June 21, 2026
Keith Parker
Parker on the Past
If I were to tell you to take the truck lane to get through town, where would you head?
Or say to go to the North Brevard traffic light and turn left to head to Asheville?
What about heading to Gallimore Hill and turning towards Asheville?
If you were local and driving in the 1950s, you could remember when we called Caldwell Street the “truck lane” around town.
Gallimore Hill was not related to the modern Gallimore Road near the Boys & Girls Club, but it is a part of the North Brevard community near the traffic light at the corner of Neely Road and Old Highway 64.
Before N.C. Highway 280 was upgraded, one went to that light to turn left to go to Asheville or went straight to go to Hendersonville.
One interesting story about the truck lane from the 1950s involves a local fellow caught speeding over 50 miles an hour in his Model T Ford.
The legend is that the judge threw out the case because he said a Model T could not go that fast anywhere!
Apparently, that judge was not from around here and did not know about some of our skilled local drivers.
Dr. Keith Parker is a pastoral counselor, Jungian analyst and local historian who lives in the Dunn’s Rock community of Transylvania County. His column appears on BrevardBeagle.com when he can find time to write his thoughts down.