Taking a leisurely drive just out of the Town of Taylorsville in most any direction will reveal some of the prettiest views to be found. The lovely rolling hills of the Brushy Mountains are lined with apple trees, providing a mouth watering harvest in the Fall. Our countryside is a patchwork of farms, fields and gardens with homes dotted throughout.

Rocky Face Mountain

The granite quarry at Rocky Face Mountain, the easternmost mountain of the Appalachian Mountain chain can be seen off in the distance from many parts of the county. Rocky Face Mountain is now owned by the Felburn Foundation, a nature conservancy organization. Hikers can enjoy a wide view of the county from on top of the mountain. (Photos from top of Rocky Face by Stacy Samples)

 

Alexander Railroad Company's
"June Bug"

Alexander Railroad Company, a locally owned, operated, and maintained short line railroad, offers weekday carload freight service along the Highway NC 90 corridor between Statesville and Taylorsville. The railroad's offices are located in the old depot in Taylorsville. Photo of "June Bug" provided by Ben Zachary, third generation General Manager of the Alexander Railroad Company.

According to legend, the railroad's locomotives are painted green and gold in honor of local attorney and State Senator Romulus Z. Linney's impassioned speech to N. C. Legislature in 1887 supporting a railroad charter to extend the existing Charlotte-Statesville AT&O line into Taylorsville.

To demonstrate the mineral wealth of this route, Linney referred to the recently discovered Hiddenite stone, claiming, "A well-wintered June Bug can carry away $1,000 worth of this valuable gem, which rivals the diamond in sparkling beauty, tied to its hind leg!" The legislation passed, and the railroad and its locomotives have been nicknamed "The June Bug" to this day.