The County

On the premise that no town is an island, Remember Cliffside has extended its reach, to include the history and lore of the surrounding area. The people of Cliffside came and went, from and to other nearby areas, and had ties to a lot of other towns and communities. So, as they become available, we will post in this section articles that, while they may not pertain directly to Cliffside, are important to our general knowdge of the area. If we don't know where we came from, we don't know who we are.

Places

The Rock Springs Campground, where camp meetings were held during most of the 1800's.
Map of Avondale, homes and tenants about 1950
Henrietta, Caroleen and Avondale, by Scott Withrow
Forest City Scenes, 12 vintage photos from the turn of the 20th century
A Town Called Avondale, A Mill Named Haynes - More history of the town and the mill, both now gone.
Rutherford County Once Covered All of WNC, from The Forest City Courier's 50th Anniversary edition, August 1, 1968
In August of 1963, The State magazine devoted an entire edition to Rutherford County, with articles on the people, culture and legends of our area.
The Story of Haynes Mill and the Town of Avondale, by Hollis Owens, Sr.
A Short History of Henrietta and Caroleen, from Rutherford County 1979: A People's Bicentennial History

 

People

Dr. Thomas Claude Lovelace, Lower Rutherford's Long-time Physician
William E. McArthur (1859-1956), Perhaps Rutherford's First Professional Photographer
Amos Owens, Rutherford's Most Colorful Character
Tales of a Prodigal Son - Dr. Ben Washburn shares his life stories. From The Charlotte Observer, 1976
Notes on S.B. Tanner - A look at Simpson Bobo Tanner's life and personality
The Legend of Daniel Keith, by Pat Mendoza. The shadow of a hanged man, it is told, appeared on the wall of the Rutherfordton jail, long after his wrongful execution. This is one to tell around the campfire to wide-eyed Boy Scouts.
 
 

 

Photos

Henrietta Street, West End, Henrietta, circa 1920s
Aerial View of the Haynes Mill and Avondale
Forest City Scenes, 12 vintage photos from the turn of the 20th century
 
 
 
 
 

 

History

Cherry Trees For Sale, a pyramid scheme in Rutherford County a century ago
Roots of Earl and Snuffy, Searching for the Banjo Along the North/South Carolina Border
Rutherford County: Then and Now, a six part Courier review of the county's economy, July 2009
The Henrietta Mill, story and pictures
Wall Reunion and Family History, 1927
Good Old Days (early 1800s) of Rutherford County Much In Doubt, 1942
The History of High Shoal Church
History of Florence Plant Goes Back to 1892 - A brief account of the founding of a Rutherford county landmark.
Satisfied Employes at Tanner Group of Cotton Mills - A special 1917 edition of the Charlotte News describes the mills of S.B. Tanner in Forest City, Rutherfordton, Henrietta and elsewhere

 

Events

Look! Up in the Sky!, aviation exploits over Rutherford County in 1919.
An Englishman's Trip To Rutherford, 1837
WWII Memorial Restored at Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy, 2010
Rutherford Boys Help Crash The Hindenburg Line, 1942
A Terrible Disaster (Florence Mill boiler explodes), 1893
Henrietta Had Disastrous Fire - the news on January 13, 1944 was all bad in Henrietta, when a grocery store, shoe shop, movie theater and filling station burned to the ground.
1918 Flu Epidemic in High Shoals - Survey of its effect on lower Rutherford.
 
 

 

Memoirs

JoAnn Huskey's “Growing Up Years” in Forest City
Reminiscences of Christenberry Lee, lower Rutherford's people in the 1800s
Memories and Events of a Half Century, by Robert K. Hollified. Forty seven chapters on life in the county from about 1880 to 1930s. There are over 400 individuals mentioned, with an index linked to the pertinent chapters.
 
 
 
 

 

Side Roads

THEY ARE SCENES on side roads, side streets or country lanes—even inside cotton mills—observed in Rutherford County. We hope you'll contribute your own stories, photos or memories pertaining to anyone, anything or anywhere in Rutherford.

Mr. Bright's Daffodils (article)
Bill Floyd's Old Businesses (slide show)