Pensacola - Quilt Trails of Western North Carolina

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ensacola used to be bigger than Burnsville. It was a vibrant self-sufficient
community.
Mining and timber were the main support for the community. Over the years,
the mines played out, the timber was all cut, and eventually the train tracks
were dismantled. Now Pensacola is a quieter community, but still rich in
history and scenic beauty. You can see old pictures of the trains at the offices
of Country Cablevision. Ray Vance Miller, owner of Country Cablevision, is
a history buff and can tell still more stories about the area.
This trail is home to our 100th quilt block so make a special effort to find it. It
is painted to look like Brook Trout and Rainbow Trout. The barn sits back off
the road and in the summer the trees block most of the view. Drive slowly and
you’ll find it.
The headwaters of the Cane River flow from Pensacola and the fishing there
is great. The scenic river tumbles over boulders as it makes its way down the
mountain. Cattail Creek also feeds into the river and is itself a beautiful and
bold creek.
You can get to this trail from the West side of Burnsville by taking Ferguson
Hill Rd. (where the Twinkletoes block is). Or begin it from the East side of
Burnsville at Hwy 197S at the Texaco station. Either way, be prepared for a
scenic treat.
Ingles Texaco
on
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Fer
Highway 197 S
Pensacola Rd.
Highway 19e
Hill
Hearts & Rings
901 Bolens Creek Rd.
The 2008 Raffle block
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Bo
Rd.
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Cr
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Rd
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Fish
Our 100th block
4125 Pensacola Rd.
Summer Sun
State Hwy 197S
Butterfly
856 George’s Fork Rd.
Hospice
Rising Moon Over
Magic Mountains
Corner of Toodie’s
Creek and 197S
Shepherd’s Light
290 King Hwy
High Pastures
(Go near the end of
George’s Fork)
Cupid’s Own
214 Pine Cone Lane
Peony
1826
Wildwood Dr.
Mighty Mouse Bridge
315 Tennis Court Rd.
Star of the Milky Way
2635 Cattail Creek Rd.
Pine Cone Lane
Apple Tree Hill
429 Wildwood Dr.
This trail connects to
the Arbuckle Trail and
the Burnsville Trail
via Ferguson Hill Rd.
Pyrotechnics
1001 Toodies
Creek Rd.
If you catch Louis
Leadbetter at home
(the Wagon Wheel), he
may take you on a
horse-drawn wagon
ride for about $5.
Wagon Wheel
307 Cattail Creek Rd.
The Fish block was
our 100th block.
Love’s Chain
14 CC Allen Rd.
Hwy 197S
Cattails
Cattail Community
Center
Cattail Creek Rd.
Blue Ridge Apple Tree
12041 Hwy 197S
Twin blocks
at this site
Baseball
Intersection of 197S
and Cattail Creek Rd.
NOTE: While we try hard to keep the maps and Tour Guides
updated, blocks are going up all the time and the maps and
guides may not always be up-to-date. If you spot a block not on
the map, take a picture if you can and email it to us so we can
update the map and guide both for the next printing and for the
internet. (In other words - become one of our volunteers!!)
Misty Ridge
Mountains
45 Deep Gap Rd.
This is a beautiful
drive. The Cane River
keeps you company.
This is a great fishing
river - get your fishing
license in Burnsville at
Blue Ridge Hardware
in Burnsville or at
Price’s Creek General
Store off Hwy 19
in the West end of
Yancey County,
Cooper’s Trading at
Riverside on Hwy 19,
or at Wal-Mart in
Spruce Pine.
PENSACOLA TRAIL
Estimated Driving Time: 2 hours from Burnsville
Start at Hwy 197 and Hwy 19 on the East side of Burnsville,
or take Ferguson Hill Rd. from the West side of town.
Hearts and Rings
Location: 901 Bolens Creek Rd. Drafted by Barbara Webster, Painted by Christine
Strom, Deborah Palmer, and Barbara Webster. Installed by Vic Bain.
This was the first raffle block we created. We raffled it off in 2008 and
Barb and Vic Bain won it.
They had applied for a quilt block in June of 2007 and we had not
gotten to their application before they won this block.
Barb loves the look of the blocks and the fact that it links the county
and makes it very attractive.
Vic says they have been coming here for 35 years. They had a cabin at
Cattail Creek but have recently torn it down and are planning to build
something new. Vic says they are still trying to decide on what the
cabin in Cattail will be like. In the meantime they had to have a place
to live so they bought their house on Bolens Creek Rd. where you can
see the block displayed on their garage.
Turn onto Hwy 197S
(Pensacola Rd.) off Hwy
19 at the Texaco station
in Burnsville. Bolen’s
Creek Rd. will appear on
the left. Turn left onto
Bolen’s Creek to find this
block.
If you look closely at the
map you see that
continuing on Bolen’s
Creek will take you back
to 197. But if you do that
you will miss a couple of
blocks...maybe three
blocks. If you plan to
backtrack, then you can
see them on your way
back.
Prior to moving here, they lived in Wilmington. Vic worked for GE as
manager of nuclear fuel sales, and Barb was an RN - an operating room
nurse.
They have two sons living in Charlotte. The oldest is in
pharmaceuticals and the youngest is in supply chain management.
Vic says to stay busy he likes to restore and improve old cars. His most
recent acquisition was a 1963 Comet. He also has a house on Sunset
Dr. that he is remodeling. Barb volunteers at the Humane Society.
Fish
Location: 4125 State Hwy 197 S (Pensacola Rd.) Drafted by Barbara
Webster, Painted by Fayma Childs, Cheryl Hughes, Dot Gibbs, Carolyn
Bareford, Edye Rollins, Barbara Webster, and Deborah Palmer.
Installed by Jeff Phillips and Wade Whitson.
Story by Susan Crutchfield
This block will be on your left if
you are coming from Hwy 19. It is
hidden back off the road so you
have to keep a keen eye out for it.
The Fish block on the barn of Allen and Bevo Peterson is the
100th block that was installed by Quilt Trails of Western North
Carolina, a real milestone. A community-wide celebration was
held to honor the many volunteers who worked on the first one
hundred blocks. County Commissioners honored Barbara
Webster, the Executive Director of Quilt Trails of Western North
Carolina, by naming that Saturday Barbara Webster Day.
The Fish quilt pattern was an easy choice for the Petersons.
