and deeply concerned about the environment.” Albert, who owned land at Connestee, said at the time, “We want to have a home here, spend time, enjoy the various seasons.” Although he and his wife never did build here, Albert enjoyed the area, visiting often during the early years of Connestee’s development.
In a Connestee Falls promotional film, Albert pointed out that the planned “year round recreational community” was designed to enjoy the beauty of this area without spoiling it – a place where people can live and play “without destroying this good earth.” Boasting that the peaceful surroundings in Connestee are a refreshing change from the congestion, overpopulation, and pollution of city living, Albert’s ecological vision for Connestee was to build a carefully planned community that would remain “uncrowded, unpolluted, and unspoiled.” In the film, Albert called Connestee Falls “The Un-City,” telling the audience that the master plan for the Un-City “allowed for creature comforts and avoiding overcrowding.” Connestee will be a community where “people and ecology live together side by side” and “one-third of the total area will remain untouched and in its natural state.” In the film, Albert emphasized that this is “not just another second home project or subdivision.” It was to be a “self-sufficient Un-City,” with all the essentials, such as paved roads and recreational activities: “golf, tennis, a swimming pool, hiking or riding trails, an equestrian center, campgrounds, dock and marinas, four large lakes and no crowds.”
Eddie Albert not only narrated the promotional material for Connestee but also wrote the “Down to Earth” column for The Connestee Community News, which had changed its name to Connestee Un-City News by the second issue. The Connestee Falls Development Corporation published the Connestee Un-City News quarterly from December 1971 to July 1973. Cal Carpenter was the editor. During that time, Stanley J. Whitcomb, Jr. was the president, and Robert L. Boone was the executive vice president of the corporation. In the March 23, 1973, issue of the Connestee Un-City News, Albert expresses the ideals behind the development:
As homesites are sold and the owners plan to build, the home plans are carefully considered by an environmental control board for appearance as well as proper placement on their particular homesite. Permission must be obtained to cut down a tree larger than three inches in diameter. Right down to the road signs for streets and directions, careful attention is paid to making everything ‘fit in’ with the natural surroundings. Realtec doesn’t want Connestee Falls to be a community in stark contrast to its surroundings. Rather, Connestee Falls will be a total environment for living-a place where people and nature live together in harmony.
The Connestee Un-City News not only informed landowners about the development’s progress, but also extolled Connestee’s budding community spirit: praising Aureola Sheldon in 1972 as the winner in a close race with Mike and Mary Hendricks to see who would be the first resident of Connestee; announcing the birth of Mary Crockett Hendricks on April 24, 1972 as “the first baby to be born at the Un-City” (actually born at Pardee Memorial Hospital in Hendersonville), and who must have redeemed her parents’ second place finish in the home building race; congratulating Mr. and Mrs. Peter Rambusch, who in 1972 became the first couple to be wed at Connestee. Chocked full of photos, Connestee Un-City News showed residences involved in social gatherings while major construction continued on the roads, golf course, and lakes.
The developers also encouraged the romantic Cherokee Indian legends as an important part of Connestee’s heritage. Connestee Indian lore became part of the back-to-nature concept of the Un-City. On an early plat of Connestee Falls unit 1, dated June 4,1971, on file at the deed office in the Transylvania County Courthouse in Brevard, the streets are named after Southern generals. Jackson Drive (now Connestee Trail) winds through Unit 1 with cross streets such as Forrest Court (now Chagee Lane), Buchanan Lane (now Sequoyah Lane), and Lee Drive (now Chagee Road). By the time the plat for Unit 2 was filed on August 18,1971, all the streets were given Cherokee names. According to Stanley Whitcomb, the street name change came about through a meeting between one of the project managers, Bob Boone and Mary Jane McCrary. McCrary, who is mentioned as a guide to early history and Indian lore on the first page, was also part Cherokee and took a keen interest in preserving the Cherokee language. McCrary had a Cherokee dictionary and assisted Boone with assigning Cherokee words for the street names. Thus, the street-naming die was cast. Since then, residents have had to garble their way through pronouncing the street names, like Guledisgonihi, which in English means Dove. Still, the Cherokee names distinguish the community and are a nod to the Indians who dwelt here before.
In Connestee Falls Development Corporation’s first newspaper, dated December 17, 1971, when the paper was known as The Connestee Community News, the following article titled “Lakes are Named” mingled myth with the naming:
Consistent with the name of the community, all roads were given Cherokee names. Now the four lakes presently under way on the project have been given their Cherokee names. First referred to as lakes No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4, they are now Lake Ticoa, which means “bright water”; Lake Ataga’hi, a medicine lake in Cherokee legend; Lake Tiaroga, meaning simply “water”; and Lake Wanateska, which means “level.” The story of Ataga’hi the Cherokee Medicine Lake of the birds and animals, according to mountain historians, is a fascinating legend that goes with that of the Yunwi Tsundsi, or the Little People the Cherokee story tellers claim were living in the Great Smoky Mountains ‘long and long and long ago’ when the Cherokee came. Ataga’hi was an enchanted lake in the wildest part of the Great Smokies. It was the medicine lake of the animals and birds and could be seen by Cherokee hunters only after fasting had sharpened their spiritual sight. Its waters healed wounded and sick animals; over it ruled the peace of the Great Spirit and there all creatures were friends. As the name of one of the largest lakes, it should be a good omen for the Connestee Community, according to legend.
Eddie Albert, who promoted Connestee Falls in the 70’s, was born in 1908, at Rock Island, Illinois. He is still living - in California, at age 92.
The first baby born in Connestee Falls was Mary Crockett Hendricks – she lived in the second house occupied.
In May, 1974, James Parrish, President of Connestee Falls Development Corporation, reported that 2,400 home sites had been sold at Connestee Falls.
As of September 21, 1972, there were 17 completed homes in Connestee Falls, and 14 under construction.
Ron Garcia was the first golf pro at Connestee Falls – March 1974.
Selling Lots
More than just appreciating the Indian heritage, the developers used it as a gimmicky marketing ploy. During those early years, women were employed as “Indian Princess” guides. Dressed in “Indian” garb, they wore short-skirted, fringed suede seasonal outfits – white in the summer months and brown in the fall and winter – complete with beading, headbands, and knee-high moccasins. The “Indian Princesses” greeted potential buyers and worked as waitresses at the Top of the Falls restaurant.
To head the sales staff, Stanley Whitcomb hired Kenny Schwartz, who had headed sales in Cape Coral, Florida. Schwartz was one of the colorful characters many of the old-timers refer to when talking about the sales staff. According to many under him, Schwartz ran a tight ship. The sales operation was consumer-oriented. Realtec employees had to be friendly. The guard working the main gate tipped his hats to the ladies. All the salesmen drove prospective buyers around in jeeps to see property. Earl Jenkins recalls, “You had to be johnny-on-the-spot. When you saw those jeeps coming, you stopped that piece of equipment or that chainsaw and you waved. They meant business. They’d turn you loose in a heartbeat if you did something or if you’d been drinking”.
During the early 1970s, Realtec employed 20 to 30 salespeople, many of whom came into the area for a short time to make some quick money and then moved on to sell in another development. Asheville-born Cliff Brookshire, a local high school coach, decided to make a career change and started working as a salesman for Realtec in January 1972.When he first came, Lloyd Fisher and Mike Andrews were the only other locals working at Connestee. A year later Brookshire took over the sales manager job when Ray Taylor was transferred to another project. Brookshire said they would hire and fire two or three salesmen a week. “We went through quite a few. If a salesman was caught telling a prospect something that wasn’t true or came to work with alcohol on his breath, he was gone.” To add more stability to the workforce, Brookshire hired locals. Mike Hendricks, a young man Brookshire had coached in high school, was a salesman he hired. The sales office was up above the falls. Whitcomb tells this story about Hendricks: “One day Mike was walking by the falls, slipped, and fell right over. Luckily, a huge rhododendron bush broke his fall. I flew in from somewhere to visit him in the hospital. The first thing Mike said to me when I saw him lying in bed was, ‘If you want me to do that again, you’re going to have to pay me.’”
Meanwhile, Schwartz would grill his staff. Brookshire said that he “had to have a card in his front pocket listing the closing percentage of each sales person” in case Schwartz came in and asked. Brookshire’s wife, Nancy, said that she made sure to check his front pocket each morning so that he wouldn’t go off to work without this card. Schwartz also held inspections in the parking lot where all the sales people picked up cigarette butts. Brookshire said,
They believed in keeping things right. You had to have you boots shined. Of course, they’d only stay that way until you walked the first lot. Everyone wore boots because of snakes. And you had to have umbrellas in your jeep. A snake bite kit (which he never used) and a cooler with cokes and beer for the prospective buyers. You had a two-way radio, so that when you sold a piece of property you called it in to the office and told them to take it off the market. We’d write contracts out in the field.
The whole sales operation was highly organized. Brookshire said the marketing strategy was well run and effective:
We had offsite offices. We had an office in Asheville, one in Rocky Hill, one in Charlotte, one in Myrtle Beach, and Columbia, and Charleston. We had this Atlanta office. We called that the SID office, special inventory division, was what they called it. This was one of the original telemarketing offices. They would call people and make an appointment to come into their home and talk to them about Connestee Falls. Some of the salespeople would show them the Eddie Albert film and then the salesperson would set up a date for them to come up to spend the weekend and eat at the restaurant and see the property.
Bill and Rita Hopkins have resided in Connestee four years. Rita said that she remembers seeing television commercials about Connestee Falls in the early 1970s when the Hopkins lived in the Chicago area: “I was home raising four children and commercials for Connestee would come on TV. I remember Eddie Albert and the “Indian Princesses’ were in them.” Realtec even leased DC-3 aircrafts, which they named Connestee’s “Silver Birds,” to transport guests from Florida. At the Asheville Airport, an “Indian Princess” guide would greet the potential customers and assist them onto a chartered bus. As the bus traveled to Connestee Falls, the princess guide would tell the guests about the area.
Once the guests arrived, they would be shown around Connestee Falls. Brookshire explained the process:
We would set up appointments for people to visit. Not everyone flew in, some people drove. For those who drove, an “Indian Princess” would greet the guest and show them to their hotel room, one of the roundettes near the entrance. The guests would dine at the Top of the Falls restaurant and their children could play in a park at the entrance. Our famous chicken ride, now at Atagahi Park, was originally located in this playground. To get from one place to another at the entrance, the “Indian Princesses” traveled in golf carts. Sometime after the guest was settled, a Princess would ride them up in her golf cart to the sales office, which overlooked the waterfalls. At the sales office, guests would be given further information about Connestee Falls, see the Eddie Albert film if they hadn’t seen it already, and walk over to see the falls. There, with the falls as a dramatic backdrop, the guests would have a Polaroid taken of them by one of the Princesses.
In order to show the guest property, they had a rule that both husband and wife had to go together. If you were single, you could go by yourself. Then a salesman would take them on a tour and tell them what Connestee was going to be. The lots were surveyed and some you couldn’t get to because the roads weren’t in yet. But we had plats. You’d give them the dimension of the lot and take them to it if you could get to it. You’d tell them how the company would finance 10% down and pay the rest over 7 years. The average price for a lot was $5,000. Many lake front lots before the lakes were built were $10-12,000.
In those early days, all the guests would go on the same tour around Connestee. Brookshire recalls, “We would set up appointments and took them on the original tour route. We’d put them in a Wagoneer and bring them up across where Lake Ticoa dam is now, and on up by Batson Creek. Then, we’d turn left and go across what is now fairway 11 and come up on what we called the golf course plateau. Next, we would ride by the little church down there and go across Carson Creek up the road there. That was our tour route. Part of it is under water now.”
Sometimes people would just be traveling along 276 and stop to see the falls or were curious about the development. Brookshire called these people “walk-ins.” “We had walk-ins come to see the falls and then there was an Indian girl who would tell them what we were doing and take them up to the sales office. Over the Christmas holidays in 1972 or 73, there were only two salesmen on duty. This family came through and they ended up buying two lots out in the snow.”
But Brookshire’s favorite story about selling property was about another walk-in, an old man in bib overalls who paid cash:
I took out this old man and his wife who had driven to the sales office in a old car that was prime painted, you know that orange colored primer and beat up. They got into my Wagoneer to tour the property. She sat in the back seat, usually I tried to put the lady in the front seat. And they wouldn’t talk. He had on bib overalls, and she dipped snuff. I couldn’t get them to say anything. I showed them three lots. So, I pulled over and asked them which one of those lots did they like the best. The old man said, “Well, I liked the first one you looked at the best.” It was an $8,000 lot. He turned around and asked his wife which one she liked best, and she said, “Yah, I like that one.” The old man looked at me and said, “We’ll just take that a one. I said, “Fine”. Then, I went ahead and called it in and drove down to the gate. They didn’t say a word. I took them in to fill out a contract. I asked them how would they like to pay for the land – would they like to finance it this way or that way? The old man looked at me again and said, “Nah, I’ll just pay you now for it.” Next thing I knew, he went over to his car, opened the trunk, and took out a tool box. He came back over to me and opened the tool box and took the top tray out. The whole bottom of that tool box was stacked with bills, tens, twenties, fifties, and hundreds. And he counted out $8,000 right there.
The first units and their lots sold quickly and new units had to be readied. Brookshire said, “When a unit was about to open up the salesmen didn’t pay attention to the names of the streets. They just went by unit and lot number. The units opened up in numerical order, and we had a guy that practically lived in Washington, D.C. You had to get HUD approval for each unit before you could open it up for sale. HUD had to approve it. So, when they opened up a new unit, you’d have to go in and walk each lot in it and price it. There was a revenue schedule produced for each unit, and that schedule had to meet the company’s income projections.”
