Back in the day, the Francis Grist Mill was the place to come for community gossip and news on the area.  Today, in Bethel, the place to be is the Bethel Grocery.  It is here that you might find L.D. Griffin signing a copy of his book “Cold Mountain Hunter”.  Or buy some of the greatest home grown corn you’ll find anywhere.

Corn Field in Haywood County

Bethel is a farming community, and most of the local folk want to keep it that way.  It is here that you will find fields of tomatoes, peppers, and other crops.  The Blue Ridge Parkway lines its southern border, and from almost any direction you can see Cold Mountain, the peak made famous by Charles Frazier’s novel and subsequent movie.

The Pigeon River winds its way through the community providing some of the best fishing in the county for tourists and residents.  Others prefer to hike in the many wilderness areas within the Pisgah National Forest.

The Bethel area is growing with the addition of a new elementary school, and is home to one of three Middle Schools in Haywood County.

Every year the Bethel Rural Community Organization celebrates and preserves the enormously rich heritage of the Bethel Community by conducting the Cold Mountain Tour.  This area is the real home of “Pinkney” Inman of Cold Mountain fame.  His gravesite is a stop on the tour.

A special thanks to Rick Hall of CGI Group for these wonderful photos.

Bethel is a Farming Community

The Haywood County Tomato in Fields in the Bethel Community

Green Peppers on the vine in Bethel - a community in Haywood County

Shook House in Clyde, North Carolina

History and old stories tell us, that sometime around 1795, Jacob Shook built a three-story cabin known as the Shook-Smathers House in Clyde, North Carolina.   Some say is the oldest standing frame built house in Western North Carolina.   Shook was part of a Revolutionary War expedition against the Cherokee allegedly to stop them from siding with the British.  After the war, many men on the expedition came back and settled the formerly Cherokee territory.

According to Shook family history, Shook may not have had to purchase the land. Haywood County at that time was in a contested territory that, according to a British treaty, belonged to the Cherokee. However, since the British had lost the Revolutionary War, that treaty was basically unrecognized by the new North Carolina government, which was severely in debt after the war. In order to pay its war veterans, the state either gave away or sold land at cheap prices. Shook and other war veterans, no doubt, took advantage of the deal. He found land along the Pigeon River to build a house. The land, an estimated 300 acres according to oral history, covered most of what is now present-day Clyde.

It was said that the Shook House hosted regular worship services and singing and music lessons in the third-floor attic before a church was built nearby. The cabin hosted the traveling Methodist Bishop Francis Asbury, a major influence on the region and spreader of Methodism. Shook donated land adjacent to his home to be the site of revival camp meetings and also set aside land for the Louisa Chapel United Methodist Church and Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Clyde.

Jacob Shook died Sept. 1, 1839 and was buried along with his wife, Isabella, in Pleasant Hill Cemetery, a short drive from the Shook-Smathers House.

Inside the Shook House in Clyde North Carolina

The Shook-Smathers House is located in Clyde about five minutes from downtown Canton. Head west on U.S. 19 from downtown. You’ll see it on the right after passing through the small commercial district of town.

All tours are given by Docents. Other times can be arranged by appointment.

Either call 877-620-2300 or email info@shookmuseum.org

Tours are best given for groups of 10-18.
Visit the Shook House Museum Website For more on the Shook Family History and Johanne Jacob Shook visit their website.

178 Morgan Street
Clyde, NC 28721
(877) 620-2300

One of Many Painted Murals in Canton NC

Canton, once in Cherokee Indian Territory, is home to its own kind of revival – a downtown revitalization and an ongoing effort to preserve its history. Hand painted murals throughout the town depict the history of the county.

The Canton Historical Museum tells the story of political, environmental and war history in a small but fascinating exhibit space, and just across the street is the newly restored Colonial Theatre, hosting concerts, readings and plays on a grand vintage stage.

Canton NC Museum

Canton was founded in 1889 as Buford. The name was changed to Pigeon Ford in 1891. In 1893 the name was changed again to Canton. If you listen to the stories told, a meeting was taking place to discuss a new name for the town and it was getting a little bit lively. So a break was called and one of the attendees was outside smoking, and while standing by the bridge, saw the name Canton printed on one of the bridges steel supports. So, he went back in, settled the debate by stating the new name will be Canton. And so it is, the town was named for Canton, Ohio, the source of the steel for the bridge over the Pigeon River. The bridge has long been replaced, but the piece of steel mentioned in the story can be found at the Canton Museum.

Canton is a small town cradled in the mountains in western North Carolina and is most commonly referred to as Paper Town. A name derived from Evergreen Packaging, Incorporated, (Formally Champion Paper). Champion Paper contributed largely to the local economy, and was the largest employer in Canton. Upon Champion’s decision to close the plant in 1997, the employees of Champion purchased the plant and formed Blue Ridge Paper Company. Under an ESOP plan, the employees own a 45% stake in the new company. The company was later purchased by Evergreen Packaging.

Recreation Center in Canton NC

Canton has a recreation program as part of its services to its citizens and guests. The Recreation Park has a large, modern swimming pool, playground, picnic tables, lighted tennis courts, and ball fields adjacent to the park. Activities include “Pickin’ in the Park” during the summer months, a scenic walking trail surrounding the park area; an annual Labor Day celebration, a festival of lights during the Christmas holiday season, and the annual lighted night Christmas parade. Every year, Canton opens its doors to the public during the ‘Mater Festival.

Car Show from 'Mater Festival in Canton NC