OLD BARNS № 011 & 012

For this edition of the Old Barn Project, we return to the lovely Eastatoe Valley (pronounced: east - ah - TOE' - ee, IPA: 'iːs - tɑː - toʊiː), as was seen in this post.

There are several barns in this area, but I am featuring only two of them in this post. The first is on a piece of property that is designated as the Eastatoe Community Farm, which I imagine to be a cooperative farming effort for those who live in this rural community.

^{• OLD BARN № 011, PHOTO BY ME •}

The photo isn't as clear as I'd like it to be, but it isn't close to the road so I had to zoom to get a closeup shot. Of course, an expensive $$$$ camera-and-tripod setup would capture it more nicely, but I don't have such. I found a better photographer's view of the barn here

Here is the view from Google Maps "Street View" which shows the location of the barn. The ditch beside the road is visible in the lower-right of the image:

^{• SCREENSHOT FROM GOOGLE MAPS, "STREET VIEW" •}

The trees adjacent to the barn have grown some since my photo was taken. The house belonging to the landowner can be seen among the trees to the right of the barn. Just beyond that mountain on the right-side of the shot is a wilderness area called the "Horsepasture" by the locals.

The collective local name "Horsepasture" evolved over time, beginning in Civil War days. Area residents reportedly drove their horses and cattle over the mountain to a broad valley at the forks of Toxaway River and Laurel Fork Creek. Here they successfully hid their livestock from Sherman's advancing army. This area became known as the Horsepasture and the middle fork of the Toxaway River, formerly known as the Green River, was renamed the Horsepasture River. During the "dust bowl era" of the 1920s, livestock from the West were transported by rail to the Horsepasture. Cattle were "free ranged" until grazing conditions improved in the west.

All of the Horsepasture has now been incorporated into the Jocassee Gorges Wilderness Area and is being preserved for historical and conservational purposes. Even though I grew up in the area, I've never been into The Horsepasture, as a 4-wheel drive vehicle is required, as I understand it, on the unimproved, dirt roads.

However, I recently found one dirt road on a map of the area that has a scenic overlook just under a half-mile (0.8 km) from a main road, around a few twisty turns. I might try that section later this year and see how it looks. If I discover that the road is too rough for a 2-wheel-drive passenger car, I can always turn-around — or drive out in "reverse" if the road is too narrow for a 5-point turn. 😁

Not even a quarter-mile (0.4 km) down the road from Old Barn № 011 is Old Barn № 012.

^{• OLD BARN № 012, PHOTO BY ME •}

A more accurate statement might be that the the two barns were only a quarter-mile apart, as a satellite-view of the area shows that Old Barn № 012 is no longer standing, sadly. I am glad I was able to capture its beauty before it disappeared. Looking at the "Street View" on Google Maps gives a clue as to what happened to it. The view below-left is the "front" of the barn, and the view below-right shows the "back" of the barn with support posts holding one corner of it. 😳

^{• SCREENSHOTS FROM GOOGLE MAPS, "STREET VIEW" •}

Across the street from Old Barn № 012 is a lovely field, as seen in this additional screenshot from Google Maps "Street View."

^{• SCREENSHOT FROM GOOGLE MAPS, "STREET VIEW" •}

WALLPAPER:
I took the above screenshot from Google Maps "Street View" and did a little creative processing on it, then cropped it to a 16:9 ratio for use as "wallpaper" on a computer screen. Right-click on it and save it, if you like!

More views of the Eastatoe Valley can be found on the website of local photographer, Bob Spalding: Eastatoe.com

😊

VACATION TIME?
Anyone who might be interested in vacationing in the area can find plenty of hotels as well as camping facilities (primitive, improved, and RV), hundreds of miles of hiking trails, abundant waterfalls, rivers for fly-fishing, lakes for skiing /boating /fishing, historical & authentic grist mills still in operation, cultural museums, 4WD off-roading, and plenty more. To get started planning your adventure, read the "Additional Points of Interest" links at the bottom of the ScenicUSA webpage (referenced below) and see the 10 suggestions mentioned on this page

SOURCES
¹ Jocassee.com: (history of the Jocasee area)
² ScenicUSA.com: Jocassee Gorges

!steemitworldmap 35.009015 lat -82.826680 long Pickens County, SC D3SCR