It only took about three years for most of the lots to sell. Brookshire said, “The year I took over the sales management job, our projection was to sell $12 million. That was the company’s projection, and I thought that was pretty high. But, we ended up selling $13 million in 1973. And that’s a lot of profit. The next year, the projection was another $12 million and by that time we were starting to wind down pretty good. I didn’t know if we could meet that projection, but we did. That’s a lot of property when you are selling them at $6-7-8,000 for each lot.” Brookshire stayed with Realtec until the fall of 1974. He said, “Thanks to people like Earl Jenkins, working so hard, Realtec had finished Connestee two years ahead of schedule. Near the end of Realtec’s time there, we had about 50 or 60 lots that were never sold because they were steep.” Realtec decided to have a bargain sale. Brookshire said those lots sold for about $3,500 each strictly for membership: “The salespeople would have the buyers sign a particular form, saying that the lot was unbuildable and the buyers knew that they were buying these lots just for membership. All those lots sold within two days.”
From the beginning, Realtec had planned to turn the running of Connestee Falls over to its property owner’s association. The February 15, 1974 Connestee Falls Newsletter, announced James Parrish as the new president of the Connestee Falls Development Corporation. An article reported that Parrish took over at a time “when the project’s 3,100 homesites have been 80 percent sold, a feat accomplished in less than three years.” It reported that Parrish would be devoting more and more of his time to making an orderly change from what had been primarily a sales effort to creation of a permanent resort and residential community. In that same year, the wastewater treatment plant, equestrian center, golf course, tennis courts, swimming pool and clubhouse were completed. A grand opening celebration of the amenities was held on the Fourth of July. All 2,500 property owners were invited to attend the event. Even though it turned out to be a rainy day, the 1,400 owners enjoyed music, food and performances by the Brevard Junior Cloggers and the Foothill Steppers of Greenville.
The 1993 “Storm of the Century” dumped 18 to 24 inches of snow on Connestee Falls. General maintenance, golf course maintenance and security employees all worked long hours, many of them literally around the clock. The Board of Directors commented, “It was wonderful to see that ‘Spirit of Connestee’ burst forth as so many people opened their homes to others who were without power and heat . . . the entire community pulled together.”
Connestee Falls has four man-made lakes, filled in 1973 and 1974. Lake Atagahi, the largest, has an 80-acre surface area and a maximum depth of 59 feet. Many gatherings are held at the pavilion in Atagahi Park. Just a little smaller than Atagahi, Lake Ticoa covers approximately 75 acres, and also has a park. At a maximum depth of 92 feet, Ticoa is our deepest lake. Lake Wanteska, the last lake to be filled, has a 45-acre surface area and a maximum depth of 62 feet. The first lake to be filled, Tiaroga, is also the smallest. Lake Tiaroga covers about 31 acres, has a maximum depth of 32 feet.
CHAPTER 3
The Growing Years: 1975 – 2000
Passing the Baton
In the early spring of 1975, Connestee Falls, at the age of four years, was hardly more than a toddler. Despite that fact, “parent” Realtec figuratively handed Connestee the keys to the car and said, “Go ahead and drive; you’re old enough to be on your own.”
Although the developer had chartered Connestee Falls Property Owners Association, CFPOA, (then known as Connestee Falls Maintenance Corporation) in May of 1971, the amenities, common property and total responsibility for the operation and maintenance for the development were not formally conveyed to CFPOA, by deed, until March 14, 1975. At that date, there were formally approximately 128 homes completed, each valued by one account in the $35,000 to $150,000 price range. The first annual budget for the new Association was $300,000. Thirty years later, in 2001, the annual budget is 3.5 million dollars!
According to an article in The Transylvania Times dated February 24, 1975, at the time of the transfer of responsibility , the developer certified that “completion of amenities such as roads, lakes, dams, golf course, equestrian center, clubhouse, etc., are virtually complete, with any exceptions to be cleared up by (the) developer.” On that auspicious occasion, Realtec invited all property owners to a celebratory cocktail party at their offices on site.
By March 14, when management changed hands, a temporary board of directors had been named, a general manager had been selected, an annual budget had been prepared, and ballots were being readied for mailing to some 2,500 property owners for election of a permanent board of directors at a meeting to be called. At that time, the board consisted of five members: Colonel Ernest D. Bryant, president; Russell Hutchison, first vice president; Frances Frost, second vice president; Anthony McNally, treasurer; and Charlotte Lister, secretary. Tony McNally is still a resident in 2001.
The Connestee Falls Volunteer Fire Department
Another notable development in 1975 was the establishment of the Connestee Falls Volunteer Fire Department. The Connestee Falls Development Corporation appointed Al Evatt, a Connestee resident, the first chief. The first elected chief was Earl Jenkins, who served until 1983. Larry Host, who was chief until 1991, succeeded Jenkins. Leadership of the volunteer fire department then passed to Keith Owen, followed by his brother, Randy; neither lived in Connestee Falls.
Until 1982, the two fire engines were housed in wooden buildings at the maintenance yard, one truck in the general maintenance building and the second truck in golf maintenance, where the golf superintendent’s office is located today. Then, in 1985, the trucks were moved into the concrete building where Jenkin’s office is now. The present fire station, located outside the East Fork Gate, was completed in May 1986.
Growth Brings Many Changes
During the next ten years, this community whose original concept began as a summer resort, began to change and evolve. While many of the early homes were built for weekend getaways and summer vacation retreats, with the passage of time residents found that Connestee offered ideal year-round living. The mild mountain climate with its relief from lowlands heat and humidity appealed to most people, as did the invigorating change of seasons.
As property owners altered their status from part-time to full-time residency, architectural styles and home construction also changed to reflect a more permanent lifestyle. From the very beginning, however, a fundamental philosophy has guided life in Connestee Falls: to preserve the natural beauty and ecology of this area. To this day, native flora and fauna are protected to the greatest extent possible, and beautification of the community continues apace.
In April 1976, Connestee had its second general manager, B.C. (Bud) Nelson. When he took over the reins, there were “a total of 38 persons living in the development year-round, with 133 homes completed and 20 more under construction, primarily for weekend and summer residents,” according to The Transylvania Times. (A grocery ad from that period offers T-bone steak at $1.89 a pound, all-beef franks for 69 cents, and a 46-oz. can of grapefruit juice for 39 cents.)
Shortly before takeover from the developer, on March 4, 1975 one of the coldest days of the year, a sprinkler pipe broke in the clubhouse, flooding it with 300,000 gallons of water. The major damage which resulted put the building out of commission until July 4, 1975.
The Connestee Falls Property Owners Guide was developed in 1983. It was several years in development and publication. It continues to be revised as needed to be kept up-to-date.
In 1986, Connestee Falls Realty was advertising, “The best place to live in North Carolina is Connestee Falls.”
Enter the Canada Geese
The March 1980, issue of the Connestee Falls Gazette reported the arrival of 15 Canada geese. It concludes by stating, “Let’s hope they will stay with us and make Connestee their permanent home.” As a wise man said, “You should be careful what you wish for.”
A group of
volunteer feeders was formed, headed by Bob Wall, better known as
“Father Goose.” Contributions to the
feeding fund were always welcome. They
did their job so well that by 1980 the number of geese had grown to such an
extent, and the fowls’ habits had become so foul and offensive, that manager
Paul LaForce sent employees out with guns to dispatch the birds. Opps! Bad move. Unfortunately, since Canada geese are
federally protected migratory game birds, LaForce and his employees were
charged with a misdemeanor-taking birds out of season without a license—and a
fine was imposed. Today, in year 2001,
the geese remain a mixed blessing, admired for their beauty and grace and
despised for the messes they leave in their wake.
The Goose Story
Next fall, when you see geese heading south for the winter, flying along the “V” formation, think about what science has learned about why they fly that way. As each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird immediately following it. By flying in a “V” formation, the whole block can fly at least seventy-one percent farther than if each bird flew on its own. Perhaps people who share a common direction can get where they are going quicker and easier if they cooperate.
Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it feels the resistance of trying to go it alone, and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of flying with the flock. If we have as much sense as a goose, we will work with others who are going the same way as we are. When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back in the wing and another goose flies on the point. It pays to take turns doing the hard jobs for the group. The geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.
Finally, when a goose weakens or is wounded and falls out of formation, two geese fall out and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it is either able to fly or until it is dead, and they then set out on their own or with another formation until they catch up with their group. If we had the sense of a goose, we would stand by each other like that.
From Rocks and Ruts to Grassy Fairways
Beginning in 1980, much work was done to improve our mountain golf course, including paving cart paths and rebuilding several tees and greens. One major change was to reverse the front and back nines, so that what once was number 1 fairway and green became number 10, and number 10 became number 1. This was done to give golfers more playing time to sharpen their skills and to screw up their courage before facing the challenging fairways on numbers 11 and 12. “Flatlanders” playing the course for the first time quickly discovered that they must learn new strategies to cope with our hilly fairways and undulating greens.
In those early days, golf at Connestee was a rough-and-tumble experience. The fairways were apt to be pitted with holes and strewn with stones, casual water, and other uncharted hazards. Unpaved cart paths offered bumpy and adventurous rides to intrepid players. Two years later, a writer for The Carolina Golf Reporter wrote, “I was pleasantly surprised ( to find) smooth, grassy fairways . . . . something you could never notice before because (of) the ruts, rocks, washouts and other degraded conditions . . . . The layout, I learned, was a good one. . . . Maturity, I guess I call it. George Cobbs’par-72 course has become one fine test of golf.” By June 2001, and the 15th Pro-Am, Gardell Little, manager of golf operations, said the course had been improved and updated to such an extent that plaudits and praise for its playability were continually forthcoming.
Although Transylvania County enjoys ample annual rainfall, it does not always fall at dependable intervals. In other words, there are occasional periods of drought, or near-drought. In order to protect the golf course grasses during these dry spells, an expensive irrigation system was installed in 1994. At the time, some residents protested the expenditure, but the sprinklers have since proved their worth time and again, not only during rainless stretches, but also when new grass is being seeded, and on winter mornings to remove frost from the fairways and greens.
Nestled in a wooded setting, the fairways are also a playground for wildlife. Our native foxes are fond of frustrating golfers by stealing golf balls that are in play on the fairways and making off with them, while white-tailed deer graze on the rich fairway grasses, seemingly unconcerned about the little round white projectiles flying through the air toward them. And residents are occasionally excited and delighted by rare sightings of a cougar, a bear, or a flock or wild turkeys.
Pioneer Days
With the approach of Connestee’s tenth anniversary, great plans were afoot. On July 4, 1981, the Connestee community observed its own birthday together with the nation’s 205th with a “Pioneer Days” celebration. The party lasted two days, Saturday and Sunday. The Transylvania Times reported that over 750 Connestee Falls property owners and their families got things rolling Saturday afternoon with a barbeque picnic held at Lake Atagahi. Fun and games followed until the rain drove everyone to the clubhouse that evening for other festivities, highlighted by a huge fireworks display. The celebration continued with a big watermelon cutting Sunday afternoon, but rain again slowed things down. However, many of the children kept on riding Tony the Pony and eating watermelon even though they were drenched. All in all, it was a grand and glorious Fourth of July celebration. The same article stated that Connestee had on that date four hundred homes, nine more under construction, and two hundred more anticipated by 1985.
A month later, on August 8, another observance of the tenth anniversary followed Connestee’s Annual Meeting. All property owners were invited to attend a gala reception, “with cake, beverage, and entertainment. Hear the history of Connestee Falls, enjoy pictures and slides and see the awards presentation to Connestee ‘pioneers.’”
Growth and Expansion Continue
For the first several years of operation, Connestee’s administrative staff worked out of three small rooms in the basement of the Overlook Clubhouse. Following Connestee Falls Property Owners Association’s (CFPOA) acquisition of nine acres of land adjacent to the Main gate, however, a separate administration building was erected in 1984. Twelve years later, in 1996, wear and tear made renovation and redecorating the offices necessary. The Connestee Art League designed a new entry sign at the main gate. The House Committee supervised redecoration of the administration building. The Beautification Committee designed and planted new landscaping around the sign and at the gatehouse.
By 1986, the development’s growing pains also resulted in expanded Overlook Lounge and improved kitchen facilities. That same year saw the start of Connestee’s own library. Phyllis Morrow, assisted by Joan Macklin, transformed a small room at the clubhouse into the library. Residents donated the books. The honor system governed borrowing. As with most other amenities in Connestee, it was, and still is, operated by volunteer residents. There was a time in the history of Connestee Falls when owners of unimproved property paid a “use fee” to use Connestee’s amenities, such as golf, tennis, and the pool. The fee was abolished early in 1986 because it didn’t produce the expected revenue and public opinion ran strongly against it. At the same time, the “limited associate family fees” were also eliminated. This fee had required that children, spouses of children and grandchildren not living in the same principle dwelling as the member pay for a facilities card.
Another short-lived idea targeted potential buyers, like Chuck and Lil Saleski. In 1995, when the Saleskis bought their home, the administration offered free golf and tennis membership for a year as a perk to entice new property buyers. Lil says the offer really did influence their decision to buy. Impressed with the perks, they both received free golf lessons. Too good to be true would certainly apply to this idea. Within a year, the free membership ended because of the cost burden.
In September 1986, new thirty foot aluminum flag poles were installed at the Main Gate and East Fork Gate where 6’x10’ American flags were displayed. A resident, Conrad Martens, later donated money for a similar installation at the Clubhouse.
In January, 1996, a small cove off of Lake Ticoa was stocked by the Fishing Club for the use of small children. It was named “Earl’s Pond.”
Beginning in June 1979, the Fire Department Auxiliary began to sell Connestee Falls car plates as a fund raiser. When the supply was exhausted in 1999, Connestee ordered new plates imprinted with the Connestee Falls logo. They are sold at the Administration offices for just a few cents over cost.
The Firstest With the Mostest
In 1985, just outside the East Fork Gate, construction began on a new home for the Connestee Falls Volunteer Fire Department. Earlier, on March 4, 1983, the First Responder Program had been implemented, operating as an extension of the county’s EMS service. Organizers were David Carter, Larry Host, and Steve Summey. The Transylvania Times reported,
(It) provides specially trained personnel who are dispatched to the scene of a medical emergency in a community a the same time an ambulance is dispatched from Brevard . . . David Carter and Larry Host, EMT instructors in the program, coordinated the training with EMS Director Steve Summey. The volunteers received over 60 hours of practical training, which included clinical experience in the emergency room at Transylvania Community Hospital.
