LAND POTENTIAL STUDY
MADISON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
ABSTRACT
TITLE
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AUTHOR
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SUBJECT
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DATE :
LOCAL PLANNING
AGENCY:
SOURCE OF
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HUD PROJECT
NUMBER
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Land Potential Study
Madison County, North Carolina
State of North Carolina, Department of Local
Affairs, Division of Community Planning,
Western Area Office, 902 Northwestern Bank
Building, Asheville, North Carolina 28801
(Charles Vaughn)
Physical limitations and potentials of the
land resource base of Madison County.
March, 1970
Madison County, North Carolina,
Planning Board
Madison County Courthouse
Marshall, North Carolina
HUD Regional Office Library, Region III,
645 Peachtree Seventh Building,
Atlanta, Georgia
Clearinghouse of Federal Scientific and
Technical Information, Washington, D.C.
NCP-62
NO. OF PAGES:
ABSTRACT:
36
Mountainous Madison County has realized only
marginal forms of development in past decades.
Lack of easy access has hindered "mainstream"
de velopment and economic levels. More recently
opportunities for citizens in this rural county
have presented themselves. While topography
has been a liability in the past, current and
future projects are likely to enlist topography
as an advantageous factor of physical develop-ment.
For example, an Appalachian Highway
Corridor will permit easier tourist access-ability
into this county where a multi-million
dollar recreation facility, a proposed TVA
reservoir, vacation housing sites, outdoor re-creation
potentials and existing wildlife and
naturally forested areas all exist. This re-port
proposes areas that are most desirable
for development and others which may return
greater benefits to the residents of the county
if maintained in their natural condition.
LAND POTENTIAL STUDY *
MADISON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
The preparation of this report was financed in part through an
urban planning grant from the Department of Housing and Urban
Development, under the provision of Section 701 of the Housing
Act of 1954, as amended.
This Report Prepared for:
MADISON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
County Commissioners
Carl N. Cody, Chairman
W . C. Silver, Jr.
Roy McDevitt
Madison County Planning Board
Mrs. Frances C, Ramsey, Chairman C. E. Mashburn
Vernon Wood C. N. Willis
Carl Eller Mrs. Peggy Dotterer
Sam L. Rudisill Ray Tweed
Technical Assistance from:
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, DEPARTMENT OF LOCAL AFFAIRS
DIVISION OF COMMUNITY PLANNING
George J. Monaghan, Administrator
Western Area Office
"Charles E. Vaughn, Director
Betty Whidden, Typist
Hermon Rector, Draftsman
* Responsible for this project.
MARCH, 1970 Price : $2 . 00
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Pa g e
PREFACE
BACKGROUND INFORMATION L
Physiography L
Soils 2
Drainage 8
Demographic Considerations 9
Urban Settlement And Urban Services. 10
THE LAND POTENTIAL 12
Introduction 12
Major Potentials for Development 14
Corridor Development 14
Visual Impressions and Service Features 15
SUMMARY OF DEVELOPMENT POTENTIALS 17
Recreation and Tourism 17
Agricul ture 23
Natural Resources 26
Housing 2 7
Commercial 29
Facilities 29
Industrial Potentials 30
Other Land Potentials 33
ANCILLI ARY POTENTIALS 35
LIST OF TABLES-Tab
le Page
Soil Interpretations of General Soil Map 4
Soil Associations (Approximate Acreages
and Percentages) 7
Tomato Production 1964- 1968 . 25
Available Madison County Industrial Sites 31
LIST OF MAPS
Map s Page
Soils 3
Excessive Slopes 13
Land Potential 18
PREFACE
Madison County, named in honor of President Madison, is
Located in Western North Carolina, contiguous to Tennessee. The
county part of the Appalachian Mountain Physiographic Province
is the most rugged and remote section of the Upper French Broad
area which focuses on Asheville. The Upper French Broad River
drainage basin includes Madison, Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson,
and Transylvania Counties. Madison County is the least develop-ed
of any county in the basin.
Economically, Madison County is a part of the Western
North Carolina mountain region. The population and economic
trends in Madison County parallel those in the region very
closely. The high rate of natural increase of the population
and the lack of employment opportunities have resulted in steady
out-migration. Agricultural pursuits are the predominant activi-ty,
but this has provided an inadequate base for the present
economy in this particular county. New industrial growth is
occurring, but has not yet offset the declines in agriculture.
Madison County's residents have not developed any of their r e -
cources to a strong or complete degree, partially due to the
county's economic history.
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2014
https://archive.org/details/landpotentialstu1970nort
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
PHYSIOGRAPHY
The rolling southeastern portion of the county has per-mitted
farming and some forms of urban type development. Further
north into the county the stream valleys narrow and mountains
predicate development potentials by leaving little bottom land
except around Hot Springs and in the Spring Creek section. Be-cause
of the topography within the county, most of the population
and development has been concentrated in the southern portion of
the county and along the floodplain of the French Broad.
Madison's main mountain range is known as the Bald Mountains.
Big Bald, at an elevation of 5200 feet is the highest elevation
in the county. The French Broad River's entry into Tennessee is
at the county's lowest elevation (1264 feet).
A physiographic oddity exists on the mountain top where the
Madison County boundary meets with Haywood County and the Tennessee
State line. In this vicinity exists a very good example of North
Carolina's unique grass balds. This is a treeless dome nearly a
mile long. Sandy Mush Bald on the Buncombe County border is
another example of this phenomena, Sandy Mush Bald is at an
elevation of 5168 feet.
