This is a mile or so paved trail which takes you past many sites from 110 years ago. Push a button and a voice talks to you about what it was like. The trail includes the school house and Dr. Schenck’s office and many other sites:
1. Commissary(not shown) -- built in 1902 at a cost of $200, it was a country convenience store for day-to-day items needed in the home. Clothing could be purchased from a catalogue here. It was the post office for the forestry students. It was also the social and sports community center.
One product got my attention -- Dr. Morse's Indian Root Pills -- a "favorite for over 50 years" taking care of "constipation and biliousness."
2. King House (see photo) -- built in 1882 entirely of hardwood, not a reconstruction, this was the home of forest rangers and their families until the late 1960’s.
3. Black Forest Lodge (see photo) -- 14 of these were built of hardwood post and beam construction with wooden pegs and strategically located throughout Pisgah Forest to house Forest Rangers and in some cases their assistants. Forest Rangers were paid $50 per month and assistants half that much. Their job was to conserve the forest, fight fires and to prevent theft of timber. You see, the locals here lived off the land and took whatever they needed, including trees, without asking. Vanderbilt asked Schenck to find a way to protect his resources.
4. Blacksmith Shop (not shown) -- Blacksmiths were once as indispensible as the food, medicine and clothing which the mountain people depended upon. There were two horses in the feed lot next to the shop which paid me no mind. After repeated calls, I got one of them to look at me but that was about it. I’ve lost my horse communications skills.
5. Hell Hole (not shown) -- This was strictly a student cabin and had no architectural significance. The name of the cabin was given to it by the students. Other examples are “Gnat Hollow,” “Little Bohemia,” “The Ark” and “Rest for the Wicked.” The students studied, slept and played cards in the cabins. They usually ate their meals at the houses of locals.
6. Wash Place (not shown) -- Near a creek, this site had a large iron caldren where clothes were scrubbed with “Octagon” lye soap and boiled clean, then rinsed in the creek. If you couldn’t afford “Octagon,” then you made your own lye soap from ashes and animal fat. This was a busy place one day a week -- usually Mondays.
2. King House (see photo) -- built in 1882 entirely of hardwood, not a reconstruction, this was the home of forest rangers and their families until the late 1960’s.
3. Black Forest Lodge (see photo) -- 14 of these were built of hardwood post and beam construction with wooden pegs and strategically located throughout Pisgah Forest to house Forest Rangers and in some cases their assistants. Forest Rangers were paid $50 per month and assistants half that much. Their job was to conserve the forest, fight fires and to prevent theft of timber. You see, the locals here lived off the land and took whatever they needed, including trees, without asking. Vanderbilt asked Schenck to find a way to protect his resources.
4. Blacksmith Shop (not shown) -- Blacksmiths were once as indispensible as the food, medicine and clothing which the mountain people depended upon. There were two horses in the feed lot next to the shop which paid me no mind. After repeated calls, I got one of them to look at me but that was about it. I’ve lost my horse communications skills.
5. Hell Hole (not shown) -- This was strictly a student cabin and had no architectural significance. The name of the cabin was given to it by the students. Other examples are “Gnat Hollow,” “Little Bohemia,” “The Ark” and “Rest for the Wicked.” The students studied, slept and played cards in the cabins. They usually ate their meals at the houses of locals.
6. Wash Place (not shown) -- Near a creek, this site had a large iron caldren where clothes were scrubbed with “Octagon” lye soap and boiled clean, then rinsed in the creek. If you couldn’t afford “Octagon,” then you made your own lye soap from ashes and animal fat. This was a busy place one day a week -- usually Mondays.
1 comment:
According to the U.S. Forest Service, the Black Forest cabins were built at a cost of $200 in USD circa 1895.
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