Allen has been a fisherman since his childhood days in Los
Alamos, New Mexico. While living in Charlotte prior to coming
to Burnsville, he would hear friends making plans to spend the
weekend in various activities at the country club. He, on the
other hand, was dreaming of rod in hand and landing a beautiful
rainbow trout. He asked that the quilt block be painted to look
like Brook Trout and Rainbow Trout.
Bevo, a seminary graduate, loved the pattern because of the
Christian symbolism it evoked. The block is only one attraction
of the property. The beautiful home the Petersons bought in 1989
was originally built by Mac Thompson and his wife in 1945. Mac
owned a lumberyard and held back all the special wood that
came through to put in his own house. Each room is made from a
different type of wood which covers both floors and walls. The
spectacular rock work on the exterior of the house is evidence of
more fine craftsmanship.
The rocks were brought from Pisgah National Forest which
required special permission that Mac somehow obtained. The
huge barn was built for many purposes, but one very important
reason was to accommodate Mac’s love of hunting. He put
heavy, thick wire on the outside of the barn for a very good
reason—to keep animals out. This was necessary because inside
he was cooking and also curing the many animals he brought
home from his hunting trips. Bevo recalls bearpaws nailed all
around the interior of the barn when she first saw it!
Hunting was not all Mac did. He was a beloved member of
the community as evidenced by a story told to Allen by the
owner of the dry cleaning store at that time. The man wanted to
build a house for his family but didn’t have enough money to do
so. Mac asked him if he needed lumber. The answer was yes but
not until he had enough to pay for it. This didn’t stop Mac. He
delivered the entire amount needed for the home to the shocked
man’s doorstep. “But, Mac. I told you I couldn’t pay you! Did
you misunderstand me?” Mac informed him that he had
understood perfectly and that he could pay him back when and if
he could.
Those of us who know the Petersons also know that Mac
would be thrilled to see his beautiful home in such good hands.
The love and care Allen and Bevo show for their surroundings is
beautifully reflected in the circle of fishes that now hang above
the barn’s great door.
Pyrotechnics
Location: 1001 Toodies Creek. Drafted and painted by Ethel Nash and Mary Nelson,
installed by Harry Childs.
Story by Holly Walker
They say home is where the heart is, and that is especially true for Kathy
Hogan and her husband, John. Kathy's parents discovered Burnsville back
in the '70s and in 1972 they bought a 150-year-old house on 10 acres. Over
the years Kathy began visiting from wherever she lived and came to know
the neighbors, Deward Boone and family. They owned the piece of property
directly above her parents. Kathy fell in love with the Boones' land, as well
as its creek, footbridge, two small outbuildings, and wonderful green field.
One of those buildings was built by Mr. Boone and he used it as his
workshop. Mr. Boone died in the late '80s and his family eventually sold
the property to the Kirklands. Kathy and John married in 1996 and bought a
cabin in the Cattail community to use for holidays and vacations. Years
passed and out of the blue, the Kirklands called John and Kathy and told
them that they were going to sell their place. They offered Kathy and John
first rights of refusal since they knew of their love for the property. John and
Kathy bought it in 2003 and moved there fulltime in 2006 after both retiring
from the military. Kathy claimed the lower "Wellkommen" building, which
is not yet in very good repair. John set up his bike shop in the upper building
near the creek- the same building that Mr. Boone used as his workshop
years before. John has since built several bikes in his shop on the creek and
passes a good bit of time there in his own peaceful space. Music and the
sound of the creek are almost all that can be heard inside his shop. John has
also passed on his bike-building skills to their son. The two have spent
hours together there working on a succession of bikes. Kathy ordered the
quilt block for John's birthday in 2009. She chose the Pyrotechnics design
because it looks like a dynamic, colorful wheel. It has been a wonderful and
fitting addition to the building that is now home to John's bike shop. Kathy
and her family have come full circle, if you will, back to the place that won
her heart so many years ago.
Apple Tree Hill
Location: 429 Wildwood Dr., Pensacola area. Designed by Barbara Webster,
Painted by Fayma Childs and Carolyn Bareford. Installed by Harry Childs.
Story by Teaky Tollison
Passing any farm on a country road, the traveler is almost sure to
come across a gnarled old apple tree. There is beauty in its twisted
shape and hardiness. After Fayma and Harry Childs moved to the
mountains from Florida, Fayma discovered one of these old
survivors on their property which led to the quilt square, Apple
Tree Hill. When she and her husband decided to get their own
square, they discussed important events in their lives, their family
history, and various other symbols, yet nothing really spoke to them
as the best image for their personal design. Then, Fayma thought
about the old apple tree on their property that had endured neglect
and brutal winters but still blossomed in the spring. It had been the
inspiration for the name of their home and was perfect for the quilt
square: Apple slices form a disk as the central theme of the design
At one of the community events in Burnsville, Fayma
signed up to help paint the squares for the Quilt Trail project. She
really loved arts and crafts and wanted to become a part of the
community itself while doing something she enjoyed. She tried
traditional quilting once, but found it far too time consuming.
Working with the quilt square project provided a creative outlet for
Fayma. Now, in addition to helping paint her own square, she has
participated in the painting of countless other squares for friends
and neighbors in the county. Harry has helped with building the
quilt blocks and also with installations.
Harry and Fayma have four grandchildren, who visit them
usually at Christmas and in the summer.
The Childs came home to North Carolina in 2006. Fayma
grew up in Winston Salem and High Point. Harry grew up in
Jacksonville, FL. Harry and Fayma met in Miami, in 1954 as
teenagers. Fayma got her degree in Environmental Studies and
Harry formed his own company specializing in electrical
contracting, called Wiremasters. They married in 1961. They stayed
in Miami until 2005. They have a second house in Florida on the
West Coast on Gasperilla Island where Harry’s grandparents lived
at the turn of the century. They still return there in the winter.
Asked how they ended up in Burnsville, Fayma said they
wanted to retire to Tennessee and came to look at land. They came
to Burnsville during that trip to visit friends who Fayma had been
in high school with. Their friends convinced them they should
move to Burnsville. So they started looking for land in Burnsville.
They found an old pasture full of wild roses and lots of scrub on
which to build their home. When the contractors began clearing the
land, Fayma warned them not to touch the old apple tree. She
turned to her husband and said that their retirement home would be
Apple Tree Hill. Since that time, their rustic log home has been
finished, and more apple trees have been planted.And so Fayma
and Harry Childs have melded the heritage of the mountains with a
bit of their own history in the new symbol of their apple tree quilt
square.
