1780s Mica mine in Mountain Page (Indians had used) taken over by early pioneers.
1787 Establishment of first two churches in today’s Henderson County: Old Mountain Page Baptist and Old French Broad Baptist. Forerunners of today’s Mountain Page Baptist (Mountain Page) and French Broad Baptist (Rugby).
1792 Rev. Samuel Edney, Methodist circuit-riding preacher, begins holding services and carrying gospel to mountain settlers. Church later established: Edneyville United Methodist Church.
1797 First Presbyterian church in county: Mills River Presbyterian
1797 Mills River Academy established on land donated by James Brittain.
1798-1804 Methodist campground meetings held in county. Shaw’s Creek Campground (Horse Shoe) later evolves into Horse Shoe Methodist (today it’s Cummings Memorial United Methodist Church). Mills River meetings lead to establishment of Mills River United Methodist Church. John Justus, also a Methodist circuit-riding minister, settles in county. His circuit included Rutherford and McDowell counties.
Early 1800s Pioneer inns, taverns and drover stops begin in all regions of county. Most well-known inns and taverns: Abraham Kuykendall’s inn and tavern in Flat Rock, William Murray’s Inn in Fletcher, John Davis’ Oakland in Green River community. Drovers’ stops at Asa Edney’s home in Edneyville, others in Hickory Nut Gorge area of Bat Cave and Gerton and one in Etowah.
Early 1800s First bridge was built across French Broad River by Samuel King – King Bridge.
1804 Mud Creek Baptist Church established in Flat Rock area on land donated by Abraham Kuykendall
1804 Iron works at Forge Mountain started by Phillip Sitton. Later, Matthew Gillespie begins making the famous Gillespie rifles nearby.
1810 School at Edneyville in home of the Rev. Samuel Edney
1815 Old Beulah Baptist Church formed in Pleasant Grove section of today’s Etowah community. Later, Beulah Baptist Church moves closer to Big Willow.
1816 Ebenezer Baptist Church organizes in Clear Creek community.
1820 Peter Guice builds first bridge across Green River (Peter Guice Bridge I-26)
1824 Old Buncombe Turnpike is chartered, following old Saluda Indian Trail, closely parallels old U.S. 25; 1828, completed.
1826 Post office formed at Claytonville (Etowah). Postmaster: John Clayton.
1826 Inn built by William Murray on Cane Creek, Murray’s Inn, later purchased by Daniel Blake who builds “the Meadows” estate.
1827 Lime was quarried in the area (Limestone). From 1909-1912, county was first in state in production of limestone from quarry in Fletcher.
1827 Post office forms in Limestone. Postmaster: William Murray. Later name was changed to Shufordville. Changed to Fletcher in 1886 after Dr. George Washington Fletcher, who built the Fletcher Inn, and whose ancestor was one of the first pioneers into the county.
1827 Shady Grove Post Office established. Later name changes to Mud Creek. Now known as Naples.
1828 Post office established in Edneyville community in home of the Rev. Samuel Edney, first postmaster. Mills River Post Office established. First postmaster John Clayton was followed by James Brittain.
1829 Flat Rock Post Office established. Postmaster: John Davis.
1830 Blue Ridge Academy, commonly known as the Blue House, started by Leander Case in today’s Dana community.
1834 Crab Creek Baptist Church is formed.
1835 Mills River Baptist Church is formed on today’s South Mills River Road.
1836 St. John in the Wilderness Episcopal Church is organized by members of the summer colony of Charleston, S.C., people living in Flat Rock. The church was only used in the summer months.
1837 Green River Baptist Church formed
1838 Old Salem Baptist Church is organized. This was the forerunner of Fletcher First Baptist Church.
1839 Mount Moriah Baptist Church is formed in Edneyville community.
1839 N.C. General Assembly adopts program standards for public-supported common schools. County is divided into school districts.
1840s Post office opens in Boyleston community of Etowah-Mills River region.
1840s Schools open in Big Willow and at old Liberty community in Fruitland-Edneyville region. Daughters of Count de Choiseul opened private school for girls in Flat Rock. Helen Blake opens “Miss Fanny’s School” in Fletcher area.
1840 Stagecoach line opens from Greenville, S.C., to Greeneville, Tenn., traveling through Henderson County. The stagecoach was sold to Valentine Ripley in 1845.
1841 Post office opens in Hendersonville
1842-1852 First United Methodist Church of Hendersonville is organized.
1844 First Baptist Church of Hendersonville is organized.
1846 Refuge Baptist Church is formed in Dana community
1847 Farmers Inn built in Flat Rock. Today’s Woodfield Inn.
1847 Cedar Springs Baptist Church organizes in Green River community. Other Baptist churches organized prior to 1857: Crossroads Baptist in Zirconia and Liberty Baptist in Fruitland-Edneyville region.
1848 First meetings of what later becomes Upward United Methodist Church.
1850 Census for county: 3,892 whites, 924 slaves, 37 free blacks. Census reveals most people were subsistence farmers.
1850s Post offices form at Bearwallow (Gerton), Green River, Bowman’s Bluff in Big Willow community, and Blue Ridge (Dana)
1850s Schools formed at Pleasant Grove (Etowah), Holly Springs (Mills River-Etowah area), Mountain Page, Bearwallow and Reedy Patch section of Edneyville-Bat Cave.
1852 First Presbyterian Church of Hendersonville organizes.
1854 Hendersonville Academy formed on land donated by Judge Mitchell King. Later becomes Rosa Edwards School. Building on site now houses administrative offices of Henderson County Public Schools.
1856 Patty’s Chapel Methodist Church forms in Fletcher-Hoopers Creek communities. This was forerunner of Fletcher United Methodist Church.
1857 Calvary Episcopal Church is organized and built in Fletcher community and Hoopers Creek Baptist Church forms.
1858 Judson College forms, WNC Female College, by Baptist Association.
1860 Census shows a population of 10,448.
1860 Blue Ridge Baptist Church, which formed prior to 1860, later finds one-half the church in Henderson County and one-half in Transylvania County. Holly Springs Baptist Church also forms in 1860 in the Crab Creek community.