U.S. 70 ‘heritage road’ merits a pit stop in Valdese

Motorists who are moseying from west to east on U.S. Route 70 in North Carolina officially “enter” the Piedmont Crescent region when they cross the boundary from McDowell County into Burke County. 

So you’ll know, Burke County was named for Thomas Burke, a favorite son and a delegate to the Continental Congress. Burke was elected as the third governor of North Carolina in 1781. 

The county seat is Morganton, named for Brig. Gen. Daniel Morgan, hero of the American Revolutionary War. The community dates back to 1777.

 

Nine miles east of Morganton is a quaint small town with about 4,400 people. It’s called Valdese and is totally unique. It’s the only community named Valdese in the entire world.

 

“Valdese” is said to be Italian for “Valley of Our Lord.” The town was formed in 1893 by 29 people from 11 families who came from northern Italy near France to farm the land and exercise their religious freedom. 

The late Fred Cranford always told the story best. He wrote the script of the outdoor drama “From This Day Forward.” The play is performed annually in July and August by the Old Colony Players at the Fred B. Cranford Amphitheater in Valdese.

 

The production tells the story of the Waldenses, a religious sect who once occupied a remote area in the Cottian Alps. 

“They believed in the priesthood of all believers, translating the scripture into the ‘common’ languages of the people of the day and encouraging education so that all people could read the Bible for themselves,” Cranford said. 

“A simple people, they were dedicated to taking care of the poor and justice for the oppressed. The Waldensian community was excommunicated by the Catholic Church in 1184. Pope Innocent III in 1215 declared all Waldensians heretics.” 

“The Waldenses were heavily persecuted, and thousands were murdered for their faith,” Cranford said. 

Yet, as a people they persevered. Many, many generations later, they came to face a different peril in the 19th century. Their farms were too small to feed everyone, and starvation was the new enemy.

 

In 1892, a seemingly generous offer came from North Carolina. “The Morganton Land and Improvement Company agreed to sell land on credit, enabling a large group of Waldenses to remain together,” Cranford said. A tract of 10,000 acres was eventually agreed upon. 

The Morganton Herald sent out a welcome message, stating: “This Waldensian Colony, the first foreign settlement in the state of any importance since the Moravian settlement at Salem (1766), is we hope the precursor of many such movements.” 

On May 29, 1893, a westbound Richmond and Danville Railroad train stopped “in the middle of nowhere (about mid-way between Connelly Springs and Morganton),” Cranford said. Deboarding with their luggage were the first “Waldensian colonists” – 11 men, 5 women and 13 children. 

On hand to greet the immigrants were local dignitaries and officials from the Morganton Land and Improvement Company. 

It was an awkward situation, Cranford reported, as the European newcomers spoke fluent Italian and French, but not a word of English. The local dignitaries knew not a word of Italian or French. 

Before the end of the year in 1893, three more waves of Waldensians arrived, adding another 193 people to the community. 

Burke County soil did not prove to be fertile ground for agriculture. 

Other industrial pursuits proved more successful – namely textiles and bakeries.

 

The Waldenses of Valdese affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in July 1895.