The difference of the extreme elevations within the county
create a problem for county residents and potential development:
level terrain is scarce. This terrain has largely dictated de-velopment
within the county.
1
The most rugged Land is in forests, either as farm wood-land
or in the national forest preserve. All of the original
forest has been cut over, but reforestation has recovered most
of it. This has developed a forest products income for some
farmers and woodland owners.
SOILS
A general soil map (opposite) was made showing the location
and extent of the six soil associations in the county. Such a
map provides the general soils data needed to plan the efficient
use and orderly development of the county's natural land re-sources.
The general soil map is useful to those who want a
general idea of the soils, who want to compare different parts of
the county, or who want to know the location of large areas suit-able
for a certain kind of farming or other broad land use. It
does not show accurately the kinds of soil on a single farm or
in a small tract, and is not suitable for the planning of such
small units of land. A summary of soil limitations of the
various soil association types is given in tabular form on page 4.
The six soil associations of Madison County are described
as f ol lows
:
1) MUSKINGUM-RAMSEY ASSOCIATION
Somewhat excessively drained shallow upland soils on
narrow ridges and steep to very steep side slopes.
This association occupies about 20 percent of the
county. Practically all of this land is forested. A
few small areas have been cleared and are being used
mostly for pasture. Steepness of slope, stoniness,
low natural fertility and shallowness to rock are the
chief hazards limiting the use of these soils.
2
GENERAL SOIL MAP
MADISON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
U S DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
SOIL CONSERVATION SERVICE
RALEIGH NORTH CAROLINA
MUSKINGUM-RAMSEY ASSOCIATION: Somewhat excessively drained shallow upland
ndges and steep to very steep side slopes.
HOLSTON-NOLICHUCKY ASSOCIATION: Well drained stream terrace soils with friable
to firm sandy clay loam to clay subsoils on broad smooth terraces.
CODORUS-COMUS ASSOCIATION: Somewhat poorly drained to well drained, nearly
level flood plain soils with friable loamy textures.
PORTE RS-EDNEY VI LLE-ASHE ASSOCIATION: Well drained and somewhat excessively
drained upland soils with friable loam to clay loam subsoils occurring on the higher
i ridges and side slopes.
HAYESVI LLE-CHESTER ASSOCIATION: Well draineo upland soils with friable to firm,
fine sandy clay loam to clay subsoils on broad smooth ridges to moderately steep side
slopes.
CHESTER -HAYESVI LLE-ASHE ASSOCIATION: Well drained to somewhat excessively
drained, intermountam upland soils on narrow ridges and steep to very steep side slopes.
for
Woods
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Severe
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(SI)
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Severe
(SI)
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(SI)
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(Fl,
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(SI)
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(Perc,
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(Fl,
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(SI,
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(SI,
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Moderate
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(SI,
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Hayesville
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(205C
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4
2) HOLSTON-NOLLICHUCKY
Well drained stream
ASSOCIATION
terrace soils with friable to firm
sandy clay loam to clay subsoils on broad smooth
terraces
.
This association occupies about 1 percent of the
county. It is located around Hot Springs, and is
characterized by gently sloping to moderately steep,
smooth high stream terraces. These soils have formed
from the weathering of old alluvial deposits.
as s ociation
i n g The
r n > tobacco
,
ag r icultural
ie f hazard
le n t soils
tomatoes, pasture and hay. These are good
soils with the degree of slope being the ch
in limiting their use. They are also excel
for residential and light industrial sites.
3) CODORUS-COMUS ASSOCIATION
Well drained to somewhat poorly drained, nearly level
floodplain soils with friable loamy textures.
This association occupies about 2 percent of the
county. It is located mainly along the French Broad
River below Hot Springs, Spring Creek and the larger
streams in the Mars Hill section. The association is
characterized by nearly level stream flood plains which
are subject to occasional or frequent flooding. These
soils are formed from recent alluvial deposits.
About 85 percent of the land in this association
has been cleared and is being used for farming. The
principal crops grown on these soils are corn, tobacco,
tomatoes, pasture and hay. These soils are capable of
high production and intensive farming used with proper
artificial drainage and some measure of flood control.
They are generally not suitable for residential or in-dustrial
development because of the flood hazard.
Depth to the water table and flooding are the chief
hazards in limiting the use of these soils.
4) PORTERS -EDNEYVILLE-ASHE ASSOCIATION
Well drained and somewhat excessively drained upland
soils with friable loam to clay loam subsoils occurring
5
on the higher mountain ridges and side slopes.
This association occup
county. It is Located on
the western and northeaste
The area is characterized
and steep side slopes at e
ies about 30 percent of the
the higher mountains along
rn borders of the county,
by narrow to rolling ridges
levations about 3000 feet.
About 30 percent of this land has been cleared
and is being used mainly as unimproved pasture. Less
than 10 percent of the clear acreage is being used
for cultivated crops, mainly corn and tobacco. The
more common trees on the forested areas consist of
oak, hickory, red maple, yellow poplar and white pine
Steepness of slope and surface stones are the
chief hazards limiting the use of these soils.
5) HAYESVILLE-CHESTER ASSOCIATION
Well drained upland soils with friable to firm, fine
sandy clay loam to clay subsoils on broad smooth ridges
to moderately steep side slopes.
