With the steepest standard-gauge mainland railway grade in the United States, the first passenger train to Saluda, North Carolina, came up the mountain on July 4, 1878. Paces Gap, as Saluda was first called, was a popular stopover for traders heading out of the mountains. The Pace family built an inn so drovers and their livestock could rest on their way south to sell their goods. Other early names in the region were Thompson, Holbert, Laughter, Hipp, Staton, and Morris. Paces Gap grew as settlers came from the low country to escape the heat, and with the towns success, the residents...
With the steepest standard-gauge mainland railway grade in the United States, the first passenger train to Saluda, North Carolina, came up the mountai...
