Cashiers Historical Society Ramble: Buried History at the Village Green
One day a few years back, John McCarley and Marcia Moore were clearing paths at the Cashiers Village Green to make way for the boardwalk. Lo and behold in the laurel thicket was an overturned Chamber Pot. Always curious, John cautiously lifted the pot not knowing what to expect. Much to his surprise out spilled 25 letters, dating from the early 1900s primarily addressed to Mrs. Dewitt Clinton Picklesimer (nee Shellie Miller) of Grimshaws, North Carolina. Interesting to note that through the years the letters had remained dry in the pot even though covered with moss and leaves, probably because the lid sealed out the air and moisture.
After examining a few of the letters, John turned to Cashiers Historical Society Historian, Jane Nardy. She carefully had the letters copied and then she transcribed each one. Next she began asking questions of local residents, searching records as censuses, cemetery books and death notices putting the pieces of the puzzle together. It became the unfolding story of three local mountain families - the Millers, Picklesimers and Passmores. It seems Shellie Miller of the Transylvania County community of Sapphire (not to be confused with today's popular Sapphire Valley) married a Picklesimer, and moved to Whiteside Cove. Her daughter married into the Passmore family of Cashiers.
Shellie's
brother Napoleon and her sister Canty wrote most of the letters from Sapphire
sharing aspects of early 20th century farm life in the mountains.
Jane used the information gained from the letters to arrange one of her famous Rambles - visiting the places mentioned in the correspondence and locating relatives that could share more of the story. The Ramble began at the Village Green as John McCarley and Marcia Moore pointed out the site where the Chamber Pot was discovered. Led by Jim Picklesimer, the group then journeyed deep into Whiteside Cove with stops at the site of the Picklesimer's home and burial site.
A surprise awaited the group in Cashiers at Passmore's Grocery, now the Wormy Chestnut Antiques Shop. Margaret Passmore Glance from Winston Salem greeted the ramblers and shared stories and photographs of her family, including her grandmother Shellie Miller Picklesimer. Near the end of this visit Jane Nardy presented the Chamber Pot and original letters to Margaret.
As the group journeyed east toward Transylvania County, through the road construction, everyone wondered what the trip must have been like in the early 1900s. A visit to two Miller homes completed the tour. At Arthur's house, present owner, Beth Townsend, graciously opened all the buildings on the property so one could get a sense of life at the turn of the 20th century. Upon opening the front door of the Alfred Henry Miller's (Shellie's father) home where the letters were written, visitors experienced the sights and smells of an earlier time. Jane exclaimed: " This is exactly how I remember by grandmother's mountain cabin."
At lunch everyone marveled at Jane Nardy's ingenuity in using the Chamber Pot letters as a springboard to planning a wonderful day of experiencing Cashiers history first hand.