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Western North Carolina's mountains present some of the most exquisite landscape in America. In the southwest corner of the state, the Blue Ridge mountains rise some 5,000 feet above sea level, embracing verdant valleys and cradling magnificent waterfalls. At dusk the haze overlays the gentle roll of the mountains, making them seem to have stepped from a Japanese landscape. Much of this land, about 28,000 acres, today is protected as national forest. A more bucolic setting could hardly be imagined.
This kind of scenery and lifestyle attracts a wide variety of residents to this valley 3,500 feet above sea level, where leisurely drives, hiking trails, myriad intriguing towns, art galleries and museums define a soothing Appalachian lifestyle. At the crossroads of US 64 and NC 107 lies the town of Cashiers, one of those charming mountain villages that has become a magnet for people escaping the hectic pace of urban life.
Cashiers, locally pronounced CASH-ers, and its neighboring towns of High Hampton, just south on NC 107, and Highlands, at the western junction of US 64 and NC 28; form a triangle that captures the essence of a respite-filled mountain retreat. Glenville, just north of Cashiers, and Sapphire, just east, also contribute to the area's resort and recreational emphasis. No longer the domain of impoverished mountain folk, this part of Appalachia is high-value land.
Cashiers itself numbered fewer than 1,700 souls in the 2000 census, with well over half of them above the age of 45. Retirement, resort and second-home residents are the community's mainstay in the summertime, when the town's population can hit five figures. Year-round residents chiefly work in tourism and construction. Cashiers is located in Jackson County, named for Andrew Jackson, and its seat of government is the town of Sylva, just north of Cullowhee.
To get an understanding of the unique cultural heritage of these mountains, travel just north of Cashiers to Cullowhee, where the Mountain Heritage Center on the campus of Western Carolina University showcases the region and its people. Its permanent collection, entitled the "Migration of the Scotch-Irish People," is the centerpiece exhibition of this museum. The materials connect with the Scottish and English migrants who, having settled in Northern Ireland in the 17th century, saw their sons and daughters head off to the New World in the 18th century to take up residence in the coves and hollows of the Appalachians. Ulster Scots, they're known in America as the Scotch-Irish, and their influence still is seen in these mountains in the family names, music and folkways. Some 10,000 pieces document their presence in Appalachia.
Cashiers' rise as a resort community dates to the 19th century, when South Carolinians from the Low Country sought escapes from summer's stifling heat at lower elevations. Civil War General Wade Hampton III, CSA, customarily made the summer trek with a substantial entourage from South Carolina to his family's mountain home, which today is the High Hampton Inn.
Year round, the climate offers opportunities for outdoor activities, including golf. In fact, within 20 miles of Cashiers' center, some 40 miles of fairways beckon the golfer. Communities often are built around golf facilities, and offer attractive club facilities for myriad activities as well as dining.
Cultural advantages include the delight of finding the woodworking, pottery, weaving and quilting that arose among these thrifty and resourceful mountain people. Local galleries stock a rich inventory of these treasures, as well as paintings and sculptures by the artists who have moved to the area just to be inspired by the exquisite landscape.
Days in Cashiers could be spent in such activities as mountain biking, rafting, kayaking, or fly fishing. Of course, sitting on a porch basking in the fading light of a mountain sunset wouldn't be a bad way to spend a day in Cashiers. Listen closely enough, and you might hear the strains of mountain music reaching out from some long-forgotten cove.
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