EARLY CUSTOMS IN BUNCOMBE

FROM necessity the early settlers of Buncombe County manufactured almost everything which they used. This prevailed to even a greater extent than at first we would be led to suppose. They not only raised sheep and from the wool manufactured the cloth for their garments, but also cultivated flax and from it produced a good quality of linen. They made felt hats, straw hats, and every other article of domestic consumption; manufactured their own furniture and ropes, ground their own grain, and sawed their own lumber. They made their own leather and with it their own shoes, harness and saddles. They even made their own cow bells and, by boring steel bars, made their own guns. They burned their own pottery and delft ware. They built their own mills and manufactured and prepared everything used in erecting their houses. Their meats were easily obtained. Game was abundant. Old Captain Thomas Foster used to say that when he began housekeeping he would at night turn out his horse to graze about the canebrakes at the mouth of Swannanoa and when morning came would start to bring him home before breakfast, carrying his gun with him. On the way he would kill a deer, leave it until he caught his horse and return with his horse and deer in time for breakfast. Fish thronged the Swannanoa and French Broad rivers. A good site for a fish trap was the greatest recommendation which a piece of land could have. These places were always the first entered and granted. In them fish by the barrel full would sometimes be caught in a single night where the trap was well situated and strongly built. Fishing at night in canoes by torchlight with a gig was a favorite sport as well as profitable practice and it was much indulged in.

Ardent spirits were then in almost universal use and nearly every prosperous man had his whiskey or brandy still. Even preachers in some instances have made and sold liquor. A barroom was a place shunned by none. The court records show license to retail issued to

men who stood high as exemplary members of churches. On November 2, 1800, Bishop Asbury chronicles that "Francis Alexander Ramsey pursued us to the ferry, franked us over and took us to his excellent mansion, a stone house; it may not be amiss to mention that our host has built his house, and takes in his harvest without the aid of whiskey." This was in Tennessee near the North Carolina line.

In 1796 Governor Ashe issued a proclama'tion announcing "that in pursuance of an Act to provide for the public safety by granting encouragement to certain manufacturers, that Jacob Byler, of the county of Buncombe, has exhibited to him a sample of gunpowder manufactured by him in the year 1795, and also a certificate proving that he had made six hundred and sixty-three pounds of good, merchantable rifle gunpowder; and therefore, he was entitled to the bounty under that Act." (2 Wheeler's History of North Carolina, page 52.) This Jacob Byler, or rather Boyler, was afterward a member of Buncombe County Court, and in the inventory of his property returned by his administrator after his death in October, 1804, is mentioned "Powder mill Irons."

Naturally these people needed iron, and the State of North Carolina at an early day encouraged its manufacture by granting bounties therefor. Three forges where it was made grew up in Buncombe County, one on Hominy Creek upon the old Solomon Luther place which belonged to Charles Lane; another on Reems Creek at the Coleman Mill place, which belonged to the same man, but was sold by him in 1803 to Andrew Baird; the third was on Mills River, now in Henderson County, on what has ever since been called the Forge Mountain. On this mountain are the Boilston Gold Mines. The iron ore for this purpose was procured at different places in Buncombe County.

The first consideration, however, to these primitive inhabitants was trie matter of grist mills. Hence at the first session of the county court we find it "Ordered that William Davidson have liberty to build a Grist mill on Swannanoa, near his saw Mill, Provided he builds said mill on his own land." This was in April, 1792. In January, 1793, it was "Ordered that John Burton have liberty to build a Grist mill, on his own land, on a branch of French Broad River, near

Nathan Smith's, below the mouth of Swannanoa." Apparently Davidson's mill was not built, but John Burton's was on Glenn's Creek a short distance above its mouth. The late James Gudger, who was brought in his early infancy to his father's residence on Swannanoa, just settled, and who, in 1830 and 1835, represented Buncombe County in the North Carolina Senate, told his grandson, Captain J. M. Gudger, that when he was a very small boy it was the custom to send a number of boys with bags of grain to this mill to be ground, and leave it there until a month later, when the boys would return with other grain and carry back the meal ground from the first. He further said that usually a man accompanied the party to put on the sacks when they fell from the horses, but that on one occasion as he, then a very small boy, was returning from the mill, with his companions of about the same age, the man for some reason was not along, and one of the sacks fell off on the Battery Park hill over which they had to pass; that while here endeavoring in vain to replace the sack a party of Indians came upon them and from pure mischief threatened and actually began to hang them; that the boys were badly frightened, but finally the Indians left them unharmed, and they went on their way, and that the hill was afterwards known through the country as the hill where the boys were hung. He still further said that the miller in charge of this mill, whose name was Handlen, undertook to cultivate a crop on the mountain on the western side of the French Broad, but as he did not return to the settlement for a long while his friends became frightened, and in a party went to his clearing, where they found him killed and scalped, and his crop destroyed, and that from this incident that mountain took its name of Handlen Mountain.