This association occupies about 5 percent of the
county and is located around Mars Hill. The areas are
characterized by broad ridges and smooth rolling to
moderately steep side slopes. About 75 percent of
this land has been cleared for farming. Of the cleared
area about one-third is used for crops with the re-mainder
in pasture. The degree of slope is the major
hazard limiting the use of the soils in this associa-tion.
6) CHESTER-HAYES VI LLE- ASHE ASSOCIATION
Well drained to somewhat excessively drained, inter-mountain
upland soils on narrow ridges and steep to
very steep side slopes.
This association occupies about 42 percent of the
county. It is located in scattered areas throughout
much of the intermountain areas of the county. The
areas are characterized by narrow ridges and steep to
very steep side slopes. About 40 percent of this land
has been cleared and is being used mainly for pasture
and hay. Steepness of slope, surface stones and
droughtiness are the chief hazards limiting the use of
these soils.
6
The following table illustrates
found in the various associations and
soil series in relation to the whole.
the
the
amount of acreage
percentage of each
SOIL ASSOCIATIONS
MADISON COUNTY
Table of Approximate Acreages and Percentages
Series Names and Total Total
No. % Within The Association Ac X" 6 S /o
1 Muskingum( 45) -Ramsey (35) 2,900 1.0
2 Holston( 40)-Nol lichucky (35) 58,000 20.0
3 Codorus( 50) -Comus ( 30 ) 6,000 2.0
4 Porters(40)-Edneyville(30)-Ashe( 15) 89,000 30.0
5 Hayesvi lie ( 60) -Chester( 25) 14,300 5.0
6 Chester(60)-Hayesville( 15)-Ashe( 10) 12 1, 640 42 .
291,840 Acres 100.0%
Source of Soils Information: USDA, Soil Conservation Service,
Raleigh, N. C, 1969,
7
DRAINAGE
Madison County's surface water is drained by one watershed.
The French Broad River, originating on the western slope of the
Blue Ridge Mountains in Transylvania County, flows northward
through Madison County into Tennessee's Douglas Lake (a TVA im-poundment).
All minor drainage channels in the county empty
into the French Broad River.
The vast area drained by the Upper French Broad and its
tributaries have often provided Madison County with flood pro-blems,
chiefly along the Upper French Broad. Runoff upstream
from Hot Springs comes from an area of 1565 square miles.''" De-struction
to what little floodplain land exists in Madison County
along this river has been periodically severe. Marshall's and
Hot Springs' downtowns are vulnerable to runoff from heavy rains
that occur anywhere in the basin. Regional floods would inun-date
some Hot Springs downtown businesses. Water along Andrew
Avenue and Bridge Street in that community would be as much as
18 feet deep. 2
A proposal and planning activity by TVA to reduce the
threat of floods in this basin is being developed. A system of
impoundments on tributaries of the French Broad, all upstream
from Marshall and Hot Springs, has been proposed. The project
Floods on French Broad River and Spring Creek in the Vicinity
of Hot Springs, N.C., Tennessee Valley Authority, Division of
Water Control Planning, Knoxville, Tennessee, July, 1960, p. 1
2 Ibid. p . 4
.
8
is to the stage where engineering drawings are being refined and
funding by Congress is being requested. Madison County will
have one of the proposed impoundments on its Ivy Creek. The
actual water body will be shared with Buncombe County as it will
straddle the county line. More of the effect of this proposed
lake will be discussed in a later section.
DEMOGRAPHIC CONSIDERATIONS
At the turn of the century, the population of Madison
County was generally distributed throughout the county. Through
the years the population has shifted towards Mars Hill Township
(increased 13.6 percent) and Big Laurel Township (increased 57.2
percent)
.
Meadow Fork and Middle Fork Townships had population
losses in excess of 50 percent. All of the remaining townships
1 o st s ub s t an t i a 1 numbers too.
Mars Hill increased by 170 persons; Hot Springs increased
by two persons; Marshall decreased by 57 persons from 1950-1960,
The population of Marshall increased significantly between 1920
and 1930. Since 1940, however, the population has steadily de-clined.
With the shift in population, substantial numbers of the
county's residents left the county as they made their move.
From 1950 to 1960, the county had a net loss of 3,305 persons.
The trend continued during the next five years as the county's
1965 population was estimated at 15,938. This additional loss
from the 1960 figure (17,217) was 1,279 persons.
9
Within the next two or three years significant changes of
this trend should occur as the various programs and projects now
underway, or proposed to begin in the early 1970's, begin to take
effect. The projects include physical development as well as
human and educational resource development efforts. Some of
these such as the Bald Mountain development and Ivy Reservoir
are mentioned later in this report. Educational program efforts
include Operation Mainstream which gives on the job training to
low-income workers in the county (partly in cooperation with the
U.S. Forestry Service and partly in cooperation with the Madison-
Buncombe Opportunity Corporation's rural housing renovation pro-gram)
and urban and rural youth programs.
URBAN SETTLEMENT AND URBAN SERVICES
The statements related to the population distribution, of
course, reflect the pattern of urban settlement and urban activi-ties
within Madison County. The urban services are primarily con-fined
to Hot Springs, Mars Hill and Marshall and their immediate
surroundings. These are the only places in the county where these
public water and sewer systems, garbage collection, street light-ing,
fire and police protection and schools all are developed to
a minimum and are in close proximity to one another.
The county still is without a hospital which forces re-sidents
to travel to Asheville for specialized medical and
emergency services. Mars Hill is in need of a municipal sewage
treatment plant and waste collection system to include (and re-place)
the system operated and maintained by Mars Hill College.