Peony
Location: 1826 Wildwood Drive. Drafted by Deborah Palmer, painted by Cheryl
Hughes and Carolyn Bareford, installed by Billy Shade with the help of Harry
Childs.
Story by Katie Webster
Jeanette Strobel's neighbors call her “the flower lady” with good
reason. She has always loved flowers, and ever since she came to
Burnsville her yard has been full of blooms in every season. Her
garden began with rhododendron, mountain laurel, and native
azaleas in the yard, with blue juniper on the hills. With that start, her
garden grew year by year to include many more flowers and plants.
Daylilies – “such hardy plants!” – fill the hillside, growing so thickly
that she always seems to be dividing the beds. The dinner plate-sized
blooms of hardy hibiscus, mallow, and Annabelle hydrangeas greet
her grandchildren. There are always butterflies to chase through the
garden!
More flowers are being added all the time, whenever she
stops by BB Barns and Jesse Israel's in Asheville or receives gifts
from friends. Usually just about anything she plants in her yard loves
it there. A friend gave her 17 peony plants, and recently the most
unique flower bloomed after being dormant for 8 years. She searched
for a quilt block design that would feature he rlove of flowers, and
now the Peony block adorns her house, flanked by colorful hanging
baskets.
Jeanette has a great appreciation for plants in all of their life
cycles…whether it is the many different stages of the clematis
blooms climbing her house, or the delicate color that sedum takes on
as fall gets closer. Her night blooming lilies put out one white bloom
that fades by morning. She is always excited to see her yard change
through spring, summer, and fall. Jeanette enjoys photographing the
blooms as well, trying to capture mountain laurel, Echinacea, or
daisies at their peak each year.
Summer Sun
Location: State Highway 197 S Drafted by Barbara Webster, painted by 2009
art students at Mtn. Heritage High School, installed by Scottie Cole of Country
Cablevision with the help of Harry Childs.
Story by Rebecca Warner
Sometimes there is a strong reason one chooses to have a quilt
square hung on his or her barn. For Mary Ann Miller, it was a
simple matter of having a newly-painted barn which needed some
adornment. Having seen the various quilt blocks in the area, she
knew that she wanted one for her barn.
Though it is called Summer Sun, Mary Ann's quilt block
features a lone star motif. When asked why, Mary Ann explains
that her mother, Mae McPeters, who passed away in 1991 at the
age of 92, was a quilter and had a love for lone stars. She did
piece quilts, and somehow the lone star theme on many of those
quilts stands out in Mary Ann's mind.
**A large, single eight-pointed star in the center of a quilt
top is sometimes called a "lone star quilt,” but many Native
Americans refer to them simply as "star quilts". The star quilt
took on the role of replacing the buffalo robe in ceremonial and
religious life. Death, birth and other important events are a time
for giving and sharing of these star quilts at ceremonies. As
explained, "The most important use of star quilts in
contemporary Lakota society is as gifts at a memorial for the
dead called a "Giveaway". The Giveaway is a time to share
food, quilts and goods at a memorial for the dead.**
Mae was born in Erwin, Tennessee. Her sister married a man
who worked in the Pensacola area, where he raised ginseng and
made whiskey, among other things, on his large piece of land.
When Mae came to visit her sister, she met her husband, Hobert
McPeters, who was working there.
When they married, they settled in the Pensacola area. Hobert
passed away in 1963, but Mae never remarried. Her home and her
children were her life, and as she aged, she enjoyed the hospitality
of all her children. Besides staying with Mary Ann, she also took
turns living with her other children: there was a daughter in New
York; a son in Michigan; and two other daughters in Asheville.
She enjoyed the love and welcome of her children until her
passing.
Mary Ann's mother didn't favor any particular colors—she
simply used whatever scraps she had to make the quilts. She
sewed a great deal as well, making many of her children's clothes.
She did not sell her quilts, but made them for her home and for
her family. Most of her quilts ended up decorating the home of her
daughter, Jessie, in New York. Jessie's home was decorated with
her own paintings and numerous antiques, and Mae's beautiful
quilts enhanced the décor.
Jessie is an artist, and Mary Ann feels that Jessie's particular
talent for collage and abstract art was something she might have
gotten from their mother. After all, quilts are, in their own way, a
collage. Mary Ann denies having any particular artistic talents herself, though she is able to quilt. She
loves going into a fabric shop and just looking at the fabrics, picturing in her mind what she would
like to do with them. But, she says, it takes a lot of time to piece a quilt and then do the actual
quilting. When she does one, it takes her about two years, as she picks it up whenever she feels like
it.
During the last ten years of her life, Mae suffered from eye problems, as well as problems with
her fingers. Though she did not make any quilts during the last decade of her life, she had made one
for each child and each grandchild, so that her special talent is forever a part of her family's lives.
And now a quilt block with lone star design will hang on Mary Ann's barn in honor of the woman
who had a particular penchant for quilting them. In doing so, and without even knowing it, Mary Ann
is following in the Native American tradition of honoring her mother with a special memorial.
** Source: www.equilters.com/ Lone Star Quilts History, Design, Patterns
Baseball
Designed by Christy Edwards. Drafted by Barbara Webster, painted by
Christy Edwards, installed by Scotty Cole of Country Cablevision.
This block is at the intersection
of 197S and Cattail Creek.
Plan to go inside the store.
Christy Edwards designed and
painted the block. She is the
Mountain Heritage HS Art
teacher and has involved her
students in the project as well.
Brook Wilson was a local boy who had a brush with fame.
Many of the old timers could tell you of his legendary
grandfather, Big Tom; or they could take you back to a time
when Brook and his sweet wife, Ruby, owned and operated the
little general store in the Pensacola community. This was a time
of lazy Sunday afternoons when the excursion trains would run
to Escola and back for only 10 cents a passenger. It was a time
of large, close-knit families. Big Tom had eleven or twelve
children; Brook was never quite sure which. These were the
times of rabbit hunting with Grandpa and family get-togethers
with all the young'uns playing in the creek. Mostly though, if
you got them started, the old timers would tell you about Brook
Wilson and his brief taste of fame.
