State

Роде Twenty-eight THE STATE December 15, 1934 тгнмм; тик ришлсггу spotugitt on THE HEART OF MARION mcdowell county “ Lake City of the Blue Ridge Mountains M TWO million persons annually will travel over the beautiful scenic highway which will traverse the awt-iti-piring regions «»f the western North Carolina mountain area to con¬ nect the (irotlt Smoky Mountain and •Shenandoah Valley National Parks, ac¬ cording to an estimate made by Secre¬ tary of the Interior Harold I.. I ekes. And Marion, county seat of McDowell County, known пн tlm “Lake City of the llluc Ridge Mountains,” which has in it* vicinity more mountain lakes than any other community in that section, is confident of attracting a great portion of that huge number of tourists and vacationists. Only a few mile- from Marion lie two lake*— Lake Лате* and LakeTaho- ran — which, in uioun- tain-nnd-water «conic beauty, compare with the most gorgeous t" be found in the United Stales. Tho (low of three crystal-clear mountain streams was brought together to form Lake dames, which was brought into being by the Duke Power Com¬ pany. and impounded behind earth dams ris¬ ing !><) feet into the air to form one of the largest artificial bodies of water in the country. Lake James covers an area of 7,500 acres and has a shore line of 15 1 miles. The vista from Lake James includes craggy mountain peaks, with the famed Table Rock and Hawk’s Rill in the foreground. In another direction, within ter. minutes drive from Marion, lie» 1-nke Tahotna, surrounded by mountains and built in the shadow of Ml. Mitchell, highest peak east of the Rockies. Шаек AMMIICA is wntehing .\orfh Carolina, now that I In* «roa I M*cnic highway is I о Ira verso Tar llec»l territory. Anil Marion. "Lake City of flic* Him* lticl;»c» Mountains." bids fair lo honofil iiiiinoitsoly dm* lo its strategic lo¬ cal ion and I ho many re¬ creational a«lvanlaK€»s il has lo offer. Вы И. II. Henries Above is shown a splendid view of Lake Tahoma, one of the many beautiful lakes and streams which dot McDowell County in the vicinity of Marion. The lake covers an area of more than 3,500 acres. Rriil hors, Bulsiiiu Cone. Citadel and Potato Hill, known ns the <|uu«lruplet |-*aks and all with an altitude of more than 6,000 feet, al*o form a background for this beautiful mountain lake of more Ilian 3,500 acres. Lake Tahoma is a part of the Ruck Creek development, which includes miles of mountain road* and trails, and numerous lodges and summer camps. 1 1 was formed by the damming of Ruck Creek, a comparatively large stream along whose banks are many beautiful and well-preserved old homes. This creek, together with the Catawba River, waters tho fertile valley west of Marion in the Lake Tahoma vicinity. Fishing, boating, swimming, hiking, horseback riding, golf, tennis and other «ports— they’re all provided in the vi¬ cinity of Marion for those who visit ami those who make this attractive city their home. Out in Lake Tahoma there stands a pavilion where «lances are held during the Miinmer. with sonic good col¬ lege orchestra furnish¬ ing the music. Roat races ami horse shows are regular events dur¬ ing tin- summer season. Marion is the gate¬ way «m tho east and the south for the en¬ trances to Linvillc Falls and Little Swit¬ zerland. With three approaches to the pro posed new scenic high¬ way — the most distant only 21 miles away — and its numerous recreational advan¬ tages, Marion’s resi¬ lient* ami boosters are expecting things to assume the proportion)* of a boom when tin- highway i« completed. If one i« interested in the out-of-doors, there is plenty to see and do in that area. Thousands of words could be penned concerning the beauties of the scenery adjacent to Marion, hut it’s more ma¬ terial aspects should be given a bit of consideration. Marion has many large industrial