The Citizens of Lost Cove
They live in an isolated eo nun unity with
no highways, no telephones or eleetrie
service, no doctors and no stores, but they
apparently are well pleased with their
location.
Residing in an almost inaccessible
locality may have its compensations
— for a hermit, that is — but few folks
voluntarily would select for their
permanent homes an area without
highways, telephones or electric serv¬
ice, post office or stores, doctors or
dentists, or any of the other adjuncts
to a comfortable livelihood.
But North Carolina has, in the west¬
ern section of the state, what is be¬
lieved to be the most isolated section,
possessing human habitation, to be
found in the entire South, according to
a recent article in the Hickory Daily
Record.
This little settlement is in the north¬
western part of Yancey County, near
the Tennessee border, and its popula¬
tion consists of approximately thirty-
five adults and children. It is known
by the singularly appropriate name of
Lost Cove.
The 300 acres of privately-owned
land comprising the settlement arc
completely surrounded by portions of
Pisgah National Forest, and rugged
mountains, some of them more than
4,000 feet high, further enhance its
inaccessibility.
Virtually "Cooped Up"
Whenever any member of the dozen
families of Lost Cove gets sick, he just
has to get along the best he can with
the aid of home remedies made of
roots and herbs. Or maybe, if the ill¬
ness is sufficiently serious, he is
"packed out" over obscure trails to the
nearest doctor.
No State road has ever been built
into Lost Cove. I he only means of
ingress or egress, except on foot
through miles of rough trail, is to hike
to the nearest station of the Clinchficld
railroad. This railway line runs two
trains a day through territory adja¬
cent to Lost Cove, one running north
to Erwin. Tenn.. and the other south¬
ward to Spruce Pine.
Has Railroad "Station"
Strange to say, the railroad main¬
tains a small shelter, used as a railway
“station," in the vicinity of the settle¬
ment. where freight occasionally is
unloaded. These consignments arc left
unguarded at the inadequate shelter
.until those for whom they arc intended
can make arrangements for their re¬
moval.
Lost Cove docs have a school.
About fifteen pupils are taught at pres¬
ent by Sinclair Conley, a former pro¬
fessor of psychology at the University
of Florida; Mayo College, Chicago;
and Oklahoma Baptist University; and
formerly dean of Biltmorc College,
who has decided to devote the re¬
mainder of his teaching years to rural
public school system of his native.
North Carolina.
The teacher's salary is paid by the
State of North Carolina; but this is
about the only return the inhabitants
of Lost Cove receive for the taxes they
pay. Education ends with the eighth
grade, because there is no high school,
and the parents cannot afford to send
their children "outside" to boarding
schools.
There is also one church, which
most of the inhabitants attend. It is of
the Free Will Baptist denomination.
Most of those of voting age belong
to one party, the Republican.
The community can boast only four
cows and three horses. The people
raise, for home consumption, chickens,
hogs, potatoes, corn, beans and "gar¬
den truck," but no tobacco or other
money crop. Their only means of live¬
lihood is cutting dead chestnut saw
logs and acid wood, which they buy
on a stumpage basis from the National
Forest service.
According to the oldest inhabitants.
Ike Love of Tennessee was one of the
original owners of the area now known
as Lost Cove. Later Mack English, a
sawmill operator, and John Tipton be¬
came owners of a portion of it. Still
later families by the name of Miller
and Bailey from Big Creek, and If.
Cooper, bought land and settled. The
entire 300 acres, surrounded by Na¬
tional Forest lands, is now owned al-
f Continued on page 20)
THE STATE, June 16. 1951
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