Brook was a baseball player. Not just any run-of-themill baseball player, but one of the best left-handed pitchers in
the game. Amazingly, he was born right handed, but because of
a childhood accident where he burned his right hand badly on a
hot stove, he developed the use of his left hand to the degree
that his fame as a “lefty” was far and wide.
One fellow remembers, “Brook Wilson could throw a
curve ball you just couldn't believe unless you stood there and
watched it. Very few people could hit his ball and would just
end up fanning air with their bats.”
After attending Washington College, south of Johnson
City, Tennessee for two years, he was convinced by the Erwin
Railroad Company to play ball for them. The job they provided
was a side benefit it seems! Later he joined the Appalachian
League in Johnson City. This league was so well thought of,
the New York Giants contracted with them to play an exhibition
game. At the conclusion of the game, the Giants were
impressed enough with Brook's pitching abilities that they
offered him a salary of $3,500 (presumably for the season).
That was big money in those days, but unfortunately there was a
snag. Brook was still under contract with the Appalachian
League and it was their right to take half of his salary. No self
respecting country boy was going to give away half of a hard
won pay check, so Brook Wilson decided to head back home to
his friends and family.
In 1920, Brook partnered with his brother T.J. and
purchased the little Pensacola general store from Mr. Welzie
Riddle. Later Brook bought out T.J. and in 1923 married Mr.
Riddle's daughter, Ruth. In the 1950s they turned their main
interest in the store over to their son, Billy Brook, but were
always on hand to help out when needed.
Almost 30 years later, Brook said, “I am happy with my
life here and have enjoyed living here most all my life. If I had
turned into a professional ball player, I doubt I would be alive
now to tell it.”
Wagon Wheel
Location: Barn of Louis Leadbetter, Cattail Creek Rd., Pensacola. Drafted
by Barbara Webster, painted by Deborah Palmer, Carol Bareford and Cheryl
Hughes. Installed by Louis Leadbetter.
Story by Maryallen Estes
Louis Leadbetter was born in 1936 in East Maine, New York on
a dairy farm. He has always farmed even when he was a
teamster with the Carolina Freight Carriers where he worked
for 30 years. As a boy he did all the farm chores and at age 14
learned to do blacksmithing.
He drove a one horse carriage when he was still living in New
York State. He's belonged to the Wagon Train group for 31
years.
He first came to North Carolina in 1969 to visit his brother who
lived in Fayetteville. Louis says he fell in love with the whole
area.
His wife at that time didn't like the mountains so he bought a
farm in Rutherford where he began working for Carolina
Freight Carriers.
In 1974 he bought a place in Bald Creek. (He said as an aside,
“I've never lived any place where I couldn't have horses.”) In
1983 Carolina Freight sent him to Davie Florida where he
bought another farm. A church in Davie asked him to provide
wagon rides for their congregation. This was the first time he
received money for his rides. In addition to his teamster job, he
started the “Old Timey Hay Rides” business. He had two teams
of horses and two wagons. Most of his business was on
weekends but at Christmas he would be hired three nights a
week for the hay rides. He said his business prospered well.
In 1991 the Florida Renaissance Festival managers asked him
to provide wagon rides for their annual festival. They paid him
$50 an hour to do the wagon rides on the week ends. He was
still driving trucks for the Carolina Freight people. He stated
this was the only job he ever had outside of farming. This year
of 1991 was a red letter year since this was the first time he set
eyes on Judy. It was also the year he bought his present farm.
Judy was a weaver at the festival. Everyone who worked at the
festival had to dress in 16th century costume. Louie always
noticed her because she always gave him a great big smile. He
was attracted to her but thought she was married so didn't
pursue his instincts.
Finally, during the festival of 2000, Judy sent Louis a vanilla
cordial that he shared with “King Henry the 8th”. The King
exclaimed, “It's nectar from the Gods!” Louis decided to visit
Judith at her encampment on the festival grounds to thank her
for this delicious drink. He stated he tied his horse to a tree and
approached Judy. When he came face to face with her he
explained, “I wanted to thank you for that wonderful drink and
give you a hug and a kiss.” After the hug and kiss, he stated, “If you weren't married, I would
chase you!” She replied, “I'm not married!” He admitted from then on it was “hand in hand”
with Judy.
In November of 2002 they were married in the backyard of their present home in Pensacola---- he in his cowboy hat and she in her old timey dress.
The home they live in was built circa 1898 by Bud Silvers, maternal grandfather of Junior
Robinson. There was a railroad track right behind their farm. The original home was 14'x14'
with two rooms downstairs and two rooms upstairs . There was a staircase from the attic to
the front door in order to facilitate taking a coffin from the upstairs where the bedrooms were.
The rest of the home was added at a later date. The bedroom door still has the original
porcelain door knob and the living room floor has the original wood flooring.
Another previous owner of the farm was Ralph Byrd who bought the house for his parents,
Josh and Minnie Byrd in 1940. Prior to that the farm belonged to the Coffee family. Louis
Leadbetter bought the farm from Gladys Byrd in 1991.
As for the barn, Louis isn't sure when the barn was built. However, he said the barn contains a
lot of poplar and hemlock and has five stalls and a feeding room. He said it used to be a
tobacco barn but he uses it for his horses, cow and chickens. He built a trap door to the
outside of one stall so his chickens could go in and out. He also built roosts for the chickens
on the wall of the stall.
He has about 20 dominicker chickens that are good for laying eggs. He is also very proud of
his two Belgian wagon horses.
He uses a one horse wagon with wooden wheels when he offers wagon rides. He charges
$5.00 a person for a ride. For hay rides he has a 1937 Ford frame and wheels with a wagon
bed built on it. Recently he sold his 1886 Studebaker wagon for funds to finance a new roof
for his home and barn.
The quilt design on the barn is the Wagon Wheel. The colors are brown for the wagon wheel,
yellow for the sun and green for the landscape of grass, trees and mountains.
This couple live the simple life as much as possible in this modern high-tech world. Judy has
a gas stove and a wood stove, makes her own butter and her own soap. She grew up in New
York City with a Puerto Rican mother who practiced simple, rather primitive ways of
housekeeping so Judy was used to doing things the “country way”. Louis is an organic farmer,
i.e. doesn't use chemical fertilizers but uses chicken, horse and cow manure in his gardens. He
has three gardens and shares the produce with his neighbors. Judy says he is the “Angel of
Pensacola” who never turns down a neighbor in need.