These two services perhaps should receive priority within the
county.
10
The scattered and Low density population has kept the need
for water and sewer services outside of Mars Hill, Hot Springs,
and Marshall at low priority. As systems become older and should
growth begin to occur, the county may need to improve and/or in-stall
better and more complete water and sewer systems. Looking
ahead, the Madison County Commissioners have asked a private
engineering firm to study the total water and sewerage service
needs of the county. It is possible that a consolidation of
existing systems and extension of a single system into the
heaviest concentration of settlement will be a major recommenda-tion
of the study. Functional consolidation of police and fire
protection, schools, solid waste collection and disposal might
provide other opportunities for the county to offer services to
its residents at lower overall costs.
1
1
THE LAND POTENTIAL
INTRODUCTION
The Land Potential Study for Madison County is, as the
title suggests, a study to indicate the potential for land
development in Madison County based on physical features both
natural and man-made • This study is the framework for a land
development plan for the county— a plan to provide for control-led
growth by both protecting the county's amenities and insur-ing
proper urban growth for proper locations. By analyzing
physical features, a county's greatest land potentials should
be realized, and plans should be made to insure the realization.
This study in short should determine future locations for housing
industry, commerce, agriculture, forestry, recreation, open space
and governmental facilities.
It should be noted that Madison County is unusual in many
respects. A review of the county's history, its terrain, and
its current plight has set the stage for subsequent action. In
short, it does not require a comprehensive planning program to
determine what course Madison County must take. That course is
already plotted by its topography. The real value of planning
in Madison County is to stimulate those activities which have
been dormant so long but have now come to the point in history
where they can be and should be immediately developed. In
addition, the real value of planning in Madison County is to
convince people that this county has very limited potential for
agriculture unless specialized, extremely limited potential for
12
industry, and no great need for Large and scattered commercial
deve lopments
.
MAJOR POTENTIALS FOR DEVELOPMENT
The major developmental potential for Madison County lies
in recreation and tourism. Selective industrialization must be
undertaken. Subsistence and specialized farming cannot be dis-placed;
neither can they provide a stable base for the economy.
Commercialization in the county should be developed toward pro-viding
services for recreation and tourist activities as well
as for offering goods for purchase by the citizenry.
The many limiting factors for urban growth in Madison
County will not be discussed in this report if one or more
limiting factors have already made a particular geographical
area unsuitable for urban type development. A great deal of
the land too steep for urban type development limits potentials
for industry, housing, and commerce. Because of slope and re-lated
limitations, the county has some potential for resort
facilities (including ski areas and horseback riding trails),
for nature and wildlife preserves, and for timberland. The
slope map (opposite) clearly illustrates the vast part of the
county which is hampered from receiving concentrated development
opportunities
.
CORRIDOR DEVELOPMENT
The completion of the Appalachian Highway through eastern
Madison County will open a portion of the county for development.
14
A proposal for guiding development into this area is stated in
the Land Development Plan. The corridor through which this high-way
passes will stimulate future development closeby. It is
extremely important that this corridor contain quality develop-ment
since this is the area that travelers will see most. This
corridor area of Madison County will be the first and lasting
impression of the county obtained by travelers. If the traveler
likes what he sees, he will return more often. Areas outside of
this corridor area are likely to fade somewhat in importance.
Access, unless greatly improved, will keep these areas removed
from the mainstream. Little demand for active land development
and facilities will occur outside the corridor unless that access
is improved and tied into the corridor area.
VISUAL IMPRESSIONS AND SERVICE FEATURES
In conjunction with existing and proposed features of the
corridor, related features must be developed. Among the most
demanding needs of such an area are the needs for high quality
motels and restaurants, service facilities such as laundromats,
repair and maintenance services, retail clothing stores, drug
stores, and professional services.
Adjacent to the highway interchanges such features as
motels, restaurants, and other facilities that cater to the travel
er should be established. Off of the corridor route, but still
in the corridor area, the Town of Mars Hill offers great promise
for future development for several reasons. Among the most pro-mising
features for Mars Hill are easy access from the corridor,
15
more buildable land than any other Madison County community, a
more permanent population and economic base provided by Mars
Hill College, and a population base large enough to support pro-fessional
and related services within Mars Hill.
Extremely important to development activities within this
corridor and the Mars Hill area, are the attitudes of the people
living in this area. Mars Hill already expresses a strong re-lationship
between the college and the townspeople. This re-lationship
should expand into the county. A county-wide concern
for attracting quality development should be encouraged. The
culmination of this spirit might eventually lead to county
participation in providing services in the area. Such services
could include water and sewer distribution and collection systems,
county facilities such as a hospital, courthouse, fire protection,
and solid waste disposal.
A progressive attitude and spirit can be expressed through
the planning program. Moreover, the planning program must educate
the residents of the county as to why development of the corridor
is essential before development of the entire county.
16
SUMMARY OF DEVELOPMENT POTENTIALS
As stated in the introduction to this report, Madison
County has a limited potential for development. The development
trend which the county will likely take during the next 20 years
should be one of continuing subsistence and specialized farming
while striving to develop tourist and recreation potentials and
to focus commercial and industrial development within certain
perameters. The following map depicts areas where different
forms of development are a real potential in Madison County.
(See p age 18).
RECREATION AND TOURISM
The apparent long term trend of more leisure time and more
affluency is upon us. Madison County, like many other counties
in Western North Carolina, has a tremendous potential for re-creation
and the second home market because it offers an environ
ment where the middle class worker can "get away from it all".