This mill John Burton afterwards sold with the fifty acres of land on which it stood, to Zebulon and Bedent Baird. It was undoubtedly the first grist mill in Buncombe County, all the grinding of the settlers having been done previous to its erection at the Old Fort. After this sale John Burton moved to Gap Creek on the road from Asheville to Fairview, where he met with business misfortune and lost all his property. His wife, Jean or Aunt Jean Burton, was a sister of William Forster mentioned above, and an aunt to Captain Thomas Foster. She was born April 13, 1746, and died January 28, 1824.

We have noted above that one of the last of his town lots sold by John Burton was to Patton and Erwin, after the town had become Asheville.

Patton and Erwin was a firm of merchants composed of James Patton and his brother-in-law Andrew Erwin. James Patton was born in Ireland on February 13, 1756, and emigrated to America in 1783. He was a weaver by trade, but soon became a prosperous merchant. After his arrival in America he labored for several years at mining, well-digging, working on the canals, grubbing, etc. After this he set out from Philadelphia where he had landed, and with a small pack of goods went south as a peddler. He made his way into North Carolina and for several years traded in Wilkes, Burke and Buncombe counties, getting his supplies from the north. In 1791 he met Andrew Erwin, who afterwards married his sister, and went into business with him. This partnership continued for twenty years, and was settled up in one day, James Patton taking the North Carolina lands belonging to the firm and Andrew Erwin taking those in Tennessee.

In 1807 these gentlemen moved to Swannanoa, and settled on the farm where Mr. Frank Reed now lives. They they lived until 1814, when they removed to Asheville. Mr. Patton opened a store and hotel and engaged at the same time in tanning leather and farming. His hotel was the Eagle Hotel on South Main Street, about midway between Sycamore and Eagle streets. In 1831 he bought out and improved the Warm Springs. After a long and prosperous life he died at Asheville on September 9, 1846. His tanyard stood on the west side of where Valley Street now runs at a big poplar near where that street enters South Main Street. An autobiography of him is yet in existence. The partnership between him and Andrew Erwin was dissolved on March 11, 1814.

Andrew Erwin is the man to whom Bishop Asbury refers as "a chief man." He was born in Virginia about 1773, and died at his residence near the War Trace in Bedford County, Tennessee, in 1833. When seventeen years of age he entered the employment of James Patton, with whom he soon afterwards went into partnership as innkeeper and merchant at Wilkesborough, North Carolina. In 1800 and 1801 he was a member of the House of Commons of North Carolina

from Wilkes County. He was Asheville's first postmaster. In 1814 he removed to Augusta, Georgia, and afterward carried on an extensive mercantile establishment as the leading partner in various firms in Savannah, Charleston, Nashville, New Orleans and elsewhere, but his business was unsuccessful and ended in disaster.

James W. Patton, the oldest son of James Patton above mentioned, was born February 13, 1803. He became a merchant and hotel keeper in Asheville and conducted there a large tanyard and several other business undertakings. For many years he was chairman of the County Court of Buncombe and one of that county's most prominent men. He died in December, 1861.

A granddaughter of this same James Patton mentioned above, Miss S. Rose Morrison, became the wife of Albert T. Summey, whose long life in Buncombe County as one of its most worthy and best-known inhabitants reached down to a time comparatively recent. He was born in that part of Lincoln County which is now Catawba County, September 1, 1823. Removing with his father, George Summey, to Flat Rock now in Henderson County, North Carolina, he was in business there until 1842, when he came to Asheville and was employed for six years in a mercantile house into which, at the end of that time, he bought an interest. In that business, through various changes, he continued up to 1873. For sixteen years he was treasurer of the county, an office then known as County Trustee, and for several years treasurer of the Buncombe Turnpike Company. For thirty-six years he was a justice of the peace, for twenty years a United States Commissioner, for the period from 1876 to 1881 Mayor of Asheville, and for many years held other places of trust in the community. He died in Asheville, April 16, 1906.

