90 Years in the Making | Highlands Chamber of Commerce

Written By: Kaye McHan | Issue: 2021/12 – December

George Masa’s photograph of Highlands from Sunset Rock in 1929, published by the Chamber of Commerce as one of its first acts to promote the town with an eight-page booklet, titled “Beyond Satulah Lies Highlands.”
Courtesy of the Highlands Historical Society Archives.

It was 1931. Highlands was high above and far away from the Dust Bowl, the Depression, and sky-rocketing unemployment.  

Year-round residents were a hearty lot, thriving on a rocky mountaintop with little or no electricity. Stamina was their middle name. The Plateau’s beautiful panoramas, healing atmosphere, and magnificent forests helped salve aching backs and limited crops.

And it was that mountain beauty that quintupled the summer population. Winter supported around 450 residents while summers swelled to 2500+.

As the rest of America reeled financially, things were going well enough in Highlands for the Chamber of Commerce to attempt to rejuvenate a 1923 organization of 60 members. The ’23 attempt would have materialized had it not been shelved for investment in physical facilities for the upcoming ’30s. That decision turned out to be a timely call. Water, electricity, and sewer lines were installed, which contributed to the biggest building boom since Highlands’ founding in 1875.

By 1931 roads into town were near completion. The prospect of a hard-surfaced Highway 28 cutting through Highlands prompted the successful revival of the Chamber of Commerce. After joining the North Carolina Municipal Association, the Chamber’s first mission was to launch marketing in the form of an 8-page booklet entitled, Beyond Satulah Lies Highlands. The brochure had information and photos of Satulah (south side), Glen Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, Wildcat Cliff on Whiteside, horseback riders on Satulah, and Highlands Estate Golf Course. 

During the 1930s businesses like Charlie Anderson’s Drug Store, a Hat and Dress Shop, gas stations (Texaco, Sinclair, and Esso), Rice’s Meat Market and Grocery, the Office of Dr. William Matthews (founding physician of Highlands Community Hospital), Crane’s Riding Stable, Jam Pot, W.S. Davis’s Rock Store, Burnett and Talley’s Grocery Store, and Silver Fox Farm were established.

By the 1940s, Highlands welcomed a new post office, the Wit’s End (under the slogan “Where ye come when ye are already at thy own wit’s end and have found nobodie home.”) and the literal splitting of the Marett-Bascom Building, rolling the grocery and the hardware stores on logs to their new footprints. 

During the 50s, a 70-year dream of a Town Hall was realized and built at the site of the first Highlands School. The building also housed the police and fire stations. The Highlands Garden Club set about making Highlands the prettiest mountain town in North Carolina.

In the 60’s, events were staples of Chamber’s community involvement. In 1963 the Chamber of Commerce sponsored an annual Square Dance at Helen’s Barn. 400 people, 3 bands, and a million happy feet attended. In subsequent years, charities began to mushroom across the Plateau including Mountain Findings and the Humane Society.

 Through the 70s and the century’s end, other charities and service groups joined a growing generosity, among them Fibber Magee’s Closet, Peggy Crosby Center, Town Scholarship Fund, Helping Hand, Recreation Department, Highlands Jaycees, and more. New businesses popped up, Perry Agency, Reeves Hardware, Town and Country, Highlands Bank, and more and more and more. Highlands was growing, practically booming, and with it the Chamber.

This year, Highlands Chamber of Commerce celebrates its 90th anniversary and along with it a myriad of events that have been hosted and supported over its nine decades: Christmas Parade, Tree Lighting and Santa in Highlands, Dahlia Festival, Meander in May, Greenway Trail, Performing Art Center programs, Porchfest, Motoring Festival, Halloween on Main, Highlands Food and Wine, Twilight 5-K and 10-K Races, Shred Event, Mountaintop Art and Craft Shows, Highlands Playhouse programs, Fourth of July Fireworks and Concerts, Founders Park Shrimp Boil, Plateau Pickup, Bascom Events, Saturdays on Pine, Friday Night Live, Highlands Biological Foundation programs,  Highlands Chamber Music, and so much more.

The Highlands Chamber of Commerce is just a decade away from being a venerable centenarian. It’s easy to take pride in the organization that’s kept the home-fires burning, the land protected, good people coming, and commerce growing as it continues to work diligently behind-the-scenes, while leading the Highlands parade.