On any given day, families were provided many opportunities for recreation, community building, professional training, and other services. This made Enka quite unique because most traditional mill villages were much more limited in what was offered to workers. The Enka Voice, a company publication that spanned decades and mentioned many of these opportunities, circulated from 1930 until the 1970s. This monthly newsletter provided details regarding the going-ons of daily life at Enka Village. Joseph Daniels, President of Enka, introduced one of their first editions in August 1932 as seen below.
Page from the August 1932 issue of the Enka Voice explaining the purpose of both the company newsletter and the local clubhouse on the shores of Enka Lake as a means for enjoyment and recreation.1
This section includes information on the Enka Voice. In an oral history interview conducted in 1975, J. Wilson Ayers, then-editor of the Enka Voice stated, “it has a circulation of something like fourteen thousand.”2 The company grew a lot by 1975, with the completion of an extension at Enka opening after World War II, and then a second location in Tennessee by the 1950s. The Enka Voice became a popular source for news and events in the community.
Community life was important to those living at Enka. Pat Beaver said that the reason her family moved to Enka Village was because her dad wanted to live there.3 It was likely easiest because it was close and they were provided all the amenities of community living, as seen on the next several pages.
Workers had access to a multitude of services and retail opportunities, like the Enka Credit Union and shopping at a department store after hours. They had professional training available, like First Aid and a night school. Families also participated in the many recreational activities Enka provided, like the athletic teams, field trips, Enka Lake, and much more.
- “Happy Landing,” Enka Voice, August 1932, 8, in private collection held by Becca Norris.
- J. Wilson Ayers, interviewed by Louis Silveri, July 10, 1975, transcript, Southern Highlands Research Center Oral History Collection, D. H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, University of North Carolina at Asheville, Asheville, NC.
- Pat Beaver, interview by author, October 1, 2021, interview 1, transcript, Ramsey Library Special Collections, University of North Carolina at Asheville, Asheville, NC.