The county should plan to appeal to the outsider who is looking
for a part-time place of residence and quality facilities rather
than one who passes through the county and is confronted by only
snake farms, frontier villages and other "tourist traps".
The land uses required by these two potentials in general
can be on relatively steep slopes such as Wolf Laurel on Bald
Mountain, Bald Mountain is but one of many lofty hills in
Madison County well equipped with the amenities people seek for
vacation and retirement homes.
17
MADISON COUNTY
NORTH CAROLINA
LAND USE POTENTIAL
Scenic Highway Corridor
Recreation Potential
Identified Industrial Sites (1-18)
See Pages 30 - 33
^Hl Commercial Services
I^H Community Development Areas
j | Opportunities for Forestry, Open Space,
Conservation, Wildlife Preservation
Areas, Camping, Religious Assemblies,
Marginal Agriculture
In addition, the construction of Ivy Reservoir, a pro-posed
TVA impoundment on Ivy Creek scheduled during the next 20
years, will provide Madison County with additional appeal for
recreation and second homes. The location of this reservoir is
near some of the more gently sloping hills of the county (south
of Mars Hill) and near two access points on the proposed
Appalachian Highway corridor.
Wo If Laurel. The largest recreational effort in Madison
County to date is the Wolf Laurel resort area. This resort has
received a major boost in the last four months of 1969. During
these months the State Highway Commission paved and opened up a
3.6 mile access road into the resort and the property changed
ownership. The new owners intend to develop the 6,000 acre pro-perty
with an expansion of facilities at an estimated cost of
$15 million. This expansion, programmed for the next five years,
will have a tremendous impact on the entire county and surround-ing
region. The total program on Bald Mountain will create
several hundred jobs. Along with the resort will be 1,000 build-ing
lots for private seasonal and year round housing. Facilities
on Bald Mountain will include golf and skiing complexes, fishing,
hunting and horseback riding, and possibly ski dormitories,
motels, shopping center, craft shop and summer theater. The
resort will be of a high quality similar to Beech Mountain
development in Avery County.
In addition to major recreation complexes, a great variety
of recreation needs are unmet. Within the county, the land has
19
potential for camping areas, active recreation areas, golf
courses, hiking trails, possibly canoeing on some streams,
scenic development and preservation to name but a few. A
scenic highway could be developed and/or preserved between the
junction of U.S. 25-70 and N.C. 208 east through Guntertown and
Big Laurel to U.S. 23 and Bald Mountain resort. In many cases
the need is great where the potential is greatest. Educating
the private sector as to what they might do with their land and
how they might go about it may be the most important factor with-holding
the development of these potentials.
The county has an undeveloped potential for additional
ski resort development. The actual site locations have not
been determined for several reasons, most important of which is
the necessity to have complete economic and technical feasibility
studies.
The complexity of ski slope location is very much depend-ent
upon northern exposure, temperature and snowbelt occurances.
The sites' overall terrain is also important so that the site
will have suitable grades for novice and intermediate skiers,
adequate base and summit areas for development, a minimum of
1000 feet vertical drop, and a minimum base elevation of 3800-
4200 feet. The site should also afford easy highway and air
transportation access and an adequate supply of water and
electricity.
Suitable sites should necessarily be available for pur-chase
by large developers with sound financial backing, technical
20
knowhow, and management skills. Then too a site may be developed
utilizing different approaches: a total complex such as Bald
Mountain or Beech Mountain resorts or a minimum initial invest-ment
for only preparation of the ski slopes, purchase of equip-ment
and construction of a ski lodge headquarters.
The Ivy Reservoir. As part of a system of 14 impoundments
in the Upper French Broad River Basin, Madison County will have
Ivy Creek contained to form an 885 acre lake. The construction
of this impoundment will aid in controlling flood waters in the
French Broad River. This project will be of considerable im-portance
to flood prone Marshall and Hot Springs. The Ivy
Reservoir also should be a stimulus to growth and economic
development in the area south of Mars Hill and along the north
shore of the lake. This lake will unquestionably serve the area
well as a source of recreation and provide new opportunities for
public and private investment and development.
"The development by the surrounding shoreline
will be aided and influenced by the accessibility to
the Appalachian Highway. The new four-lane facility
is designed to bridge the lake to the west of the
Forks of Ivy. The new road will have two interchanges —one on either side of the lake. The northern inter-change
is near Mars Hill while the southern interchange
(in Buncombe County) is closer to the lake."l
1 Scott, R., Vaughn, C., and Vincent, R., Upper French Broad
River Basin: Regional Development and Investments Related
to the Proposed Water Control System, North Carolina State
Planning Task Force, Raleigh, N.C., October, 1967, p. 23.
21
Mars Hill and the north shore of the Lake is likely to
benefit because of the services it now offers, the presence of
the college, and its potentials for growth. To quote the N. C
State Planning Task Force study further:
"Urban development is likely to jump to the
lake (from Mars Hill) and then proceed through a
process of infilling of new land uses between the
two poles. "
"The north shore is expected to become an
area of residential land use. These residents
will be persons who are a part of the Mars Hill
community. The college itself might find owner-ship
near the lake to be advantageous for biolo-gical
studies. The college might develop this
land for experimentation and also have recreation-al
facilities for the school at the same time.
If Mars Hill College could not undertake this
alone, the Board of Directors might be willing to
have a joint effort with the University of North
C aro 1 ina-Ashe vi 1 1 e and other Western North Carolina
colleges. A biological study area could be used
for field trips not only by participating colleges
but also by local high school biology classes."
