The Transylvania Times -

On May 5, 1938, the front page of The Transylvania Times pro-claimed, “Paper Plant To Locate On Davidson River Site.” That plant was, of course, the Ecusta Corporation, which provided employment for thousands of workers in the manufacture of cigarette and other fine papers over the next 60 plus years.

Before selecting the approximately 225-acre site along the Davidson River the company explored numerous locations throughout North Carolina and a few in Georgia and Virginia.

R.J. Reynolds and other tobacco companies in North Carolina were strongly pushing Straus to locate the paper mill...