Marshall McClung
During my career with the U.S. Forest Service, I was on the Lewellyn Cove Nature Trail – just outside of Fontana Dam, on N.C. 28 – many times.
I often wondered about the unusual name, but no one seemed to know.
Clara Vee Denton Roach – who is very much into history – called me recently with the answer, which is in the 1992 issue of the Graham County History Book.
The name “Lewellyn” comes from the Sawyer family, though the spelling varies from time to time. William Sawyer came from England to America sometime around 1870. There is a Benjamin Lewellyn Sawyer listed that married Elizabeth Chambers and there is also a George Lewellyn Sawyer (1887-1935) listed.
Lewellan Sawyer – who was born around 1829 or 1830 – came to what is now Graham County when it was still inhabited by many of the Cherokee Tribe.
Old maps of North Carolina have “Indian Country” printed in large letters over all of western North Carolina.
After he married Elizabeth Chambers on Dec. 28, 1846, the couple made their home in Lewellyn Cove near present-day Fontana Dam. The family later moved to Sawyers Creek.
Whiting Lumber Company was one of several companies to move into Graham County and begin logging operations. Most of them constructed railroads to move the logs to sawmills.
Whiting built narrow-gauge railroads up Panther Creek, Fax Branch, Welch Cove, and the present-day Town of Fontana Dam in the early 1900s.
When the U.S. Forest Service constructed the Lewellyn Cove Nature Trail, they used part of an old railroad bed as the trail – most likely one that Whiting had built.
Marshall McClung is the historical columnist for The Graham Star. He is retired from the U.S. Forest Service and can be reached via email, mcclungs828@gmail.com.