In 1808 the County of Haywood was created out of Buncombe's territory, and included all of Western North Carolina beyond Buncombe County. The description of the part of Buncombe County taken to make the County of Haywood is as follows:

"That all that part of the county of Buncombe, to wit: beginning where the southern boundary line of this state crosses the highest part of the ridge dividing the waters of the French Broad from those of the Tucky Siegy River, then along the said ridge to the ridge dividing the

waters of Pigeon and the French Broad River, then with said ridge to the top of Mount Pisgah, thence a direct line to the mounth of the first branch emptying into Hominy Creek on the north side above Jesse Belieu's, thence with said branch to the source, and thence along the top of the ridge, dividing the waters of French Broad and those of Pigeon River, to the northern boundary of this state, and with the state line to the line which shall divide this state from the state of Georgia, and with that line to the beginning, shall be and is hereby erected into a separate and distinct county, by the name of Haywood, in honor of the present treasurer of this state."

The eastern part of North Carolina, having been the first settled by white people, controlled, of course, the government of the State. The creation of every new county in the western part of the State gave to that part at least one additional member of the State legislature. Soon the eastern part of the State grew exceedingly apprehensive that its control of the State government would be destroyed by the creation of new counties in the west. Hence they refused to consent to the foundation of a new western county unless, at the same time, a new eastern county was formed. This explains the fact that the same act which created the western County of Haywood created also the eastern County of Columbus.

In 1833 another part of Buncombe's territory was taken to help make the County of Yancey. In 1838 still more of Buncombe's territory was taken away to form the County of Henderson, and in 1850 she lost more of her territory when the new County of Madison was made; then, in 1851, some more to the County of Henderson.

The first settlers of Buncombe County were chiefly Presbyterians, Methodists and Baptists. For some time the only preaching which they had was by travelling preachers. Soon, however, churches began to be established, and houses of worship built. The earliest Presbyterian congregations were at Swannanoa (afterward called Piney Grove), Reems Creek, Asheville, and Cane Creek. The earliest Methodist congregations were at Beaverdam (Killian's), Salem Campground (Weaverville), Asheville, and Turkey Creek Camp-ground; and the earliest Baptist at Asheville, Green River, and Ivy.

The first church building in Asheville appears to have been where

the Newton Academy now is. For some time there had been a small combined church and school house there, when on July 11, 1803, William Foster, Jr., conveyed the land on which it stood "including an old school house with a new one, and a frame Dwelling house, a spring, &c," containing eight acres, to "Andrew Erwin, Daniel Smith, John Patton, Edmond Sams, James Blakely, William Foster, Senr., Thomas Foster, Jur., William Whitson, William Gudger, Samuel Murray, Joseph Henry, David Vance, William Brittain, George Davidson, John Davidson of Hominy, and the Reverend George Newton," as a gift "for the Further Maintenance and support of the gospel, and teaching a Latin and English school or either, as may be thought most proper, from time to time, by the above named Trustees or a majority of them, or their successors in office, he the said William Foster reserving to himself an Equal Interest and privilege with the above named trustees and to be considered as one of them in all future proceedings so long as he continues to act as trustee. . . . for a place of residence, for a preacher of the Gospel, teacher of Latin and English School or Either as may be thought the most proper," with a provision for substitution of trustees in case of death, refusal or inability to act, and with further provision that "there shall at all times be eleven trustees in the neighborhood of said institution who live convenient enough to send their Children to said school or schools from them their Own Dwelling houses and two from the Reverend George Newton's present congregation on Cain Creek, and two from his present congregation on the waters of Rims creek, and One from his present Congregation in the neighborhood of Robert Patton's meeting house, and one from the neighborhood of the mouth of Hominy who shall be so appointed and approved of from time to time." (Record Book 4, page 678.)

"Robert Patton's meeting house" was the predecessor of Piney Grove near the present town of Swannanoa, and was on the side of the mountain about three-fourths of a mile east of Piney Grove to which it gave way.

