Page Contents for Saluda, North Carolina

Statistics & Facts

Location

Weather & Climate

History & History-related items

City Attractions

Schools.

Miscellany

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Statistics & Facts

The North Carolina state capital is Raleigh.
The population of Saluda is approximately 575 (2000), 713 (2010).
The approximate number of families is 391 (1990), 310 (2010).
The amount of land area in Saluda is 3.745 sq. kilometers.
The amount of land area in Saluda is 1.6 sq. miles.
The amount of surface water is 0 sq kilometers.
The distance from Saluda to Washington DC is 394 miles.
The distance to the North Carolina state capital is 213 miles. (as the crow flies)
Saluda is positioned 35.23 degrees north of the equator and 82.34 degrees west of the prime meridian.
Saluda elevation is 209 feet above sea level.
Saluda median income is $ 39,063 (2000).
The Saluda median home price is $ 119,500 (2000).

Location

in southwestern North Carolina between Tryon and Hendersonville on Highway 176 about 27 miles from Greenville S.C. Other nearby communities include East Flat Rock, Flat Rock, Barker Heights, Columbus, Valley Hill and Laurel Park.

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Climate

seasonal. Winter temperatures average about 40 degrees while summer temperatures average about 75 degrees. Precipitation tends to fall year-round, mostly averaging over five inches per month all year. Humidity remains high throughout the year.
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History & History Related Items

Although the town of Saluda was incorporated in 1881, shortly after the railroad came to town, many families had already been living in the mountains around Saluda for 100 years. The Guice, Pace, Matcalf, Staton, Ward, Newman, Morris, Bradley and Thompson Fmailyies had lived here since shortly after the Cherokee Boundary was moved farther back westward. The area wasn then known as Paces Gap, named after the early Pace family, Burl Pace, who died in 181 is buried in the nearby old mountain Page Cemetery.
After the Civil War and the return of the Polk County veterans, the plans for Southern Railway to build a railroad from Asheville to Spartanburg began to resurface. The railroad route was changed through the mountain region of Saluda in the end versus the route through a flatter area in the county because many in that area did not want to give up their land for the railroad. This made the railroad the steepest mainline railroad grade in the east, a distinction it held until Norfolk Southern shut down the railroad in the late 20th century. Just a few short years after the railroad was completed in the late 1870’s, a boom came to Saluda – wealthy people from Charleston, Columbia, Florida and other southern parts began spending summers in Saluda. Many of their descendents still have summer homes in Saluda today as do the descendents of the original families of Saluda. The coming of the summer people brought hotels and businesses to Saluda. The Ma Pace Store located on Main Street began business in 1999 and continues today, run by Ma Pace’s youngest son, Robert. The Thompson Ward Store is also still in business after nearly sixty years. Many of the old hotels that welcomed Saluda visitors one hundred years ago are still being used as bed and breakfasts today.

Saluda was named for the Saluda Mountains. That name came from the name of a local Indian Chief whose Cherokee name sounded like Saluda, but meant corn river.

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Attractions

Learn more about Saluda at this informative site.

Coon Dog Day held each year in Saluda in July.
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Saluda Schools

Polk County Schools
P. O. Box 638
125 East Mills Street
Columbus, North Carolina 28722
Telephone: (828) 894-3051
Fax: (828) 894-8153 Saluda

Miscellany

The population of Saluda was:
1990 - 488
2000 - 575
2004 - 574 (estimate)