A Glimpse Into Nantahala's Past

A Glimpse Into Nantahala's Past. . , Colonel Nimrod S. Jarrett (1799-1871) , As a farmer, rancher, land speculator, ginseng trader, miner, merchant, and road-builder, Nimrod Jarrett played a key role in the early development of the Nantahala area., At age 72, Jarret was robbed and murdered while helping a former employee by the name of Bayles Henderson. The thief only netted ten dollars and a watch. Eight months later he paid for the crime. Bayles Henderson was the first man ever to be hung in Macon County., (caption) This energetic and progressive pioneer established "Jarrett's Station" and a railroad line through the Nantahala Gorge. The RR station was located a mile and a half down river from here., Traces of Life from a Different Era, Only this chimney remains of a house built in 1939 by the Utah Construction Company (UCC) for Nantahala Power and Light Company., Over the years, guests, dignitaries, and employees of Nantahala Power and Light Company stayed in the nicely furnished home with its fine wood floors. John Barker and his family lived here for about ten years in the 1940s and 50s., (caption) UCC constructed the nearby powerhouse and dam that created Nantahala Lake. Can you find the initials "UCC" written in pebbles on the chimney?, Just across the Nantahala River two chimneys are the last remnants of the Matthew Cole farmhouse and winery. The large two-story house was built around 1896., Today the forest has reclaimed the old home site, all the grape vines as far as the eye could see, and the 500 apple trees of what was once known as the "Cole Fields". The illustration of the Cole Farmhouse and the vineyard came from photos taken in the 1890s., Billie Reighard was just a child in 1924, but still remembers her Grandpa Cole harvesting grapes by horse and wagon. She also recalls Government agents stamping their inspection seal on the wooden barrels of wine. The rare mountain winery averaged a production of nearly 2,000 gallons of wine per year.