The Westfeldts of Rugby Grange

In 1835, a 22-year-old Swede set sail for America knowing little of his plans but to trade uncertain prospects at home for the promise of the new land. Gustaf Adolphus George Westfeldt turned out to be a natural businessman who prospered through timely investments, hard work and resourcefulness. He would marry a young Irish woman named Jane McLoskey, and together they would raise 10 children. The Westfeldts of Rugby Grange tells the story of the family, from their lives in Mobile, Ala., and New Orleans to their extensive travel abroad and their settling, around 1870, on a large tract of land in the mountains of North Carolina. The family’s journey parallels history, and makes some history of its own, from the green coffee brokerage that brought the family wealth, to the Civil War, to the origins of the nation’s conservation movement. The Rugby Grange — large and imposing on the outside, lively and warm on the inside — stands as an abiding foundation of the family story. The home base of six generations, the Grange is a place of joy, of memory, of tragedy, and finally redemption and reunion. The Westfeldts of Rugby Grange is the story of that grand home and its fertile surrounding land, and it is the story of the fascinating cast of family members, friends and neighbors who lived in and visited the big stone house. With this well-researched account of the extended family and their time, author Bill Moss has painted a vivid portrait that collectors of Southern Appalachian history will want to read and enjoy and keep on their bookshelves.