Agriculture

Agriculture was still far and away the largest source of income in the county. The vast majority of county residents were still farmers. Some began leaving the farms to work in the new textile mills, but not in large numbers.
In 1903 the WNC Fair began in Henderson County. The first site was in Laurel Park. P.F. Patton was the president. Entries included field crops, horses and mules, cattle, swine, poultry, fruit, household (including native wines), art (sewing, needlework, pottery, pictures), and floral. Mule races were a popular attraction.
In 1906 the main speaker was N.C. Gov. Robert Broadnax Glenn. The fair was still being held in Laurel Park and he spoke at the Laurel Park Villa.
In the 1930s, the American Legion took over the fair. From the 1930s to about 1958 it was located at the site of today’s East Henderson High School. Drag racing and later stock car racing on a dirt oval track replaced the mule races. After the high school opened in 1960, the fair moved to Mills Street off U.S. 176 behind today’s National Guard Armory in East Flat Rock, where it remained until the early 1990s.
The WNC Fair then became part of the N.C. Mountain State Fair operated by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and located in Fletcher across from the Asheville Airport.
In 1912, Jonathan Case opened the Ottoray Canning Co. in the Dana community. The company canned and sold beans, tomatoes, potatoes, apples, peaches, pears, blackberries and other fruits and vegetables. At its peak it was producing 38,000 cans a day.
The N.C. Cooperative Extension Service opened an extension center in Henderson County in 1914. The Extension Service taught county farmers modern farming methods and taught women healthier canning methods.
The main commercial crops from 1900 to 1920 were vegetables. The No. 1 crop rotated between cabbage and beans, of many varieties. Apples still trailed peaches, grapes, strawberries, pears and other fruits as the major fruit crops.
Farmers were still raising plenty of hogs to sell. Sheep production declined as people used less wool in clothing. The railroad brought cotton cloth into the county in large quantities. It was easier and cheaper now to buy cotton cloth and the demand for wool decreased. The new textile mills also produced cotton cloth locally.
Poultry and dairy production showed a substantial increase during this time. The county’s farmers had a larger market in which to sell dairy products, eggs and chickens. As more people moved to Hendersonville, textile mill towns opened, and tourists flocked to the city and county, the market for eggs and dairy products increased.

 Business and Commerce

In 1905 the Commercial Bank of Hendersonville opened. In 1907 its name changed to Wanteska Trust and First National Bank. In 1913 it became known as the First Bank and Trust.
This bank was soon followed by two others: Citizens Bank of Hendersonville in 1908 and Peoples National Bank in 1910.
By 1911 there were enough stores and businesses in Hendersonville to form a Board of Trade. This later became known as the Merchants Association. This is considered the forerunner of the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce.