The Oolenoy River winds down between steeply rolling hills, on its way from the Gauley and Beasley Mountains to the Saluda River. Its course lies almost in the shadow of Table Rock and Caesar's Head, prominent peaks of the Blue Ridge Range. The soil of this river valley is very richand productive and the bordering hills are completely forested in oak, hickory, poplar, maple, pine, and so many other species of both trees and herbs that a more abundant and varied plant life could hardly be found in North America. Botanists come to this area from far and near to study rare plants that may be of interest because of their blossoms, foliage or use in medicine or horticulture. Some that are of interest because of the beauty of their blossoms are azalea, rhododendron, laurel, dogwood, red bud, grandsir greybeard, and service berry.

The native inhabitants of this valley, as well as of the surrounding territory, were the Cherokee Indians. This valley, designated by Chief Woolenoy, as the "Land of grain and clear water" was literally a paradise for them. At the time of colonization no warring tribes were near to disturb their peace. There was an abundance of game -_ deer, bear, raccoons, opossums, squirrels, and rabbits. The streams abounded in fish. On the rich lands of the valley they grew their corn and other food products. Herbs for medicine were bountiful and the Indians classified them as to usage, i , e., horse mint for e pe ca c , mayapple for calome 1, slippery elm bark for poultices; black berry, yellow poplar, and red oak bark for ulcers. Then, there were also the dye plants which the Indians prized. They used maple bark to obtain a blue dye, walnut hulls for brown, maple combined with walnut for a very dark brown, oak balls, growths caused by a type of insect, for black, and yellow root for yellow . Red mud was used for brick red.

The Indian village of our Oolenoy Community was located on the broad top of what is now called Uwharrie Mountain, high above the valley and facing Table Rock Mountain. Woolenoy was the tribal chief of this tribe of Cherokees and his name, with the revised English spelling, was used by the white settlers in naming Oolenoy River, Oolenoy Church, Oolenoy School, and by more recent residents in naming Oolenoy Community Center. Hugh Warrie, anglicised spelling of the Indian name Uwharrie, was a contemporary of Chief Woolenoy and was the warrior chief of the tribe. From Uwharrie Mountain, Woolenoy and the tribe could have over­sight of the entire valley and might have seen the legendary "Old Man of the Mountain" as he devoured his feast from a table of rock called Table Rock while seated on a nearby pinnacle called the Stool. This giant wizard is said to have drunk his water from a leaf of hunter's cup growing to this day near the cold spring on the top of the mountain.

I cannot but share the suffering of these people when they were driven from their native haunts to the west and finally to land that was set aside for them by the United States Government in and near what is now the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. It was to this Cherokee land at Oolenoy that the first white settler, Cornelius Keith, came in 1743.