In 2005, Cashiers Historical Society presented the first Jan Wyatt Symposium. It focused on William Holland Thomas, a North Carolinian born in the 1800s near Waynesville and later adopted into the tribe of the Eastern Cherokee Indians.
For the following fifteen years, CHS has continued its mission to preserve the history of Cashiers Valley through education by sponsoring an annual symposium.
The featured topics ranged from historical figures to geological issues to cultural aspects of the region. Previous symposia highlighted traditional mountain music, heirloom gardens, and the Civil War in the Carolinas.
The 2023 Jan Wyatt Symposium “Talking Trout,” will be held on June 18 at Canyon Kitchen, located in Lonesome Valley.
The day-long event will continue the Cashiers Historical Society tradition with presentations on the introduction of brook trout to Cashiers Valley, the current status of a variety of fish species and the future health of native trout.
Lunch will feature guest speaker, Sally Jennings Hudson, founder of Sunburst Trout Fish Hatchery.
An on-going exhibit, located in the Zachary Tolbert House at Cashiers Historical Society, will highlight the historical significance of several trout species.