University of North Carolina at Asheville
D. Hiden Ramsey Library
Special Collections/University Archives

Oral History Register
for

Hyman Dave

OH-VOA D381 Hy

Voices of Asheville Oral History Collection
D.H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, UNCA

Title

Creator

Dorothy Joynes for Voices of Asheville Oral History Collection

Subject

LCSH:
Dave, Hyman
Asheville (N.C.) -- History
Steel, structural -- North Carolina -- Asheville

Subject

Keyword: Downtown City Club ; S&W Cafeteria ; Crowfields ; Sky Club ; Dave Steel Company ; Prohibition

Description

Abstract: Dave discusses his experience living and working in Asheville since 1934, when he moved here to work with his brother as a civil engineer.  He outlines changes that he has seen in the city over time, discussing the growth of traffic and industry, as well as environmental and economic problems.  He talks about popular places in the city, and the changes that he has seen in them through the years.

Publisher

Contributor

Date

Electronic Record Issued: 2002-04-15

Type

Sound ; Text ; Image

Format

Physical Description: 9-page abstract ; 1 90-minute audiocassette and 1 copy ; 11 color photographs ; newspaper articles and brochures

Identifier

Source

OH-VOA D381 Hy

Language

English

Relation

References: VOA Richard and Jane Mathews Oral History ; VOA Leo Finkelstein Oral History

Coverage

Acquisition

Donor number: 146 ;  Date of acquisition: 1998

Processed By

Dorothy Joynes, Ruth Beard and staff

Interview Date

Interview Location

Biography

List of names

Side 1:

Re: the Asheville Downtown City Club. He was chairman of the board for the club in 1979 and resigned in 1986 when he retired from Dave Steel Company.  This is his second trip back as manager until a new manager takes over.

[12]  This is an important club to the city.  There are new eating places and they pull members away, particularly at night, but the standards are high, food good, service excellent and the view from the 16th floor spectacular.  The club has always been in the same location - the Northwestern Bank owned the building before BB&T.

[35]  A falcon was seen on the roof which caused quite a stir - as it ate pigeons which were a pest.  Barney built a nest for it on the roof. (see enclosure).  [Barney Woodson]

[40]  For six months he managed the Asheville Country Club.  He moved to Crowfields in 1979 and has been treasurer since 1986 (see enclosure).

[48]  He describes Crowfields.  It is divided  into two units - condominiums and 34 clusters. There are 192 units in all - all ownership and no assisted care.  Most residents come from Asheville but some from Florida to spend the summer months.

[69]  He previously lived at 140 Lynn Cove Rd. near the Asheville Country Club, which used to be the Beaver Lake Country Club.  Grove Park Hotel bought the previous Asheville Country Club (on Kimberly) and the Asheville Country Club purchased the Beaver Lake golf course and built the club house.  Wolfson had plans to build a clubhouse, but it was too much for him and he sold.  Wolfson owned WLOS, his wife was an artist (see Edith Overby tape).  [Col. Mitchell Wolfson]

[94]  The Consolidated Realty, out of Baltimore, practically owned Asheville in 1929.  Beaver Lake was one of the new communities to develop before the Depression. The swimming pool on the south side was the only place to swim.  There was no change house.  He never saw the lake without water and tells about ice skating in the winter.  He came to Asheville in 1929 for the summer months and moved here in 1935.

[128]  The city has grown, traffic increased, industries have come in but basically there is not much concern about congestion.

[150]  The economic conditions during the last few years have caused many industries to close up but living conditions for employees are good and they will return.

[157]  He has been on the Industrial Commission of the Chamber of Commerce.  Champion Paper and Fiber moved in, then Enka, and Beacon in Swannanoa.

[172]  There was no concern about pollution at the time the companies moved in.  Drinking water was superior at the time he came - everyone was talking about it.  He remembers discussions about soft coal (see George Coggins) - a haze settled over the city.  The open cut didn't make any difference.  It was difficult to breathe while going through the tunnel and a bottle-neck was created.

[200]  Tunnel Road started to build up as soon as the tunnel was opened.  Buck's Drive In with speaker boxes and trays attached to car windows was tremendously popular.  The Red Carpet Room inside was for fine dining (see Nancy Marlow).  Later Babe Maloy's opened.  Liquor was brought in brown bags - not to be exposed on the table.  ["Buck" J.O. Buchanan, George C. Maloy]

[236]  The county opposed the sale of liquor but Asheville passed a referendum and ABC stores were opened - the first city in WNC to do so.  Areas asked to be annexed so they could sell liquor.  The city agreed to give a percentage to the county to keep peace.  Liquor by the drink came later (see photo ABC store).

