Matt Bumgarner is an award-winning writer and the regional publisher of Tarheel Press dedicated to profiling the history of North Carolina. His books combine an in-depth approach with a readable style of regional heritage, railroad history, or the Civil War. Matt published Saluda: From Top to Bottom November, 2015.

He will present the research and stories behind the book which is the first major publication on the grade and railroad in more than thirty years and goes deeper than any previous work. He will describe his exploration of the early history of the railroad’s formation, debunks the myths surrounding early engineering staffs and feats, and places the construction of the line in the context of railroad expansion in the era.
Along the way, the author examines in detail the sacrifices of convict labor (while paying homage to the specific men who died building the railroad), the rise of tourism in Western North Carolina, and the transformation of the railroad industry over the course of the last 150 years.
This volume is the definitive work on the history of the Saluda grade and the A&S Railroad. It will be essential to any student of railroading history, local heritage, and fans of the Southern Railway & Norfolk Southern. The books will be available for purchase.

Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the presentation starts at 7 p.m. There is limited seating. Saluda Historic Depot is located at 32 W Main Street in Saluda.
This is a free event and donations are appreciated. Donations to the Saluda Historic Depot in 2017 will enable us to receive matching grant funds from the Polk County Community Foundation.  Saluda Historic Depot is a 501(c)3 non profit and all donations are tax deductible.

Saluda Train Tales is a free monthly event to educate the community of the importance of Saluda’s railroad history and the Saluda Grade, the steepest, standard gauge, mainline railroad in the US. Storytelling is the third Friday of the month at 7pm, March through December. These events are at the Saluda Historic Depot, 32 W Main Street, Saluda, NC 28773.

For more information, contact Judy Ward at 828-674-5958 or judyward@charter.net or Cathy Jackson at 828-817-2876 or cathy@saludalifestyles.com for schedule updates. 

article submitted by Cathy Jackson