He proudly stated he still drives his 1951 GMC pickup and it runs like a top!
Cattails
Location: Cattail Community Center on Cattail Creek Rd. off Hwy 197S
(Pensacola Rd.). Designed by Martin and Barbara Webster, Drafted by
Deborah Palmer, Painted by Sharon Hughes, Installed by Keith Beam.
Story by Katie Webster
The Cattail block on the Cattail Community Center honors the
entire Cattail community in Pensacola. The story is an interesting
one.
Helen Baden’s father Joseph Percy Threadgill was the son of
cattle ranchers in western Texas. Percy’s father was on the last
cattle drive over the Chilsom trail. When Percy was seventeen,
his family experienced a terrible drought. There was no water for
their withering crops or their dying cattle. They headed east and
started a new life in Florida, where Percy eventually became
involved in the real estate business in Miami.
Helen was just two years old in 1925 when the family visited
Asheville for a vacation. Her father happened to hear about land
for sale in Pensacola, and purchased 5,500 acres sight-unseen.
The following summer, Percy wanted to actually see what he had
bought, so the family came up from Florida again. They drove out
in their seven-passenger Cadillac to get to the property at Cattail.
As they traveled, they forded the creek successfully at least
twelve times, but finally got stuck in a high-water crossing. Percy
carried Helen and her mother to the other side, and left to go out
and find help. He found a farmer to pull the car out with his pair
of mules. There was nothing for it but to continue on the way to
Cattail. They made it to the caretaker’s house to spend the night,
and Helen’s father fell in love with the house and land at Cattail
Creek the moment he first saw it.
In the years before Helen’s father discovered the Pensacola area
for himself, lumber companies recognized the value of the timber
on the land. Around 1916, before World War I, Pensacola was a
booming hub supporting the timber industry, complete with a
general store and a movie theatre. A passenger train brought
people into Pensacola, and the train and track went on up the
mountain to harvest the timber. Once most of the trees were cut,
the land was worth very little. The rails were pulled up from the
roadbeds as the logging operations moved out, so little
infrastructure was left in the community. Pensacola was no longer
the destination it had been.
This was how Percy found the land, and he eventually built roads
on the beds the old railroads had carved up through the
mountains. In 1929, the stock market crashed, and once-booming
Pensacola was hit hard. In 1931 Percy lost most of his Florida properties, but he hung on to
Cattail Creek. In fact, Helen says he “clung to the land.” He knew he needed to do
something with it. He began by building a cabin for a friend, and managed to weather the
depression. Here and there he built homes on the land for others, and interest grew in the
area.
At the start of WWII there was a heightened interest in Mica from the mines concentrated
in western North Carolina. Mica was used in the eyeholes of gas masks and road goggles,
along with other applications. The Cattail-Isom mine held a particularly rich deposit of
Mica, and Pensacola became a hub for yet another industry.
Helen Baden recently published a book about her father’s life entitled Percy, From Cattle to
Cattail: The Journey of a Texan. She found herself extremely interested in the period in
which he lived and what he did with the circumstances he found himself in. She recognizes
the worth of chronicling her father’s life against the backdrop of changes that took place in
the Cattail community over the years. In her extensive research on the history of Pensacola
she discovered that “legends are already popping up about my Daddy,” and Helen was
constantly amazed at the stories that grow up around people and places here.
The origins of the name of Cattail Creek are somewhat uncertain. Some say that the creek
curls around on itself just like a cat (hence the 12 times Helen and her family forded the
creek!), while others recall the even older name of Caney Creek. Long-time residents of
Pensacola served as valuable resources during Helen’s research and writing, and the book is
filled with historical maps and pictures she uncovered. The people at Cattail submitted a
petition to name a 6,000 foot tall peak after Helen’s father. Now, Percy Peak looks down on
Cattail Creek, and the Cattail quilt block honors his memory and love of the land as well as
the rich Cattail Community which he helped house.
Cattail Star
Location: Winterstar Mountain, Cattail Community, Pensacola. Painted
by, Installed by Keith Beam.
Story by Joan Marsh
Winterstar Lodge is located in the community of Pensacola,
NC. The actual cabin is not quite as grand as the name
“lodge” implies but to us, it’s heaven!
Our log cabin is located on the Winterstar Branch of Cattail
Creek, in the MT. Helen Estates developed by Percy
Threadgill in the early 1930’s. The actual cabin was built in
1938 of logs off the property. Mild summer temperatures
make it a delightful escape from the summer heat. The cabin
was originally a one room open area and later added onto by
my family. The original log cabins were built by Percy
Threadgill as a summer time retreat for the families from
Florida and although the times have changed, the families
remain constant through the years with many cabins being
passed down from family to family.
Winterstar Mountain is one of several mountains in the area
that were originally mined for mica and other gems. The
mountain name was said to be from a star that is visible on
the top of the mountain side during the winter months when
no foliage blocks the glow of the rocks forming the star like
appearance.
Misty Ridge Mountains
Location: 45 Deep Gap Rd. Drafted by Barbara Webster, painted by Lois and
Zack Skokos, installed by Zack Skokos.
Story by Zack Skokos
When we first saw the house that we eventually bought , it was a
misty fall day with clouds draping themselves over the ridge
behind the house. We soon learned that this was a rather common
occurrence and to commemorate that first impression we named
our place Misty Ridge. When we spoke with Barbara Webster and
told her the name of our place , she researched the quilt block
designs and found a design called Ozark Mountains. We used
colors of our mountains to paint the block and renamed it Misty
Ridge Mountains.
Zack and Lois painted their quilt block and in so doing “got
hooked” and have helped paint others. Many people discover the
fun of painting quilt blocks is much like a quilting bee where a lot
of socializing goes on while everyone is working.
Mighty Mouse Bridge
Location: 315 Tennis Court Rd. Designed by Barbara Webster, Painted by Carolyn
Bareford, Installed by Keith Beam
Story by Patience Plumer Flick
My parents, Mary and Richard Plumer, came to Cattail in 1956,
purchased a lot from Percy Threadgill and promptly started clearing it
every day with all four of us kids in tow. Then Percy built us one of
his unique cottages and we’ve enjoyed Cattail for many years as a
family, but oftentimes when we’d come up, we’d learn the bridge had
been washed out once again. Every time the creek would have a flash
flood or other storm it seems that the bridge would wash away. Hence
it was named the “Mickey Mouse bridge”.
