Tryon, Pearson’s Falls highlighted

“Our State” magazine recently included two features on Polk County.

One of the features was written by Crys Armbrust about Tryon and his memories of first spending time in Tryon in the early 1970s. Armbrust’s article includes a section on Jim Cowan and Cowan’s Hardware; the ‘Our State’ website offers a video of Cowan doing his famous train whistle.

Armbrust said his first memory of Tryon was from 1973, when his family arrived for one of their many summer-long stays. He said he first entered downtown, the air hung heavy with the scent of heirloom roses from the bank adjacent to McCown Street and he and his siblings understood why their parents had chosen Tryon.

The article talks about Tryon’s musical heritage, artisan crafts and natural landscapes. Armbrust also mentions Tryon’s distinction as the birthplace of Nina Simone, the home of the Tryon Toy Makers and the playground for notable figures Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald, first ladies Grace Coolidge and Eleanor Roosevelt; and actors William Gillette and Lefty Flynn.

In speaking of Tryon’s train history, Armbrust talks about Cowan’s Hardware, which dates back to the 1930s.

The other “Our State” feature was written by Jane Templeton about Pearson’s Falls, located between Saluda and Tryon.

Templeton’s article discussed the attractions and history of Pearson’s Falls, which was purchased during the Depression years by five ladies who were determined to preserve the area. The ladies borrowed and paid back the money for the purchase from a local bank and established the Pearson’s Falls Glen and Wildlife Preserve, Templeton wrote.

The property was put under the umbrella of the Tryon Garden Club, where it remains today. Since its purchase, Templeton writes, experts have come to identify and classify more than 200 species of wildflowers, some of which, including the ailed ginger and ginseng, are considered very rare. Students and area colleges use the glen as an outdoor laboratory.

The articles can be seen at www.ourstate.com in the “My Town” section.