A Brief History

    The Buncombe Turnpike stretched through Buncombe County on a 75-mile route from Greenville, Tennessee to Greenville, South Carolina.  The drover road, named for the county through which much of it ran, was a boom to local economy.  Not only was the trail crucial to the livestock drovers from all over the region, it was equally important to the many stock stand owners who established businesses along the turnpike's route.  Area corn farmers also profited by selling feed for the many animals driven along the turnpike.

    The turnpike was also a means for socialization in the otherwise remote mountains.  After a long day of driving livestock, but not before the animals were fed and penned, the drovers would frequently gather to drink, sing, and trade stories.

    From the 1820's to 1861, trade on the Buncombe Turnpike flourished.  However, with the onset of the Civil War, commerce was reduced to a standstill.  The turnpike became a victim of neglect and ill repair, due to the suffering economy and the call for men to fight for the Confederate and Union armies.  Before trade on the turnpike ever had a chance to rebound, the long-awaited ralroad made it's way to the mountains.  Rails were laid where much of the turnpike's roadbed had been. The drover's era in Western North Carolina was over.

Buncombe Turnpike History