Volunteer First Responders from Connestee Falls named in the article were Patrick Berlshofer, Ann and Larry Host, and Hugh Tomb.
In 1988, the Board of Directors, sensing a need for planning for the future of Connestee, appointed seven members to an ad hoc Facilities Planning Committee. They investigated and evaluated the adequacy of all Connestee’s facilities and amenities. Based upon a 10-year time frame, the committee projected future needs in a 42-page Manchester Report, named for Don Manchester, the chairman of the committee. As a result, the Long Range Planning Committee was instituted in 1990.
Scholarship Pro-Am Golf Tournament Begins
In June 1986, the 1st Annual Connestee Falls Scholarship Pro-Am Golf Tournament was held. This tournament, which has strong support from the entire community, both within and outside Connestee, provides college scholarships for Transylvania County students. When neighboring Glen Cannon Golf Course lost their PGA golf pro, the tournament was moved to Connestee Falls. Chuck Williams, who was our golf pro at the time, was instrumental in taking over the fund-raising event and giving it a permanent home in Connestee.
Dorothy’s Dream
As the organizer of the bridge games in 1980, Dorothy Putnam instituted the contribution of 25 cents (later 50 cents) per week, per player, half of which was banked, to be used in the future to build a shelter at Atagahi Park. When an undetermined amount of money had accrued, administration matched the funds, and the shelter was built at an approximate cost of $18,000. Dorothy’s dream was realized at the dedication of the new roofed shelter on May 30, 1987, but she was not present to see it. Dorothy was ill at the time of the groundbreaking in April and died before it was completed. The shelter was named the Dot Putnam Pavilion, in recognition of her efforts to bring the project to fruition. A support timber of the pavilion bears a commemorative plaque inscribed in her name. During our frequent picnics, under the searing sun and drenching summer rains, we are grateful for her determination and foresight.
Connestee’s Campground
Realtec’s original plan for Connestee Falls included a campground for the use of its residents. Located on East Fork Road, near the East Fork Gate, and comprised of 5.54 acres, the campground operated in 1972. It was intended for the use of property owners and their families, and offered such amenities as bathrooms and showers, a laundry building, electricity and water for each campsite, sewage disposal for RV’s, and a group shelter.
On March 30, 1973, the campground hosted the first annual Klondike Derby, sponsored by the Echota District of the Daniel Boone Council of the Boy Scouts of America. The Klondike Derby was an all-day race of six-foot sledges, drawing teams of Scouts from troops across the district.
A few property owners actually used the campground while their houses were under construction. But, during the oil embargo of the 1980s, when the numbers of visitors and prospective buyers dropped off dramatically, the property virtually idle and unused. The campground became a financial liability. During the entire year of 1987, the campground took in approximately only $750 while it cost the property owners $3,400. Obviously, this was not good business, so in March 1988, the board of directors proposed selling it.
When the campground was sold to an agent of Realtec, in 1994, it fetched $30,000. The Marcys, the family who subsequently purchased the property, dubbed it the Crying Shame Resort, and proceeded to build cabins and trails for their guests. Presently, homeowners in Connestee sometimes book the cabins for overflow visitors.
Another facility for overnight guests was erected in 1998, adjacent to the Main gate. An attractive bed-and-breakfast inn called “My Someday” offers convenient accommodations to visitors to Connestee.
The Overlook Estates
Although Connestee sold the campground property, in 1994, a year earlier it had purchased a parcel of land located near the clubhouse, which had been designated for multi-family structures, (MF-1). There had been a concern that multi-family structures, if build adjacent to the clubhouse, would crowd the area and create traffic problems. Moreover, the board saw that additional land in that area was needed for future clubhouse and parking expansion. MF-1 was a prime piece of property, 25.3 acres, bordered by the clubhouse grounds and the 1st, 8th and 9th fairways of the golf course. In October 1989, the entire MF-1 parcel was purchased by CFPOA. Eight acres were reserved for expansion of the clubhouse, and the remainder was divided into 15 building lots for single-family homes. That new, choice neighborhood was named Overlook Estates.
Originally, eight parcels of land in Connestee Falls had been designated as multi-family, to include condominiums. For some reason, Realtec only constructed the Lakeside Villas. Connestee Lake View Properties developed Indian Hills/Ticoa View in the 1980s. In 1983, a vote of the property owners defeated time-sharing within Connestee. At that time, a vote by the CFPOA was not required to redesignate from multi-family to a single-family use. The board handled such requests on an individual basis, as requested. Seven of the eight MF parcels were sold and developed for single-family dwellings.
Lot Combination Proposal
The CFPOA had acquired many lots through forfeiture by owners who were unable to sell them and who were unwilling to pay assessments any longer. Those lots were producing no income for Connestee, and buyers were scarce. Dick Smith, who was a member of the board of directors at the time, devised a plan to stimulate lot sales. He offered a proposal that would permit combining two or more adjacent properties for a one-time fee, per lot, of $3,000. The lots would have to be combined into one property, by deed, never to be separated. Thereafter, only one yearly assessment would be charged for the combined properties.
“Lot acquisition cost in Connestee is considerably less than at other developments offering the same lifestyle and . . .amenities. . . cost is usually predicted on the old rule of supply and demand, and right now . . . the supply of available lots exceeds the immediate demand for them.”
....Charles Duke, vice president, Fordco, Inc.
Connestee Falls and Sapphire Lakes became the first establishments in the county to be issued private club permits to serve liquor-by-the-drink. The bill was passed by the state legislature on July 13, 1992.
Qualla Village
In 1996, homeowners Dick Smith and Frank Latell saw an opportunity to develop forty acres within Connestee Falls that were producing little or no income for CFPOA. They saw a need for simplified living arrangements to suit older residents and part-time residents, as well. Their plan was to build duplex-type condominium housing with attached garages and complete exterior maintenance provided to the purchasers. The two men submitted their concept to the board, which subsequently approved the plan for Qualla Village.
However, a controversy arose. Some property owners felt that the board had no right to make that decision for CFPOA without submitting the proposal to all the property owners for a vote. A civil suit was brought by a small group of dissenters let by David Bloom, who lived near the proposed development. Bitter divisions arose during the debate, but the situation was eventually settled out of court, and a vote by CFPOA granted the rezoning. Peace returned to Connestee. David Bloom later was elected to the Board of Directors and served with distinction. Still late, Dick Smith, sold his interest to his partner, Frank Latell who, along with his son, Mark, continues today to build and develop Qualla Village, a successful and popular community within Connestee Falls.
Healing the Wounds
Residents of Connestee had always been proud of the spirit of neighborliness and good will in their community. The clash over Qualla Village, therefore, brought with it great dismay and disappointment. To prevent future discord within Connestee, property owners worked to improve communication with the governing board. As a result, in August 1997, CFPOA voted in favor of the following revisions to the governing documents:
Renaming the Environmental Control Committee as the Architecture and Environment Committee.
Increasing the minimum area of new homes to 1,500 square feet.
Requiring approval of property owners before changing the zoning designation from “single family” to any other designation.
Requiring that referenda on specific issues and proxies for specific issues provide for a “yes” or “no,” or “for” or “against” vote.
Establishing a property owner review procedure for the adoption of the annual operating and capital budget, and having a meeting to vote on the budget.
Prohibiting the board from authorizing capital expenditures in excess of $350,000 or from committing CFPOA to long-term debt (five or more years), unless such proposals are approved by a majority of the property owners.
“This place (Connestee Falls) is paradise... We have lived all over the world...but this is the best place” Tony Asalone, Gen. Mgr. June 19, 1997
Connestee Falls is a great place to live, to work, and to play. It has an extremely effective system of government, and the participation of the property owners is a significant factor in the success of the community.” Paul LaForce, Gen. Mgr. March 1989.
Making Their Voices Heard
During the growing years, there were several occasions when dissenting groups of CFPOA members would band together in an effort to get their point across. In each instance, a vote was held, resulting in a majority decision and achieving better communications. For example:
In 1983, a group named the Connestee Falls Property Owners Defense was organized to force a vote against time-sharing in Connestee Falls. When a vote of CFPOA was taken, the concept of time-sharing was defeated decisively.
In July 1993, another group named the Connestee Owners Protective Association protested permitting outside players to use the golf course, citing concern for the security of the community. Following a vote by CFPOA requiring a two-thirds majority to defeat the decision of the Board, the decision remained in effect. In 1994, property owner Dave Hunter said, “The revenue generated by outside players makes a major contribution to C.F.P.O.A’s general revenue, reducing revenue required from property owner assessments.”
In May 1996, another group named the Connestee Falls Property Owners Organization protested the Board’s decision to rezone an area of single residential homes to that of multi-family, without a vote by CFPOA. This was in response to the Qualla Village development. A complete presentation of the Qualla Village proposal was given in June 1996 to Association members. Subsequently, CFPOA voted to change this area to multi-family.
Zaniness at Lake Atagahi
Although serious issues arose in 1997, there were lighter moments, as well. The most memorable, perhaps, was the first Lobster Regatta. To quote from an October 2, 1997, article in The Transylvania Times:
Perhaps the craziest event this past summer, and the one involving the most people, was the Lobster Regatta. Over 560 people gathered at Atagahi Park on September 4 to build and race cardboard boats, and to eat, drink and make merry both in and out of the lake.
Teams were organized representing clubs and organizations within our community, and over 26 in all. Each team selected a theme for its boat, and plans were drawn and redrawn in great secrecy. Each team practiced cheers and songs, made costumes, and did trial runs with scrap cardboard gleaned from Brevard businesses. Intrigue and rumor ran rampant.
After weeks of planning and practicing, the great day arrived with perfect weather. Each team was supposed to complete and decorate its cardboard boat in seaworthiness of each craft. They all floated, at least for a while...
A superb shore dinner featuring Maine lobsters and steak was served to over 500 people in an hour-and-a-half, followed by a karaoke show.
The Waterfalls
Although the community known as Connestee Falls took its name from the twin waterfalls nearby, the actual waterfalls property never was included in Realtec’s holdings that were turned over to the CFPOA on March 14, 1975. At the time of the official transfer, the corporation kept the waterfalls property in reserve for its own future use. Much later, in the late 1980’s, Charlie Duke and his partners formed a holding company called Evergreen Investment. They purchased all the remaining land left over from the developer. Skip Dunn bought the above property from the holding property.
When it became known that the waterfalls property was for sale, an interested group of homeowners within Connestee formed a committee to explore acquisition of the property for CFPOA. The asking price was very high. The interested group was small and couldn’t reach a consensus to purchase the property. At that point, Dunn sold six acres of the waterfalls property on Route 276, to Dick Smith, who wished to build a small commercial shopping area facing the highway. As for the waterfalls, Smith stated that he would like to have a conservancy organization take them over to keep them in the public domain and to protect them from future exploitation. To this date, however, Smith says that he has not pursued the possibility. He did erect a small real estate office near the entrance of the falls. In addition Smith leases another small building nearby. Presently, the falls are open to the public at no charge. Because of dangerous footing and its attendant liability, viewing is only permitted from the top.
Connestee’s Silver Anniversary
With the total number of homes in Connestee nearing nine hundred, and population growing accordingly, the 25th anniversary celebration in 1996 spanned several weeks. On August 31 and September 1, Connestee Amateur Theater Society, better known as CATS, presented “A Gala Affair,” a nostalgic look back at previous years’ summer shows. The Social Committee’s contribution to the birthday party was a luau held at the clubhouse. All were encouraged to wear appropriate island attire and to bring their appetites for the Hawaiian feast, which featured as its main attraction a pig roast. Dale Whitehair and the Conn-Bos and Dee-Jay Misty Moon (Ron Kolstedt) provided the music. The hula was the dance of choice, with varying degrees of expertise.
Also in celebration of the 25th anniversary, the Connetones hosted an old-fashioned tea dance, modeled after the dances held during the “old days” of the 80s on Sunday afternoons. The 1996 version was another casual Sunday afternoon affair called “A Walk Down Memory Lane---The Way We Were.” Special invitations were issued to all Connetones, past and present.
The last of the silver anniversary parties was an Oktoberfest shindig at Atagahi Park on October 5. Patterned after the freewheeling Bavarian blowouts in Germany, the Saturday afternoon revelry featured beer, wurst, sauerkraut, and lots of omm-pah-pah.
After all the excitement of 1996, Connesteeans settled down for a long winter’s nap.
An “Ice Palace”
That nap was rudely interrupted in January 1997, with the arrival of a beautiful, but deadly ice storm. The storm turned the landscape in to a crystal fantasyland and the roads into treacherous roller coasters. But the greatest damage was done to the trees, limbs snapping like cannon shots, and huge limbs dropping like victims of war. The cleanup took weeks of effort by the maintenance department employees, who had already coped with clearing the roads after the storm. In the February 1997, issue of the Connestee Falls News, Bob Wollenweber wrote, “It is impossible to count the number of trees downed or severely damaged, but it runs into the thousands.” All the downed wood was ground into mulch. Homeowners, who asked, had the mulch delivered to their home without charge.
“Three levels of falls actually make up Connestee, but . . . Baston Creek Falls... is distinct...the combined waters are squeezed into a cliff and forced between two sheer walls of granite known as Silver Slip.” Jim Bob Tinsley
A gift shop, called “Carolina Moon,” operated out of one of the “roundettes”, buildings near the “Top of the Falls”restaurant from 1990 to 1992. The shop featured North Carolina products, and was owned by Dodie Jerz, a Connestee Resident. Dorothy Moreau designed the first T-shirt, which pictured the waterfalls on the front and sold at that shop.
To keep resident property owners better informed of major Board actions, the Board initiated a “Board Notes” flyer in September 1993.