"A county technical institute for Madison
County might be located near this impoundment.
As a means of providing trained labor, the location
of this kind of facility could also be an economic
investment of the Ivy region. Related to these
land use developments, the idea of a state park and
information center in the vicinity of this reservoir
may find acceptance .
Together these factors present this area of Madison County wit'
a great potential for recreational and several kinds of develo
ment possibilities towards greater utilization of the land.
Since the completion of the above-mentioned study, a site for
golf course has been suggested in this area between the town
and proposed lake.
^ Ibid.
,
p . 24.
22
There is dormant potential for recreation and tourism in
the northern part of the county in the Town of Hot Springs. Hot
Springs can gain the status it once had as a tourist attraction
if there are other attractions in the county which develop to
act as a "drawing card". In addition, the abundance of natural
forests, wildlife preserves, and other open space near Hot
Springs can serve as an additional attraction to this area.
Corridor access may be the prime determinant in the future.
Access hinders the development of Hot Springs at this
time; however, it is felt that as the corridor area develops,
no area of Madison County will be removed from the effect of
tourism. Currently, travelers cannot stay overnight in Madison
County due to lack of facilities; therefore, they see only what
lies between destination points on their way toward Asheville or
Tennessee accommodations. Travel accommodations and services
in the corridor area will permit people to explore Madison County
to a greater degree than is now possible.
AGRICULTURE
Madison County will surely have limited agriculture for
the foreseeable future. In spite of the national trend whereby
the small farmer is being phased out, there are many factors
which prolong and even promote farming as a secondary source of
income in Madison County. It is none too difficult for a family
to rely on full time employment in something other than agricul-ture
while at the same time subsidize family income through
subsistence farming. A large family can often produce between
23
$1-2,000 of food for family consumption which in real terms adds
that much money to the family income.
land nor does it require selective bottom land. Such farming
is carried on generally throughout the county on small farms
often between 25-50 acres. The nature of such farming requires
only part-time attention; therefore, it is ideal for indirect
and secondary income purposes.
and which will likely gain an increase in acreage is the growing
of specialized crops. Among the most productive farm crops of
this nature are burley tobacco, beef cattle, milk production,
and more recently tomatoes. If families manage wisely, the
total family income can be obtained from such farming. Madison
County is the state's largest producer of burley tobacco. Al-most
every farm family has a tobacco allotment. Such allotments
range in size from a few tenths of an acre to several acres.
Most farmers cannot hope to make a living based on their allot-ments
alone; however, several allotments can be rented which
makes it possible for one family to rely totally on income from
tobacco production. It is estimated that $1,500 is the average
gross return on an acre of tobacco. ^ Excluding labor input,
approximately $1,300 of this can be net profit. Ten acres of
tobacco under one ownership can provide a good income.
^ Source: Madison County Agricultural Extension Office located
Subsistence farming makes no demands on large tracts of
Another type of farming which has tenure in Madison County
in Marshall.
2 4
The first years of tomato production in Madison County
illustrate how a specialty crop can "catch on":
TOMATO PRODUCTION 1964-1968
MADISON COUNTY, N. C.
SALES
Net $ / Ac re
Year Producers Acres Gross (To Farmers) Net Sales
1964 266 115 $416,780 $250,068 $1,671.20
1965 360 186 609,000 399,894 2 , 149 .97
1966 460 240 1,113,200 802,000 3 ,341.70
1967 815 411 1,278,791 755,000 1,885.70
1968 729 3 00 1,202,230 830,808 2 ,769.36
Source: Madison County Agriculture Extension Office.
The money yield per acre of land is very high for tomato
production. In 1966 for example, an acre netted an average re
-
turn of over $3,340.
Cattle production for beef requires more land since it is
generally assumed that one acre of good pasture is required to
support one mature animal. At least 100 head of cattle or 100
acres of pasture land would be required to produce an adequate
family income based on current beef prices. Prime level land is
not necessary for such production, so a true potential may exist
in the county that has yet to be realized.
In addition, poultry and milk production could provide
substantial income (as could various other crops) in Madison
25
where level land is not a prerequisite.
Agriculture in Madison County is specialized and requires
very little land, does not require prime land, and enables many
families to have a second income. The future potential for
agriculture should be wise use of slopes too steep for urban
development. Many acres indicated as excessively sloped can and
should be used for certain agricultural uses (see map on pagel3 )
The potential for agricultural land use in Madison County
could be enhanced by improving management techniques in dairying,
improving growing techniques in burley tobacco production, and
in providing information and demonstration projects of poultry
production.
NATURAL RESOURCES
Forests in Madison County offer still another potential for
development. Forest related industries plus recreational areas,
wildlife preserves, and watersheds give many opportunities for
land utilization, jobs, income, open space preservation, develop-ment,
and conservation. No less than thirty public, civic and
industrial groups can lend assistance in forest development pro-grams
within the Upper French Broad Watershed. ^ Many of these
sources are available to Madison's residents.
Many minerals exist in Madison's geologically complex
region. Talc, barite, feldspar, corundum-emery, olivine, rare
^ Economic Development of the Upper French Broad Area, "Basic
Data Supplement," Volume II, N. C. State and Tennessee Valley
Authority, May, 1964, p. 145.