Again on November 15, 1809, said William Forster, Jr., conveyed three and one-fourth acres of land adjoining this on the south "including the brick house now building to Andrew Erwin, Daniel Smith,

John Patton, Edmond Sams, George Swain, William Forster, Sr., Benjm. Hawkins, Thomas Foster, Jr., James Patton, William Gudger, Sr., David Vance, William Brittain, Samuel Murray, Sr., John McLane, William McLane, William Moore, Sr., Samuel Davidson, and the Rev. George Newton, Trustees of the Union Hill Academy," "established by an act of assembly a seminary of learning in chapter 43 in the year 1805." This William Forster, Jr., was a brother of Captain Thomas Foster above mentioned and a son of William Forster, Sr., above spoken of. Union Hill Academy was a log house, which was removed in 1809, and a brick house took its place. In the same year its name was changed by an act of the legislature to Newton Academy. Here for many years the people attending preaching, sent their children to school and buried their dead. In 1857 or 1858 the brick building between the present academy and the graveyard was removed and the brick academy now there was erected. (See Clayton vs. Trustees, 95 N. C. Reports, 298.)

From 1797 to 1814 this George Newton taught a classical school at this place, which was famous throughout several States. Mr. Newton was a Presbyterian preacher and reported to the synod at Bethel Church, South Carolina, October 18, 1798, as having been received by ordination by the Presbytery of Concord. (Foote's Sketches of North Carolina, page 297.) He lived on Swannanoa until 1814, when he removed to Bedford County, Tennessee. There for many years he was principal of Dickson Academy and pastor of the Presbyterian Church at Shelbyville, and there died about 1841.

The first church building in Asheville appears to have been the old log church used by the Baptists, which stood at the Melke place. It was probably built about 1829, and it remained standing until about 1842. They never owned the land on which it was built. Their next church was at the corner of Spruce and Woodfin streets on land conveyed August 21, 1863, by Herman Franze to David Garren, C. C. Matthews, G. N. Alexander, J. F. Sullivan and G. W. Shackelford, trustees of the Baptist Church in the town of Asheville. (Record Book 27, page 387.)

This structure still stands, although on July 11, 1890, the congregation bought a lot at the corner of Spruce and College streets, and

after erecting on it a very handsome church edifice, removed to it, and have ever since occupied it. The old church is now a Jewish Synagogue.

Apparently the next church after that at the Melke place built in Asheville was an inferior frame structure of the Methodists. On July 20, 1839, James M. Alexander gave and conveyed the land on which this building had been put "including the building erected for a female academy and Methodist E. church, and the Sunday School house," to

"William Coleman, Israel Baird, Wilie Jones, J. F. E. Hardy, N. W. Woodfin, James M. Alexander, Geo. W. Jones, James M. Smith and Joshua Roberts, Trustees," as a gift "for the use of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and when the same is not in the occupancy of the said M. E. Church, ministers of any other regular orthodox denomination of Christians who shall come duly authorized by their respective churches and whose moral and religious character and habits are unexceptionable, may be authorized to occupy the same as transient visitors." About 1857 this old building was replaced by a brick structure which, after being remodelled several times was replaced by the stone edifice which is known as Central Methodist Episcopal Church, South, erected in 1903. It stands on the western side of Church Street. (Record Book 22, page 359.)

On October 8, 1842, James Patton conveyed to Charles Moore, James W. Patton, Samuel Chunn, John Hawkins and John B. White-side, trustees of the Presbyterian Church in the town of Asheville, a portion of the land on which the Church Street Presbyterian Church now stands. The remainder of this is said to have been given by Samuel Chunn for the same purpose and at about the same time. The church erected here was a brick structure facing to the east. This was afterwards rebuilt and then remodelled and afterwards removed to give way to the present church building at the same place. (Record Book 22, page 507.)

On April 30, 1859, James W. Patton gave the site of the Episcopal Church on Church Street by conveying it to "Nicholas W. Woodfin, Lester Chapman and Hatfield Ogden, of the Vestry and Trustees of Trinity Church, Asheville, and members of the said congregation" "to and for the use and benefit of the congregation of said Trinity Church Asheville worshiping according to the forms of the Protestant Episcopal Church, as set forth in the Book of Common Prayer and for no other purpose whatsoever."

A brick church-house was erected in this lot. Later about 1880 a more commodious edifice succeeded that; and, when the later structure burned, the present church was built there.

