#Reclaim February 10

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For February 2024 several of us will be participating in the “30-Day RE Coach4aday Challenge”. The challenge involves utilizing a word that includes the prefix Re. Today my word is RECLAIM.

In the mountains of North Carolina lies a town called Old Fort. In 1885 a gravity-forced geyser was constructed to mark the railroad gateway to the Blue Ridge Mountains. Once occupied by a well-known hotel called the Round Knob with visitors on their way through the Swannanoa Gap to the west.

A series of events caused that geyser called Andrew’s Geyser to stop working. In 1975 the town of Old Fort asked Southern Railroad if they could RECLAIM the property it was located on, and they said yes.

Here is a photo from 1890

Rules of the Challenge

Organizing the 30-Day RE Coach4aday Challenge involves performing, writing, or sharing about an event that captures the essence of the prefix. connections.

Here is how to participate.

1. Identify what word that uses the prefix RE you choosing for the day. It is okay to repeat words.
2. Describe or share how you accomplished utilizing that word.
3. Do this daily for 30 Days posting on social media with the hashtag #Coach4adayChallenge

February 10-Andrew’s Geyser

In 2016 the State of North Carolina was experiencing a drought and I learned about Andrew’s Geyser because its water source was gone. I crafted a blog post eight years ago about its interesting history tied to railroad travel in North Carolina. It gets its name to honor Colonel Alexander Boyd Andrews

Here is a brief synopsis of its history.

The Round Knob resort hotel, commissioned by the railroad company, boasted a prominent fountain as a tribute to the workers who perished during the railroad’s construction. To power the man-made “geyser,” a dam was constructed to form a water reservoir, while cast iron pipes were laid over a distance of two miles to channel water to the fountain. The natural force of gravity, combined with the built-up pressure, propelled the water an impressive 80 feet into the air, creating a spectacle for visitors.

Tragically, in 1903, a stray ember from a passing train ignited a fire that razed the Round Knob to the ground. Determined not to lose both the hotel and the iconic geyser, the ‘Fathers of Old Fort’ took action. In 1911, thanks to the intervention of George Fisher Baker, a wealthy New Yorker and a close friend of Colonel Andrews, the geyser was salvaged from obscurity, ensuring its legacy would endure.

Here is what the modern geyser looks like after the site was reclaimed.