Balsam is a tiny little dot on the map halfway between Waynesville and Sylva, NC. In 2000, the population was 49, and covers only 3.2 square miles. There's a post office, a baptist church, an inn and a community center that's almost always unused. That's about it. Thousands of cars drive past the Balsam exit every day without even looking past the kudzu and old oaks, without even realizing that a town exists there, just off the highway.
Balsam used to be a destination, back when the train brought tourists from all over the east coast to enjoy the cool, clean mountain air. The Balsam Mountain Inn opened in 1908 to serve this clientele, and remains open today, a reminder of the almost forgotten history of the town. But progress came to Balsam as it comes to most small towns; a highway cut the town in two, changing educational standards and dwindling populations closed the community school. Jobs left and the workers followed. Today, most everyone who lives in Balsam works in either Waynesville or Sylva, leaving the town quiet during business hours.
I've always had an attachment to Balsam. As a kid, my best friend had family that lived on the mountain, and we would spend humid summer nights walking or sitting by a campfire, and telling stories. Scaring each other however we could. Watching horror movies until midnight, and then daring ourselves to walk to the old community center. As fun and relatively wholesome as all that was, there was a darkness in Balsam. I think even as kids it was noticeable. My friends family had stories about the place, old stories, typical mountain ghost stories about bridges and dark forests and things that lurk in the night. But there was a palpable weight over the area, a sense that some of those stories were probably rooted in truth. The forest has a certain primeval, ancient feel to it. Rocks drip, mosses and ferns hide the true contours of the land. Most of the old buildings seem tired, gray wood and drooping lines.
I moved to Balsam in 2003, and lived there for five years. I worked at the Balsam Mountain Inn for a couple of years, and it was there that the stories about Balsam, and about the Inn in particular, took on a new life. I've had experiences, and those experiences have been shared by others. Some seem innocuous, just coincidences that are given special meaning by the location. Others seem to be more. I've started this blog to record these experiences, to research and explore the history and legends of the area, and to aid in my own investigations into the area. I want this to be a safe place to share experiences and to look at the evidence with an open mind. Please enjoy the stories, and feel free to contact me with any personal experiences or thoughts. Thanks!
WH
27 Nov 2013
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