Saluda, located on the old Howard Gap stage road, was for possibly half a century known as Pace’s Gap and not until the present Southern Railway line built across the mountains in 1878 was the name changed to Saluda.
The first hotel in Saluda was the Saluda House, opened by John Forrest, who ran a store and boarded passengers, drivers and horses for the stage coach line running into Asheville.
Shortly afterward the “Mountain House” was erected by Col. Tanner and run as a resort boarding house during his lifetime. Among the early visitors were Rev. McCullough, Bish Howe, Dr. Geddings, Stephen Wirners, Wm. Hinson, Dr. Goelet, the Aldrich family, Col. D’Arcy Duncan and Dr. V.V. Moore.
Saluda became known throughout the Carolinas as a desirable place to spend the sultry summer months and each year saw an increasing number of visitors.
In 1893 the Misses Herriot of Charleston, S.C., built Melrose Inn, which has always been very popular with Charleston people and which still draws a large clientele from that charming city.
Esseola Inn was erected in 1901 by Mrs. J.K. Campbell of Chester, S.C., and is delightfully located. The following year the Charles Hotel was built by R.A. Estes, a former mayor of Augusta, Ga.
Saluda’s Many Attractions,
With her delightful waterfalls Saluda has drawn many visitors each summer from the Carolinas and Georgia, each year seeing a marked increase in the number and an added inclination to make their visits of longer duration.
The expansion of the highway system and the influx of motorists over the Appalachian Highway has also added to its prestige and increased the number of guests in the various hotels.
Direct connection with Lake Summit by a good road provides swimming and boating as well as fishing and last summer proved beyond a doubt that the hotel accommodations were inadequate.
A group of business men organized the Howard Hotel Company, purchased the old Saluda Seminary, rebuilt, remodeled and refurnished it and under the management of Mrs. Alice Fulton, formerly proprietress of Crystal Springs Inn, the new hostelry will be formerly opened June first.
With 50 rooms splendidly furnished, every one of which has hot and cold running water, some suits with private bath, and a large cool dining room under the supervision of an experienced caterer, the Howard Hotel seems an assured success from the very start.
Mrs. Fulton Quite Popular
Mrs. Fulton, a former resident of Savannah, Ga., has a host of friends throughout the South, and during the years she conducted the Crystal Springs she made many new ones in this section. A woman of charming personality, she knows the hotel business thoroughly and under her management the Howard Hotel will beyond a doubt prove exceedingly popular.
Mrs. Fulton will make a specialty of dinner dances during the season, and an orchestra will be employed to furnish suitable music.
The plans of the hotel company include the construction of a lake on the grounds large enough to afford swimming, canoeing and other aquatic sports. Work on the erection of the dam and lake will begin at once so that it may be used during the coming hot months.
Guests are arriving in large numbers daily and the other Saluda Inns and hotels are filling rapidly. Dr. G.R. Little, proprietor of the Saluda Pharmacy, states that never before during his stay in Saluda has the influx of visitors started so soon, and he predicts an exceptionally good season for the resort town on the top of the mountains.
From the front page of The Polk County News, Tryon, N.C., May 28, 1925
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn94058241/1925-05-28/ed-1/seq-1/#words=May+26%2C+1925
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