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LARGE HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS: A WORLD OF CHANGES

IN THE COMPLEX,  CHANGING, AND BIG MONEY WORLD OF LARGE  HEALTH CARE SYSTEMS    

WHKP.com News last week reported that the “due diligence” is continuing on the proposed sale of Asheville’s Mission Health system (valued at about $1.8 billion) to HCA of Nashville, Tennessee. But not all proposed sales, mergers, or other co-operative agreements between hospitals and hospital system work out. The proposed agreement between UNC Health Care, with whom Hendersonville’s Pardee Hospital is associatedh, and Charlotte’s Atrium Health (formerly Carolinas HealthCare System) l) is a good example.

Media Health Leaders reported last month that talks about any possible deal between UNC Health Care and Atrium have been suspended.

And a spokesperson for Pardee Hospital last week confirmed that talks between the two large hospital systems has been suspended.

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There were reportedly issues over who would lead the proposed new organization, some serious questions raised by North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, and other “business opportunities”...all cited by Health Leaders as reasons why the proposed deal fell through.

Separate statements were issued last month by both organizations on why the deal never got off the ground.
As Health Leaders reported, Atrium, the Charlotte-based nonprofit, said it suspended the discussions with UNC Health Care in a letter last month from Atrium President and CEO Gene Woods and Board of Commissioners Chairman Ed Brown.

The statement that followed from UNC Health Care suggested, however, that the matter was more of a joint decision.

“After months of discussions and due diligence, UNC Health Care and Atrium Health have determined that we cannot satisfy our mutual organizational goals through a proposed partnership and joint operating company,” UNC Health Care System CEO William L. Roper, MD, MPH, and UNC Health Care Board of Directors Chairman Dale Jenkins said in a statement.

That news came after talks between the two organizations hit a snag last month over which would retain a top leadership role after the merger, as The News & Observer reported.
Sarah E. Wilson, principal analyst of market access insights at Decision Resources Group in Nashville, said this contention over which leadership team would steer the joint operating company appears to be the main issue that sank the Atrium-UNC deal.

“You have two powerhouse systems in their respective markets, and I think neither system wanted to give up any control,” Wilson told HealthLeaders Media.
“There were also questions as to how this merger would impact patients in North Carolina,” Wilson added. “That may have added pressure to the negotiations, though that has not been stated by either party outright.”
In addition to conflict between the two organizations, the potential merger faced pressure from North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein, who sent a letter last month to the CEOs of both hospital systems, as the Charlotte Observer reported.

“Experience cautions that large-scale health system mergers are often not in the public interest,” Stein wrote in the letter. “The State and the public have a right to know the facts behind your proposal. Therefore, we seek information to assess whether the proposed combination would increase prices for health care, reduce choices available to patients and payors, or otherwise harm North Carolina patients, North Carolina businesses, or the State itself.”
That statement by the attorney general raises the question: will there be similar concerns raised over the possible sale of Mission’s health care system to HCA?
The Atrium-UNC deal had also faced opposition from BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina.

As for other "business opportunities", the day after it announced its name change last month, the Atrium system reached across state lines to partner with Navicent Health in Macon, Georgia.
Mergers, sales, management agreements, and other arrangements between hospitals and particularly between large hospital systems are complex with many details and implications for patients and patient care.

As the “due diligence” continues between Mission Health and HCA, and with all the "principals" involved optimistic about the outcome, the attempted UNC Health Care-Atrium arrangement is a good example...that while sales, mergers and other arrangements between large health care providers is the order of the day and seems to be the way of the future, not all of them work out and end as planned.

By Larry Freeman WHKP.com

 

 

 

 

"DUE DILIGENCE" NOW UNDERWAY FOR SALE OF ASHEVILLE'S MISSION HEALTH TO HCA HEALTHCARE

'HCA HEALTHCARE APPRECIATES THAT MISSION HEALTH HAS THE CAPACITY TO CONTINUE TO WORK ALONE, AND YET WE BOTH RECOGNIZE THAT MEETING OUR CORE MISSIONS COULD BE ACHIEVED MORE EFFECTIVELY TOGETHER."   

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Mission Hospital is now in the early stages of the “due diligence” process leading up to the likely sale of the huge Mission Hospital system to HCA Healthcare based in Nasheville, Tennessee.

Nancy Lyndell, a spokesman for Mission Hospital, recently told WHKP News that the “due diligence” process will likely take 3 to 6 months...and it started earlier this year when the announcement of the possible sale was made late in March.

Mission Health is already the largest hospital system in western North Carolina and one of the largest in the state. Even though recent figures show the Mission Hospital system has a value of about $1.8 billion, Lyndell says no “sale price” has been put on the Mission system at this time, although a figure will likely develop somewhere in the process.

Back late in March, Mission Health’s Board of Directors announced that it had signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to enter into exclusive discussions to join HCA Healthcare which was founded 50 years ago by two physicians. The Mission Board’s unanimous decision to execute the LOI with HCA Healthcare, said the Board. reflects Mission’s long-term vision and commitment to preserve and expand Mission Health’s world-class quality of care within a rapidly consolidating healthcare industry.

HCA Healthcare is one of the nation’s leading providers of healthcare services and uses its extensive resources to strengthen hospitals, deliver patient-focused care and improve the practice of medicine. A Mission Hospital press release in March pointed out that the LOI is an important, proactive step to ensure Mission Health remains well-positioned to continue to meet the unique needs of western North Carolina as the healthcare environment continues to evolve.

A key component of the proposed agreement is the establishment of a new foundation that would provide substantial annual investments dedicated to improving the health and well-being of the citizens of western North Carolina. And spokesperson Lyndell told WHKP News that plans are continuing fort the formation of that foundation. In addition, as part of HCA Healthcare, Mission Health is expected to generate millions of dollars in tax revenues for the area. One un-official estimate is this sale to HCA could generate some $10 million in tax revenue for Asheville-Buncombe County as the status of the Mission system will no longer be “not-for-profit” and thus “tax exempt”, but will become a part of the taxable “for profit” HCA system.

According to the March press release, “The Mission Board, all of whom are community members who care deeply about ensuring access to high quality care for the people of western North Carolina for generations to come, is confident that HCA Healthcare is the right and best choice for Mission’s team members and providers, its patients and the communities we are privileged to serve,” said Mission Health Board Chair John R. Ball, MD. “We are extremely excited about this unprecedented opportunity to create an even stronger cornerstone of value, access and quality.”

“HCA Healthcare is a leading healthcare operator that offers advantages on a scale that would be difficult, if not impossible, to achieve otherwise,” Dr. Ball said. “As important, the newlyformed foundation will be life-changing for the residents of our region, providing tens of millions of dollars annually in new support for the most vulnerable.”

