The Buncombe Road
This article is one of many published in the late summer and fall of 1873. It is filled with unverified and speculative claims driven by fears that were prevalent nationwide as people anticipated the cultural impact of the emancipation of millions of people. However, it inadvertently reveals an important detail that adds clarity to the origin story of the Kingdom founders. The article mentions "about fifty negroes, men, women, and children—passed up the Buncombe Road."
The Buncombe Road went across Spartanburg County and led directly to the Buncombe Turnpike. The Buncombe Turnpike is a historic road that connected South Carolina to Tennessee through Western North Carolina. Built in the 1820s and financed by some of WNC’s wealthiest enslavers, it was likely constructed and maintained by enslaved people. The road was used by livestock drovers bringing animals to market, as well as wealthy South Carolina planters seeking respite from the summer heat in the WNC mountains.
The founders of the Kingdom would likely have been familiar with the Buncombe Turnpike, and some may have traveled it with their enslavers before emancipation.
Due to the inns, stock stands, and the road's need for regular maintenance, it would have relied heavily on enslaved labor and, as a result, become a gathering place for the Black community. This may explain why the Kingdom founders traveled this route and ultimately found a home in Western North Carolina.
Use the arrows to browse some historic images of the Buncombe Turnpike.
