Originally posted by Tyson Rayles
George how long ago were you here? Was Southern still the train here? Or was the Great Smoky Mtn. Railroad with its 2-8-0 already running? Which Golf course? One closed another opened. The business district in Cherokee is larger than the town of Bryson City since they got a Harrah's Casino. Bryson City now has 4 reg. traffic lights and one blinker. They put in parking meters but nobody would use em' and the police chief wouldn't issue any tickets cause he didn't want his friends and neighbors mad at him. So they removed the meters (ain't a small town wonderful!)
Tyson -
I lived in Cherokee on and off from 1954 to 1964, when my grandparents moved down to Jefferson, Georgia. I attended Swain Co. High in '63 and '64. I was on the golf team, but wasn't very good (no competition, lots of fun practice most school day afternoons). The golf course was "up the hill" from the town, the road was perpendicular to the street going up to the High School, as I recall. I would take the Trailways bus back to Cherokee after playing.
Bryson (along with Silva) was our "shopping" town, as Cherokee only had a small food store. Once a month we would go to the "Big City" of Asheville! Always ate at the S&W Cafeteria. Took a lot longer to get places on only two lane mountain roads!
Cherokee was much smaller - the craft shops on the main Silva-Bryson City road (and the Baptist Church), some more (and the Methodist Church) on the Soco Gap road (where the Casino is now), and some toward the Boundary Tree on 441 (toward Gatlinburg). The tourists were only there during the Summer (for the Dama and Craft shops) and again in the Fall (for the colors). Other than that, it was a quiet little town! Our house was on 441 across from the Oconoluftee river (it sang me to sleep at night). When we first got there, there was our house, another government house, and the govenment offices. And a big field that went all the way to the Bryson City road (across from the Baptist Church). Then they built a gym next door, then the school next to that. They have torn down the house now.
This was a GREAT place to grow up!
There were the mountains to climb and explore, and the island in the O. river was abandoned (by the adults - the kids went there!).
My first real job was in a craft shop - scraping the Japan branch of the Cherokee tribe labels off the Sioux warbonnets and spears (for those who by-passed the Drama, the Village and the Museium and didn't know better!). And feeding chocolate drinks to a black bear for the tourists!
To answer your question, I think the Southern held sway - don't remember any 2-8-0!
Sorry about running on about the past - just a wish sometimes to go back. I think I liked the "old" Cherokee better! But I would have liked to have seen and ridden the GSMRR! Maybe I'll get back some day .....
Say "Hullo!" to the mountains and rivers and all the fine folk there for me!
And if you get over to the Jarrett House in Dillsboro, have a bite, too !!!
- George
PS Sorry about the private correspondance, folks! Tried to send as a PM, but too long! Can we increase PM length ???
- G