“Mission Health has a more than 130-year tradition of caring for communities throughout western North Carolina, and we are excited to formalize discussions with them about how we can help continue their impressive legacy,” said Milton Johnson, HCA Healthcare’s chairman and CEO. “As a healthcare provider founded by physicians 50 years ago, we appreciate the way Mission Health has served western North Carolina with a level of excellence that has earned national recognition as one of the top 15 healthcare systems in the country. We appreciate the opportunity to discuss becoming an integral part of their community.”

In making the announcement in March, Mission Health’s Board Vice Chair, John W. Garrett, MD, noted that even though HCA Healthcare is one of the nation’s leading health system operators, it does not currently have operations in North Carolina. “HCA Healthcare is attracted to Mission Health for many reasons, including the reputation of Mission Health clinicians and broader team to deliver best-in-class care and patient outcomes and our shared commitment to innovation. When combined with the ability of the newly formed foundation to enhance access in underserved communities and to invest in solving some of healthcare’s most complex and intractable problems – health risks that are beyond the reach of traditional medicine – it’s an ideal opportunity for our community,” said Dr. Garrett.

“HCA Healthcare appreciates that Mission Health has the capacity to continue its work alone, and yet we both recognize that meeting our core missions could be achieved more effectively together. It is a tribute to the Mission Health Board and team that we are in such a position of strength that we can make the best choice for our people, our patients and our communities,” said Mission Health President and CEO Ronald A. Paulus, MD.

“We are excited to be considering joining HCA Healthcare and benefitting from its caliber and exceptional capabilities in research, clinical trials, data analytics, graduate medical education and more. We believe that HCA Healthcare uniquely provides the experience, scale and resources that will enable Mission Health to enhance and expand our services in western North Carolina,” said Dr. Paulus. “In return, joining HCA Healthcare would allow Mission Health to share our quality and clinical outcome best practices with the broader HCA Healthcare family to the benefit of communities across the nation.”

“It is important to us that HCA Healthcare expresses a commitment to supporting our clinical best practices and our communities’ values,” Dr. Paulus added. “The recognition HCA Healthcare continues to earn for being one of the world’s most ethical companies is compelling.” For the past nine years, HCA Healthcare has been ranked as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by the world leader in business ethics, the Ethisphere Institute.

The transaction contemplated by the LOI is subject to the negotiation of a definitive agreement and applicable regulatory approval.

To learn more and stay informed, the public is invited to visit missionhealthforward.org.

 

 

WINTER OFFICIALLY BEGAN ON THURSDAY AT 11:28 AM WITH THE "WINTER SOLSTICE"

AFTER THAT, THE DAYS GRADUALLY GET LONGER   

The winter solstice marks the shortest day of the year in terms of hours of daylight.

However, the solstice is a signal of more daylight to come in the following days, and it's one of the origins of the modern winter holidays.

The winter solstice 2017 in the Northern Hemisphere will be at 11:28 a.m. EST on Thursday, Dec. 21. In the Southern Hemisphere, that day is the summer solstice and the longest day of the year.

The solstice marks the moment the sun shines at its most southern point, directly over the Tropic of Capricorn. According to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson, since Earth is tilted on its axis by 23.5 degrees, the Northern and Southern hemispheres trade places in receiving the sun’s light and warmth most directly. The tilt of the Earth – not our distance from the sun – is what causes winter and summer.

The word solstice means “sun stand” or “sun stands still.”

On the winter solstice, all locations south of the equator have day lengths greater than 12 hours. Meanwhile, all locations north of the equator have day lengths less than 12 hours. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel—literally. After the winter solstice, the days gradually get longer and the nights shorter.

“It’s really a standing point in the movement of the sun,” said Anthony Aveni, a professor of astronomy and anthropology and Native American studies at Colgate University.

Solar Winter Graph

According to Aveni, the tension over whether the sun would ever come back caused ancient peoples to wonder what they could do to appease the gods.

For example, the Greeks made offerings to the god Apollo, the Incas to the sun god Inti and the Mayans to the god Kinich Ahau. For a week each December, the ancient Romans also celebrated the solstice by honoring the god Saturn.

When Christianity came onto the world scene, Aveni said, those ancient solstice celebrations evolved into Christmas. He said the time of the birth of Jesus Christ was not actually in December but was changed to fit the season’s celebrations.

ON THIS PEARL HARBOR DAY, WHKP.COM REMEMBERS...

MARK ALEXANDER RHODES   

On this Pearl Harbor Day 2017, our family honors the memory of our late cousin Mark Alexander Rhodes.

Born in Edneyville on 7 March 1920 and a product of Edneyville schools, Mark made the ultimate sacrifice while serving his country aboard the USS Arizona, sunk by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor Honolulu Hawaii on December 7, 1941.

Mark is buried at the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor.

Hendersonville’s Hedrick-Rhodes Post 5206 of the VFW is named partially in honor of Mark’s service and sacrifice.

By Larry Freeman

 

 

ON THE BIRTHDAY OF NORTH CAROLINA'S FIRST JEWISH LEGISLATOR: WHKP.COM HONORS HANAKKAH COMING ON DECEMBER 12TH

WITH HANAKKAH COMING UP ON TUESDAY DECEMBER 12, WHKP.COM WOULD LIKE TO HONOR ALL THOSE UPSTANDING MEMBERS OIF THE LOCAL JEWISH COMMUNITY WHO HAVE PLAYED SUCH MAJOR ROLES IN MAKING HENDERSONVILLE AND HENDERSON COUNTY THE "SPECIAL" PLACE IT IS TODAY.  OF COURSE, WE RECALL THE KAPLANS, AND KALINS, THE PATTERSON, THE SHERMANS, THE WILLIAMS,  AND ALL THE OTHER GREAT JEWISH FAMILES WHO HAVE BEEN OUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS...AND WHO HAVE SERVED OUR COMMUNITY SO WELL.

OTHER JEWISH LEADERS IN NORTH CAROLINA HAVE STOOD UP FOR JUSTICE, FREEDOM, AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN PARTICULAR...AND TODAY WE'D LIKE TO HONOR ONE OF THE GREATEST AMONG THEM:

HONORING JACOB HENRY OF CARTARET COUNTY  (HIS HOME PICTURED HERE)...A LEADER IS RELIGIOUS LIBERTY   

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On December 6, 1809, Jacob Henry, North Carolina’s first Jewish legislator, delivered a rousing speech about religious liberty to the General Assembly. Henry represented Carteret County in 1808 and 1809, a time in which people were bound constitutionally to affirm the “truth of the Protestant religion” before holding any public office. He served his first term without incident, but in 1809 a newly-elected representative took issue with Henry’s religious affiliation and introduced a resolution to remove him from office.