Preparing for the 21st Century
In the fall of 1997, Connestee homeowners welcomed a new general manager, Rick Wade. He said, “My philosophy of management is to get the most for the community, to provide the best services and the most services at the most efficient cost.” Wade faced challenging changes for Connestee in the years ahead: enlarging the swimming pool, constructing four new tennis courts and a one-third mile walking track, creating a new golf driving range, and expansion of the clubhouse. Money for all these projects, except for the clubhouse, was in the Amenities Fund when Wade came on the scene and plans for the pool, tennis courts, and driving range were already in place. The following year those funds were transferred into the budget so that work could commence.
In the April 1998, edition of the Connestee Falls News, a report from the Long Range Facilities Planning Committee noted:
In addition to the change in our population, we have also witnessed other trends:
1. New homes are on average larger, and being built for year-round use.
2. Year-round residents verses summer residents have jumped from thirty-five percent in 1992, to an estimated fifty-five to sixty percent in 1998.
3. Newcomers are more active in the community and have higher expectations regarding the community’s amenities and facilities.
Clearly, the majority of homeowners wanted improvements to the amenities. And, considering Connestee’s steady population growth, property owners needed more space for parking and activities. So, the machinery went into motion, bringing dramatic changes in the months to come.
Renovations of the swimming pool were the first to be completed. The October 1998, edition of the Connestee Falls News reports,
The new swimming pool was completed in time for the 1998 summer season and was officially dedicated with a wine and cheese party, well attended and enjoyed by many. The pool has proven to be all that we expected and users appear to be very satisfied. Extended parking has been completed in an area adjacent to the clubhouse. The first 150 yards of the new golf driving range has been opened and is in use. The length of the range will be expanded as the general maintenance department is able to haul additional fill from their road maintenance and paving projects and from other sources.
A fact not generally known about the construction of the new pool is that, when excavation began, bad soil was found beneath. Consequently, the old pool had to be completely removed. At that point, the plans were altered to permit a new pool forty percent larger than the original. Most of the expense involved removal of the bad soil down to good, clean soil, and refilling the excavation back up to the proper grade. A new, larger deck and bathrooms also emerged from the redesign.
The new golf driving range adjacent to the clubhouse was opened for use with regular golf balls in May 1999. The fill required for the driving range came from the excavation of the new tennis courts and swimming pool.
Renovation and enlargement of the Overlook Clubhouse had been debated, discussed, dissected, researched, reviewed and revamped for months and months before the plans were accepted by a 64 percent majority of the valid ballots cast. An article in the April 1999, Connestee Falls News says about this vote, “It is clear that there is widespread and substantial interest in having a better clubhouse.” Final approval came during a meeting that drew a capacity crowd to the clubhouse on July 15, 1999. An article in the July 19, 1999 issue of The Transylvania Times, Connestee Falls resident Ray Tuers elaborates on the new clubhouse design”
The plan calls for an addition and renovation that would include a 60’ by 50’ multi-purpose room for banquets and performances, new golfing facilities and pro shop, double the number of dining room seats and an expanded kitchen. Also there will be a new grill for more informal dining, additional restrooms, a complete wellness center, an elevator, redecoration of the existing areas and more meeting rooms.
On September 21, 1999, a dedication ceremony was held for the four new tennis courts and the surrounding walking track. Jean Reed, widow of Fred Reed, had made a large donation toward the walking track in Fred’s memory. Although the Reeds spent more time at their primary residence in Greenville, they were very involved and felt close to many members of the Connestee community. A bronze plaque mounted on a boulder near the track reads:
Fitness Trail
Dedicated 1999
In Loving Memory of
Fred E. Reed
It seems fitting that we end this chapter with the wish of a man whose good will toward the Connestee Falls community lives on. That, like so much of Connestee’s history, reflects the true spirit of Connestee – the givingness of the people, their respect for the land, and their devotion to the community.
Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. John Muir, 1911
Chapter
4
Connestee’s Natural and Unnatural Resources
The Geology of the Mountains
History is like a river, flowing on and on through time. As its currents carry us along over rocks and rapids and through quiet pools, we might contemplate the wisdom of Heraclitis who lived in the fifth century, B.C. He said, “Everything flows and nothing stays.”
From many vantage points in Connestee Falls and the surrounding countryside, beautiful mountain views spread out in all directions. The verdant rounded hills and slopes that fill our view from here to the distant horizon are but the eroded remains of what geologists believe to be the oldest mountains in North America. Grandfather Mountain, near Boone, North Carolina, is considered to be the oldest mountain in the world.
Western North Carolina’s mountains are among the loftiest peaks in the entire Appalachian range, with 223 summits rising over 5,000 feet. Mount Mitchell, at 6,684 feet, is the highest mountain east of the Mississippi River. About 500 million years ago, a giant upheaval, termed the Appalachian Revolution thrust these mountains up from the sea. According to the theory of plate tectonics, a collision between the North American and African continents created the Appalachian Mountains, during the late Paleozic Era. Even then, the rocks were ancient. Geologists have discovered a layer of Appalachian rock, known as the Ocoee series, that may be so old that it bears no trace of fossils, Sedimentary action deposited successive layers of mud, sand, gravel, and clay. Subjected to intense internal pressures, the strata slowly compressed into rock form. A series of violent movements then raised, buckled, and folded the rock, shaping it into high and rugged mountains. Then ensued the sculpturing actions of rain, ice, and wind, which, over millennia, produced the landscape of today.
As a result of the violent earth movements, a rift developed which caused what geologists call the Brevard fault, a belt of severely deformed rock that runs through the town of Brevard of Transylvania County. Earth movement along the fault line, likely caused the dramatic escarpment near the North Carolina/South Carolina state line. In the ancient past, volcanic activity formed magmas deep within the earth, melting existing rock and metamorphosing others. In parts of Transylvania and Jackson Counties, Whiteside granite formed when magma cooled and crystallized. Subsequent erosion has exposed that granite in a series of large domes, such as Looking Glass Rock, which looms above the eroded land surface.
Climate and Weather-or Not?
According to an article in the March 1979 issue of the Connestee Falls Gazette, the average summer temperature is 72 degrees at Connestee and average winter temperature, 40 degrees. The Brevard Chamber of Commerce reports the average temperature for January is 37.9 degrees, warming to an average of 71.9 degrees in June. On average, the coldest month is February, and warmest is July.
North Carolina has more climate variability than any other state east of the Rocky Mountains. There are many reasons for these climatic shifts, including the elevation effect of the mountains, the sea breeze patterns from the coast, and the presence of the Gulf Stream off Cape Hatteras. In the Connestee Falls area, rainfall amounts are due to an elevation of air masses as they hit the mountains and rise upwards. The barrier of the mountains produces significant wind changes in the surrounding area. Just a short distance apart, Connestee and Brevard have noticeable differences in wind. A thousand feet higher and cooler, Connestee sports a breeze on most days. Our proximity to the Appalachian escarpment, just south of us, also contributes to the weather in Connestee. While common in the lowlands, tornadoes are unusual in the mountains because the mountains break up air circulation.
The elevation at Connestee Falls is plus or minus three thousand feet. The prevailing wind comes from the south and southeast, bringing along with it moisture from the coast. While the air masses may be warm enough to contain this moisture in vapor form as it moves along the Piedmont regions, the moisture cools and condenses as it moves higher to cross the mountains. This rising of air as it reaches a mountain is sometimes referred to as an orographic effect. Some people say that Connestee has the same amount of precipitation as a rain forest. Yes, we get a lot of rain most years – about 80 inches – but nearby Asheville is in a dry pocket, receiving on average only forty inches of precipitation per year.
Lots of rain, however, does not mean lots of snow. The amount of snowfall depends on winter weather systems that involve the position of the jet stream, high and low pressure air patterns, and the Siberian Express – a rush of polar air that sometimes freezes our southern bones. Between 1948 and 1996, weather records show that most snowfall in Brevard occurred during the month of March. As the south begins to warm up in the early spring, moisture flowing north from the Gulf of Mexico collides with the chilly cold fronts moving from Canada, creating the Siberian Express and rare blizzards. Winter snows in western North Carolina, however, are generally few and far between. Even so, avid sledders and skiers keep their gear handy for those snowy winter days that offer opportunities for outdoor fun. On the other side of the coin, when the winters are mild and sunny, golfers and tennis players can pursue their passions almost every day.
Weather and the Roads
As Earl Jenkins once said, “Old Father Time is catching up with us.” In 1995, Jenkins prepared a twenty-three-page report for the Finance Committee. In that report, Jenkins detailed the condition of every street in Connestee, and ‘the astronomical escalation of resurfacing costs when overlayment and preventive maintenance is delayed.” Since then, a four-year rebuilding/overlayment program for the roads has been completed.
In 1996, Jenkins said about road maintenance, “Today, the biggest problem we’ve got is weather.” On Connestee’s fifty-two miles of asphalt pavement, summer heat and rain combine to oxidize road surfaces. Heavy traffic on hot asphalt can cause rutting. Severe winter cold takes its toll on asphalt as well. If drainage is poor, as it tends to be on Connestee’s terrain, excess moisture in the soil below the paving will freeze and swell, causing heaving and cracking. High water tables after heavy rains can force moisture into the asphalt itself, which is very destructive. Another continuing problem that plagues our roads is that the power companies, the cable company, and the water utility frequently dig up the pavement to make repairs and lay new lines. Like any other community, we must constantly update our infrastructure and keep our facilities viable to support our homeowners.
Although much of the younger generations, less observant than were their forefathers, depend upon the next day’s kind of weather by reading or hearing weather forecasts as compiled and disseminated by the U.S. Weather Service, there are still many North Carolina mountain folk who hold fast to the old weather traditions, which have been handed down to them by word of mouth by countless generations. North Carolina Folklore, 1972
Red clouds at morning Give shepherds warning. Red clouds at night Bring shepherds delight.
January snowy, February flowy, March blowy, April showery, May flowery, June bowery, July soppy, August Croppy, September poppy, October breezy, November wheezy, December freezy.
Where in the World Are We?
Our solar system is located in the Orion arm of the Milky Way, about 25,000 light years from the center of the spiral-shaped Milky Way Galaxy, just an infinitesimal dot on the scale of the universe.
Our solar system contains nine planets revolving around the sun. Our sun is an ordinary, medium-sized star, in astronomical terms, a yellow dwarf.
Our earth is the third planet from the sun, between Venus and Mars.
Our continent, North America, is in the northern hemisphere of Earth, and also, in the western hemisphere.
Our nation, the United States of America, is divided into 50 states.
Our state, North Carolina, is located in the southeastern region .
Connestee Falls lies six miles south of the nearest town, Brevard, which is located at longitude 82.44 W, latitude 35.14 N.
Gloria Nordmeyer
Water, Water-Everywhere
Newcomers to the Tarheel State are surprised to learn that there are no natural lakes in North Carolina. All 48,000 lakes in this state are man-made, created by damming up flowing water. The four lakes of Connestee are no exception. These four shimmering jewels are named Atagahi, Ticoa, Wanteska, and Tiaroga, given in the order of their size. Fed variously by Carson’s Creek, Batson Creek, and Lower Creek, our lakes provide beauty, recreation, and waterfront home sites. They also provide sustenance, if fish is your dish. All lakes are home to native bass, bream, and catfish. Annually stocked, trout require swiftly flowing streams to spawn. In an April 2000 article about the Fishing club, Ray Tuers writes, “The club’s active stocking programs began in its first year with catfish.” He also discusses the club’s efforts to stock the lakes with trout and bass:
The club’s good deeds didn’t always work out though. In the mid-90s, for instance, members had an idea to create a children’s “honey hole,” a place where fish were so thick almost anyone could catch one. They decided to take a small cove of Lake Ticoa, block it off with an underwater fence and stock it. The club donated the money and the association maintenance staff built it. It was renamed “Earl’s Cove,” (also known as Earl’s Pond) after Earl Jenkins, who oversaw the project.
By the end of 1998, however, the fence had developed holes and there were few fish left to catch. Not only that, the solar-powered automatic feeder the club bought for the pond was proving ineffective; ducks and other water birds were eating all the food. The club voted to dismantle the project.
How Safe are the Dams?
Like ninety percent of North Carolina’s lakes, Connestee’s four lakes have earthen dams. Between 1971 and 1974, before Connestee’s dam construction began, civil engineers from the firm of Quibel of Chase City, Virginia made dozens of feasibility studies on the designated locations of the lakes. Quibel’s engineers made borings of subsurface materials and tested the suitability of the soil to hold water. They also designed spillways for the greatest long-term efficiency and safety. Quibel designed and built the dams to handle 29.7 inches of rain in 24 hours, according to one report by state engineers. Of course, we have never experienced that kind of deluge. In the past, the heaviest rainfall reported occurred on September 29, 1964, when 17.6 inches of rain drenched Rosman, a small community nearby. One week later, on October 4, 1964, another 17 inches soaked the still soggy town. Other major rainstorms have occurred since, causing widespread flooding at the lower elevations, but the dams of Connestee were never in danger.
During weekly inspections of our dams for seepage, erosion, slides, cracks, sinkholes, and damage by animals, such as muskrats and beavers, any problems noted receive prompt repair. Depending on the problem an engineer may be contacted to make recommendations. A large chuck of Connestee’s annual budget is earmarked for dam maintenance. Recent inspections by state officials have indicated that the money is being wisely spent. The dams, the officials say, are not only safe, but also maintained in an excellent and timely manner.
The unnatural resources of Connestee – like the dams whose waters grace our community; the various power, water, cable and sewer lines that pulse under Connestee’s soil, and the roads that tattoo our surface and whose names make us unique – all require care and our watchful eye.
Some Superstitions
The dark bands on a wooly worm indicate the severe parts of winter and the light color tells what part of winter will be milder.
A rain before seven and an old woman’s dance are soon ended.
The number of fogs in August indicate the number of snows during the following winter.
As a rule, a halo around the moon indicates rain. A very large halo fortells a storm.
Dog days is the period when Sirus, the Dog Star, rises and sets with the sun. Rain on the first Dog Day is an omen that most of the Dog Days will have rain.
Thunder before seven, rain before eleven.
The first frost of autumn comes six to nine weeks after the katydids begin singing.
