Plan being created for Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail

COLUMBUS — The National Parks Service wants to partner with Polk County to complete a section of the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail through Polk County.

The Polk County Board of Commissioners met Monday and heard from John Slaughter and Ben Richardson, with the National Parks Service.

Slaughter said the proposed trail section is from Rutherfordton to Chesnee, South Carolina, and will include Polk County’s Alexander Ford at the Bradley Nature Preserve.

Slaughter said the National Parks puts up 60 percent of the costs of the plan, which is estimated to cost $100,000.

Richardson said there is an actual trail bed at Alexander’s Ford. He said the national parks spent two weeks there last year working on the trail and installing a picnic bench.

Slaughter said the effort will take a partnership with landowners. He mentioned Overmountain Vineyards in Polk County, which changed its name because of the history of the Overmountain men. Slaughter said the trail will be an opportunity to co-brand with businesses.

“The possibilities are really endless,” Slaughter said.

The communities and others will need to fund $40,000 combined for the master plan for the trail. Slaughter said Chesnee, Spartanburg and Rutherford counties have already agreed to contribute to the plan, as well as some private funding commitments.

Commissioner Chair Tommy Melton asked about the timeframe for the plan.

“We give the money to a nonprofit, the Overmountain Victory Trail Association,” Slaughter said. “The process is done within a year. You get a shovel-ready project. We hand that to you and you decide as a community whether you want to invest in that or not.”

The original trail goes right through Tryon International Equestrian Center, with Slaughter saying he has been in contact with TIEC.

Slaughter emphasized that wherever the trail goes would be completely voluntary from landowners.

“If we don’t have a landowners’ 100 percent approval, we don’t do anything,” Slaughter said.

Laughter said the parks service will likely come back to the county commissioners with a proposed memorandum of understanding in January.