[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15673]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  HONORING THE 125TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TOWN OF TRYON, NORTH CAROLINA

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                           HON. HEATH SHULER

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 14, 2010

  Mr. SHULER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the 125th 
anniversary of the town of Tryon in western North Carolina. Tryon, a 
town of 1,760 residents, has a very rich and important history and 
culture.
  In 1767, William Tryon, Royal Colonial Governor of North Carolina, 
negotiated a demarcation line to separate territory claimed by settlers 
from Cherokee hunting grounds to the west. In 1877, the Asheville-
Spartanburg Railroad created a line to connect the markets and ports of 
the South Carolina Lowcountry to the people and resources of western 
North Carolina, Tennessee, and the Ohio River valley, which had a 
significant impact on the direction of the region's economic and social 
development.
  One of Tryon's most famous early residents, William Gillette, was a 
noted actor who, in collaboration with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, created 
the stage version of Sherlock Holmes in 1889. In 1915, Eleanor Vance 
and Charlotte Yale moves to Tryon and founded Tryon Toymakers and Wood 
Carvers, which trained local craftsmen for the creation of artisan 
furniture and toys that were sold worldwide. In 1928, Seth Vining 
launched the world's smallest daily newspaper, the Tryon Daily 
Bulletin. In that same year, two Tryon physicians, Dr. Allen J. Jervey 
and Dr. Marion C. Palmer, founded the 25-bed St. Luke's hospital with 
funds from an initial bequest by Miss Lucy Embury, a grant from Duke 
Foundation, and $57,000 contributed by local citizens.
  The town has also contributed to the leadership and historic 
preservation of North Carolina, sending Carroll P. Rogers to serve as 
State Representative in 1929, 1939, and 1941. Rogers cosponsored a bill 
enabling the state to purchase the site of Tryon Palace in New Bern. In 
1933, internationally renowned singer and human rights activist Nina 
Simone (nee Eunice Waymon) was born in Tryon. Lastly, in 1985, 
Foothills Equestrian Nature Center (F.E.N.C.E) came into being as a 
nonprofit nature education and outdoor recreation center, built around 
an original contribution of 112 acres from the Mahler family, which 
emigrated to Tryon in the 1920s.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues today to rise with me in 
recognizing the amazing contributions of the town of Tryon on its 125th 
anniversary. The purpose of this commendation is to increase public 
awareness of the considerable natural assets and cultural heritage 
Tryon offers to its citizens and visitors and to encourage their active 
participation in the yearlong celebration of the town and its history.

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