Old Fort is situated near the headwaters of the mighty Catawba River, and in many ways it has also stood at the headwaters of American history--it takes its name from a fort that was the westernmost outpost of white settlement in America at the time of the American Revolution. After the Civil War, Old Fort was the base of operations for the extension of the railroad up the steep mountain grade to Ridgecrest, an accomplishment that is still considered a marvel of engineering and perseverance. A tract of wilderness in the Curtis Creek area was the first parcel of the Pisgah National Forest. The...