The legislators decided to take up the resolution the next day, giving Henry time to prepare his defense. Without specifically mentioning Judaism, he addressed “natural and inalienable rights” and equalized religious sects with phrases such as, “the ruler of the universe.”

Ultimately Jacob Henry was allowed to retain his seat. His inspiring and eloquent speech to the 1809 General Assembly, has been published and quoted frequently ever since. It is considered a touchstone of religious rights and tolerance.

Visitors to Beaufort can see the Federal era house that he built at 229 Front Street, where it still stands today. Henry lived there with his wife, Esther Whitehurst, whom he married in 1801.

A highway marker in Carteret County honors Henry.

 

 

AS WHKP CONTINUES TO CELEBRATE OUR 71ST YEAR, TODAY WE HONOR "REAL COUNTRY" ICON, CHRISTIAN, AND PATRIOT--- CHARLIE DANIELS ON HIS 81ST BIRTHDAY

READ HIS OPEN LETTER TO U.S. SENATOR CHUCK SCHUMER BELOW   

BORN IN WILMINGTON NC OCTOBER 28, 1936   

Famed Musician Charlie Daniels

On October 28, 1936, musician Charlie Daniels was born in Wilmington. Daniels developed an interest in music early in life and was strongly influenced by a number of styles. He honed his skills on guitar, mandolin and fiddle in North Carolina, learning to play his first chords from his friend Russell Palmer. After graduating from Goldston High School in 1955, he formed a rock and roll band with Palmer, playing a Saturday show on a Sanford radio station.

Moving back to Wilmington, Daniels began playing with an R&B group, The Rockets. Their recording of “Jaguar” was picked up for national distribution by Epic in 1957. Throughout the 1960s he gained more national attention, co-wiritng a song performed by Elvis Presley and playing with Bob Dylan.

In 1970, he formed the Charlie Daniels Band, which gained fame for playing its acclaimed melding of rock, country, blues, bluegrass and gospel. The band’s hits include “Uneasy Rider,” “Long Haired Country Boy,” “The South’s Gonna Do it Again” and “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.”

Daniels’s many musical accolades include membership in the Grand Ole Opry; induction into the N.C. Music Hall of Fame; and several Grammy, CMA and Gospel Music Association awards.

 An Open Letter to Senator Charles Schumer

Sen. Schumer, I don't live in your constituency but in the larger picture, you live in mine and every other legal, taxpaying American citizen who is affected by the power you hold in your political party, your blind allegiance to it and the obstructionist posture to anything that doesn't directly benefit it.

There's something sinister about seeing you bent over the lectern in the Senate Chamber, your countenance resembling what I would imagine Edgar Allen Poe's would look like reciting one of his macabre tales of doom and gloom, as if there is not one drop of happiness in your life, forecasting a dismal future for America if anything President Trump proposes passes both houses and becomes law.

I know you're disappointed, I know you had the balloons ready to fall and the corks halfway out of the champagne bottles election night and I know you just can't face the truth that what happened in the election was exactly the same thing you continue to do, you forgot about the working people, you forgot about the empty factories of the rust belt, you took for granted the high crime, low employment inner cities you've made unkept promises to for decades.

Instead of looking inward at the real cause for your party's loss you had to find a scape goat and if it hadn't have been Russia it would have been something else.

Sen. Schumer, will you do me and America a favor, will you lay your hand on a Holy Bible and tell America that you believe in your heart that Donald Trump has actually colluded with Vladimir Putin and the Russian Government to the detriment of the United States of America.

You see sir, everything you've come up with so far, and you've been at it since well before the election, has been superficial, and I believe that anything your special counsel will come up with will also be superficial, guilt by association, the fires of trivially fanned and proliferated by a tilted, hate filled media and super partisan politicians.

Sen. Schumer, what goes around truly does come around and if, or should I say when, this pendulum starts swinging back the other way, do you realize that Mr. Mueller could actually find a lot more dirt on prominent democrats than they do Trump and his staff.

You have opened Pandora's Box, sir, and basically thrown away the lid.

Now it’s time to chop the log and let the chips fall where they will.

If President Trump has actually colluded with the Russians or any other foreign government, or sold out my beloved nation in any way, I definitely want to know about it, and if he has he should be impeached and thrown out of office in disgrace, but right now you're a hell of a long way from proving even one little iota of your accusations.

Now let's turn this coin over.

Did or did not Hillary Clinton allow Russia to purchase up to 20% of American uranium reserves?

Who leaked the classified information that started this ball rolling? For the investigation to be valid, that has to come out.

Did Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton's State department through incompetence, indifference or both allow four American citizens to die in Benghazi?

Careful how you answer this one because the jury and some explosive evidence are still out there and could well be brought to light in a few months.

Did or did not Hillary, by using an unsecured internet server and allowing Huma Abedin to email copies to her husband, Anthony Weiner, expose classified documents?

Was there collusion between the Obama administration and the IRS to disallow tax free status to conservative organizations?

If not, why did Lois Lerner plead the Fifth Amendment and retire with full benefits?

You see sir, Pandora is neither a Democrat or a Republican and what is revealed in the coming months could well be a two-edged sword.

Careful what you wish for.

What do you think?

Pray for our troops, our police and the peace of Jerusalem.

God Bless America

— Charlie Daniels

RURAL (RFD) FREE MAIL DELIVERY STARTED IN NORTH CAROLINA ON OCTOBER 23, 1896

AS WHKP CELEBRATES 71 YEARS, WE HONOR OUR STATE'S HISTORY, TOO     

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On October 23, 1896, the first rural free delivery, or RFD mail service in North Carolina was established in the small community of China Grove, near Salisbury in Rowan County.

Postal service via RFD included the delivery of all postal items, free of charge, to citizens at their homes, eliminating the need to visit the local post office. Initially only two citizens were willing to accept the service. Local skepticism for the mail delivery stemmed from concerns about theft and reliability.

Postmaster J.C. Deaton, with two assistants, canvassed the area around China Grove, pleading for local residents to try the system. The new routes covered approximately 18 miles in Rowan County, and were slowly expanded as citizen began to trust the RFD system. Although development was slow, today’s postal system can be traced to this scheme first tested out in North Carolina.