26
earth minerals, garnet, iron, py r ophy 1 1 i te , Limestone are found
in concentrations within the county's boundaries. Mining, how-ever,
is a marginal economic pursuit within the county. Access
to deposits, cost of extracting, and size of the deposit may be
stunting the potential of realizing economic benefits from
mine r a 1 we al th .
The soils map on page 3 has a symbol showing different
mineral locations in the county. Each located symbol may denote
a mine or group of mines; a prospect or group of prospects.
These minerals are identified to demonstrate the diversity and
widespread distribution of mineral commodities.
HOUSING
The current demands for varieties of housing in Madison
County create an unmet need of all income groups. Sites are,
for the most part, scattered except in the southern portion
called the Asheville Basin. Major housing concentrations can be
expected to occur where recreation potentials are developed. In
this respect, Bald Mountain and the Ivy Reservoir will dominate.
The Mars Hill College student and faculty create another need for
a different kind of housing. Retirement and seasonal homes will
no doubt be demanded on scattered sites throughout the county to
take advantage of the topography and climate. Residential
development where water and sewer service is available will
occur on mountainsides primarily in elevations under 300 feet.
Low winter temperatures and greater precipitation in the higher
elevations create conditions unsuited to extensive residential
27
development. The county as a whole will be limited in its over-all
development outside water and sewer service areas of the
municipalities. Sewer and water services, when provided to
serve the north shore of proposed Ivy Reservoir, will stimulate
residential growth in that area.
The southeastern part of the county will probably realize
a demand for housing for workers who will commute to their
employment in Asheville. Finally, farm and low income families
will require replacement housing and new low cost housing pro-jects.
With an estimated 70 percent of families in the county
living in substandard housing, ^ there is a vast potential for
improvement and economic input which will utilize more land.
There will be some demand for housing in the three major
communities in the county. Mars Hill can be expected to receive
the bulk of this demand due to its favorable location to activity
centers in the county (the largest industry, Mars Hill College,
Appalachian Corridor, Ivy Reservoir, access to Asheville).
Currently a total of 117 units of low cost public housing is
completed or in construction phases in the three towns. Mars
Hill with 47 units under construction and Marshall, planning for
50 units initially, both intend to apply for more of this housing
in early 1970's. Hot Springs has 20 units in operation. The
need for housing will utilize small acreage parcels throughout
the county. Unidentified sites will be required for mobile home
^ Annual Overall Economic Development Program, Progress Report
(1967). Madison County, Charles E. Mashburn (Author), p. 20.
28
parks, public housing, low cost housing developments, apartments,
subdivisions, and scattered farm homes, seasonal and permanent
residential housing in the near future. This potential may be
one of the earliest to be realized if the need is publicized
widely enough to attract developers and if a variety of low cost
housing programs are undertaken through local initiative.
COMMERCIAL
In view of the fact that Madison County could develop into
a resort area, there will be a tremendous need for service
facilities such as motels, restaurants, and small specialty shops.
Land off of the Appalachian Corridor Highway at interchange
locations should be especially utilized for such facilities. In
addition, the potentials in the Mars Hill and Hot Springs areas
will create a need for additional commercial and residential land.
New commercial construction in Marshall should take place along
the bypass instead of in the flood-prone Central Business District
The Bald Mountain development may require some commercial func-tions
closeby if they are not included in the total development
program. A small clustered shopping area could sufficiently
serve the needs of the development, tourists and residents in
this part of the county.
FACILITIES
The county's public facilities will create still another
demand for land use. A consolidated county high school, a new
courthouse, a county hospital, and landfill disposal sites will
be needed in the future. It is often common to place these
29
facilities at the county seat; however, since Marshall has limited
development potential because of its location in a floodplain
with no room for expansion, it would be wise for the county to
build these facilities elsewhere in the county. The county's
best access, population, educational resource, and prime land for
development is in and near Mars Hill. Therefore, consideration
should be given to this area now as plans for these facilities
are initiated.
INDUSTRIAL POTENTIALS
Because of the abundance of land unsuitable for concentrate!
urban type development in Madison County, very little land is
available for industrial and commercial activity. There is a
likelihood that Madison County will have some industrial pro-spects
during the next 20 years, so it is wise for the county to
identify and preserve its potential sites for such development.
Industrial sites have been identified by the Division of
Commerce and Industry within the N. C. Department of Conservation
and Development. The sites listed in the C&I files have a basic
criteria of being available for purchase. Those sites presented
in the following table were available when originally placed on
file with C&I . Only Site No. 1 is an extremely large tract.
Most of Commerce and Industry's site offerings in the county are
of a very small acreage, due mainly to topographic influences.
30
J,
AVAILABLE MADISON COUNTY INDUSTRIAL SITES"
Facilities Available (X)
Site
No . Name ( acres) Water Sewer . Gas Rail
1 Big Laurel 2000 X
2 Hot Springs (H.E.
Baker Farm) 20+35 X
3 P. R. Elam (Redmon
Farm) 120
Will be city will
built to annex
plant site sewer
4 Albert Freeman Farm
Farm 8 X X 1 mil
5 Burgin Metcalf
Tract 10( app . ) X X
6 J . F . Amons Tract
(Dr. Chas. Powell) 10-15 X X
7 Herbert Hawkins
Property 15 X
8 Amons, Ballard &
Ramsey site 5-1/2 X
9 E 1 1 i son Tract 6 0.75
mile
away
1.25
mile
aw ay
10 Mae Roge r t s
Estate 15 X
11
1
Joe Lawson Farm 52 . 7 1.5-1
mile
aw ay
X
12 i Foster F arm
(Dewey Foster) 20 X
13 Marshall (already
c ommi t te d
)
12
Source: N. C. Department of Conservation and Development,
Commerce and Industry Division, Sylva, N.C., Mr. Bob
Goforth Area Representative. Date: Approximately,
1967 .