Flora and Fauna – Connestee’s Natural Resources
On any given day at a Connestee Falls lake, a resident fishing may reel in a large mouth bass, while a great blue heron watches enviously, and a beaver plans its next assault on a willow tree. Elsewhere at Connestee, hikers may be admiring wild orchids along a nature trail as a white-tailed deer browses on prize hostas in a garden. A bird lover may be filling a feeder with nectar for the ruby-throated hummingbirds where, later, two raccoons will stage a nighttime raid. A black bear, meanwhile, munches on berries, and a red fox chases a chipmunk, as a Carolina wren in a dogwood warbles overhead.
In a Mountain Gardeners 20th Anniversary Yearbook, George McDermott tells us, “Mountainous Western North Carolina is the most biologically diverse region in the United States. Part of this diversity resulted when northern species migrated southward during the last Ice Age and remained there. This intermingling of northern and southern species, especially at the higher elevations, has contributed to an astonishingly large number of species in a small area. For example, we have identified and cataloged over 250 native species of plants on our one-acre lot in Connestee Falls, and the list continues to grow!”
The Wildlife
Blessed with a plethora of plant life, Western North Carolina also has an abundance of wildlife. Since Connestee Falls protects most creatures, many have accustomed to people: deer nibble in gardens, white and gray squirrels feast in bird feeders, and foxes chase small critters across fairways. Many residents feed the birds so that they can observe our winged denizens up close. But savvy residents know not to feed the other animals. Sighting a black bear or a bobcat is cause for excitement, but not alarm. There is no report or anyone sustaining harm from one of Connestee’s larger mammals. Connestee residents enjoy watching all the animals that share our neighborhood. Returning from breakfast one recent Sunday morning, a couple passed through the East Fork Gate and turned into Usdasdi Drive. As they drove, they saw a flock of wild turkeys, a bushy-tailed fox, a white squirrel, and two white-tailed deer.
White-tailed deer are the most populous of the large mammals in Connestee. We carry on a love-hate relationship with the deer. We marvel at their innocence, grace, and lissome beauty. With large, limped eyes, the deer invite our admiration as they gambol and leap effortlessly through the landscape. When hungry, deer will eat just about anything in the plant family. They can leap eight-foot fences in a single bound! With the disappearance of their natural predators, deer herds continue to expand throughout the country, particularly in protected areas such as Connestee Falls. In her book, Please Don’t Eat My Garden, Nancy McCord says, “Deer are migratory creatures of habit. They spend the day in one place and the night in another. At dawn and dusk, they move from one area to the other, eating as they walk. In spite of new houses or buildings, deer are loath to change their pathway. So if your garden happens to be on their regular route, you will have to take extraordinary precautions against the deer.” There are no fences around the perimeter of Connestee Falls. There hasn’t been a report of deer stopping by either gate house as they travel in or out of the community. However, during deer season, those who have wandered out into the surrounding area are fair game for hunters, whose efforts serve as an indirect control measure.
Those Pesky Squirrels
Among the most clever and crafty of Connestee’s small mammals are the squirrels. Gray squirrels bedevil bird feeders, stuffing themselves with seeds, while hungry birds look on helplessly. Homo sapiens have been known to give up in frustration after countless attempts to outwit the bushy-tailed rodents. You can almost see their wheels turning as they size up the problem of attacking the latest “squirrel-proof” device. With almost limitless persistence and athletic ability, they will leap, climb, slide, dive, flip, gnaw, and do anything else in their repertoire to get those seeds, until their mission is accomplished. Their genus is Sciurus carolinensus, family Sciuridae, which also includes chipmunks and ground hogs, all of which make their homes is Connestee.
A thrill to see, white squirrels also reside in Connestee. How did they get here? According to local lore, they arrived in Brevard in 1940. As the story goes, a carnival outfit had obtained a pair of the squirrels from Hawaii, and was bringing them through to Jacksonville, Florida, by train, when the train was wrecked. The squirrels escaped to a pecan grove, and eventually multiplied into a colony that was trapped and sold. Five years later, in 1945, a man named H.H. Mull obtained a pair if the squirrels. He, in turn, gave them to Barbara Mull, his niece in Brevard. After a couple of years, Barbara discovered the white rodents did not make very good pets. They remained too wild and would not breed in captivity. When Barbara and her family had to move away for a time, she gave them to her grandfather to keep until her return. When one of the squirrels escaped, the grandfather, feeling sorry for the one left behind, let it go free. And that’s how Brevard’s white squirrel population began. A dispute over the true origin and genus of the white squirrel continues. Some maintain that they are “a breed of their own,” not albinos, since they have brown eyes.
Birds and Bird Watchers
A bird watcher of note, Dorothy Hollis writes in a article published in The Transylvania Times, “Connestee has interesting birds all year long . . . .We have wonderful wildlife in Connestee, even our ordinary chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, mourning doves, cardinals, and numerous woodpeckers are special.” A favorite among the migratory birds is the tiny Ruby-throated hummingbird, who like many of our human “snowbirds,” appears in April and departs in October. Many homeowners hang out feeders filled with sugar water in April to attract the hummers as they migrate from Mexico northward. To make hummingbird nectar stir ¼ cup of granulated sugar into one cup of cooled, boiled water until dissolved. There is no need to tint the water red. Pour the nectar into a hummingbird feeder and hang it under your roof eaves near a window. If ants are a problem, go to the hardware store and purchase a handy little ant cup for hummingbird feeders. Fill the cup with water and place it above the hummingbird feeder. Unable to swim, the ants can’t cross the “ocean of water” they encounter on their way to the nectar. An added bonus is that other birds, like the gold finch, may land on the cup and take a sip. In the past, the ruby-throated hummingbird was the only type of hummingbird spotted in North Carolina. Although, recently there have been reported sightings of the larger, light rusty-colored Rufus hummingbird in Western North Carolina.
Norma and Bill Siebenheller are bird columnists for The Transylvania Times. In their September 10, 2001, column, they write about the hummingbird: “Ruby-throated hummingbirds – the only kind of hummingbirds we can expect here in Transylvania in summer, the only kind that breed here – are programmed by their genes to migrate southward in the fall, and nothing we do or don’t do will stop them. Hormonal changes and the changing length of daylight, not the availability of food, are the factors that influence their departure dates.”
The Monarch of the Insect World
Another migrant, though not a bird, is the monarch butterfly. Much research into their migratory patterns has revealed that one of their north-south paths takes them through North Carolina’s mountains. They pour through gaps in the Blue Ridge as one author describes “like chips passing on a swift stream, some in large flocks resembling sunset-colored clouds, others journeying singly as lone individual voyagers. Traveling the same migration routes that their forebears have used for centuries each monarch somehow remembers the way south” to Mexico.
Buffaloes Were Once Here
Some readers may be surprised to learn that the American buffalo (Bison) was hunted in Western North Carolina over two centuries ago. The first explorers in the region reported that the Indians hunted bison in the valley of the French Broad River. An article in Wildlife in North Carolina reports, “When the early settlers first entered the central portion of North Carolina in the early 18th century, they found small herds of buffalo grazing in the grassy forest openings. Easy targets, the buffalo were quickly hunted out by the homesteaders, the first organism to be extirpated in the state in historic times.” Writing about Transylvania County, Sara Pacher says, “For the Estatoes, a band of Cherokees that claimed this land, this area was mostly hunting grounds, where the Eastern buffalo were quite prevalent. At one time, the Estatoes had a small settlement near the present town of Rosman, where a hunting path crossed the headwaters of the French Broad River.”
A Cherokee Myth: How the Mountains Came to Be
Once in a faraway time, when all was water, the Grandmother earth lay beneath the seas. All the animals and people lived in the world above the sky’s arch, but because it was very crowded, they were anxious to find a new home. They knew that there was land beneath the waters, but numerous attempts to bring it to the surface, even with the help of all the gathered creatures, had failed. But one day the little Water Beetle dove to the bottom and brought up some soft mud. Somehow the tiny speck of earth began to grow and spread on every side. It grew and grew, until it became the great floating island, which is the land.
In the beginning the earth was soft and without form, so a great Bird was sent out to find dry ground and make it ready for them. He flew for a long time over all the damp land until He became very tired. Becoming weaker and weaker, He could barely fly at all. Struggling to stay airborne, His wings began to strike the wet earth, and where they struck the ground there was a valley created, and wherever they turned up again a mountain arose.
When those watching from above saw this they were afraid that the whole world would be turned into mountains and called him back. But the Appalachian country remains full of mountains to this day. Retold from James Mooney’s Myths of the Cherokee
The Predators
Black bears live peacefully among us, although they often demonstrate their fondness for birdseed and hummingbird nectar. Another, smaller mammal, the raccoon also has a yen for bird feed and suet. Raccoons have been known to carry cages of bird suet into the woods where they can munch on the contents at their leisure. Evidence of their nighttime raids can be seen in bent and twisted bird feeders and downed hummingbird feeders. Recently, Edgar and Luann Ham woke one morning to find the metal poles of two birds feeders bent to the ground. Both feeders were empty, and the bear had made off with the suet feeders. A sorry-looking mound of crushed hostas has served as a cushion for the large bear’s rump as he or she savored the sunflower seeds from one feeder while sitting in Luann’s garden.
Another predator, the bobcat, preys on chipmunks, voles, squirrels and other small creatures. These maned and bewhiskered felines with short tails are less often seen, but more often heard, especially at night.
Connestee Cougars
?
Larger than a bobcat, the eastern cougar, also known as the mountain lion or puma, is an unspotted, long-tailed cat. The cougar’s body and legs are a uniform dull yellow, or tawny, color with a pale reddish or reddish white belly. The inside of the cougar’s ears are light-colored with a blackish tint behind the ears. Their diet consists mainly of deer, although they also eat small mammals, wild turkeys, and domestic livestock, when available. Because we have all the critters cougars like to eat here in Connestee Falls, it seems an ideal environment for this cat to live.
An article in Wildlife in North Carolina, however, suggests differently: “The cat legacy is rather slim in North Carolina today. Though there are 35 wild cat species in the world, only three (the bobcat, cougar, and lynx) are common in North America, and only one (the bobcat) still exists in the state.” Refuting this statement are many sightings of cougars by residents of Connestee Falls.
David and Penny Crandal have been lucky to boast three sightings of cougars since they moved to Connestee in 1995. The first time was in 1996, when they were renting before they built their present home on Tellico Trail. Driving home one evening, the Crandals spotted a “blond” animal in the beam of their car’s headlights. Penny reported, “It was sauntering in front of the car up the street, in no hurry at all.” When asked to describe the animal’s size, Penny compared its size to that of a German Shepherd. The Crandals spotted the “blond” animal a second time near Katie and George Koch’s condominium at Indian Hills. Then, two years ago, on a Sunday morning, the Crandals spotted it for the third time on their property. Penny said the animal “was walking lazily on the driveway.” It was a yellowish color and I could see its long tail, she said.
Helen Fink, whose home is at 45 Utsonati Lane, looked out the door early one misty morning and saw a large, “honey-gray” cat about twenty feet away, under her bird feeder. At first, she thought it might be a fox that frequents her yard. But no, it wasn’t a fox, she realized. A bobcat, perhaps? Or a coyote? Neither one, she thought, resembles the animal she was seeing. When she moved to the door to get a better look, the “cat” saw her and “loped away.” Helen is now convinced that it was a young cougar with an insouciant attitude.
Elsie Maskelony, who lives on Connestee Trail near the pool, reported, “Five years ago, about 8 o’clock in the morning, I looked out the window to see a large cat striding up my driveway. I watched until it disappeared into the woods behind my house, heading towards Lake Tiaroga. I called security at the East Fork Gate to report it, and the guard on duty didn’t seem surprised at all.”
Ken Vanier tells of his cougar sighting: “I was at the walking track near the tennis courts when I saw an animal near the opposite end of the track that I thought might be a deer, but definitely not a dog. I began to cross over the field past the courts, but when the animal spotted me, it started slowly up the hill toward the water tower. I got a good look at its long tail and its tawny color. About halfway up to the tower, it turned around and sat down, facing me. I could see its cat face and erect ears. It was definitely a cougar.”
Nora and Elmer Ollikkala live at Udvawadulisi Court. The following is Nora’s prize-winning essay on the topic:
Phantom Panthers?
One summer night, when we were new to North Carolina, we heard what sounded like a mezzo soprano being murdered in the woods behind our house. The horrifying medley of blood-chilling yells seemed to come from all directions at once. There was only one animal we knew of that could make a sound like that, and where we come from it’s called a cougar. We phoned Security. I held the receiver out of the door so the guard could hear it. “Oh, that’s a bobcat,” he said. “One comes through here now and then.”
A year later, we saw a full-grown cougar ( known as a panther here in the east) while we were parked in front of a house for sale above Lake Ticoa. We called again and described the creature. “Oh no,” said the security person. “There are no panthers around here. You must have seen a bobcat. Well, we know a panther/cougar when we see one. It looks like no other animal in the western hemisphere. And we had gotten a good long look at this one as it ambled across the yard and down the road.
On a warm fall evening in 1996, we heard turkeys squawking, and rustling in the brush. Lo and behold, there was a half-grown panther rushing up the hill, long, tawny tail swinging. We called a forest service officer. He immediately asked: “Where you from?” I told him California. “Well,” he laughed, “there’s no such animal in Western North Carolina. You can trust me on that.”
By then we had talked to at least a dozen people who had encountered panthers in Buncombe, Henderson, and Transylvania Counties. All their descriptions of the big cat match precisely. Those who had reported their sightings were told that they couldn’t have seen a panther. It must have been: a) a big dog; b) a bobcat; c) a figment of their imagination.
A little more than a year ago, we looked out our bedroom window at our snowy, leaf-scattered yard and there was a cougar cub sitting beside a stump. Absolutely a cougar/panther baby, just like the ones you see on wildlife calendars. I ran for the camera. By the time I found it, the cub was heading for the gully that goes down to Lake Tiaroga. He blended right into the tan leaves and brush and was gone. His mother was probably nearby. Panther moms are even more protective of their youngsters than bear moms, so we decided against going out there to look for tracks. The light snow melted that afternoon and we lost out chance to document the sighting.