Mail service began in North Carolina in the 1730s as the colonial government extended postal routes through the Carolinas to Charleston. By the 1780s, there were only four post offices in North Carolina. By 1851, the number of post offices had increased to nearly 800.00000000000000000000

"HANG DOWN YOUR HEAD, TOM DOOLEY"...DULA CONVICTED OF MURDER OCTOBER 21, 1866

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AS WHKP CELEBRATES NORTH CAROLINA HISTORY...AND OUR 71ST YEAR   

Tom Dula: Poor Boy Was Bound to Die

On October 21, 1866, Tom Dula was convicted of the murder of Laura Foster. It was at daybreak that the jury returned the verdict in the Iredell County Courthouse, where it had been moved from Wilkes County. The jury had not received their orders from the judge until about midnight the night before. They deliberated during the night. The defense moved for an arrest of judgment, which was overruled and the judge pronounced sentence: that Thomas Dula be hanged by the neck until dead on November 9, 1866. Former Governor Zebulon B. Vance represented Dula pro bono.

Speculation abounded as to Vance’s reasons for taking the case, one of the few he ever lost before a jury. Regardless of his motives, he gave a spirited defense and succeeded in twice taking the case to the North Carolina Supreme Court. The crowds of spectators and reporters that appeared in the courtroom were as likely there to see the charismatic Vance as they were to hear the sensational testimony. Ultimately, however, the High Court upheld the conviction and Dula was hanged for the crime in May 1868.

YOU MAY HEAR THE KINGSTON TRIO'S FAMOUS SONG FROM TIME TO TIME...ON REAL COUNTRY 

 

 

THE STATUE THAT FOR MANY YEARS HAS GRACED HENDERSONVILLE CITY HALL...DEDICATED BY PRES. TRUMAN ON OCTOBER 19 IN 1948

CELEBRATING LOCAL HISTORY...

AS WHKP CONTINUES TO CELEBRATE 71 YEARS!

Truman Joins His Predecessors in Raleigh, 1948

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Truman speaking at the statue dedication. Image from UNC-Chapel Hill Libraries.On October 19, 1948, President Harry S. Truman visited Raleigh and delivered the main address at the unveiling of the “Presidents North Carolina Gave the Nation” monument on Union Square, which surrounds the State Capitol.

The work honors the three presidents born in North Carolina: Andrew Jackson of Union County, seventh president of the United States (1829-1837); James Knox Polk of Mecklenberg County, eleventh president of the United States (1845-1849); and Andrew Johnson of Wake County, seventeenth president of the United States (1865-1869). Interestingly, while North Carolina claims all three presidents as native sons, all were elected while residents of Tennessee.

The idea for the statue was conceived by Commissioner of Revenue A. J. Maxwell. He took the idea to several legislators and a resolution calling for the monument’s creation passed the General Assembly in March 1943, though work didn’t get underway until a commission was created to complete the project in 1945.

Several sculptors submitted designs for the monument, but the commission ultimately chose New York sculptor Charles Keck for the project. It was one of Keck’s last major works as an artist.

Image from UNC-Chapel Hill Libraries.Governor R. Gregg Cherry, Secretary of the Army Kenneth Royall, U.S. senator and former governor Clyde Hoey and descendants of each of the three presidents joined Truman in dedicating the monument.

The FORMS from which the statues were made are still displayed in the Hendersonville City Hall, lower floor, next to the Police Department. 

 

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THOMAS WOLFE'S "LOOK HOMEWARD, ANGEL" FIRST PUBLISHED 88 YEARS AGO WEDNESDAY OCT. 18

THE HISTORIC ANGEL NOW STANDING IN HENDERSONVILLE'S OAKDALE CEMETERY     

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"THE OLD KENTUCKY HOME" STATE HISTORIC SITE" IN ASHEVILLE   

AS WHKP CELEBRATES 71 YEARS OF OUR OWN HISTORY IN WNC   

On October 18, 1929, Charles Scribner’s Sons published Look Homeward, Angel, the best-known novel by Asheville author Thomas Wolfe. Inspired by a marble angel outside his father’s monument shop on Pack Square, Wolfe wrote his first and largely autobiographical novel about the fictional Gant family wherein the father is a volatile stonecutter and the mother a business-minded boardinghouse operator.

Wolfe was only 6 when his own mother, Julia Westall Wolfe, left her husband and older children and bought the “Old Kentucky Home,” a rambling Victorian boardinghouse in downtown Asheville, to which she brought young Tom. With his family divided, Tom felt lost amongst his mother’s tenants and resentful of the changes the tourists were wreaking on his hometown.

Always aware of the life and people around him, Wolfe later turned his observations into a novel in which his mother’s boardinghouse became “Dixieland” and Asheville, the fictional town of “Altamont.” Although names were changed, Asheville residents still recognized Wolfe’s characters as themselves and were scandalized. Only in 1937, a year before he died, did Wolfe return home to visit. He was, however, buried in Asheville’s Riverside Cemetery. His mother’s boardinghouse is now the Thomas Wolfe Memorial, one of 27 state historic sites.

CHARLIE "CHOO CHOO" JUSTICE DIED 14 YEARS AGO TUESDAY---HE'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR LEGACY AT WHKP---AS WE CELEBRATE OUR 71ST YEAR!

CHOO CHOO DIED 14 YEARS AGO TODAY (OCTOBER 17, 2003) AT THE AGE OF 79 AT HIS HOME IN CHERRYVILLE, NC.   

 Choo

HE'S IN THE PHOTO WITH UNC TEAM MATE ART WEINER ANOTHER FOOTBALL GREAT IN 1949    

On October 17, 2003, football star Charlie “Choo Choo” Justice died at his home in Cherryville at the age of 79. A native of Western North Carolina, Justice acquired his nickname in the Navy, into which he was drafted in 1943. Seeing him dodge tacklers for the Bainbridge Naval Training Center team, an officer remarked, “He looks like a runaway train. We ought to call him ‘Choo Choo.'”

After the war, Justice played for UNC, though many other college vied for his talents. From 1946 to 1949, while Justice played for the Tar Heels, the team had a record of 32-9-2, went to three bowl games and even achieved a number one ranking in the AP Top 10. Justice was named National Player of the Year in 1948, was runner up for the Heisman Trophy in 1948 and 1949 and remains in the record books at UNC for a number of achievements.

Justice played for the Washington Redskins in the National Football League in 1950 and again between 1952 and 1954, before retiring to work in the oil business and then in the insurance industry. He was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1963.

Choo Choo was well known and liked in the Hendersonville area in the oil business and later in the insurance business.   And he was always a special friend to WHKP. 

A RECORD-SETTING HEAT WAVE THAT STARTED 34 YEARS AGO TODAY: HENDERSONVILLE HIT 100 DEGREES FOR THE FIRST TIME IN RECORDED WEATHER HISTORY

HENDERSON COUNTY WEATHER RECORD WERE SET IN THE HEAT WAVE OF AUGUST 18 THROUGH 24 1983

Some of the hottest temperatures in Henderson County’s recordedw eather history occurred August 18th through the 24th in 1983.

