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The growth of Blue Ridge over the past 100 years is very interesting. Like most organizations, Blue Ridge as flushed and struggled. But even during the darkest times, Blue Ridge continued. To give perspective major world, national, local events have been included in blue type. Information from my post card collection, based on readable postmark dates, is included in red type. I'm still working on this timeline. If you have additional dates or corrections, please let me know.
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October 6, 1906: Eureka! Blue Ridge site is chosen. Dr Willis D Weatherford and Dr AL Philips rent a horse and buggy from Asheville NC and dive to Black Mountain. After parking the buggy the two walk up the mountain. Weatherford climbs a tree to get a look at the view and exclaims: "Eureka, we have found it!" The two return to Asheville and borrow $5,000 as a down payment and give personal notes for balance of the purchase price of $11,500 for 952 acres.
January 23-24, 1907: First Blue Ridge organizational meeting is held in Charlotte NC. The first officers are: JA Patton, president; JD Murphy, vice president; FC Abbott, secretary/treasurer; WD Weatherford, executive secretary (directors were referred to as secretaries back then). During the first few years, additional land is purchased to total 1,574 acres. Blue Ridge named: Blue Ridge Association for Christian Conference and Training, but called just Blue Ridge Association.
March 4, 1907: Post card promoting the Southern Student Conference to be held in Asheville June 14-23, 1907. Early in Blue Ridge's history, Weatherford kept his position as Secretary of the Student YMCA of the South. x01-1907b01.
June 1907: Lula Belle Trawick Weatherford dies. Lula Belle and Weatherford were married in December 1903.
November 1907: Oklahoma admitted to the Union
June 15, 1908: Post card sent during the Southern Student Conference, June 12-21, 1908 (PM: Montreat NC). x01-1908a01.
1909: William H. Taff becomes President
1911-1912: Robert E Lee Hall is built
January 1912: New Mexico admitted to the Union
February 1912: Arizona admitted to the Union
June 1912: First conference, a YWCA student group, held at Blue Ridge. The conference has over 1,000 participants. Lee Hall was only built for 400 and the group uses tents to house the overflow.
July 3, 1912: Oldest postmarked Blue Ridge card (PM: Black Mountain) hwp011a02
1912: Weatherford meets Julia McRory at Blue Ridge. She is from the YMCA of Winthrop College, South Carolina. Her family lives in Alabama. They are married May 27, 1914 in the home of the Winthrop College president.
Martha Washington Hall built as a female staff dorm.
Hobbs Library and Auditorium built (it was not referred to as College Hall yet).
1913: Woodrow Wilson becomes President
June 1913: "The Blue Ridge Association was opened in June, 1912, and the second gathering held there was that of the Southern Students' Conference. The building represents the most splendid traditions of Southern Colonial Architecture; and these, with the water supply, electric lights, and athletic fields, make the equipment complete. The grounds, comprising nearly 1,000 acres, are right in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. More than forty peaks can be seen from the property. Among these are the Great Craggies, the Seven-Sister range, and Mt. Mitchell. Besides the new buildings, which include a large rooming house, dining room, and auditorium, there are tennis courts, a baseball field and track for athletics. The entire equipment costs about $125,000. At this season of the year the climate is all that could be desired" Quote from Southern Student Conference booklet June 17-26, 1913.
February 1913: 16th Amendment to the Constitution ratified: Status of Income Tax Clarified
April 1913: 17th Amendment to the Constitution ratified: Senators Elected by Popular Vote
1914: World War I starts
June 8, 1914: First post card with Blue Ridge NC postmark hwpr39262a01 (I have cards postmarked June, July, and August 1914). During the summer months, Blue Ridge operated a summer post office in the basement of Lee Hall.
August 26, 1914: First postmarked card to say Blue Ridge "was erected by the Young Men's Christian Associations of the Southern States." This also the first postmarked card to a description on the back, to have a white border, and to show an area away from Lee Hall (the card shows people playing tennis). spc0b409-a48257-a02. Southern Post Card Co cards have a white border but Herbert W Pelton and Brown Book Co cards do not.
1915: First of four cottages built.
July 12, 1916: First postmarked card showing the Tent Colony next to Lee Hall spc0b410a01
1917: Ten cottages completed.
June 13, 1917: First postmarked card showing the Swimming Pool next to Lee Hall spc0b475a05. This is also the first card to show Auditorium (later called College Hall) in the background.
1917: United States enters World War I
1918: "Blue Ridge Association- 1,191 acres of land; 24 buildings; electric light plant; sewerage; all the major conveniences; elevation 2,700 feet; splendid tennis courts; outdoor swimming pool; baseball diamond; volleyball and basketball courts; in the heart of the most rugged scenery of Western North Carolina… Blue Ridge as been chosen as the official training grounds for the Southeastern Department of War Work Council of the Young Men's Christian Association." Quote from "Helping Win the War at Home and Overseas" 1918. The flier also lists $230,000 in equipment. The aerial view of Blue Ridge has the Electric Plant to the right of Lee Hall and Steam and Hot Water Plant behind the Old Dining Hall (which was behind Lee Hall). Also shown are the Auditorium, Martha Washington Hall, and many cottages.
June 6, 1918: First postmarked card to show a car. The car is in the background, parked in the circle in front of Lee Hall. This is also the first postmarked card from the Asheville Post Card and Pennant Co. (later known as the Asheville Post Card Co.) apc004a02
January 1919: 18th Amendment to the Constitution ratified: Liquor Abolished (repealed December 1933 by the 21st Amendment)
1919: World War I ends
1919: Black Mountain NC Fire Department established
1919: Blue Ridge Conference on Leadership (formally Southern Industrial Relations Conference) starts using Blue Ridge.
1919: Weatherford develops and becomes president of the Southern College (YMCA Graduate School of Nashville). It is located in Nashville, TN and has summer classes at Blue Ridge.
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