James Mitchell Alexander was born at the Alexander Place on Bee Tree, May 22, 1793. His grandfather John Alexander, of Scotch-

Irish descent, was a native of Pennsylvania. The latter married Rachel Davidson, sister to Major William Davidson and Samuel Davidson above mentioned; lived in Rowan County, North Carolina, but removed to Lincoln County, North Carolina; and resided there during the Revolutionary War. Afterward he came with the very first settlers to Buncombe County, and, after a few years, moved to Tennessee, and settled on Harpeth River, where he and his wife died. His son, James Alexander, was born in Rowan County, North Carolina, December 23, 1756, on Buffalo Creek. He removed with his father to Lincoln County, where they settled on Crowder's Creek, near Kings Mountain. While living here he fought on the American side at Musgrove's Mill and Kings Mountain, and a camp chest, said to have belonged to Lord Cornwallis, was captured by him in that last fight and is still in Buncombe County. On March 19, 1782, he married in York District, South Carolina, Rhoda Cunningham, who was born October 15, 1763, in Maryland, and removed to South Carolina before her marriage. James Alexander after his marriage removed to Buncombe County with his father and uncle, and settled on Bee Tree, the old Alexander Place. They came over the Swannanoa Gap. The old road through this gap did not cross, as it has often been stated to have done, at the place where the Long or Swannanoa Tunnel is. In later years the stage road did cross at that place. But the old road crossed a half a mile further south. To travel it one would not, as in the case of the later road, leave Old Fort and pass up Mill Creek three miles to where Henry Station, so long the head of the railroad, stood. He would leave Old Fort and go across the creek directly west for about a mile before going into the mountains. Then he would turn to the right, ascend the mountain, cross it at about one-half mile south of Swannanoa Tunnel, and thence pass down the mountain until his road joined the later road above the town of Black Mountain.

This James Alexander was the James Alexander who was one of the justices of Buncombe County's first County Court who organized that county in 1792. The United States paid him a pension throughout his later life for his services in the Revolutionary War; and, after his death on June 28, 1844, in Buncombe County, continued the

pension to his widow, Mrs. Rhoda Alexander, until her death at the same place on January 29, 1848.

James Alexander died at the place where he first settled on Bee Tree. He was a Presbyterian.

James Mitchell Alexander was a son of James Alexander and Rhoda, his wife. On September 8, 1814, he married Nancy Foster, oldest child of Captain Thomas Foster above mentioned, who was born November 17, 1797. In 1816 James Mitchell Alexander removed to Asheville and bought and improved the property on the west side of South Main Street known as the Milliard residence. On this he erected the old house which was removed in 1889 in widening the street and stood just at the turn in the street. By trade he was a saddler, and at this house lived until 1828, carrying on his trade and keeping a hotel. At the last mentioned date, upon the opening of the Buncombe Turnpike, part of which he built as a contractor, he bought and improved the place on the eastern side of French Broad River at Alexander's known in the early days as the "Alexander Hotel" and "French Broad." Here for a great many years he conducted a hotel and mer-

chandise business, and carried on a tanyard, a shoe-shop, a harness-shop, a blacksmith-shop, a grist mill, a saw mill, a farm and a wagon-shop. His hotel was famous from Cincinnati to Charleston for its superior accommodations. In the latter part of his life he turned over his business to his son, the late A. M. Alexander, and one of his sons-in-law, the late J. S. Burnett, and improved a place three miles nearer Asheville called Montrealla. Here he died on June 11, 1858, and was buried in his family burying ground about a half a mile away at Alexander's Chapel, a church named in his honor and built by him. He accumulated a good property. His wife survived him a few years and died January 14, 1862, and is buried by his side. They were Methodists.

Reference has several times been made to James M. Smith. He was the first white child born west of the Blue Ridge in North Carolina. His father, Colonel Daniel Smith, a native of New Jersey, after considerable experience in the Indian wars, and as a soldier on the American side in the Revolutionary War, removed to Buncombe, then Burke, and settled immediately east of the railroad at the first branch above the passenger station at Asheville, on the hill just north of the branch where his cabin stood for many years, and where he died May 17, 1824. He was buried with military honors on the hill where Ferni-hurst now stands; but about 1875 his body was removed to the Newton Academy graveyard where it now rests. The curious and interesting inscription on his tombstone is as follows:

"In memory of Col. Daniel Smith, who departed this life on the 17th May, 1824, Aged 67. A native of New Jersey, an industrious citizen, an honest man, and a brave soldier. The soil which inurns his ashes is a part of the heritage wrested by his valour for his children and his country from a ruthless and savage foe."

His old rifle is still in Asheville. His widow, Mary Smith, who was a daughter of Major William Davidson above mentioned, died April 29, 1842, in the 82d year of her age and is buried by his side.

At the home place of Colonel Daniel Smith just described was born on January 7, 1894, his son, James McConnell Smith. The latter married Polly Patton, daughter of Colonel John Patton hereinbefore mentioned.