On January 14, this year (1999), I was feeding the cat on the deck when she suddenly dropped to a crouch, laid back her ears, and stared out at the driveway. About thirty feet away, standing just inches from our car, was a young panther. He was studying something in the gravel – his nose touched to the ground and his feet were bunched together so that his back was curved into a high arch. His yellowish brown tail brushed the ground, curling just a little at the end. Suddenly he jerked his head up, saw me, spun around and loped up to the top of the driveway, where he turned and headed into the woods. The area he was going through was only two lots away from where we had seen the cub a year earlier. This time we didn’t report the sighting except to people we knew who had also seen panthers.
Two nights later, about midnight, we heard that sound again: the indescribable high-pitched wavering surround-sound of a panther. It seemed very close and yet there was an uncanny echoing that made it hard to tell which side of the house it came from. I tried to describe that eerie screaming the next day to a friend who was born and raised in Jackson County. She said “Oh, yes I’ve heard that sound many a time, growing up. . That’s a panther.” Within a month, I met a neighbor who had moved here recently from Florida. She said, “You know, one night in January I heard this weird wailing sound; I could swear it was a panther!”
So I wonder about those denials of the presence of panthers. Surely someone has managed to get a snapshot. Surely hunters see them occasionally, or forest rangers, or hikers up on the Appalachian Trail. Surely one gets hit by a car now and then, or treed by a dog.
The panther was revered in many Amerind cultures; in some of the Indian languages the word for panther is the same as the word for ghost or spirit. Is that what we are seeing in the woods of Western North Carolina? Ghosts of panthers past?
Nora’s reluctance at the end of her story to “report the sightings except to people . . . who had also seen panthers” is reminiscent of airline pilots who hesitate to report UFO sightings because they don’t want to be ridiculed.
According to Dan Lazar at the North Carolina Nature Center in Asheville, “The legend persists because we want it to persist. We want the mountains to be wild. We want cougars to stalk deer. We want elk to pass silently along streams, larger than a dream, larger than life.”
Are the cougars that we encounter ghosts from the past? Or are they real, but rare flesh-and-blood? We believe what we want to believe. Perhaps, after all, there is room for both believers and deniers. In an article about wildlife in North Carolina, an anonymous author writes, “Persistent reports of cougars in North Carolina are probably the result of escaped or illegally released nonnative western cougars.” Well, he can have his opinion, too. We, who have spotted cougars in Connestee have ours, too. We can all agree on another panther sighting, though. The North Carolina Panthers – a professional football team based in Charlotte – prowls the stadiums. Nobody can deny that!
The End and The Beginning
People come to Connestee Falls from many places for many reasons. Once here, they climb the ancient mountains and are uplifted. They swim in the “spirit lake”, Atagahi, and are cleansed. They participate in the cycle of seasons and are renewed. They walk the trails and learn about the land and its inhabitants. They see the sunsets and the play of sun and shadow on the hills, and find peace. They seek to find a lifestyle, and find a life. And, in these moments, they experience the spirit of Connestee.
A True Story
This true story is about Larry Host, long-time resident, ex-Fire Chief and First Responder:
One day Larry noticed a group of neighborhood cats gathered around the base of a backyard tree. Upon investigation he found that a baby cardinal had fallen from its nest and was being devoured by the cats. Soon a second chick met the same grim fate. Larry shooed away the felines, and when the third nestling fell he was ready. He instantly scooped it up and carried it to the house.
For the next few weeks Larry nurtured the chick with watered-down canned dog food until it developed strength and plumage enough to fly. Its coloring and crest was dubbed “Morris,” after a character in a story by Cleveland Amory: “Morris Bird.”
Every night Morris would sleep in his cage, but in the morning he would fly into the bedroom where Larry was sleeping, light on his head, and sing until Larry woke up. Morris would welcome his “mama” when he returned from work, and when Larry took a shower, Morris would bathe right along with him. Ann, Larry’s wife, would dry off Morris with a hair dryer. Besides that, Morris was housebroken, a very fastidious creature whose family never had to clean up after him because he would return to his cage whenever Nature called.
In the evenings, when Larry and Ann would mix Martinis, Morris would join them for the cocktail hour. He loved gin, would perch on the rim of the glass for a quick sip, and occasionally would actually topple into the glass when he’s had a sip too many.
Morris was attracted to bright objects. He was drawn to anything that shined or glittered. That habit led eventually to tragedy. One time he pecked at one of Ann’s rings and actually swallowed an opal which was never recovered. One fateful day, while Larry was soldering stained glass, Morris could not resist the little silvery balls of lead that accumulated on the workbench. Before Larry realized what was happening, the bird had ingested two of the lead pellets. There was nothing that could be done. Lead poisoning sealed his fate. Larry remembered his “son” with this fond epitaph: He was very intelligent, a lot of fun, and a good companion.”
Connestee Falls is modern, convenient, and there’s always something to do. Whatever your interests: music, sports, theater or just relaxing, Connestee Falls offers a happy choice.” Jack and Frances Frost, Realtec Gazette, Vol. 1, No. 1.
Getting Involved
On March 2, 1995, Gloria Nodmeyer introduced Wanda and Willie Whatzis in The Transylvania Times. This fictional couple typifies the residents of Connestee Falls. They move here seeking “an active, comfortable, secure lifestyle in a wilderness setting.” They meet their neighbors, register to vote, subscribe to The Transylvania Times, select a dentist, open a bank account, and change their drivers’ licenses. Once settled, they find some adjustments are in order. Just retired and unaccustomed to long days of leisure, they want to “get involved.” They soon discover a variety of social, intellectual and recreational opportunities right here in the community. To help them decide which ones to join, they read newspaper accounts, the Connestee Falls News, and the Friday Flyer, and talk to the “Willies” and “Wandas” who started the activities or who are current members. Read on to see what they learned.
Aerobic Exercise started in Connestee Falls in 1980 when Peggy Futrell and Oliver and Sue Horak brought the Jazzercise concept and music from Clearwater, Florida. When the large screen television was purchased for the lounge, participants began using aerobic videos.
Alone Together is a singles group which provides “a place and a message where modern-day single adults, with or without children, may gather together in a non-judgmental, non-threatening, loving, uplifting atmosphere that helps them deal authentically with their needs.” Organized in January 2001, by Jacquelyn Bray, its 37 active members meet to share experiences, address issues specific to singles, plan social events and community service, and hear guest speakers.
Started in 1988 by Dorothy Hedlund, the Art League had 16 original members: Lee Adams, Betty Berdan, Elise Drummond, Thelma Goodman, Muriel Gregory, June Hoppin, Dede Hunter, Louise Magnuson, Eris Mazzarelli, Sid McAllister, Dorothy Moreau, Peggy Nelson, Judy Rolloff, Helen Schuette, Lolo Sprott, and Grace Vincent. By August 1995, thirteen of the original group still resided in Connestee Falls. “Marvelous Monday Mornings” were devoted to demonstrations, sketching from still life and live models, and planning for coming events. Eris Mazzarelli and Ina DeRuocco founded “Serendipitous Spirit Art Workshop Retreats,” which arranged for noted artists from around the country to give art instruction locally. Dorothy Moreau taught art classes in her home studio. Paintings by Art League members not only grace the walls of our clubhouse, but have been seen at galleries in Brevard, Hendersonville, and Asheville. Several artists have even reached national audiences. Present chair and coordinator, Barbara Higby, states the purpose of the League is “to further interest in the visual art among Connestee residents and at the same time encourage new and experienced artists to learn and paint together.”
In February 1999, Marion Underhill organized the Book-enders Club. Marion says that membership is open to Connestee women who have “a curiosity and a willingness to work with others on a explorative journey to understand and appreciate literature.” Volunteer discussion leaders focus on the narrative, thematic and artistic levels of the books. Books are selected “ in varying genres and from diverse regions in order to expand insight into the human condition and to increase awareness of our world”
Pete and Nell Sugg started the Bowling League in 1983. Nell served as secretary for 10 years. Although originally a winter activity accommodating golfers, bowling became a year-round sport with the summer league ending in October. According to Martha Coleman, members play for pleasure in unsanctioned leagues at Pisgah Lanes, and everybody receives a prize!
The Camera Club was established in November 1983, by Jean and John Stegmeir, Edward Stewart and Phyllis Morrow. Although inactive for a while, the club regrouped in 2000. A steering committee arranges programs such as field trips for picture taking, photo presentations by members, outside speakers and member speakers. Members’ talent and creativity can be seen at the annual display of photographs in the clubhouse. According to current chairman Gerry Haynie, the club’s goals are “to exercise our photography, to have fun with it, to learn new methods and techniques, and to learn from each other.”
In 1996, Caroline and Carleton Brown placed a notice in the Friday Flyer. Within two weeks, Canasta became a club in Connestee. Attendance varies, but players meet “to have fun!”
The Chess Club was organized by Neil Migan in the early part of 1999. Regular members have included Neil, Howard Kaufman, Bob Youngerman, Mark Latell, Dave Bloom, Norm Johnson, and Paul H. Cox. Beginners, “so-so” players and experienced members play casual, friendly, fun games.
In 1994, Marie and Frank Bruckmann sent out a request for anyone interested in a Computer Club. Bill Scholz and Ray Whitney responded and started a workshop for beginners. The club helps new and experienced users with new technology and eases them into the future.
Started in 1996 by Florence Stieber, the Connestaires was formed from a line dancing group that already existed. Members have performed at nursing and retirement homes and at Connestee functions.
Any member of CATS can tell you, “There’s no business like show business.” In 1985, following a delightful production of a melodrama called He Done Her Wrong, or Wedded But No Wife, a group of hard-working, talented residents organized the Connestee Amateur Theater Society. Led by Pegge and Marty Strandbergh and Adele Anderson, the charter members were Ruth Davidson, David and Erica Farrar, Joe Gehres, Joan Macklin, Allan and Dot McKean, George and Marcy McMillan, Evelyn Notches, Carl Palmer, Jean Pearson, Helen Percy, Lee and Paul Schenck, John and Mary Lou Stern, Nelle Sugg, Adele Weaver, and Pat White. In the early 1980, the “Show Committee,” Blanche Frazier, Jean Pearson, Ruth Zinkann and Ken Biebel, produced vaudeville acts, dance presentations, and musicals such as The Hug Boat. In 1988, they combined their talents with CATS for the first major musical extravaganza, A Touch of Broadway, Honey Buns, Vee Gates, Sentimental Journey and My Fairway Lady followed. Evelyn Notches and Charlie Huston wrote a witty, original script including all the song lyrics for Connegie Hall, a musical revue that celebrated CATS’ tenth anniversary in 1995. Copyrighted plays have included Last of the Red Hot Lovers, The Odd Couple, and Arsenic and Old Lace. In recent times, more than 60 members produce three plays annually, plus one free performance such as Hot Buttered Rum and Midwinter Madness to thank Connestee residents for their continued support.
Gerry Foth and small group of singers started the Connestee Chorale in the fall of 1994. Eighteen charter members were Linda Arney, Addie Blake, Bud Chamberlain, Elise Drummond, Gerry Foth, Geri and Bill Hambley, Gerry Haynie, Dede and Jack Hunter, Eleanor Kirlin, Pat Kohere, Jill Lusby, June Phillips, Nancy Scharsich, Nancy Schornsteimer, and Ruth and Chuck Waugaman. The first director was Ray Kohere; the accompanist was Virginia Stone. The “Hummingbirds,” Dede Hunter, Geri Hambley, and Nancy Schornstheimer, performed at Connestee and other venues from 1989 to 1997. According to historian, Eleanor Kirlin, the Chorale’s purposes are “to enhance music appreciation for Connestee Falls and the surrounding area, and to sing for our own enjoyment and for the enjoyment and entertainment of our audience.” Chorale membership, which varies seasonally from twenty-five to thirty-five, is open to all Connestee residents who enjoy singing and can read music. A spring concert and a holiday concert are presented each year. Cost of the music, stipends and program expense is covered by a membership fee and concert ticket sales. The Chorale has presented community outreach concerts at Brevard College’s Dunham Auditorium for the Brevard Festival of Arts, at Habitat for Humanity’s Annual Songfests and for residents of College Walk and the Brian Center. Bill Shank is the current director and Virginia Stone continues as accompanist.
Blanche Frazier’s “Caroliners,” helped celebrate the 125th anniversary of Transylvania County on July 4, 1986, with “The Ballad of Connestee Mountain Sunbonnet Girl,” composed by Herb Seifter and arranged by Virginia Stone and Elaine Seifter. The song was based on an actual historical event which took place on Connestee Mountain at the end of the Civil War.
Connestee Quilters, an informal group with an interest in the art of quilting, was organized in 1995 by Marilyn Sheehan, Belle Collins, Margaret Casler and Pat Looker. The group enjoys instructional programs, for charitable projects and meetings for personal projects.
In 1983, an impromptu jam session in a living room brought about the Connetones Music Workshop. Seven newly-retired residents became the original “House Band”: Dale Whitehaiar, former music teacher, band leader, writer and arranger; Oren Ellingson, organ; Ken Biebel, trumpet; Lennie Smith, guitar, Elaine Seifter, flute; Herb Steifter, clarinet, and Dick Adams, saxophone. Singers were Dale Whitehair, Lennie Smith, Blanche Frazier, John Smucker and Dick Adams. The All-volunteer band began providing music and entertainment for the listening and dancing pleasure of Connestee Falls residents, and played benefits in the Brevard area. Two groups within the Connetones were the “Conn-Bo,” a band which performed feature numbers, and the “Conn-Vos” singers. The original Conn-Vos” were Dale Whitehair, Ellen Riching, and Geri Hambley. Virginia Stone has been the accompanist since 1995.