So about 25 years ago my parents set upon the idea of building a
“real” bridge that would last a lifetime. First they tried to get the state
to help but to no avail, so they started asking the folks of Cattail who
used the bridge if they would contribute to the building of a new one.
Mom wrote hundreds of letters cajoling people to pitch in and
collected from many families and ultimately made up the rest with
another generous contribution of their own.
It took a few years to get it done, but now we have a good strong
bridge going across Tennis Court Road and it’s been christened the
“Mighty Mouse bridge”. That so represents who Mary and Dick
Plumer are—always looking out for the next person who’s coming
along.
After my sister Penny died in 1968 they joined with Percy Threadgill
and built a park with a tennis court to commemorate her and to
provide a place for everyone to play tennis. The tennis court has since
been replaced with children’s play equipment and a place for cookouts
but the road Penny Park is on was named Tennis Court Road and
continues to be. I’m sure people have wondered why!
My dad, who died in 1990, was best known in the Cattail community
for his baseball playing. He was a third baseman at Princeton
University and played in the first game ever put on television. He
loved coming to Cattail and joining Brooks Wilson (see the story of
the Baseball block) and others in an afternoon of ball playing.
We never would have had the wonderful experience of a home here in
Yancey County had it not been for my mother’s persistence and my
father’s willingness to go along and fund the projects. We’re forever
indebted to them.
Star of the Milky Way
Location: 2635 Cattail Creek Rd. Installed by Keith Beam.
Story by Wendy Lapidus
We came to Burnsville to visit our daughter Liz at Camp Celo.
We stayed at the NuWray Inn and noticed a sign in the window of
the Country Store that listed a cabin for sale in Cattail Creek
Mountain Farm. It said, “See Mrs. Nichols.” We did, and she put
us with Captain Downing who was the broker. We didn't like the
Cattail Mountain Farm cabin, but he took us to see his house in
Cattail Creek, and we fell in love with the area. The next year
(1978) we rented the Picchi cabin up the road from what is now
our house for two weeks while looking for a cabin. We bought
what is now the Spencer cabin, and we became friendly with the
Nichols whose log house was diagonally across the road.
The Nichols house was built in 1946. Jessica Nichols, their adult
daughter, had a dog boarding kennel on the property , and she
raised Rottweilers. She also had a dog grooming parlor in town.
Some of the Cattailers were afraid that the Rottweilers would hurt
young visitors, and in 1984, the summer we went to China, the
Nichols sold the house to Emil and Iotha Parker.
By the summer of 1987 we decided that we wanted a larger cabin
closer to Asheville. Bob Weaver was our realtor and in describing
where our cabin was so he could pick us up, I said that it was the
first house on the right after the former Nichols’ house and
kennel. He mentioned that it was for sale again. I said, “Fine,
we'll take it.” That's how we got this house, and are now one
house closer to Asheville!
I should add that we had always loved the house and our
daughters used to spend time playing with the puppies when the
Nichols lived there. Coincidentally, Corrine Spenser's sister coowned a prize Rottweiler with Jessica. Corrine and her sister are
among the second generation Cattailers as is Katie McGuirl.
My husband, Dick, is an astronomy buff so the block, Star of the
Milky Way, suits us. We enjoy the beautiful stars we can see so
clearly here, and especially the Milky Way!
Cupid’s Own
Location: 214 Pine Cone Lane. Painted by Christine Strom, Carole
Pearson, Margot Parker, Cheryl Hughes, Edye Rollins, Barbara
Webster and Kathy Rose. Installed by Keith Beam.
Story by Barbara Webster as told by Pat Marshall
Pat Marshall moved to Ft. Lauderdale, FL with her parents
in 1959 where she lived until 2000. In 2000 she moved to
Jacksonville, FL. Her heart moved here in 2005 while she
was still working in Jacksonville. She purchased a second
home in poor repair and spent 2 years fixing it up. Pat says
she used every spare moment to make the 8 hour drive
from Jacksonville to work on and enjoy it.
Look for Pat’s car around
town. She has her quilt block
on her spare tire cover on the
back of her car.
Pat says in her early career she was in the Ceramic Tile
business working out of Miami. She learned to set all
types of tile and marble and operated warehousing
importing tile from around the world. She worked for the
Telephone Company for a short time. In 1996 she went to
work for Southeast Toyota Distribution in Deerfield, and
eventualyl ended up in management, responsible for a
small warehouse, mail center, print center, and a Facilities
area in Jacksonville for Toyota. She had to retire in 2009
after a problem with hip surgery.
In 2005 her daughter asked Pat to come here with them to
enjoy Thanksgiving and look at property. They stayed in
an old farmhouse out on the Toe River. Pat planned and
reserved dinner at the Nu Wray Inn. When an Elvis
impersonator showed up at Thanksgiving dinner as
entertainment Pat says, “I knew I had found a gem of a
place to be.”
Pat says what kept her here was the area, mountains,
weather and the wonderful atmosphere created by the
citizens of Burnsville and Yancey County. “I have found a
wonderful place to call home and pursue my hobbies and
arts. Being a frustrated amature photographer, there isn’t a
day I don’t see the perfect idea for a picture. After
spending years driving to be the best at what I was doing,
caring for a parent with Alzheimer’s, 18 hour workdays,
spending little time with my family and friends, I am
learning to open up, relax and love. I’ve stopped to smell
the roses I planted, to enjoy the sunrise and sunsets in
Pensacola, watch the wildlife, and get my new home
prepared for the summer visits from my Grandchildren.
Hence the Quilt Block I selected: Cupids’ own. I plan on
finding many different sources of love in this area. Family,
friends, hobbies...”
Gardening is Pat’s passion. Her house had nothing planted
on the acre it sits on so she is starting to plant and
hopefully over the next several years create a palette of summer flowers that she can sit back and
enjoy.
Pat has a daughter and a son, and seven wonderful grandchildren. She also has 2 Corgis.
Pat says as a child she always wanted to learn how to quilt but never had time. Now she plans on
making quilts for all her children, friends and grandchildren. “They are a wonderful legacy that
travels through time.” Her grandmother, Jessie was a quilter and Pat says she spent many years
watching her assemble, organize and sew quilt blocks. Pat says she has managed to recover and
restore several of the many quilts she made. As an aside, Pat mentioned that her grandmother was
nammed Jessie Marshall. Her mother was Donna Marshall Shilton. When Pat married a Marshall,
she became Pat Shilton Marshall.
