By Lacie Larsen
July 4th, 1916 is a day recognized by few, as the dedication of a brand new bridge and roadway, built in the heart of Western North Carolina. These features led to the mysterious and alluring, Chimney Rock Mountain. A 25 x 15 ft American flag was unfurled at the top of Chimney Rock on this day. It was an event not to be missed. Tourists, locals, and press flocked to the rugged wilderness to witness the feat of engineering which the Morse brothers; Lucius, Hiram, and Asahel, along with a hard working crew managed to undertake. A 1916 French Broad Hustler article states “…It was most fitting that the completion of this wonderful road should be celebrated on July 4th, the day when all true Americans love to show pride in their country…” As we celebrate 250 years of America we are reminded of the people who came before us and made us who we are today; Lucius B. Morse was one of those people. He was seen as a visionary, a crusader, and cemented himself as a leader in our community.
By July 16th, 1916 just twelve days after the grand event… tragedy struck. The great flood of 1916. Now, we in the Gorge have witnessed our fair share of flooding. 1916, 1996, and most recently in 2024. Bridges collapsing, being carried out by cascades of an uncontrollable force. But history repeats itself. A headline from 1916 “Village of Chimney Rock Reported Gone” may sound oddly familiar to us, as you may remember a similar headline published just days after Hurricane Helene in 2024; “Chimney Rock As We Know It is Gone. Long Live Chimney Rock.” published by The Assembly. The thing is, it was never gone. Simply, changed.
The floodwaters receded, and the Morse family got back to work, just as Chimney Rock Management, LLC., NC State Parks Rangers, National Guard, Spokes of Hope, hundreds of dedicated volunteers, and even miners from West Virginia would over 100 years later.
Temporary bridges and roads were built, supplies brought in by horseback. Landslides, fallen trees. Gravity seeming to pull everything back down to Earth, but our community lifts it right back up. Mountain people have always carried a resilience within themselves, living in demanding terrain, but generations have stayed and we know the reason, it’s the lure…
Flash forward 11 years after the flood of 1916, the town had recovered, and Lucius Morse had been, of course, working toward building a brand new idea that would solidify Chimney Rock as the tourist destination of the South. The view was missing a “centerpiece.” The keystone which would become Lake Lure. “Tourists of the future will some day look down and out upon a soulstirring panorama of which, of its kind, has no equal in all Eastern America.” That “soulstirring panorama” would not only encompass the nearby mountains and rolling hills, but would feature something new, Lake Lure. A 1926 article stating Lucius, “ [he] has lived, eaten, and slept Lake Lure.” This hunger for something new and incredible continues to live on.
As the lake continues to fill, something inside of each of us refills as well. As individuals composed of about 60% water it makes sense that we would once again be drawn to it. For those who grew up on the Lake, seeing it return can be as if our own life blood is being restored. A marketing slogan from the early Chimney Rock days states, “When memory entirely replaces travel – what you will remember about the Carolinas is what you see from Chimney Rock.” Lake Lure, from an accessible bird’s eye view, is the dream once held by Dr. Morse, whose spirit now lives within us all as we continue to make this place a dream come true.
