Stories

Each of our blog features stands alone as a story of its own, and some of the collected stories create a chronological series. If you prefer to read all of the stories on a particular subject, see the blog series information below.

“Out of shared telling and remembering grow identity, connection, and pride, binding people to a place and to one another.”

— Tom Rankin, folklorist

INDIVIDUAL BLOGS

Community Centers Create Local Connections

The five community centers located in Upper Transylvania County — Balsam Grove, Eastatoe, Lake Toxaway, Quebec, and Silversteen — are valuable community assets.

A Greystone Family Account—Part 4

Mary Lynne Arthur reminisced about her first impressions of The Greystone Inn and Mrs. Lucy Armstrong Moltz while on a 2022 visit to the area with her grown daughters.

A Greystone Family Account—Part 3

Mary Lynne Arthur meets Walter Johnson Jr. (Lucy Moltz Jr's progeny) in Mexico City, continuing our 4-part series.

A Greystone Family Account—Part 2

The intertwining story of the Arthur and Johnson families (Lucy Moltz Jr's progeny) continues in this second in a series.

A Greystone Family Account—Part 1

There's even more to the Greystone Inn story when you factor in the next generation of the Armstrong family: Lucy Jr. and her progeny, and their extended family by marriage.

Inhabitants of Our Region—Part 2

A century after the Spaniards, Britains determined to colonize North Carolina, wreaking further havoc on the Native Americans and introducing slavery to the region.

Inhabitants of Our Region—Part 1

With the launch of a new series, we attempt to answer this perceptive question by local author and historian Rob Neufeld: “How do we put a human face…on our region’s first settlers?”

The Legend of Bearwallow Falls

Ever wondered what a bear wallow is, or why a creek and falls in our area have that name? We've got the story — well, at least, the legend — here.
A very young Betsy Gilmour with her mother

The Girl Who Survived Toxaway Falls

It started with an email - a brother looking for more information about a 1947 incident at Toxaway Falls. Here's the rest of the story.

Lake Toxaway Schools: 1953 Red Bird

The Historic Toxaway Foundation showcases another gem provided by longtime area residents Harry and Mary Sherwood: an issue of The Red Bird yearbook, circa 1953.

SHR and the Red Spruce Restoration Initiative

Southern Highlands Reserve, our neighbor on Toxaway Mountain, is leading the way in red spruce restoration. Help with a donation to their greenhouse campaign!

Lake Toxaway Schools: A Brief History

The Historic Toxaway Foundation has received a unique gift from longtime area residents Harry and Mary Sherwood: a labor of love (and research) they completed in 2004 detailing the history of Lake Toxaway area schools.

BLOG SERIES

Turn of the Century Toxaway

The Toxaway Company and the Great Resort Era
The Fairfield Inn: Then and Now
The Sapphire Inn & Cottages: Then & Now
The Lodge At Mount Toxaway: Then & Now
The Franklin Hotel: Gateway to the Sapphire Country
The Building of Lake Toxaway and the Toxaway Inn
Opening Day at the Toxaway Inn
Early Success at the Toxaway Inn
Financial Foibles in the Sapphire Country
The Lake Toxaway Dam Burst
The Lost Years of Lake Toxaway

RELATED
Life & Work of Early Area Photographers
A 1900s Transylvania County Home: R.H. Scadin

The ’60s Rebirth of Lake Toxaway

The Revival of Lake Toxaway
The Return of Lake Toxaway: Part 1
     Clearing the Lakebed and Rebuilding the Dam
The Return of Lake Toxaway: Part 2
     Refilling the Lake and Building Roads
The Return of Lake Toxaway: Boyd and Heinitsh
The Return of Lake Toxaway: A Video Documentary

RELATED
Neighborhoods: Burlingame

The History of the Greystone Inn

A Biography of Lucy Camp Armstrong Moltz – Part 1
A Biography of Lucy Camp Armstrong Moltz – Part 2
Local Historian Showcases Lucy Camp Armstrong Moltz
The Evolution of The Moltz Mansion
The Birth Of The Greystone Inn
The Greystone Inn: The Lovelace Years
Re-Imagining The Greystone Inn

RELATED
A European Grand Tour Diary (3-part series)
A Greystone Inn Extended Family Story (4-part series)

WHAT A TIME…

And don’t forget to check out our What A Time… stories in issues of The Quill Newsletters—featuring smaller historical bits you might also find of interest!