Pat says “Burnsville is like an ‘AHA’ moment in life. If the moment is right and you set your feet on
the soil and look to the mountains, a breeze may come over you and suddenly you say to yourself
‘AHA this is where I am supposed to be.’ Of course the challenge in life is seeing if you can make
the moment come true.”
Love’s Chain
Location: 14 CC Allen Rd. off Hwy 197S in Pensacola. Drafted by Barbara
Webster. Painted by Don Walker, Kerstin Davis, Carolyn Bareford, Cheryl
Hughes, Deborah Palmer and Barbara Webster. Installed by John Davis.
Story by Barbara Webster
Kerstin Davis and her husband John, have lived here 16 years. They
moved here from Savannah, Georgia shortly after they were
married. Kerstin says she wanted a safe place to raise a family. She
says they “stumbled across it” (Yancey County) driving through
over a 4th of July weekend. They picked up an IWANNA and it
peaked their interest.
Kerstin, a graduate from the Savannah College of Art & Design, met
John, a software developer, when he hired her to do a faux finish on
a fireplace mantel in his historic Savannah home that he was
renovating. Together they renovated their home in the historic
district of Savannah. Kerstin says they got married shortly after they
met - in 1992, and moved to the mountains in 1993.
The house they live in now is an old farmhouse, built around 1910.
It was in the family of Virginia Adkins Banks (wife of Bill Banks,
mother of Randy Banks of Mountain Air fame). The land used to be
in apple orchards.
Kerstin says she’s always been painting, but not full time. She and
John decided to focus on raising a family and in 1995 they had Ben,
and 15 months later another boy, Noah. Seven years later they had
Isabella. Through these years, Kerstin became an expert in early
childhood development.
Kerstin got plugged into the artist community through the Penland
School of Crafts and has continued her education taking many
inspirational classes learning new techniques at this world renowned
school. Kerstin is a teaching artist and shares her passion for art by
teaching children through the Toe River Arts Council and Penland
Kids’ Camp.
Kerstin paints using an unusual hot wax painting technique called
encaustic. Encaustic is an ancient painting technique originating in
Greece. The word encaustic means “to burn in.” Powdered pigment
is added to molten beeswax which is then applied in layers onto a
hard surface which are then fused together with heat. This technique
allows Kerstin to embed things in her paintings, carve the surface
and the result is a translucent buttery sheen to her work.
Kerstin’s studio is not open to the public, but you can see her work
at the Crimson Laurel Gallery in Bakersville and can visit her studio
during the Toe River Arts Councils spring Studio Tour. You can also
view her work on her website: www.Kerstindavis.com.
About her work, Kerstin says: “My work embodies ideas stemming
from the reproduction of life. It seems to me that all beings
reproduce in a similar fashion. There is a system of traveling egg,
fertilization and nesting common to all life. It is this process that
fuels my thoughts while I paint. Eggs travel through tubes, oceans
and even ride the wind to land softly in a womb, to be received by
the soil or rest nested in a rocky river bed. I find that common thread fascinating and comforting.
Sometimes the process seems recklessly haphazard and other times a carefully calculated science of
survival. While working on these pieces, I often find myself lost in thoughts of a macrobiotic world
of cellular division, but then stop to ponder, ‘Is this a painting of the birth of an embryo or a planet?’
and I am not sure if there is a difference.
“I hope my work reflects to its viewers my reverence for life. We live in an era of awareness. We
know our actions as a people have consequences to all life on this fertile gift of a world. I truly
believe life on Earth will persevere through this human onslaught. I'm not so sure we as a species
will. It is time for stepping back and taking a look at the big picture that is now asking us if we can
live and let live.”
Thus it is fitting that Kerstin chose Love’s Chain for her quilt block. It helps capture her deep
reverence for life.
Blue Ridge Apple Tree
Location:12041 State Rd. 197 South. Designed by Martin Webster, drafted by
Barbara Webster, painted by Christy Edwards, installed by Jeff Phillips and
Wade Whitson of Whitson Electric.
Story told to Barbara Webster by Bill Wilson
The Apple Haus was built by Denver Wilson, Bill Wilson’s father, in
1940. At that time just “the old section” of the house was built. It
was originally built to store apples. It was capable of holding about
10,000 bushels, grown on the surrounding land. It served until 1955
when the orchard expanded and increased the size of the house. The
second addition increased capacity to approx. 30,000 bushels. Bill
acquired it the orchard in 1964 when his mother died. He operated it
until 1969 for apple storage. He shut it down in 1969 because it was
no longer profitable to operate.
This is the only structure with two
quilt blocks. These are matching
blocks but the apples are a different
color on each block.
In 1973 Bill sold it to Buck Riddle, the current owner. He turned it
into a residence. The bottom portion is the same as it was when
apples were stored there. The second floor is now a residence with
six bedrooms and a bunk room. The center section is a great room,
doubling as a kitchen, living room and dining room.
Bill says they sold apples to truckers. Pensacola used to be a big
apple producing community. Probably the last one in the county to
operate. At that time there were 10-12 commercial orchards in the
area.
Bill had 65 acres in commercial apple trees. Rome Beauties,
Stayman Winesaps, Red and Golden Delicious were their main
apples.
Bill says they didn’t do any advertising. The truckers found them
“mostly by word of mouth.” The orchard was started back in the 30s
- probably early to mid 30s. Most everybody local knew about it and
truckers found out about it from the locals. In later years the apple
growers formed a co-op headquartered in Bakersville called Mt.
Mitchell Apple Co-op. There was a packing house in Bakersville.
Bill grew up on the land. He was born there and is still sleeping in
the same bedroom he had as a child. Bill says the orchard was
operated primarily as a family endeavor. They employed local people
to harvest the apples. He says his parents raised 7 children with the
orchard - they didn’t get rich but they didn’t starve either. In the 60s
it was no longer profitable to work the orchard. Up till then, they
usually hired about 4 year-round, and during harvest they would hire
20 people to harvest the apples—mostly locals. Lot of people farmed
in the community. Apple picking happened when it was a slack time
in farming—between the harvest of tobacco and other crops and
getting tobacco to market. Marketing of the tobacco was a source of
income for the locals. Bill says they usually started harvesting the apples around the first of Sept. and
finished mid to late October. For about 6-7 weeks “we used everybody we could get.”
