INFLUX stories cover the late 1800s – early 1900s when industrialization ushered in dramatic changes to Transylvania County, including the twin booms of tourism and timber that were driven by the arrival of the railroad.

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The Fairfield Inn: Then and Now

The Fairfield Inn was the first great resort built by the Toxaway Company. Its storied history began in 1896 and ended after a fire in 1986 forced its closure and eventual demolition.
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The Toxaway Company and the Great Resort Era

Just how did Western North Carolina become “the” resort venue in the late nineteenth century? It was largely due to the efforts of the Toxaway Company, a collection of industrialist entrepreneurs who built five great inns of the time.
1880s camera
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Life & Work of Early Area Photographers

We explore the life and work of three photographers who preserved turn-of-the-century Transylvania County life with their images: R.H. Scadin, E. H. Glover, and Joseph Stokely Wilde.
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The Logging Industry (1900-1920)

By the early twentieth century, western North Carolina’s economy was dominated by two industries: tourism and timber. Here we take a look at the turn of the century logging trade in western Northern Carolina.