Our History

Harry S. Truman was in the White House and the Nation was in the midst of the Korean War. General Douglas McArthur gave his farewell speech to the country. Color TV was new, and people were watching I Love Lucy , and The Red Skelton Show , and See It Now with Edward R. Murrow. A new car with power steering sold for less than $2,000. Gas was 27¢ a gallon and a 6-pack of coke was 25¢. The average income of the American worker was a whopping $3,709 a year.

The town of Waynesville had no four-lane highways, no shopping centers and no fast food restaurants. There was an arch spanning Main Street with a welcome sign that said “Gateway to the Great Smokies.” In this beautiful place, amid the turmoil of the world, The Kiwanis Club of Waynesville was chartered on October 23, 1951 . Our sponsor was the Asheville Kiwanis Club, and we met in the Pine Room of Patrick’s Cafeteria on Main Street . Read on by clicking the link below.