He settled in Asheville, and began at the old Buck Hotel and on the opposite side of the street his long and singularly successful career as hotel keeper, merchant and manufacturer of several kinds of articles. He also conducted farming on a large scale, and for many years kept a tanyard in the valley of Gash's Creek between where South Main Street crosses that stream and where Southside Avenue first crossses it going from the public square in Asheville. He was a large landowner in Asheville, and its vicinity, and at the time of his death was a very wealthy man. He died on December 11, 1853, and was buried at the graveyard of his family where Fernihurst is now; but in 1875 his body was removed to, and now rests in, the Newton Academy graveyard. His wife had died in 1843. A numerous family of children and descendants survive him, and are yet living in Buncombe County and elsewhere in the United States.

On August 12, 1869, W. D. Rankin and wife, E. L. Rankin, conveyed what has since been known as Catholic Hill to Rev. James Gibbons for a Catholic Church. About 1874 or 1875 the Catholics built on this lot the brick structure used by them for many years as a church, but in 1889 they bought the lot on Hay wood Street at the corner of Flint and erected on it a Catholic Church, first a frame and later a brick building, the last now standing and very handsome.

The first female school in Asheville was that conducted by John Dickson, D.D., M.D., in the building which stood on the site of a portion of the Drhumor Block. His music teacher had conceived the idea of studying medicine. He taught her in this science, and later gave her material assistance. She was Elizabeth Blackwell, and afterwards became the first woman doctor who ever received a medical diploma in the United States. This school, through various changes, from time to time, was later the Asheville College for Young Women.

In 1846, the late Stephen Lee, a South Carolinian, opened first at the Thornton place near Swannanoa River and later at his residence in Chunn's Cove, now occupied by the Messrs. Armstrong, a boys' school. This he continued to teach until 1879, the time of his death, except during the war, when he was a colonel in the Confederate service, and one session, which he taught in conjunction with Mr. Sturgeon, a Presbyterian preacher, in 1867, at the Newton Academy. Probably no

local school ever had a greater fame, a wider patronage, or a better teacher than Colonel Lee's. Men from all parts of the south sent their boys here to school, and it was nothing unusual to meet in any of the Southern States with a man whose education was begun at Colonel Lee's school near Asheville. He was a graduate of West Point, and a strict disciplinarian, but a kind hearted man.

And yet we are told that in the face of these facts, a few years ago in the Congress of the United States "Mr. Campbell, of Ohio, was showing the percentage of population as to reading, and found Buncombe County, North Carolina, the lowest." (Why We Laugh, by Samuel S. Cox, page 242.)

Asheville's first newspaper, established about 1840, was the Highland Messenger. It was edited by D. R. McAnally, who was a Methodist preacher and later a Methodist editor in Saint Louis. Missouri, where he died in July, 1895. He was born in Granger County, Tennessee, February 17, 1810, and became a preacher when he was nineteen years old. For some years he engaged in preaching and came to Asheville in that work, living at the foot of the hill on the north side of Woodfin Street a little east of the mouth of Vance Street. He edited the Highland Messenger, a weekly paper, for three years, and in 1843 went to Knoxville, Tennessee, where, for eight years, he had charge of a female school, four years of which he also edited a religious newspaper there. In 1851 he went to Saint Louis, Missouri, and there for many years was editor of the Christian Advocate, and was superintendent of a Methodist book concern. When the war on the South was conducted he was imprisoned and suffered much for his outspoken devotion to the cause of the South. He was the author of Life of Martha Laurens Ramsey (1852), Life and Times of Rev. William Patton (1856), Life and Times of Rev. Dr. Samuel Patton (1857), Life and Labors of Bishop Marvin (1878), History of Methodism in Missouri (1881), and a large number of pamphlets. His second wife was a sister of Dr. R. H. Reeves of Asheville.

Such was Asheville's and western North Carolina's first editor. The publishers of the Highland Messenger were Joshua Roberts above mentioned and his brother-in-law, John H. Christy, who later removed

to Athens, Georgia, where he published the Southern Watchman. The first newspaper published in Asheville more frequently than once a week was the Journal, owned and edited by W. H. Deaver, and published by him semi-weekly in 1879 on the western side of the Public Square a little north of the present Smith Drug Store. The Asheville Citizen soon thereafter began to issue, besides its weekly edition, the first daily newspaper published in Asheville.