Although the background of Bridge in Connestee is somewhat sketchy, Dorothy Putnam seems to have been a central figure. Dorothy Putman, along with Barbara Higby, Jean and Bob Wickham, and Wendall and Marian Holmes, started Contract Bridge in 1980. According to Dick Steinbugler, Dorothy began the practice of contributing half of the money collected from players to a fund for building the pavilion at Atagahi Park. The structure was dedicated to Dorothy on May 30, 1987. A commemorative plaque can be found on a support pillar facing Lake Atagahi. Unfortunately, Dorothy died a week after the pavilion was opened. For many years, John Pooley, a 17-year resident of Connestee, directed the Thursday night players. Jean and Bob Wickham, Vic and Eleanor Barys, and Bob Benjamin were among the early members of Duplicate Bridge. For some time Dorothy Putnam and Evelyn Notches were partners. Each of these serious Monday night players puts fifty cents in the “kitty” and the winner receives a small prize. Dorothy Putnam is also credited with starting Ladies Bridge, whose members play on Tuesday afternoons.
In June 2000, Arthur Schultz, Jean Vojcak, and Ervin and Selma Goodman organized Croquet. The game “firms up coordination, lubes the joints, is competitive with plenty of choices and confrontation.” Members play at the major court at the Equestrian Center or at the court on Lake Ticoa.
The Euchre Club was started in 1995 by Dee Battista and Ginny Van Dongen. Although presently inactive, it is hoped that this group will be revived in the near future.
Jack Freitag, President of the Fire Rescue Auxiliary, summarizes the organization’s history as follows:
The Connestee Fire Rescue Inc. Auxiliary had its beginning in November of 1977, about a year after commencement of operation of the Connestee Fire Department (now known as Connestee Fire Rescue Inc). A total of six people including residents of Connestee, See Off, Cedar Mountain and Glen Cannon, attended the first meeting, which was held at the clubhouse Lounge. Formation of the auxiliary was prompted by a need to make the communities aware of the fire department, and provide a supplemental source of funding to the department to help meet its needs for equipment and facilities. During the drafting of the auxiliary’s constitution and by-laws, the above needs became the stated purposes of the organization. Today some 24 years later, the provisions of these documents remain basically unchanged.
Early fund raising projects included lotteries, cake and cookie sales, flea markets, etc. The lotteries were conducted by selling tickets on a door-to-door basis requiring much time and labor. The first lottery conducted in this manner offered a CB radio and an afghan as prizes and took in a total of $500. After several years the door-to-door solicitation was discarded in favor of solicitations through the mail.
Today our Auxiliary averages an attendance of 40 to 50 people a meeting with upwards of 100 people attending when special popular musical programs are offered. Our annual fund raising efforts in recent years have enabled us to donate approximately $40,000 to Connestee Fire Rescue each year. Because of the ongoing efforts of the Auxiliary and the support of residents of the fire district, our fire department today is one of the best trained and equipped in the county.
If you wish to be happy for one hour, get intoxicated.
If you wish to be happy for three days, get married.
If you wish to b happy for eight days, kill your pig and eat it.
If you wish to be happy forever, learn to fish.
The Fishing Club celebrated its twentieth anniversary on May 18, 2000. The founder of the club was Phil Caccavale, and the original members were Larry Host, Bill Kirchner, John Meyer, George Deriso and Jim Hill. Ray Tuers describes the club as follows:
The Fishing Club is Connestee’s largest organization, currently averaging more than 600 members. During its monthly meetings the Club serves coffee, conducts business and offers fishing and outdoors programs. In addition, the Club holds several major events during the year: Fish-A-Rama to teach angling to children and novices, the Fish Fry and the Awards Banquet. It also has an active Outreach program, in which Club volunteers teach fishing and good sportsmanship to area youth organizations. The Club also maintains its Community Spirit program, conducting projects and donating items for the improvement of life in Connestee Falls. Fellowship and social interaction have become an important part of the Club’s allure. Formally, its constitution lists these objectives: 1) To promote good fellowship. 2) To promote the sport of fishing by: a) Educating to all levels of proficiency, and 3) To offer assistance to CFPOA in improving lake ecology. 4) To offer assistance in establishing water safety programs. 5) To sponsor fishing programs to all age groups.
Phil Caccavale and George Deriso came up with the idea of what was to become an annual tradition and one of Connestee’s most popular events, the Fish Fry. In the April 2000 issue of the Connestee Falls News, Ray Tuers tells us about the first Fish Fry and the volunteers who, in later years, made the event such a success:
The first Fish Fry was held July 31, 1981 at Lake Ticoa’s park pavilion, with 54 attending. But the best-laid plans didn’t exactly work out. As Larry (Host) told the story, the plan was to catch fish all season, store it in freezers, then bring it out for the Fish Fry. Trouble was, the members didn’t catch enough fish and he had to go out and buy trout. They cooked it at the clubhouse kitchen, then brought it to the Ticoa park to serve with corn-on-the-cob and all the trimmings. Larry donated the beer.
From 1984 through 1999, charter member Charlie Futrell toiled in a rented field to grow the corn that was served. Others, like Bob Scharsich and Walt Scharsich in recent years, did much of the cooking. Club members pitched in to shuck the corn and coat the catfish fillets with a beer batter first developed by Carl Palmer. And Maintenance Superintendent Earl Jenkins and some of his crew have long been in charge of deep frying the fillets in peanut oil. Even professional restaurateurs marvel at how the volunteer amateurs serve several hundred people each year.
The Fishing Club publishes Connestee Falls Outdoors, an informative booklet about Connestee’s fish, lakes, trails, birds, and flowers. Everything you need to know about cooking trout can be found in Trout, A Collection of Recipes from the U.S. Trout Farmers Association, which the club also distributes.
The first annual Fishing Club Banquet was held at the Overlook on Oct. 16, 1981. Sherwood Barker received the first “Sportsman of the Year” award in 1982. Toots Foth was the first female president of the Fishing Club.
At the grand opening of the golf course, tennis courts and clubhouse in 1974, 1400 people consumed 280 pounds of barbecue, 1200 buns, 50 gallons of coleslaw, 40 gallons of lemonade, and 124 gallons of beer.
The constitution of the Connestee Falls Golf Association was established in September 1993. The Association educates members on rules, etiquette, and dress, and assists the Director of Golf in conducting tournaments and other social or competitive events. Jim Story emphasizes that, “property owners are encouraged to join the Golf Association and to recognize that the values of their properties are directly affected by the attractiveness and availability of the golf course.” The Connestee Falls Student Scholarship Fund and its Pro-Am Tournament were started in 1987 by Chuch Williams, former head golf professional, and spearheaded in the early years by Paul LaForce and the Golf Association. The entry fees of professional and amateur golfers and support from sponsors and patrons fund the scholarship program. Since the inception of the program, more than $240,000 has been raised for scholarships for deserving students who attend Transylvania County schools.
Our current Good Neighbors effort from a study entitled “CFPOA Family Aid Program” submitted for consideration by the 1991-92 Board of Directors. According to Dave Hunter, Good Neighbors provides volunteer, no-cost support and assistance to all residents through a number of activities. The Daily Volunteers are the keystone of the program. Meal Cookers provide meals for the sick, those recovering from illness or who have suffered a family loss. Friendly Callers is a “buddy system” for those who live alone and desire a daily home call from a neighbor. The Welcomers visit all newcomers and provide basic information about community services and activities. Transportation volunteers provide both one-time and extended period transportation to Brevard and neighboring communities. The Bereavement Ministry responds to those who lose loved ones. Caring Companions provide a few hours of relief for caregivers. The Lending Closet provides the short-term loan of home care equipment, and children’s furniture and equipment. The idea for a centrally-located Lending Closet came from the late Billee Kessler, who co-founded Good Neighbors with Dave Hunter. A $600 donation from the former Activities Committee and the donation of space in the Fire Department’s auxiliary building on East Fork Road made the central location possible.
Originally sponsored by the Mountain Gardeners, Highway Cleanup is now part of the state’s Adopt-a-Highway program. Since April 1981, groups of volunteers wearing bright orange vests and armed with gloves and pickup sticks have served the community by filling bags with trash. On average 24 bags are collected each time the group goes out, and about a ton of litter is collected every year. Litter has included beer cans and bottles, hubcaps, rearview mirrors, $10,000 in Monopoly money, Christmas decorations, even a car door! Preceded by Harold Morrow, Bettie and Jimmie Lamberson, and Eileen Lampe, Pete Peterman runs the effort along two miles of Route 276. Highway Cleanup expanded in 2000, when Audrey and Ron Lavery spearheaded the adoption of Walnut Hollow Road.
Peggy Futrell started the Grasshoppers Club in 1985. For about ten years, this group of male and female golfers enjoyed playing on courses outside of Connestee.
“The Grasshoppers’ Marching and Drinking Song”
(Sung to the tune of “As the Caissons Go Rolling Along”)
Written by Bill Dyrkacz, June 26,1987
Dedicated to Peggy Futrell and Loraine Wissner
Over hill, over dale, Triple bogey, then a par
As we hit the fairways trail, Makes you feel good, like a star,
With our golf clubs, (Repeat lines 3 and 4)
We’re rolling along.
Chip it close, drive it far Par, par, birdie, in a row,
That’s the way to score a par Makes you act, just like a pro
(Repeat lines 3 and 4) (Repeat lines 3 and 4)
On eleven we go, As we play, cuss and pray,
It’s uphill all the way, There will be no rain delay,
We know we’ll make it, if we pray. (Repeat lines 3 and 4)
It’s a fine good day, In the woods, in the lake,
As Grasshoppers lead the way Will be chanted at my wake,
(Repeat lines 3 and 4) As my exploits,
Keep rolling along.
For it’s hi, hi ho!
Nineteen holes we go
Shout out your drink loud and clear.
What a beautiful day,
As Grasshoppers wend their way,
With our cocktails
We’re rolling along.
Dick and Kathy Fudge formed the Hikers Club in the mid 1990s. The group, according to Kathy, “aims to enjoy nature, promote good health, and develop fellowship with hikers of all ages and abilities.” Descriptions of the Tuesday hikes are found in the Friday Flyer and on the web site. They hike wooded trails in Connestee and surrounding areas and also do Halloween hikes, Easter egg hunts, moonlight hikes, and blueberry picking in the mountains.
It is with great sorrow we report the passing of Dr. E. B. Hallman (1885-1975). . . We hikers will specially miss his guidance in cutting trails through Connestee. He is … responsible for the system of trails . . . here.”
Jean Lafean at the September 16, 1974, dedication of the hiking trails in memory of Dr. Hallman.
The Hiking Trails Committee clears and maintains the hiking trails within Connestee. Bill Shank, Bill Janov, and Fred Durand organized the group. Shank, the coordinator, works with the Hikers Club and other individuals to provide clearing and cleanup as needed.
Some time prior to 1992, before Connestee had a restaurant, Lorraine Wissner and Lelia O”Neal organized a small informal group of women for pot luck luncheons in private homes. Ladies Luncheon later organized and moved to the clubhouse. Lunch was often followed by friendly games of bridge or Mah-Jongg. Erma McGuire and Joan Macklin say the purposes of the event are “to assist Association women to meet new people, to welcome newcomers and make them aware of Connestee Falls’ programs, and to educate Connestee Falls women about local areas and areas of interest to women.”
In September 1991, Dede McNally prepared the following brief history of the Connestee Falls Ladies Golf Association:
Picture it – Connestee Falls in the spring of 1974. Seven members met with our Pro Ron Garcia to formulate and establish what was to become the Connestee Ladies’ Golf Association. The following were present: Ann Bryant, Frances Frost, Loretta Knobel, Dede McNally, Sue Pope, Lou Stelling and Ellie Warren.
The slate of officers were: President Dede McNally, vice president Frances Frost, secretary Ann Bryant, and treasurer Sue Pope.
At that time the golf course was 18 mud holes with patches of grass here and there-mostly there. It was not unusual to have one or two dump trucks in front and behind your golf cart so that when you were finished playing, it was hard to say which had more soil and dirt—the cart, the golf bag, or your person. We were few in number, but we were a determined lot so things ran quite smoothly.
In the spring of “77 Sue Pope was influential in getting us into the Blue ridge Interclub…Of course the duffers and neophytes were out because they had high handicaps. To be eligible for Blue Ridge one had to have a handicap of 29 or less. At that time what was now the back nine was the front nine.
In the early summer of “79 Lora Hone decided to start a 9-hole group. This became very popular and many who had been playing 18 holes joined the 9-hole group. With each passing year, the number of members increased by leaps and bounds.
A group with a real sense of camaraderie is Line Dancing. They even celebrate birthdays in the group with lunch out once a month! Shirley Bunch, Lucie Hinks, Elsie Maskelony and Florence Otto went once a week to the Opportunity House in Hendersonville for classes. Shirley recorded the music, the dancers received copies of the instructions from the teacher, and they started dancing at the clubhouse. Lil Sabo was the summer originator of the group; Florence Stieber later took over leadership in the summer months. Since 1995, dancing for fun and exercise has been enjoyed by both men and women.
The Ladies 9-Hole Golfers became an official club in 1993. Missy Pooley, Betty Schrader and Coleen Lisk started the group to encourage good sportsmanship and provide a relaxed competition and fun for women who prefer a 9-hole format.
“Good shots we’ll have and fun a bunch, But come what may there’s always lunch.” Pat Delbecq.
Jeanne Smith organized a group of Mah Jongg players in 1981. Regulars are Sunny Diamond, who plays by the National Mah Jongg Association rules, and Thelma Breusch, who plays by the “Air Force” rules, which were developed so that Air Force wives could play anywhere in the world.
Harold Wissner and Ira Clark started Men’s Night in 1977. Sometimes as many as thirty men meet to play poker and socialize. Among the regulars are Bob Taylor, Jay White, Bob Youngerman, Jerry Mittleberg, Milton Pepper, Ted Osborne, David Reed, and Ira Clark.
Sue and Terry Peacock learned to play an adult version of dominoes on cross-country camping trips. In 1999, they decided to share the fun of Mexican Train Dominoes with Connestee residents. An average of three tables of players meet regularly to enjoy a fun, easy game, to socialize, and to make new friends.