85 degrees is the long term average high temperature for Hendersonville on those days. But on August 18 in 1983, Hendersonville set a new record high for the date of 94 degrees. The next day, August 19th, was even hotter with a new record high for the date of96 degrees.

Then, for the first time since weather records had been kept in Hendersonville dating back to the late 1800s, on the next day August 29th 1983, about 3 in the afternoon, Hendersonville set an all time record high for that date of 100 degrees. The temperatures was recorded at WHKP, Hendersonville’s official weather observation station for the National Weather Service.

Temperatures cooled off slightly the next couple of days, with highs of 99 degrees on the 21st and 96 on the 22nd.

But on the 23rd, the heat wave expanded...and Hendersonville set it’s all timed record high temperature of 101 degrees just before 4 pm that day. On duty in Broadcast House that afternoon, we noted that the plate glass windows facing Four Seasons Boulevard from our control room were too hot to touch.

94 degrees was the high temperature the next day on August 24th, and the following day, the heat wave was broken up in the usual way with a series of severe thunderstorms...and temperatures returned to more seasonal levels.

It’s worth noting too....that during that record-setting heat wave in August 1983, overnight low temperatures were not really “low” at all...but stayed in the 70s overnight, which was about 10 degrees hotter than the long term average low for Hendersonville for those days in August.

By Larry Freeman

A WHKP ON-LINE EDITORIAL: WILL JUSTICE BE DONE FOR TOMMY BRYSON?

WILL JUSTICE BE DONE FOR TOMMY BRYSON?

A WHKP.COM ON-LINE EDITORIAL

AUGUST 1, 2017

Prosecutors have indicated it’s their intention to seek the death penalty for Tommy Bryson’s accused kidnapper and killer, Philip Michael Stroupe II, Good. But how likely is it that justice, swift and sure, in the form of the death penalty, will REALLY happen in this local capital murder case?

In North Carolina, the death penalty has been upheld by the courts and can only be used when someone has died in the commission of a crime.

We advocated the death penalty for the individuals responsible for the terrifying home invasion and brutal, senseless murders of virtually helpless and completely defenseless Connie and Ricky Sparks in Hendersonville in November of 2007. If ever there was a local case that cried out for the extreme penalty, it was that one. Life sentences were imposed by our local courts instead.

We also advocated the death penalty in the 2009 home invasion and homicide of a man as good and decent as Oscar Lee “Poochie” Corn that year. Corn had finished reading his Bible that awful night and was about to work a shift at Ingles when a crime that we all shudder to imagine happened in the sanctity of his home. The end result was no death penalty, but life in prison instead.

The death penalty is supposed to be the ultimate deterrent to such horrible crimes. But in fact, the death penalty is used so seldom in even the most extreme cases, where innocent people have died, here and across North Carolina, that it’s hardly a deterrent at all.

And this unfortunate reluctance by the “system” to use the full force of law and impose “equal justice” on those who have taken innocent lives has sadly been going on for many years, almost to the point of establishing a precedent against the death penalty. A few weeks ago, we observed the 51st anniversary of Henderson County’s infamous “triple murder”. Though never officially solved, the primary suspect in that case was Edward Thompson who kidnapped and assaulted a local woman, shot a deputy sheriff, and terrorized the whole community for weeks. Thompson’s crimes were so atrocious and horrible he was declared an “outlaw” by the governor of North Carolina, under the law at that time, which would have allowed anyone in the community to shoot Thompson on sight. In the end though, Thompson was allowed, by our local courts and the criminal justice system, to live out his days at the expense of the very communities and taxpayers whose lives he shattered and filled with fear...while serving a life sentence.

Just as loudly as these cases, where the whole community had been shaken by the violent, senseless, criminal horror of it all,, the Tommy Bryson kidnapping and homicide is crying out for justice...and for the death penalty for his accused killer, Philip Michael Stroupe II.

We’re not lawyers and don’t pretend to know all the finer points and legal complications involved in capital crimes and the death penalty. But we do know and understand the need for simple justice, sure and swift.

The reluctance of our criminal justice system, here, statewide, and across the country to use the tools it has for justice and to protect us all is a frightening thing for decent, law abiding folks. And what happened to a good man like Tommy Bryson, on his way to take a family member to the doctor, and allegedly at the hands of a fugitive outlaw filled with evil and brutality, is inexcusable, unforgivable, and worthy of no mercy at all.

But, as in the cases of victims like the Sparks and Corn, and with the worst of the worst like Edward Thompson...the Tommy Bryson kidnapping and homicide is now in the hands of a justice system that has let us down in the past...and clearly failed to deter such horrible capital crimes.

Fellow citizens, remain vigilant and let’s watch the prosecution of Stroupe and all the others who may have harbored him or were accessories in his crimes, very closely. And if, when all is said and done, some legal “cop out” is used and the ultimate deterrent is not imposed and carried out...the time will have come to hold the “system” and those elected or appointed who make the laws, interpret the laws, and enforce the laws, those who hold these offices and the public’s trust, fully and completely accountable. Enough is enough.

As always, we invite your comments...on our comments.

By WHKP News Director Larry Freeman August 2017

JULY 22 MARKS THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF CARL SANDBURG, JULY 22ND, 1967

"HE WAS AMERICA."    

THE LATE KERMIT EDNEY MADE THE SOLEMN ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE HENDERSONVILLE COMMUNITY AND TO THE WORLD ON WHKP RADIO ON JULY 22ND, 1967...THAT CARL SANDBURG HAD DIED.

THE BELOVED POET, LINCOLN BIOGRAPHER, FOLKSONG SINGER, WINNER OF THREE PULITZER PRIZES, AND RAISER OF CHAMPIONSHIP GOATS...CARL SANDBURG...DIED ON JULY 22ND, 1967 AT HIS HOME KNOWN AS "CONNEMARA" IN FLAT ROCK, NORTH CAROLINA.  

LARGELY THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA CONGRESSMAN ROY A. TAYLOR AND THE GENEROSITY OF MRS. SANDBURG, "CONNEMARA" BECAME WHAT IS NOW "THE CARL SANDBURG NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE."  

UPON LEARNING OF SANDBURG'S DEATH, PRESIDENT LYNDON JOHNSON ISSUED THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT ON JULY 22ND 1967:  

  "THE ROAD has come to an end for Carl Sandburg, my friend and the good companion of millions whose own life journeys have been ennobled and enriched by his poetry.
But there is no end to the legacy he leaves us.

