People gathered at railroad crossing

People gathered at railroad crossing

Crowds

Railroad cars

Railroad crossings

Railroad tracks

Roads

Timber

People are gathered at the Collins Street railroad crossing east of the Bryson City Depot. The pile of poplar logs suggests that the photograph was taken prior to 1925. They would have been used as feed stock for the Bryson City Pump Works, which is located behind and to the left of the photographer. The road going up Hospital (Pine) Hill and a portion of the Everett Victorian mansion is showing in the background. The photographer, “Doc” Kelly Bennett (1890-1974), was a prominent pharmacist in Swain County, NC. Owner of the Bryson City Drug Company, Bennett served as alderman and mayor of Bryson City, on the Swain County Board of Education, as well as several terms as NC State Senator and NC State Representative. He participated in numerous other initiatives and organizations. Known as the “Apostle of the Smokies,” Bennett was an instrumental figure in the movement to create the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He was also an avid photographer, skillfully documenting a wide variety of people, places, and events in Swain County and the surrounding area.

Bennett, Kelly, 1890-1974

Kelly Bennett Collection

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/

negatives (photographs)

eng

StillImage

66591

https://southernappalachiandigitalcollections.org/object/66591

Swain County (N.C.)

3.5" x 5.75"(dimension)

Picturing Appalachia