[273]  Weir was city manager, Candler was chairman of the Buncombe County Commissioners.  Dave served on the ABC board for a number of years.  "The Bible Belt is a powerful organization."  [Weldon Weir, Coke Candler]

[297]  During prohibition moonshiners sold white lightning by the bottle (made from corn - that's why it was white - and powerful.  He knew Bailey and Brown (see file on Morrissey).  [Jesse James Bailey, Lawrence Brown]

[317]  The Sky Club was the only place outside of Buck's where one could go.  The building, now a condominium (see Robert Griffin), was converted from a private home.  There were three floors with the main dining room and dancing on the top (see enclosure). There also was an eating place on the river on the way to Swannanoa (Castle Cafe) and next to it a family restaurant. [Gus and Emma Adler]

[350]  When big bands came to town, there was dancing in the tobacco warehouse that the city later used for trucks.  It has since been torn down.  Sometimes there were dances at the old Battery Park Hotel, Grove Park Hotel, and the Langren Hotel (see Gibbs tape - he said no dancing at Langren).

[367]  The Langren Hotel was very popular but went out of business because it did not modernize.  The Northwestern Bank needed parking so bought it for a garage.

[380]  The Plaza Theatre was on the corner of Pack Square.  The largest theatre was on Patton Ave., and one on College Street (see Gibbs tape).  Vaudeville died out in the early 30's.  The biggest change in the city was on Haywood Street.

[409]  At first, until the traffic increased, the malls didn't hurt downtown business much.  There were many empty lots, and as they filled up the city built parking decks.   There is still need for more on-street parking.  He visited Boulder, Colorado where the main thoroughfare has been turned into a walking street..  There isn't an empty store in 5 blocks.

[436]  If there is hope of getting vibrancy back in the city there need to be facilities for people to live there.  It will be difficult to get big stores back.  Parking is a problem.  People dress as they want in malls and feel more relaxed (see McGuire tape).

[466] The club has had to go with the times.  A new notice to members calls for "smart casual."  Men don't want to wear ties and some industrial leaders say their clients don't want to dress up.  He has always had an interest in the club, enjoys seeing friends and has always been a member.

[501]  Since retirement from Dave Steel Company, he has remained active with the Temple, Kiwanis, and now Crowfields (see enclosure).

Side 2:

He came to Asheville from Durham for summer in 1929 and then moved here in 1934 as a civil engineer.  He worked with his brother who started Dave Steel Company during the Depression after S.S. Sternberg and Co. and Asheville Steel and Foundry closed.  They had practically no equipment but worked hard and grew, putting up buildings and prefabricating steel for industries all over the country (see enclosure by Ted Carter).  [Joseph Dave]

[2/27] They worked for the Navy, building parts to be used in Charlotte, NC for LSM ships, and were awarded the E in 1944 and again in 1945. (enclosure)

[2/40]  The plant on Meadows Rd. was originally Asheville Steel and Salvage Co., which closed a few years ago.  Dave had started the plant and sold it to Huntsman and Strange, only to repurchase it as space was needed. [John L. Huntsman, Murray H. Strain]

[2/54]  Over the years Dave has supplied steel parts for many big companies (see lists in enclosure).

[2/67] Despite the fact that Asheville is not a good place for this type of work (shipping, transportation) people like living here and the people are hard workers.

[2/82]  He liked working with all types of people and found them friendly, honest and sincere.  The company was a "family affair."

[2/100]  He has been away from the job since 1976 but feels the workers are not as interested in their jobs as in the past.  He feels this shift was brought about by people seeing some people successful and others not - they want to get what they can. "Maybe not being brought up in the family life the way that people were before - where you really had to work to make a living.  You did things together as a family."  There is a problem with drugs and alcohol.  The parents gave their children too much to start with saying, "I don't want to work like my parents worked."

[2/129]  He was brought up in a home where religion meant a great deal.  He is President of the Board of Governors and the House Committee of his Temple.   He was part of the original Jewish Center on Charlotte Street.  We discuss its programs and history (see Mathews and Finkelstein tapes).

[2/150]  Weir did a lot for the city - he was a "go getter" and though "a lot didn't like him, history will look back on him."  [Weldon Weir]

[2/172]  He married Evelyn from Hendersonville in 1938.  They had three children - the boys were twins.  His wife died in 1974 and he remarried a widow from New York with three sons.  [Evelyn Lewis Dave, Ellen Dave (Sacramento), Kenneth Dave (Tucson),  Stephen (Hamilton, Ohio)  Dorothy Sellinger, David (Houston), Stephen (Atlanta ), Howard (Clyde Savings in Asheville)]

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