Beta, Addie, and Willets Communities

Section of 1924 Map showing Willets, Addie and Beta's Location in 1924

Photo of School in Beta

Photo of Addie School

Photo of Willets School, c. 1910

The three towns from Sylva on the way out of the county toward Balsam, Beta, Addie, and Willets, in that order heading north east from Sylva, each had rich communities that prospered in the early 20th century.

Addie was founded in the 1880’s and is located along US 74 and is east of Sylva. It was originally a camp for the Murphy Branch of the Western North Carolina Railroad. Though the community is unincorporated it holds a significance to the people of Jackson County, Addie contains The Jackson County School of Alternatives, better known as the HUB and Scotts Creek Elementary school. 

Bob Terrell, local author, grew up in Addie. The Sylva Herald describes his experience: "It was the greatest place to grow up that I could ever imagine,he said. It had two stores, two grist mills and a combination church and schoolhouse.During Terrell’s boyhood (1930s and 1940s) the Buff Creek Baptist Church housed the Addie School, a three-room school with seven grades. We had great teachers, Terrell said, recalling that he was one of three who made it through all seven grades."

Addie had a post office from 1885-1920.

Beta, pronounced "Beet-uh," had a post office from 1885-1934.

In 1944, the Beta school had only 5 teachers when it consolidated with the one-teacher Cane Creek, or Lynn Chapel School.

Willets had a post office from 1903-1934.

Hunter Library Digital Collections describes the school at Willets: "The Willets school house at the Willets community in Jackson County, NC, exemplified the many small schools that operated throughout the county. For a quarter of a century, S. Jerome Phillips taught at the Willets Graded School and became its principal."

In the years 1919-1920, Phillips was the principal along with three teachers, G.C. Cooper, Bessie Bishop, and Cassia Wallace.