The following information about the Mountain Gardeners Club is an excerpt from “A Brief History of Mountain Gardeners” written by George McDermott in The Mountain Gardeners 20th Anniversary Yearbook:
To provide a forum for the exchange of useful information about gardening the Mountain Gardeners Club organized in October, 1981, under the leadership of Bettie Lamberson who led the club during its three formative years. That first year about one hundred members paid dues of one dollar. In the following two decades, membership has remained fairly constant at around one hundred plus or minus twenty, but the dues have risen to $3.00. Most of the dues support the annual Yearbook that has evolved in to an attractively bound listing of useful essays and tips on gardening.
The annual tour of Connestee Falls gardens is a popular June event attended by many residents.
Mountain Gardeners has been involved in a number of projects for the benefit of the community. In the early years Mountain Gardeners assumed the responsibility for beautification of the grounds around the public area, but after a while Beautification became a function of the board of directors with an appointed chair and a budget. For a number of years the Mountain Gardeners allocated vegetable garden plots at the Equestrian Center, but the combination of poor soils and good animal appetites caused abandonment of the plots now planted to grass. In order to pay for a projector screen and shades over the bar windows, the Mountain Gardeners held several sales of native plants raised by local nurserymen. The Mountain Gardeners also sponsored the highway clean up of Route 276 starting in the early 1980s.
“To provide the opportunity for current and former registered nurses to utilize their professional skills to promote health, safety and emergency preparedness in Connestee Falls” is the mission of the Nurses Group. Started on July 6, 2001, the group has little history; however, Sandra Whitmore, the organizer, and nurses Rita Hopkins, Sue Boyer, Sunny Diamond, Lil Saleski, Elaine Deppe, Jackie Guryan, Betty Parabeck, Wanda Barrett, Joan Stackhouse, Fran Tills, Marianne Hutchison, Ann Grant, and Carolyn Van Ness have great plans for our future.
The history of the Pinochle Club is rather vague. Apparently, it started prior to 1980 and continues to be a popular, active group. Among the participants are John O’Hara, Raili Scott, Sue Boyer, and Keith Underwood. According to Sue, “Everyone in Connestee is invited to join us.”
After three years of meeting in each other’s home to discuss stimulating topics about “anything in the universe,” Steve Boyce, Dick Larson and Bob Elliott grew “tired of talking to each other” and opened their Talk Over Discussion Group to interested residents. Fifteen to twenty members follow their original format: a member presents a topic; the group engages in an hour or so of discussion; the group has lunch, usually at the clubhouse, where the discussion continues or “table topics” are introduced.
Our energetic teacher, Jean Pearson, lists her original Tap Dancing class as Jack Frederick, Pat Delbecq, Marion and Charles Huston, Lorraine Dunn, Sheila Lindsay, Peggy Hansen, Nancy Burlew, Jane Johnson, Frank Bruckmann, Ina and Bob DeRuocco, and Tim McMurray. Although class size has diminished since October 1993, “tappers” are still heard dancing for fun and exercise, and practicing for CATS and community performances.
Olga Terry and Ken Biebel taught ballroom dancing in the 1980s; Marie and Frank Bruckmann continued the classes in the 1990s.
Although names of the original organizers are unknown, sometime around 1974, Water Aerobics became a Connestee activity. In 1988, the lifeguard who taught water aerobics didn’t want to continue so volunteers, Liesel Brown, Lorraine Hunter and Elise Drummond, took over. According to Elise, “Classes are held for fun, fellowship and increased mobility.”
Neil Migan, Lee Wallace, Gerry Foth, Tony DiLuna, Tom Wallace, Les Rabb, Lloyd Oye, Jim Keenan and Cal Brown attended the first meeting of the Woodworkers Club on September 8, 1999, at the home of Richard Mackey, the club’s founder. According to Richard, the Woodworkers Club provides an opportunity for members to share knowledge, experience and expertise while learning from each other, helping the community, and enjoying fellowship. Interests range from home repair, to furniture making, toy making, woodcarving, fine crafts and beyond. Members’ skill levels range from accomplished woodworkers with complete shops, to wannabees who may never own more than hand tools. Display stands on the Equestrian Trail and the oak lectern in the Overlook are examples of the club’s contributions to the community.
Parody by Bob Koser
A law was made a distant moon ago here,
That cocktails can’t be served ‘til after three,
And ev’ry year we give a little show here,
In Connestee!
The snowbirds linger almost ‘til December,
And then they fly as quick as one, two, three
They’re always very happily remembered,
In Connestee!
Connestee, Connestee!
We know it sounds a bit bizarre, it sounds a bit bizarre,
But in Connestee, Connestee,
That’s how conditions are, that’s how conditions are.
The people of this place are most congenial,
This show they even paid a bit to see,
In short from A to Z, we live in harmony,
And have a lot of fun and games,
Tlugvi tlu-kv tree
Tludatsi ---- lion (?)
Tludatsi tiv-da-tsi panther
Tsalagi tsa-la-gi’ Cherokee
Tsataga tsi-ta:-ga chicken
Tsayoga tia-I?-ga blue jay
Tsiska ---- ----
Tsisqua tsi-s-qua bird
Tsisdu tsi-si-du rabbit
Tsisdvna tsi-s-dv-na crawfish
Tsitsi tsi-tsi thistle/wren
Tsiya tsi-ya otter
Tsolv tso-lv tobacco
Tsuganawvi tus-ga-na-wv-I south
Tsula tsu-la fox
Tsuyvtlvi tsu-yv-tlv-I north
Tsvwagi tsv-wa-gi maple
Udoque nv-do-que sourwood
Udvawadulisi u-dv-a-wa-du-li-si bumblebee
Ugedaliyvi u-ge-da-li-vv-I cove
Unvquolad u-nv-quo-la-da rainbow
Usdasis u-s-da-s-di holly
Usgewi (spelling?) u-s-ge-wi cabbage
Utsonati u-tso’-n(a)-ti’or
u-n’-tso-n’-ti’ rattlesnake
Uwaga u-wa-ga passion flower
Uwohali u-wo-ha-li eagle
Uyasga u-s-ga skull
Vdali v-da-li lake
Wadigei u-wo-di-ge brown
Waga wa-ga cow
Wahuhu wa-hu-hu screech owl
Walelu wa-le-lu hummingbird
Waldsi wa-du-li-si bee
Wanei wa-ne?-I hickory
Warwaseeta ---- Pisgah Ridge
Waya wa-ya wolf
Wesa we-sa cat
Wodigeasgohi wo-di-gi-a-go-li copperhead
Yanequa yo-na-e-qua Cherokee Chief known as Big Bear
Yuda ki-yu:-ga chipmunk
Yunega yo-ne-ga White Man
Yona yo-na Bear
“Around 1990, a group or property owners presented a
proposal to change the road names from Cherokee to their English
translation. The Association called a meeting
regarding the matter. After a
discussion, the majority voted not to change the names to English.” Paul LaForce, Manager at the time.
Over the years, Connestee’s more musically talented residents have praised the community through song. A legacy of original words and music, including a sampling of sheet music, follows:
The “Carolinas,” one of Connestee’s earliest singing groups, helped celebrate the 125th anniversary of Transylvania County on July 4, 1986. In honor of this occasion, Herbert A. Seifter composed The Ballad of Connestee Mountain’s Sunbonnet Girl. The song, arranged by Virginia Stone and Elaine Seifter, was based on an actual historical event, which took place on Connestee Mountain at the end of the Civil War.
Sung at the end of the summer season each year for those residents returning to other winter homes, Farwell to Connestee Falls was written by Herb A. Seifter and Oren Ellingson.
CATS and Chorus used the following songs written about Connestee in their performances:
The Connestee Trail – a parody by Charles Huston, sung by Bill Shank.
Sentimental Journey – a parody by Paul Brink written for “A Celebration of the Arts,” sung by the Chorus.
The Activities Song – a parody by Charles Huston, sung by Joel Munch.
Six Little Miles from Town – a parody by Robert Koser, sung by Dede Hunter and John Smucker.
Connestee – a parody by Robert Koser and Evelyn Notches, sung by the Chorus.
NAVAJO TRAIL
Second Verse: Evry day A long about evnin When the sun-lights beginnin’ to fail. I ride thru the slumberin’ shadows. A long the Cherokee Trail. When its night and crickets are callin’ and coyotes are makin a wail. I dream by a smouldering fire A long the Cherokee Trail. I love to lie and listen to the music. When the wind is strumming a sage-brush guitar, while over yonder hill the moon is climbin, it always finds me wishin on a star. Well what do you know, its morning already, there’s the dawnin’ so silver and pale, its time to climb in to my saddle and ride, the Cherokee Trail. OO (etc).The Cherokee Trail.
We’ve a great community out here, where you have the whole world by the tail, but you can’t pronounce your address once you’re off of Connestee Trail. You may love the sound of Ugugu, but my friends I’m telling you plain, if your house is on Utsonati you live on rattlesnake land. Take Junaluska, Dotsi, Ohwanteska, evry magic syllable sings its refrain. All over Connestee you see the road signs, Til Cherokee is blasting in you brain. We’ll say it again, it’s wonderful out here, where good feelings and friendships prevail, but you’ll never pronounce your address once you’re off of Connestee Trail. 00 00 00 00 00 00 Off Connestee Trail
Lyrica – Herb Seifter Music – Oren
Ellingson
Farewell to Connestee Falls once again. Summer has ended and Autumn is here. We will long for our beautiful mountains and woods, and lakes so lovely each day of the year. The friendships we made are precious. It’s sad that we must part but winter will soon be followed by spring, And we’ll return with happy hearts. As the leaves fall softly, and the cool breezes blow. Happy the thoughts we will take when we go. Though we’re far from Connestee Falls for a while. We’ll always be thinking of you with a smile.
Numerous sources were consulted in the preparation of this book, but these are worthy of special mention.
Ruth Bailey for her constant encouragement; Sharon and Earl Jenkins who have considerable recall of this community; Dave Hunter, Paul LaForce and Don Stinchcomb who were so knowledgeable in the governing of this community; Stanley Whitcomb, Charlie Duke and Cliff Brookshire who worked in sales or development in the early years.
The History Committee wishes to thank the long-suffering spouses of those directly involved: Chuck Saleski, Edgar Ham, Dave Cottingham, Wilma Wollenweber, Klaus Nordmeyer, and Jean Frederick. A special acknowledgement to Jack Frederick, who was responsible for the total layout and reproduction of photographs. Paul Brink is to be thanked for his assistance in the publishing and printing of this book. Without their help there would be no book.
The authors wish to thank Judy & Jim Potter and Ray Tuers for reviewing and editing portions of this book.
For finding and producing musical scores relevant to Connestee Falls, we thank Virginia Stone and Dede Hunter.
The poetry included is the work or Nora Ollikkala. We appreciate these contributions along with all the fine art work produced by the following Connestee Falls artists: Paul Brink, Richard M. Smith, Jim Potter and Gloria Nordmeyer.
We are deeply indebted to those who shared their early recollections and reminiscences at a gathering held in March, 2001. This group was instrumental in getting us started. They are: Nancy Brookshire, Olga Terry, Pete Tomlinson, Don & Polly Stinchcomb, Earl & Sharon Jenkins, Charlie Duke, Tony McNally, Seavy & Lelia O’Neal, Larry Host, Jim Brede, Ruth Davidson, Jean & Paul LaForce, Jean Pearson, Jeanne Smith, Barbara Higby, Betty & Phil Caccavale and Virginia Stone.
Special mention belongs to Ron Kolstedt, who videotaped this meeting and to Carol Hamann, who did the audio taping.
The publishers would like to thank the following individuals for their kind permission to reproduce the photographs in this book: Dale Whitehair, Jim Bob Tinsley (Grist Mill,) Nancy & Cliff Brookshire, Gerry Haynie (Camera Club,) Ira & Helen Clark, John & Betty Hursh, Mary Dyrkacz, Olga Terry, and Sharon & Earl Jenkins.
Others to whom we owe debts of gratitude are those individuals who provided information and background about the various clubs and committees: Evelyn Notches, Geri Hambley, Peggy Futrell, Ruth Zinkann, Erma Maguire, Joan Macklin, Jacquelyn Bray, Barbara Higby, Marion Underhill, Nell & Pete Sugg, Gerry Haynie, Caroline Brown, Neil Migan, Frank & Marie Bruckmann, Dede Hunter, Eleanor Kirlin, Dick Steinbugler, Erv Goodman, Ginny Van Dongen, Jack Freitag, Ray Tuers, Dick & Kathy Fudge, Bill Schank, Pete & Bill Tomlinson, Lorraine & Harold Wissner, Jeanne Smith, Bill Scholz, Margaret Casler, Florence Stieber, Thelma Breusch, Sue Peacock, Marcia & George McDermott, Sandra Whitmore, Steve Boyce, Dick Larson, Lorraine Hunter, Elsie Drummond, Richard Mackey, Martha Coleman, Bill Pietrick, Jim Potter, Joe Olinger, Jim Reese, Brian Johnson, Jan Nelson, Joe Narsavage, Carol Hamann, Lois Odell, Bob Elliott, Jim Story, Arlene Weier, Mary Dyrkacz, Jay White, Jean Frederick, Jean Pearson, Peggy Strandberg, Nancy Schornstheimer, and Vergil Slee.
Special appreciation is also extended to the following individuals for their contributions: Ira & Helen Clark, Bob Nelson, Larry Host, Dick Smith, Fred Durand, Tom McGohey, Pat Delbecq, Louise Miller, Elmer Ollikkala, Cindy Carter, Olga Terry, Jack Reak, Tony McNally, Jean Stegmeir, Dodi Jerz, Sherwood Barker, William Jones, Davis, Shiflet, Vergil Slee, Lynn Collins and Juanita Landry (Administration), Rick Wade, Stella Trapp (Transylvania Times), the librarians at the Transylvania County Library, the employees at the Transylvania County Courthouse, and Certain-Teed Corporation.
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