Carl Sandburg was more than the voice of America, more than the poet of its strength and genius. He was America. We knew and cherished him as the bard of democracy, the echo of the people, our conscience, and chronicler of truth and beauty and purpose.

Carl Sandburg needs no epitaph. It is written for all time in the fields, the cities, the face and heart of the land he loved and the people he celebrated and inspired.

With the world, we mourn his passing. It is our special pride and fortune as Americans that we will always hear Carl Sandburg's voice within ourselves. For he gave us the truest and most enduring vision of our own greatness."

Carl Sandburg's ashes are buried at his Galesburg, Illinois home....under a granite boulder called "Remembrance Rock", the title of Sandburg's only novel. 

JULY 22ND, 2017...THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF CARL SANDBURG

50TH ANNIVERSARY OBSERVANCE OF COLLISION AND CRASH OF PIEDMONT FLIGHT 22

SPECIAL COMMEMORATIVE OBSERVANCE 11:30AM JULY 19 IN FRONT OF THE HISTORIC COURTHOUSE   

On July 19, 1967 at 12:01pm Piedmont Airlines Flight 22, a Boeing 727, and a Cessna 310 were involved in a midair collision over Hendersonville, NC. All occupants of Flight 22, including 74 passengers and five crew members, along with the three occupants of the Cessna were killed. The Cessna disintegrated in the air and the Boeing 727 crashed in a wooded area between Interstate 26 and Camp Pinewood. Hundreds of people witnessed the collision and crash.

The rescue squad, county fire departments, police, sheriff’s deputies and medical personnel responded immediately. The fire was extinguished within 30 minutes and Rescue Squad members began the grim task of searching the dense smoke-filled woods for survivors. It quickly became apparent that there were none. The Henderson County Rescue Squad let the recovery efforts with assistance from over 400 volunteers from throughout North Carolina and South Carolina.

It was through the first responders’ sacrifice and dedication to service that Henderson County was able to recover. Federal officials gave high praise to the responding Fire and Law Enforcement departments and the Rescue Squad for their organization and professionalism. The Henderson County Rescue Squad received commendations from the US Senate, Piedmont Airlines, the US Department of Transportation and the Governor for the Volunteers’ bravery during the disaster.

The Henderson County Heritage Museum, in conjunction with the Henderson County Rescue Squad, will conduct a ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the crash on Wednesday, July 19, 2017 at 11:30am in front of the Historic Courthouse in downtown Hendersonville. The public is invited to attend this free event. Speakers will honor the 82 lives lost in the crash and also honor the emergency response from Henderson County and Western North Carolina. Paul Houle, author of The Crash of Piedmont Airlines Flight 22: Completing the Record of the 1967 Midair Collision near Hendersonville, North Carolina, will also speak about the crash and the improvements made in airline safety as a result. There will also be a display of historic photos from the event, video accounts from eye witnesses and a piece of fused metal from the crash.

According to Mark Shepherd, Captain, Henderson County Rescue Squad, “This was one of the largest disasters ever to hit Western North Carolina. It also caused one of the largest emergency responses in area history.”

CITY PLANS SPECIAL REMEMBRANCE

The city of Hendersonville has proclaimed July 19, 2017 as “Flight 22 Day of Remembrance” to mark the 50th anniversary of the mid-air collision that claimed 82 lives.

The City Council adopted the resolution during their Thursday meeting to commemorate the 50th anniversary of “one of the most disastrous days in North Carolina aviation history.”

“At 12:01 p.m. on July 19, 1967, a mid-air collision over the skies of Hendersonville as Piedmont Flight 22, a Boeing 727 carrying 79 men, women and children, enroute from the Asheville-Hendersonville to Roanoke, Virginia, collided with a private Cessna 310B carrying one crew member and two passengers, tragically resulting in the loss of 82 lives,” the resolution reads.

“Countless local unsung heroes — our local law enforcement officers, paramedics, doctors, nurses and countless volunteer firefighters and others throughout our region — risked their own personal safety and served days upon days to provide whatever assistance they could.

“Remembrances continue to linger in the minds of family members, friends, residents, those who witnessed, and those who assisted with the tragic event here that day.”

The city is encouraging residents, Henderson County government and its other municipalities to fly American flags at half-staff beginning July 17 and continuing through sunset July 19 in honor and remembrance of those lives lost.

JULY 17TH: 51ST ANNIVERSARY OF HENDERSON COUNTY'S INFAMOUS "TRIPLE MURDER"

OFFICIALLY UNSOLVED   

Vernon Shipman, Charles Glass and Louise Shumate   

Real Names: Vernon Shipman, Charles Glass, and Louise Davis Shumate   

Nicknames: No known nicknames   

Location: Hendersonville, North Carolina   

Date: July 17, 1966   

Details: On July 17, 1966, reportedly gay partners Vernon Shipman and Charles Glass vanished from Hendersonville, North Carolina. Five days later, two workers dumping brush in an isolated clearing found their bodies along with that of a woman, all beaten severely and stabbed. A few days later, the woman was identified as Louise Shumate.

Police were puzzled because neither Vernon nor Charles apparently knew Louise, nor did most people of Hendersonville because she lived in a town miles away. Authorities found that on July 17, all three victims were seen driving in Vernon's car with an unidentified fourth person. To this day, the identity of the fourth person remains a mystery, along with how Vernon and Charles are connected with Louise, and who killed them.

Suspects: Police believe that the murders may be connected to the fact that Vernon and Charles were reported to be homosexual, or that the murders may be drug-related, but none of these theories have been confirmed. At the time, news reports did not indicate the alleged sexual orientation of either of them, just reporting that they co-owned the Tempo Music store, and described Charles as favoring the Asian lifestyle. He was found with a pair of crutches crossed over his torso (he had a broken leg at the time), and reports in the Henderson Times-News stated that he "wasn't a fighter."

Extra Notes: This case has appeared on the show Haunting Evidence.

Results: Unresolved. In 2007, several investigators that have worked on the case stated that they believe that the case is practically solved. Circumstancial evidence linked the triple murder to convicted murderer Edward Thompson, Jr., who died in prison in 1989. Thompson had escaped from prison shortly before the murders and was in Hendersonville on July 17, 1966. However, the case has not been officially closed.

TELEVISION HISTORY WAS MADE THIS DATE HERE IN NORTH CAROLINA

THE VERY FIRST TV STATION IN THE CAROLINAS---WBTV IN CHARLOTTE---SIGNED ON THE AIR   

On July 15, 1949, announcer Jim Patterson signed on Charlotte’s WBTV, the first television station in the Carolinas, two months ahead of WFMY in Greensboro, which began airing programming in September 1949.

