A History of the Region

William Mills Country (1779-1799)

• 1779 - Originally Cherokee Indian hunting ground, the first European settlers to the area known as Henderson County began arriving in the late 1770's. Land claims at Mud Creek River were filed as claims in nearby Rutherford County.
• 1780's - A Revolutionary War soldier named William Mills purchased a variety of land grants in the area and established what is today known as Hendersonville. His name is now remembered in the names Mills River and Mills Gap. Mills is best known for bringing fruit trees to the Fruitland area and helping to make Henderson County an agricultural center.
• 1792 - The local area was claimed as part of the newly formed Buncombe County. Around this time, French Broad Baptist Church was built near present day Mills River. History counts this as the first church established in Western North Carolina.

Birth of a County (1800-1850)

• 1834 - St. John-in-the-Wilderness Church was built by the Baring family. The church burned and was rebuilt and dedicated as an Episcopal church two years later.
• 1838 - State Senator John Clayton, Montaville Patton and Phillip Brittain introduced legislation to create a new county out of the southern portion of Buncombe County. The new county would be named after the former Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court, Leonard Henderson (1773-1833). The original Henderson County covered its current land area as well as part of Polk County and Transylvania County.
• 1840's - Postal Service was established from Hendersonville to nearby communities including Edneyville, Greenville, SC and Asheville. With several hundred residents, the town was chartered officially in 1847. Agriculture was the main source of revenue in the area.

Civil War and Tourism (1850-1899)

• 1852 - Modern day tourism began in Henderson County with the creation of the Farmer Hotel in current day Flat Rock. For guests that traveled the Old Indian Trail, the Hotel supplied food, rest and hospitality.
• 1855 - Because of a growing population in the outlying communities, Polk County was formed from part of Henderson County and Rutherford County.
• 1861 - Legislation was passed creating Transylvania County out of parts of Henderson County and Jackson County.
• 1865 - In 1865, two incidents occurred in Henderson County during the Civil War. First, in north Henderson County a famous ghost story occurred when a Confederate soldier's widow, donning her dead husbands cape, lead a troop of Union soldiers into an ambush, disappearing as troupe of Confederate soldiers opened fire. The incident happened near the Calvary Episcopal Church (established in 1859) in what is now now known as Fletcher. It is said her ghost still haunts the grounds near the church. Meanwhile, General Stoneman was leading the U.S. Cavalry on his famous "Stoneman's Raid" through Hendersonville on April 23rd, 1865.
• 1880's - In post war Henderson County, mountain tourism continued to grow. A steamboat line was briefly established between Asheville and Brevard on the French Broad River. The Mountain Lilly was said to be the highest steamboat ride in the world but took water and was grounded permanently after a couple of voyages. There were no further attempts to start the service and it is said, some of the timber from the Lilly was used to build the nearby Horseshoe Baptist Church.
• 1879 - Henderson County residents witnessed another mountain first as a steam train made the first assent of the Saluda Grade, entering the Hendersonville Depot. The train required two engines, one at the front and one at the rear. It was another great achievement that insured commerce would flourish in the area.

Boom to Bust in Apple Country (1900-1949)

• 1900 - Henderson County Population 14,104 (U.S. Bureau of Census)
• 1920 - Henderson County Population 18,248 (U.S. Bureau of Census)
• 1924 - The Henderson County Curb Market began operation on North Church Street. The market features locally made and grown items from food to flowers and crafts.
• 1926 - A booming economy crumbled, banks closed and a large hotel project on Jump Off Rock ran out of money. Henderson County fell on hard times just before the rest of the country hit depression.
• 1938 - During Henderson County's Centennial Celebration, the North Carolina Apple Festival was first held in Hendersonville. The ceremonies continued until 1940 but was discontinued during the war.
• 1940 - Henderson County Population 26,049 (U.S. Bureau of Census)
• 1940 - An acting group called the Vagabond Players began working in the Hendersonville area. This group of actors soon moved to Flat Rock and established the Flat Rock Playhouse in 1952. By 1961, the theater was designated as "The State Theater of North Carolina" by the North Carolina General Assembly. The playhouse is a popular attraction still.
• 1945 - Henderson County gained one of it's most recognized citizens when Pulitzer Prize winning author Carl Sandburg moved his family from the midwest to the Connemara in current day Flat Rock. During his time on this quiet farm, he was able to produce his writings in peaceful serenity.
• 1947 - The Apple Blossom Festival returned to Hendersonville in 1947 and changed to a fall celebration under the name North Carolina Apple Festival in 1949.

Modern Henderson County (1950-Present)

• 1960 - Henderson County Population 36,163 (U.S. Bureau of Census)
• 1963 - WHVL-AM begins operation.
• 1970's - Fame again came to Henderson County as brothers Billy and Benny McCrary were pegged by The Guinness Book of World Records as "The World's Largest Twins". At one time both brothers weighed over 700 lbs each! They became world famous in a photograph sponsored by Honda where both brothers rode from New York to Los Angeles on Honda Mini Motorcycles. Both brothers became wrestlers and continued in the sport until Billy died in 1979. Benny continued, wrestling with Andre the Giant.
• 1980 - Henderson County Population 58,580 (U.S. Bureau of Census)
• Present Day - Today, Henderson County continues to be a vacation and retirement destination for thousands. According to the National Park Service, over 38,000 people visit Carl Sandburg's home every year. The County population was 89,173 according to the 2000 U.S. Census Report. As the county seat of Henderson County, Hendersonville has 10,420 inhabitants. Hendersonville was ranked as One of America's 100 Best Retirement Towns in the 2001 edition of Where to Retire magazine.