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| SAY HELLO TO REDFORD!!! HE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU COME TO TRAVELERS REST SC, OR TO VISIT HIM ANYWHERE IN THE GREENVILLE SC AREA!!! |
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| SAY HELLO TO REDFORD!!! HE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU COME TO TRAVELERS REST SC, OR TO VISIT HIM ANYWHERE IN THE GREENVILLE SC AREA!!! |
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Back before white men set foot on the eastern shores of the United States several Indian tribes settled in the area. Among these were the Catawba, Creek and the largest the Cherokee nation. The Travelers Rest area was under the control of the Cherokee until after the Revolution. Governor Glenn of South Carolina and the chief's of the Cherokee nation signed a treaty ceding part of their nation to the whites and keeping the land west of an old Indian bounty line between Spartanburg and Greenville counties. In 1776 the Indians in the Travelers Rest area were driven out and the next year signed a treaty ceding the present Greenville county land to South Carolina. Indian occupation of the Travelers Rest area is very evident by the artifacts found. Old Indian trails ran from the mountains through Travelers Rest to Georgia. This road called Hawkins Road was used by the Indians as a path for racing horses and was also used by the whites for racing. During this time the few white settlers and Indians got along very well. These white settlers built forts and trading posts in the region. Richard Pearis built the first trading post in this area by the falls of the Reedy River. Since the Revolutionary war no large movement was taken to open the lands newly acquired by the Indians. In 1784 several thousand immigrants came from the Mid-Atlantic States and surrounding upstate counties. During this time many land grants were made to the heroes of the Revolutionary war. Roads through Travelers Rest were used for herding cattle, hogs, horses, and sheep. Corn and grain was also taken from the fields of Tennessee and Kentucky to South Carolina and Georgia. These grains were transported on livestock through the mountain passes. During this time large flocks of turkeys were driven down from sections of Tennessee and Kentucky through Travelers Rest. The transporting of livestock through the area made it a necessity to stop in the foothills before proceeding down to the larger cities of the downstate. These turkeys were greatly desired during the times of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Campsites were setup and farm owners opened their barns for the extra livestock. After this time covered wagon trains also stopped at these campsites before heading over the Appalachians. One resting point was across from the old Browns Feed and Seed store (now Sunrift Adventures). Travelers would come down through Brevard and Caesars Head down the old Jones Gap Road and Buncombe Road. This campsite had a large well where all the travelers would come and refresh. Because Travelers Rest is located in the foothills it became the resting-place before the mountain crossing. This summary adapted from the book:
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