ONCE PROSPEROUS VILLAGE
NOW GHOST TOWN
DURING the settlement of the
western part of the United
States when gold was being
found in large quantities, towns
and villages often sprang up over
night only to be deserted when
their source of income and support
was exhausted. To such towns the
appellation of "ghost towns" was
applied. Today a number of such
towns may yet be found in that
area.
However, it is a little-known fact
that such a "ghost town” is located
in the western part of Rutherford
County, twelve miles northwest of
Rutherfordton on Cove Creek and
about five miles off the Chimney
Rock-Rutherfordton highway; in
the heart of one of the county’s
richest and most productive agri¬
cultural sections. Today, only one
house remains as proof of the exist¬
ence of the once thriving village of
Ayr, supported in its heyday by a
tannery. When the tannery was
discontinued, the town, like others
supported by industries which ex¬
pired. became a “ghost town."
The history of Ayr dates back
to a period prior to the Civil War.
and originally had its setting in the
town of Rutherfordton. Before
that war, a group of far-sighted
farmers and business men or¬
ganized a group called t h e
Grangers and built the tannery in
the town of Rutherfordton under
the name of The Grange Manu¬
facturing Co. The plant manu¬
factured fine leathers from hides
bought locally. The tan bark was
brought in from the surrounding
country and was ground by horse¬
power. Not only were hides of
animals from the immediate section
made into leather, but after the
coming of the railroads many car¬
loads were shipped in by rail,
manufactured into excellent
leather and reshipped to Baltimore
and northern markets.
But prior to this, the Civil War
came along and the Confederate
government took over the opera¬
tion of the tannery and produced
fine leathers to be used in making
saddles for the cavalry. The tan¬
nery served its purpose well, and
after the war ended the original
owners assumed charge and man¬
agement of the plant.
After the Grangers had once
more come into control of the tan¬
nery, its growth was rapid; so
rapid in fact that several years
later the Grangers, fearing it was
growing beyond their control as a
going business enterprise and that
it should be in more experienced
hands, secured the services of an
experienced man. This new super¬
visor was Frank Reynolds, who
was born in Ayr. Scotland, May 29.
1849. He came’ to the United States
at an early age and settled in
Bridgeport, Conn. Prior to leaving
Scotland he had been one of the
experts in the tannery field.
The plant was moved to Cove
Creek, and about a year after be¬
coming plant overseer, Reynolds
purchased it and immediately set
out to build up the business and its
surroundings. He named the vil¬
lage Ayr. after his native town in
Scotland, and applied to the U. S.
Postoffice Department for the es¬
tablishment of a postoffice. On June
1, 1880. a postoffice was established
there, also under the name of Ayr.
with Thomas R. Edgerton as post¬
master. He served only a few weeks
in that position, being succeeded
by Mrs. Jane Reynolds, wife of the
town’s founder, on July 6, 1880.
She served in that capacity until
the office was discontinued on
February 15. 1911.
A general store was started to
supply the employees who lived
nearby. Here the manufacture of
fine leather was continued, and it
was in demand all over the United
States. The Reynolds were noted
for their hospitality and seldom a
week passed that they were not en¬
tertaining some of their friends.
Here the little town prospered
exceedingly well until the supply
of tan baric was about exhausted.
Also, Mr. Reynolds suffered some
financial reverses, which, coupled
with the inadequate supply of tan
bark, eventually forced the closing
of the plant. As in the cases of
other towns in which inhabitants
were deprived of their source of
livelihood, the citizens moved away
and left the "ghost town.”
Today, only the old building
which housed the store remains as
a memorial to the little town of
Ayr. It serves to house a family
of Negroes who are tenants on a
surrounding farm.
Reynolds died in Rutherfordton
on July 13. 1918.
GOVERNOR ELLIS
(Continued from j ku/c 111
coin soon called upon the Governor
to furnish three regiments of troops
to aid in putting down the "insur¬
rection.” Governor Ellis is per¬
haps best known in history for
his historic and laconic reply to
this demand: "You will get no
troops from North Carolina.
Far-Sighted Statesman
Ellis was a far-sighted statesman,
and although the hand of disease
was even then resting heavily upon
him, and although the Pale Horse¬
man stood just without his door,
the Governor moved with the
promptness and the courage which
distinguishes the true patriot. He
promptly caused the seizure by
the state of the Federal forts at
Beaufort and Southport, as well
as the Federal arsenal at Fayette¬
ville. and other governmental prop¬
erty within the state. He took
prompt action to put the state not
only in a position for defense, but
he prepared for offensive action so
as to be ready to “carry the war
into Africa" should the exigencies
of the situation require it.
The Governor realized that the
state was in imminent peril and
that the South was fated to become
involved in a terrible fratricidal
war which might last for years.
Even before the Ordnance of Seces¬
sion was adopted he issued a ring¬
ing call to the people of the state
appealing for twenty thousand
volunteers to serve in the impend¬
ing crisis, and the quota he called
for was more than filled. So soon
as the Ordnance of Secession was
adopted and the state was officially
out of the Union, the twenty
thousand volunteers Ellis had
raised were immediately mustered
into the Confederate service. This
time the lion hearted Governor
wired President Lincoln that not
merely three regiments but twenty
had been raised, but for the service
of the South, and not for the armies
of the North.
It was the troops who were en¬
listed and prepared for service
under the leadership and direction
of Governor Ellis who were, under
Colonel Daniel Harvey Hill, the
"First at Bethel." and these volun¬
teers continued in the service of
the South until that fateful day in
April 1865 when General Lee was
forced by overwhelming odds to
surrender to General Grant at Ap¬
pomattox.
The health of the Governor com¬
pletely failed under the enormous
burdens resting upon him and he
21
THE STATE. NOVEMBER 30. 1046