At the time, both WBTV and WFMY were owned by Jefferson Standard Broadcasting Company, an affiliate of the life insurance company of the same name. The company filed an application for a Charlotte license with the Federal Communications Commission in December 1947. A construction permit arrived two months later and work began on an antenna atop Spencer Mountain in Gaston County that would broadcast the signal. At the time there were only 12 television stations in the nation, and most were in larger cities.

Test patterns began running on Channel 3 on July 1, 1949. Station owners set up a viewing party in the Charlotte Armory and thousands packed the venue for three days beginning on July 15. Less than 1,000 families in the area owned television sets at the time, but that count was up to 8,500 by year’s end.

Originally housed in the Wilder Building on Tryon Street, the current site of the Marriott Hotel, WBTV moved to its present location in 1955.

 

ON THIS DATE 101 YEARS AG0: WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA'S GREAT FLOOD OF 1916 WAS JUST BEGINNING

HENDERSONVILLE POLICE CHIEF "OTE" POWERS RODE THROUGH THE TOWN ON HORSEBACK ALERTING THE PUBLIC     

The Great Flood of 1916  

The Flood of 1916 was the worst natural disaster in the history of Henderson County.  

Rain began July 3, 1916, and it rained for 10 days. On July 15, 10 inches of rain fell in less than 12 hours.
Normal summer rains began July 3, 1916, and continued until July 5.

On July 5-6, a category 3 hurricane hit the Gulf Coast of Alabama and Florida. This was the earliest major hurricane to make landfall in U.S. history until 1957. A few days later, July 7 and 8, the weakened storm dropped heavy rainfall over the foothills and mountains of North Carolina.
Normal rains continued every day from July 9 to July 14. On July 14, a category 2 hurricane made landfall along South Carolina’s coast, passing over the Charleston area. On July 15 and 16, this system reached the North Carolina mountains as a tropical storm.

It had now been raining for 10 days.

On July 15, in Henderson County, 10 inches of rain fell in less than 12 hours.

Rivers were already at flood stage from the Gulf hurricane and the constant summer rains. The French Broad had already overflowed its banks.
When the tropical storm from the South Carolina hurricane passed over the mountains, about 80 to 90 percent of the rainfall became run-off.

With such an enormous amount of water never entering the ground and immediately flowing to the already full mountain waterways, the streams and rivers rose rapidly. The results were devastating.
The French Broad River crested at an estimated 21 feet, some 17 feet above flood stage. The average width of the French Broad near Asheville was 381 feet in 1916. During the flood, it was approximately 1,300 feet across. Along the Catawba River, the flooding was similar. In some locations along its path in North Carolina, the Catawba rose almost 23 feet beyond previous high-water marks.

Early Sunday morning, July 16, almost every dam in Western North Carolina burst. The No. 2 Dam on the Big Hungry River in Henderson County was one of only a very few left standing. The Rocky Broad River, Green River, Mills River, Big Hungry River and French Broad, with all their tributaries, overflowed their banks in a torrent of raging water throughout the county.

Houses washed away. Mountain slides engulfed houses and people. All bridges and train trestles were washed away. All communication between Henderson County and the outside world was cut off.
Central Henderson County, the “swamp” or bog, turned into a huge lake. The town of Hendersonville was an island surrounded by water on all sides. People in town had no way in or out.

The blowing of the whistles at the textile mills, the ringing of the fire bells in Hendersonville, the ringing of church bells throughout the county, awakened those people who were not already awakened by the landslides and noise of rushing water.

One telegraph station at Asheville was working. Here is the teletype:

“Asheville and Biltmore are flooded. The water is up to the ceiling in the depot. It is six feet deep in Dr. Elias’ house in Biltmore. It is in All Soul’s church—it is in the hospital—the beds are floating—the patients are drowning! The tannery is washed away—bridges are gone. Captain Lipe and some of the nurses are drowned at Biltmore. Other people are up in trees, surrounded by water, and they cannot get them out of the river. The Swannanoa is a mile wide! Box cars are floating down the French Broad. All the lakes at Hendersonville have broken.”

From Dr. Lucious Morse at Chimney Rock: “The horrors of that night cannot be told. The rain fell in such solid masses that one seemed to be under a waterfall and it not only undermined houses but actually tore them to pieces. The noise of the rain was like continuous thunder, added to the roar of the river and the shock of the mountain sides literally crashing into the valleys. It was in fact a cataclysm, such as these mountains have probably not experienced in recent geological periods. The forces of nature setting themselves to a gigantic movement simply paralyzed anything that man could do and literally stunned imagination. The people who went through that awful night can never forget the shock of it.

“Throughout the night there were hours of horror, and when daylight came the worst scene of desolation ever viewed in the mountain became visible. The river began to recede, at times, and then, strange to say, would suddenly rise again, walls of water coming down the river like an ocean tide, with the thunderous noise of waves beating on a rocky coast. The greatest height of the water was reached at between 10 o’clock and midnight Saturday night. Only houses built deep in the mountain sides are standing.”

From an area newspaper: “Huge rocks weighing over a ton were tossed about in the Broad River like rubber balls. People in the Hickory Nut Gorge had to flee for high ground with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Some did not make it.”

“Not in another hundred years could a like disaster happen to the Bat Cave region, no matter how heavy the rains,” said W.S. Fallis, chief engineer of the state highway commission in Asheville, after walking 25 miles through the heart of the Blue Ridge devastated by the flood.

“The greater part of the damage was caused by the mountain slides. I suppose I saw the effects of more than 300 of these slides. They appeared to have started close to the top of the mountains. For a distance of possibly from seventy-five to 200 feet in which they removed everything clear and clean in their paths. It would be quite impossible to convey any idea of the terrific force of these slides. Everything movable in their path was swept to the river below. Trees were denuded absolutely of every vestige of bark. Rocks were ground smooth. Buildings were carried away in the irresistible rush. Nature had been long preparing the mountains for the catastrophe, and not for a hundred years could such another disaster happen to the mountains there, no matter how hard or how long it might rain.”

For long stretches, said Mr. Fallis, the river gorge is not more than one-eighth of a mile in width, with many sheer walls 1,200 feet and more high.

“During the storm from this narrow gorge an inferno of noises escaped to the starless sky above — and men who never before have known fear felt its cold hand clutch their hearts that night. For nature once more reveled in all her ancient and elemental strength. The outcry of the river’s torrent; the indescribably heart-shaking crashes of the mountain slides, one after the other; the steady and never ceasing downpour of rain, were segments of a symphony of the gods enraged — and the theme of that elemental symphony was death and destruction.”

