Waynesville, North Carolina City Guide
For over 20 years, Pamela Lanier's Waynesville, North Carolina Travel Guide has been your connection to Waynesville's tourism community with invaluable details on local attractions, restaurants, shopping, museums, history, outdoor recreation and more.
History
 Centuries ago, the Cherokee Indians inhabited the land outside of Waynesville. Fertile farmland, mineral-rich mountains and the Gold Rush brought early pioneers to the area. The 19th century European structures, log cabins, and farms along the Blue Ridge Parkway are evidence of what life was like during those times. The town was founded in 1809, by Colonel Robert Love, an American Revolutionary War soldier who donated the land for a courthouse, jail, and public square. Love named the town after his former wartime commander, General "Mad" Anthony Wayne.
After the war, the agricultural, lumber and tourism industries in Waynesville and Haywood County began to thrive with arrival of the railroad in 1884. The railroad tracks were laid along low-lying Richland Creek, northwest and down hill from Main Street, called “Frog Level” because the area had been frequently flooding swampland. With a new railroad depot and daily train service, Frog Level and the nearby downtown commercial centers of Waynesville continued to be the central focus for social life, transportation, and wholesale and retail businesses through the 1940s.
As the automobile became the dominant mode of transportation, the railroad declined in importance. The last passenger train arrived in Waynesville in 1949, though freight trains pass through Frog Level twice daily. Now designated a National Historic District, the neighborhood is experiencing an influx of new businesses. Upbeat young people, excited by the historic district’s new life, staff the attractive WNC Visitors Center, and Frog Level is “hoppin’” once again. Frog Level merchants today sponsors The Whole Bloomin' Thing, an annual festival of locally produced goods, services and produce, as well as music, food and entertainment events. |
