Imagine traveling from Greenville toward Asheville nearly 200 years ago. Instead of driving comfortably along Highway 25, you might have traveled on foot, horseback, in a stagecoach, or aboard a horse-drawn wagon. The journey was slow, the roads were rough, and crossing the Blue Ridge Mountains was no small undertaking. By the early 1800s, Travelers Rest had become an important stopping place where weary travelers could find food, lodging, and supplies before continuing their journeys up the mountains.

 

But what were those early roads actually like? Most were unpaved, constructed by clearing trees and brush, removing rocks and stumps, and leveling the earth as best workers could. Gravel and stone sometimes improved the surface, while logs were occasionally laid across muddy sections to form what were called "corduroy roads." Much of the work was accomplished with axes, picks, shovels, and animal-drawn wagons. After heavy rain, roads could become deep mud; during dry weather, travelers contended with dust, rocks, and wagon-wheel ruts. 

 

These early roads were far more than routes for travelers. They were vital connections between the mountain communities of western North Carolina and Tennessee and the growing markets of South Carolina and Georgia. Farmers drove cattle, hogs, sheep, and even turkeys south to sell, while merchants transported goods in both directions. Families also traveled north from coastal South Carolina and Georgia to escape the summer heat and diseases such as malaria and yellow fever, seeking refuge in the cooler mountain climate. Along Buncombe Road, Travelers Rest became a convenient stopping place, with local taverns, farmhouses, and inns serving travelers and their animals. One surviving reminder is Spring Park Inn, a historic building on Old Buncombe Road dating to around 1820 that later welcomed overnight guests.

 

As travel and commerce increased, South Carolina recognized the need for better mountain roads. In 1820, workers built what was then a remarkable 17-foot-wide road through the Saluda Mountain area, along with several stone bridges to cross streams and difficult terrain. This rare width allowed passage of two wagons going in opposite directions.  One of those bridges still stands near Old Highway 25, just a short distance from Cliffs Valley. More than two centuries later, it remains a remarkable example of early American engineering.