* Located on Land Potential Map, page 18.
31
Site No. 13 has been offered by a group of citizens who
originally purchased a 20 acre tract of land south of the Marshall
Bypass with funds provided by gifts from these and other interested
citizens. Seven acres have been graded and an additional three
acres is partially graded as separate sites for small industries.
The TVA Industrial Division has identified additional sites
with industrial potential based upon specified criteria of land
area and availability of water, sewer, rail and highway service.
The land may or may not be available. The sites are also located
on the potential map and summarized here. All are at least 50
acres in size.
Site No. 14^ Allegheny area site is located thirteen miles
northeast of the junction of State Route 208 and
U.S. Highways 25 and 70, and about 10 miles north-east
of the intersection of State Route 212 and
State Route 208. This 165 acre site is an isolated
valley currently used for farming.
Site No. 15 Shut-In Creek site is located 3 miles west of Hot
Springs and 1 mile east of Antioch along both sides
of U. S. Highway 25 and 70. The Southern Railway
has a main line about 1 mile north near the mouth
of Shut-in Creek. The site contains 90 acres.
Site No. 16 Antioch site is about 4 miles west of Hot Springs,
along the south side of U. S. Highway 25 and 70
at Antioch. The 50 acres are level to gently slop-ing
f arm 1 and
.
* From Source cited on page 26.
Site No. 17 Spring Creek Site is located about 13 miles south
of Hot Springs, along both sides of State Route
209. The area is between mountains. The Spring
Creek area is remote and highways into the area,
although they have a good surface, cross rough
mountain terrain. The site is 345 acres in size.
Since most of the level land in the county lies at interva
in the western edge of the Asheville Basin in eastern Madison
County, around Mars Hill, and near the proposed Ivy Reservoir,
it would be wise to preserve some of this land for industrial
development. In addition, this area is best equipped with trans
portation facilities such as the proposed Appalachian Corridor.
Furthermore, the area is closer to the county's labor supply and
marketing outlets.
A second major potential industrial area lies one-mile
northwest of Hot Springs outside of the French Broad River Plain
This site contains 290 acres of rolling land (Identified as Site
No. 18 on land potential map). Transportation is available via
U. S. 25-70 and the Southern Railroad. As contrasted to the Mar
Hill area, the Hot Springs area could ship finished products
easier to the west into Tennessee than to the east. From a
regional or national distribution standpoint the sites would be
equal.
OTHER LAND POTENTIALS
Additional level land is available only in small pockets
and mostly confined to valleys where roads wind with the streams
33
It is generally unwise to plan for development along the streams
in Madison County because of their potential for flooding. That
small strip of land that generally follows most of the major
highways in the county should be preserved for residential, open
space, and commercial land uses but should be confined as much as
possible .
The greatest potential in northern Madison county may be
to leave the countryside as it is. This is a bit of untouched
Americana that should be protected. Perhaps a folklore collec-tion
could be established and tied in as a stopping point on a
scenic highway such as N. C. 208 and 212. It is a resource that
has no parallel in many other parts of the U . S.
34
ANCILLI ARY POTENTIALS
The land of Madison County has offered an adequate number
of potentials for development and, at the same time, has re-stricted
those potentials in certain limited ways. There are
some ancilliary potentials that must be realized in order that
the development potentials of the land area will have a greater
chance of being developed to its potential. Following is a brief
statement related to each of those potentials.
1. Access has already been mentioned; however, this is of
great importance. The county will have a developmental
stimuli with the construction of the Appalachian Corridor
but the county's overall economic development is seriously
prejudiced where an up-to-date highway system is non-existent
.
2. Municipal development creates a demand for public monies.
The county will realize a potential of increased taxa-tion
return since citizens passed the 1% local sales tax
option in November, 1969. The return to the county is
estimated to be $35,000 for this first year. Of this
total $28,892 will be put into the county treasury. Hot
Springs will receive $1,324, Marshall $2,765, and Mars
Hill $2,019. 1
N. C. Department of Tax Research "Estimates of Revenue for the
25 counties passing the Local Option Sales Tax in elections
held November 4, 1969". Information sheet dated November 6,
1969 .
35
Any improvement to manpower training and adult educa-tion
programs and facilities will give new skills so
those persons can obtain more earning power and gradually
improve their life style, including the dwellings in
which they reside.
In agriculture, the problem is not only with the land
itself, but the landowner. He is unaware many times as
to how to make the best use of his land. Farmers are
not spending enough hours in a productive manner to en-able
their families to have a standard of living equal
to other types of employment. Failure of the farmer
to make full use of the resources available to them
(land, labor, capital, credit, correct production
practices and management) is keeping the income below
what it could be on most farms in the county.
Area-wide development is hindered by both the land and
man. Man is not trained or informed about the possibili-ties.
The long range goals identified in the original Over-all
Economic Development Program were: a) full develop-ment
of agricultural resources, b) industrialization
within resources, and c) development of tourism and
recreation. The involvement in this program county-wide
and the cooperation among representatives from
many small communities and rural areas will determine
whether or not some of the county's land potentials
from the identified goals could bring the county a
long way towards realizing and utilizing the local re-source
base.
36