Old Fort’s place in Western North Carolina history is unique because of its geographic location at the foot of the Blue Ridge, near the head of the Catawba River & close to the Continental Divide. Since colonial times, Old Fort has been the western most outpost of civilization before crossing the eastern Continental Divide. The quaint small town of Old Fort still has not had more than 980 people living in it, keeping that small town feeling. In 1875 work continued on the railroad to extend it to Asheville, & in March 1879 the rail entered Buncombe County through the Swannanoa Tunnel. The busy little town of Old Fort became the home of a resort hotel & a geyser, a manmade tourist attraction powered by a nearby spring. The Union Tanning Company built a tanning & extract plant in Old Fort in 1904; & for many years, the huge industry dominated the economy of Old Fort. Men not actually employed in the processing of leather made a living cutting & hauling “acid-wood & tan bark”. The lines of Southern Railway Company suffered unprecedented damage from floods during the months of July & August 1916, the rebuilding of the tracks was one of the most impressive feats of the time. Old Fort has many attractions; The Catawba Falls just down the street from Catawba Falls Campground, Curtis Creek state park and campground, Mountain Gateway Museum, & Andrew’s Geyser, the train depot museum & the future building site of the original Colonial Fort, Davidson’s Fort.