State

Rutherford Swapped Farming for Industry By Bill Sharpe This is one phosc of Rutherford. It once dominotcd the scene in thot Piedmont county.— (Photo by Normon Grey.l Rutherford is a Piedmont-Mountain county, largely rural but heavily in¬ dustrialized by textile enterprises which started around 75 years ago. It is propped up on the west by the Blue Ridges and on the north by the South Mountains. From these eleva¬ tions of 4,000 feet, the county slopes steeply toward the South Carolina border. From its rugged northwest boundary, Rutherford unrolls into an attractive land of natural wonders, of history, romance, industry and agricul¬ ture. The flora is as varied as the topo¬ graphy, and includes the decorative wild flowers of the hills, as well as herbs once eagerly sought by "yar- bers” Heavily lumbered, it still contains valuable forest resources. It has min¬ erals, too. It was in the gold rush belt, and mica and monazitc have been mined, as well as iron ore. It is well- watered by rivers and creeks, and its climate is surprisingly mild, for it lies in the same isothermal belt which made Tryon a year-around resort. In spite of this favorable weather, agriculture has steadily de¬ clined. Formed in 1779 The county was formed in 1779 after being settled by Scots and Scotch- Irish, with a few French. German. Irish and Swiss. Until recent times, the county was almost entirely popu¬ lated by descendants of these pioneers and their near neighbors. Industriali¬ zation, however, brought residents from a wider area. The colored popu¬ lation is relatively small ( 12 per cent), living mostly in the larger towns. No Cities Although there are no large cities, the once farming population has for some years tended to move toward the numerous towns and villages in the south, where factories have located. However, in the center of the county, where main pioneer roads crossed, the three towns of Forest City. Spindale and Rutherfordton together comprise a concentration of nearly 15.000 per¬ sons. The northern section is hilly; the old towns there have remained agri¬ cultural trade centers. Visitors entering from the east over US 74 feel that Rutherford shares the physical and economic features of Piedmont Gaston and Cleveland. But those entering from the west classify it with the resort area of the moun¬ tain region. This edge of the county, with mountains, streams and a beauti¬ ful lake, provides a sheer bonus for industrial Rutherford and add both to the pleasure of living and looking, as well as to the economic resources. Its human and natural histories ful- THE STATE. August 31. 1963