Our History
Discover the rich history of the Cashiers Valley
CASHIERS IS A MOUNTAIN PLATEAU OF THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAIN RANGE
The plateau sits at an altitude of 3,400 feet and encompasses an area 4-5 miles long and 1.5 miles wide. Three river valleys make up the Cashiers Valley: the Chattooga, Whitewater, and Horsepasture Rivers.
Founders of the Cashiers Historical Society, 1996
The History of CHS
Founded in 1996, the mission of the Cashiers Historical Society is to preserve the history and heritage of the Cashiers Valley through stewardship, advocacy, and education.
In 1996, a dedicated group of community members came together to restore the Zachary-Tolbert House. Together, they formed the Cashiers Historical Society. Since then, the organization has grown. There are four historically significant structures on CHS's campus, and the organization's scope extends beyond a single house to include the history and culture of the entire Cashiers Valley.
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A History of Cashiers Valley
10,000 BC: The ancestors of the Cherokee people establish the first known settlement in WNC.
1775: The American Revolutionary War begins, and the Cherokee support the British forces.
1819: The Love Treaty opens up western NC for white settlement.
1820s: Barak Norton and his family become the first white settlers in the Cashiers Valley.
1830s: The Zachary family arrives in Cashiers.
1839: The first Post Office opens in Cashiers.
1840s: Gold is discovered in the Cashiers Valley, and mining becomes a booming industry in the area.
1850s: Mordecai Zachary builds his Greek Revival-style home.
1860: The American Civil War begins, dividing families in the Cashiers Valley.
1880s: Logging becomes the area’s largest industry and reshapes the Cashiers Valley.
1895: Northern industrialists form the Toxaway Company and develop the Cashiers Valley into “Sapphire Country,” a tourist destination.
1900: The Southern Railway opens a station in Toxaway, increasing the number of visitors to the Cashiers Valley.
1909: The Tolbert family purchases Mordecai Zachary’s home to use as a summer retreat.
1924: The High Hampton Inn opens.
1937: Lancewood, the first summer community in Cashiers, develops off Highway 64.
1941: Nantahala Power and Light dams the Tuckaseegee River, creating Lake Glenville, to power aluminum production during World War II.
1958: The Cashiers Community Center is built.
1969: Cashiers Plastic Corporation opened. At its height, the plastics plant employed 640 people.
1974: The Wild and Scenic River Act preserves the Chattooga River.
1981: The Cashiers Chronicle, the local newspaper, begins publishing.
1990: Conservationists purchase land to preserve the views of Whiteside Mountain.
1996: The Cashiers Historical Society is founded.
2012: CHS relocates the Zachary Family Cabin to our campus.
2018: CHS relocates the Hampton Schoolhouse to our campus and restores.
