Thanks to a random link to Cracked.com [1] from my friend Hoade (damn him for sucking me into Cracked,com, but buy his book [2]!) I spent the past several hours reading article upon article (like this hasn't happened [3] before [4]) when I came across this very interesting fact about Brevard, North Carolina [5].
I lived there for only five years, but I still have a soft spot for the place, even thirty years later. At the time, I thought it was very cool that the town was the county seat for Transylvania County [6] (how cool is that?). Little did I realize that there was a secret NSA (No Such Agency) installation [7] just outside of town.
And now, I just learned that there was a shooting war between North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia over what later became Transylvania County [8], known as The Walton War [9]. It started out as a place no one wanted but after some urban development and accurate surveying, everybody wanted it, and were willing to fight for it (even up till 1971!).
Why did I not learn this in school [10]?
I mean, I can understand not learning about it in Florida schools, but I attended school in Brevard [11]! This was local history! With shooting and stuff! And by local, I mean, passing a battle field on the way to my friend's house (and a mile from the school [12] no less!).
What will I learn about Brevard next? Maybe mutant circus squirrels taking over the town [13]? Hey … wait a second …
[6] http://www.transylvaniacounty.org/
[7] http://www.mountainx.com/article/11656/Land-of-the-Sky-Spies
[9] http://www.chattoogariver.org/index.php?quart=W2005&req=walton
[10] http://www.tcsnc.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=3155217&pageId=12691405