The Story: Overview Continued  Following the Civil War, the
Mountain Region of North Carolina began to see many changes as
urbanization, industrialization, and railroad construction
spread throughout the country. Despite a very difficult decade,
the population of Madison County increased 30 percent from 1860
to 1870, reaching 8,192 residents. People and goods were on the
move and the county's rich soil, timber, and mineral deposits
made it a popular destination for more than just tourists.
Tobacco Farmers 1930s Tobacco 1930s - North Carolina Collection
Tobacco farmer pausing for water, photograph by Bayard Wootten.
The 1881 completion of the Western North Carolina Railroad
opened the region to profit making opportunities that had
previously been out of reach. Introduced to the area in 1872,
bright leaf tobacco proved its profitability even when grown in
small quantities. For nearly a century most Madison County
farmers had remained small and self-sufficient, growing crops
and livestock for their own familie