In another instance, says Mr. Fallis, the torrent excavated all the dirt from around an 18-foot well, leaving the well high and dry above the surrounding ground with its stone walls still intact. Instead of a well it is now a column of stone set in the midst of a boulder-strewn field.

In Transylvania County, a 60-foot long boulder weighing 900-tons slid off the mountain and was transported along the Toxaway River for more than half a mile.
From a Charlotte newspaper: “Highway 74 (Charlotte Highway) had just been completed. The road and all its bridges were totally washed away, as were the Gerton, Bearwallow, Bat Cave and Chimney Rock Post Offices. Middle Fork, between Gerton and Bat Cave, was one of the areas most affected by the flood. The sides of the mountains gave way; one farmer could only stand by and watch as the mountain collapsed and swept away his house. The farmer’s wife and all his children were killed. At least two who died in the flood are buried in Middle Fork Cemetery. Many other bodies were never found, and many people who lost everything could not afford to mark their loved ones’ graves.”
There was no means of communication between towns in Western North Carolina and the rest of the state except by foot.

The total number of casualties is unknown. At least eight people died in Bat Cave alone. People moved out of several areas of the county, such as Gerton and Middle Fork, and along sections of the Green River near and in Polk and Henderson counties, which were most severely impacted by the flood. All the topsoil washed away along the Green River in the Cove and along Bright’s Creek. It has never returned and the cove was never again a major agricultural area.

In Western North Carolina, it is estimated that at least 80 people were killed. Bridges, houses, factories, railroad lines, and other man-made structures were destroyed.
A contemporary report by the federal government stated that property damage was approximately $22,000,000 at the time. Adjusted for inflation, this total would be approximately $430,000,000 in 2007.
From a Raleigh newspaper: “The people of North Carolina will not soon forget the Southern Railway Company’s magnificent work in speedily restoring its lines of traffic which were badly damaged in many sections by the recent flood. But longer than this will they remember the action of the Southern in agreeing to carry free of charge all shipments of supplies from the State Relief Committee to the people of the flood-stricken districts. Although the Southern has been one of the heaviest losers in the flood, the manner in which it has met disaster and its generosity in helping to relieve those who are in distress have won for that company a warm place in the hearts of the people which will bring rich material returns in the end.”

From a noted geologist today: “Floods are never a one-time event. What was flooded once will eventually be flooded again. The area’s population is three times larger than it was in 1916. The next 1916-type flood could produce 10 times more death and destruction than the first one.”

Details of this catastrophe are contained in three books: Bell, W.M., “The North Carolina Flood;” Southern Railway, “The Floods of July 1916;” and Greene, Ivery C., “A Disastrous Flood.” Several historic photos, most of Asheville, can be seen on various Web sites.

FROM HENDERSON HERITAGE

 

 

JULY 4TH IN LOCAL/AREA HISTORY: THE FIRST TRAIN CLIMBED THE SALUDA GRADE

ON JULY 4, 1878

The Saluda Grade, Steepest Mainline Rail Grade in the U.S.

(Photo from a circa postcard showing a train climbing the Saluda Grade(

On July 4, 1878, the first train to travel the Saluda Grade railway passage arrived in what’s now the town of Saluda in Polk County.

Construction of the railway passage began in 1877 under the direction of Capt. Charles W. Pearson. The railway was intended to link Salisbury, Murphy and Knoxville, Tennessee, and most importantly to provide a connection between Asheville and Spartanburg, South Carolina.

While railroad builders used tunnels to snake through the steep climbs found elsewhere in the North Carolina mountains, near Saluda they decided to the face the steep inclines head-on and built straight up the rugged terrain.

The engineering feat that made the project possible was unprecedented in the 1870s, and construction proved so dangerous and resulted in so many causalities that it sparked an investigation by the General Assembly.

Until taken out of service by Norfolk Southern in 2001, the Saluda Grade was the steepest operating mainline grade in the United States, with a 4.7% grade. Throughout the passage’s long history, it was famous for its high number of runaway train accidents.

Visit: the N.C. Transportation Museum in Spencer showcases our state’s transportation history and offers train rides for visitors throughout the year.

For more about North Carolina’s history, arts and culture, visit Cultural Resources online. To receive these updates automatically each day, subscribe by email using the box on the right and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.

 

ON JULY 3RD 1863, 14 THOUSAND NORTH CAROLINIANS WERE FIGHTING FOR THE CONFEDERACY AT GETTYSBURG

LT. COLONEL AVERY AND "THE LETTER FROM THE DEAD"  

REMEMBERING OTHERS WHO DIED FIGHTING FOR A CAUSE THEY BELIEVED TO BE JUST  

MANY FROM HENDERSON COUNTY WERE FIGHTING THIS DAY FOR THE CSA AT GETTYSBURG    

On July 3, 1863, 34-year-old Lt. Colonel Isaac E. Avery (in the photo) of the 6th North Carolina State Troops died from mortal wounds he received the previous day. Shot in the neck and partially paralyzed during the Battle of Gettysburg, the Burke County native was unable to speak on his deathbed.

Avery fell alone while leading his men in an attack on Cemetery Hill. He had taken command of Hoke’s brigade after Hoke himself was wounded at Chancellorsville. Avery was the only man mounted and, once found, was carried from the field. Clutched in his hand was a small bloodstained piece of paper, which has become one of the treasures of the State Archives.

The letter that Isaac Avery wrote to his father, now held by the State Archives.is shown here.

Though right handed, Avery was forced to write with his left because of paralysis. His letter said, “Major, tell my father that I died with my face to the enemy. IE Avery.” Major Samuel McDowell Tate, a friend from Burke County to whom the message was addressed, remained with Avery until he died.

The short letter contains words long on duty and sentiment and has been featured in many books and documentaries about the Civil War. It is often referred to as the “Letter from the Dead.”

A young CSA soldier from Henderson and Rutherford counties, Lt. George Jobe Huntley, had been promoted with a "field commission".  He also fell and died in the Battle of Gettysburg on July 3rd, 1863.  He was the son of Dr. William Lawrence Huntley, a much-sought-after herb doctor who rode through the mountains in Western North Carolina treating the sick with herbs, one of the few medications available at the time...which Dr. Huntley had learned from the Cherokee Indians.  Dr. Huntley is buried in the Bearwallow Cemetery in Gerton.

Other related resources:

The digitized version of the “Letter from the Dead” online in the Digital Collections of the State Archives and State Library
Images of the Civil War from the State Archives
The Civil War on NCpedia
The North Civil War Experience from N.C. Historic Sites
North Carolina and the Civil War from the N.C. Museum of History
The North Carolina Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee

From the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources

Notes also by WHKP News Director Larry Freeman