Drover's Rest :: Marshall, NC

The small Town of Marshall is the county seat of Madison County, NC. It boasts a unique history, rich in tradition.

Once known as Lapland, the Town of Marshall received its name from John Marshall, a native Virginian. From fighting against the British to shaping the justice system, he lived a diverse and ambitious life.

Marshall 's history includes the old tradition of drovers moving their hogs, sheep, horses, mules and even turkeys along the Buncombe Turnpike, or Old Drover's Road. Drovers typically started their journeys to market during late autumn. They used the Turnpike to commute up and down the road that stretched from South Carolina to Tennessee, to markets in the region. Thousands of drovers and animals passed through Marshall along the French Broad River each year.

About fifty stock stands dotted the route drovers used and provided them with shelter and feed for their animals. It was not uncommon for stock stands to sell enough feed for 90,000 or more hogs in one month's time during the droving season.

The Civil War and the railroad greatly impacted droving. Animals that once walked to market were transported via trains after the railroad's completion. Much of the Turnpike became what is presently railroad tracks through towns such as Marshall. Presently, sculptures located near the Vance Monument in downtown Asheville memorialize the tradition of droving along the Buncombe Turnpike.

Songbird Development Group, LLC
12 Church Street
Asheville, NC 28801
Phone: 828-254-0665
Fax: 828-254-5599
E-mail: info@droversrest.com