After shutting down the orchard, Bill worked in Asheville for the next 32.5 years in the mobile home
repair business - primarily on RVs. He did collision damage repairs. Bill retired about 5 years ago
and turned his attention to his hobby of growing Christmas trees, which he has been doing for about
20 years. His Christmas Tree operation is a choose and cut and he sells from his house, directly across
the road from the Apple Haus. People come from Asheville and 3 or 4 different states to buy
Christmas trees from him. Bill says, “We have horses, cats and goats that the children enjoy. My wife
makes wreathes and various other table ornaments to sell at that time. We enjoy it.”
Buck Riddle, the current owner of the Apple Haus, requested two quilt squares for the structure and
wanted them to be apple blocks. The Apple Tree block was already on the Orchard at Altapass, so
Martin Webster designed a new block for the Riddles. This is the only structure in the trail system to
contain two blocks.
Butterfly
Location: Hospice, 856 George’s Fork Rd. Drafted by Deborah Palmer, painted by
Deborah palmer, installed by Eddie Faw. Block was donated by John and Mary
Nelson
Story by Hospice of Yancey County
At one time health care was geared primarily toward cure. When that
was not possible there was no place to go for support and care.
Families and patients had to cope with the terminal illness as best they
could. Then, over twenty-five years ago, a group of individuals
decided to change that. In 1982, Hospice of Yancey County was
formed with a handful of dedicated volunteers. During that time,
Wanda McNeil (county health nurse), Sally and John Burrows, and
Blan and Kay Aldridge joined forces to learn about Hospice. Sally
and Wanda would go to churches and other organizations within
Yancey County to talk about Hospice and the Hospice philosophy.
Hospice began to form a board of directors and start serving our
community with all volunteers. To be able to operate as a nonprofit
hospice was under the umbrella of the Yancey County Mental Health
Association. Hospice used their nonprofit authority but maintained a
separate board of directors. Volunteers began to flow into the
workings of hospice and the hospice idea grew more and more. A
little later on Gwen Greene (McPherson) was hired on a part time
basis as the first paid hospice employee and nurse. Blan asked Gwen
to take a “leap of faith and trust” and join the hospice organization.
He stated that there was three months of income to support her then
after that they would work things out. Soon Gladys Baldauf was hired
as the second paid nurse. Gwen along with Gladys laid the ground
work for Hospice of Yancey County to become Medicare Certified in
1984.
While it is true that hospices do take care of terminally ill
patients and their families, hospice is really about living – about
giving people access to what they need so they will have the best
quality of life during a difficult time. Hospice is about comfort, not
cure. Hospice assures dignity and the best care possible during those
final days.
Today, Hospice of Yancey has increased staff to 26 employees
and provides care to an average of 45 patients per day.
The Butterfly Quilt Square The Butterfly is used as a symbol by many hospice societies worldwide. Drawings and carvings of butterflies, done by children, were
found on concentration camp walls by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross.
The butterfly symbolizes the transition between life and death.
The caterpillar forms its cocoon and prepares to leave life as he knows
it, to become a lovely butterfly.
The Delta Hospice Society adopted the butterfly as its emblem
in 1991 upon its incorporation as a non-profit society. May the
butterfly represent for you, all that is beautiful in life.
Shepherd’s Light
Location: High Pastures Christian Retreat. Drafted by Deborah Palmer, drafted by
Deborah Palmer; painted by Carolyn Bareford, Cheryl Hughes, Dot Gibbs, Cailtey
Symons, Katherine Hancock, Kathy Rose, Ethel Nash, and Mary Nelson. Installed by Jeff
Phillips with help from Wade Whitson of Whitson Electric, and Billie Shade.
Story by Katherine Hancock
For a shepherdess and co-author of a book entitled, Into the Light, this quilt
block choice seems a natural - and, of course, it is. It is the story behind
the obvious, however, that is even more endearing and inspiring.
High Pastures is a breathtakingly beautiful 700-acre Christian retreat center
located in Yancey County in our ancient Black Mountain northern slopes.
It was bequeathed by Elizabeth Motsinger (along with her entire estate),
and according to her, founded by God, where “His sheep could be fed, find
refuge and refreshing, be equipped and strengthened for service, and
anointed for ministry.”
Elizabeth herself did not come easily to faith in God. Born in 1910, she
was part of that generation of very strong, talented, educated women who
were very accomplished in their own rights. Not choosing the traditional
role of wife and mother, she earned first a degree in physical therapy from
the Watson School for Crippled Children University in Pittsburgh, PA and
from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, then a degree in hospital
administration from Yale University, served as a Lieutenant in the Army
Medical Corp in Saipan, was an airplane pilot, worked on a sheep ranch
and had remarkable building design talents. She was still a seeker at the
age of 48 looking for “a hideaway, struggling after years of searching to
know if God actually exists, and - if so - whether He could be known.”
During that year she received the Lord Jesus Christ as her personal Savior
at a Christian conference. That very night a phone call came through that
this land - High Pastures - was clear for her to purchase.
As they say, the rest is history. But it was the decades of “pilgrimage from
darkness to light, new birth to spiritual growth, self-centeredness to
servanthood” that is the genesis of both High Pastures and the fitting
tribute of “The Shepherd's Light” quilt block. Elizabeth loved the book, A
Shepherd Looks at the Twenty-Third Psalm, and from this, chose sheep and
a shepherd as part of the logo for High Pastures. The quilt block is an
extension of this pastoral metaphor.
From being a shepherdess searching for God to committing her life and all
her resources to The Great Shepherd - this is the more profound and lifechanging story behind “The Shepherd's Light” quilt block. Most
importantly, the story continues at High Pastures “as a place for His Word
to be spread and for training and outreach into all the world to further the
Good News - the Light - of Jesus Christ.
High Pastures is open year-round. The Retreat Center is a place for
individuals, couples, families and groups. Accommodations for groups
ranging from 1 to 150 persons are available.
Tasty meals are served to groups of 20 or more. Cooking facilities are provided in some of the
buildings for smaller groups.
All facilities are non-smoking and non-pet facilities.
Visit www.highpastures.org for more information or call 828-682-3138 or email
[email protected].