Dale Neal

dneal@citizen-times.com

SALUDA - The next Saluda Train Tales will feature three natives of this town on the border of Henderson and Polk counties, where the railroad first climbed the steep mountains into Western North Carolina.

Lee Atkins, Hilda Pace, and Jenell Gasperson will lead the storytelling at 7 p.m. Friday at the Saluda Historic Depot, 32 W. Main St., Saluda, offering a preview of an upcoming exhibit.

“How the West Was Won: Trains and the Transformation of Western North Carolina," tells the story of the coming of the railroads after the Civil War and the impact they had on the life, economy, culture, folklore, music and landscape of the mountains. On loan from the Rural Heritage Museum at Mars Hill College, this exhibit will open July 1 and run through Aug. 31.

Using narratives, historic photos and artifacts, visitors can view the history of rail in the region and learn about the high drama surrounding the construction of the Old Fort and Clinchfield Loops. The Saluda Grade remains the nation's steepest stretch of standard-rail track — three miles with 50 curves notorious for runaway trains that claimed 27 lives of brakemen and other workers over the years



For more information, please contact Judy Ward at 828-674-5958 or judyward@charter.net or Cathy Jackson at 828-817-2876 or cathy@saludalifestyles.com.