History

New Asheville Museum of History explores WNC’s roots

North Wilkesboro Speedway, the High Country’s historic racetrack, is getting a major tune-up

A partnership between local universities brings Appalachian history online

New local walking tours for the historically curious

Asheville author Tom Jerman celebrates the many and varied Santas of the world

At Camp Catawba, boys found an artistic escape from a world in turmoil

Remembering the Black inmates who worked and perished on WNC’s rail lines

Former slaves forged a communal kingdom in Henderson County

New projects paint a fuller picture of WNC’s Black history

Swannanoa Valley Museum pays tribute to a legendary local manufacturer

Driving down memory lane along the High Country’s first scenic byway

The history of women in Macon County is charted on a new path

For 80 years, WNC’s Masonic monument has preserved far-flung pieces of history

The remarkable rise and fall of the Goat Gland King, Jackson County’s “Dr.” John Brinkley

Even a century later, the Great Flood of 1916’s watery depths haunt Western North Carolina

Tracing the origin of WNC’s preeminent marketing phrase, Land of the Sky

For decades, Boone was the capitol of North Carolina-made sauerkraut

Get to know local history through new exhibits at area heritage museums

Hugging the banks of the North Toe River, surrounded by blue-tinged mountains, the rural Mitchell County town of Spruce Pine holds a rich history, one with tales of trains and commerce, a hoard of minerals, and a nationally recognized theater. After falling in love with the community and learning of its heritage, Boone-based events planner Elizabeth Hempfling decided to pay homage. “I wanted to do something that portrayed love, but wanted it to be unique and to mean something,” she says. Hempfling staged a photo project that offers period recreations of Spruce Pine’s past, from the early 1900s to the 1950s, as well as snapshots of the thriving community today. In all, some 30 local residents pooled resources and time to stage, style, and snap pictures over four days. The result is a nostalgic portrayal of the town’s story, told with passion and reverence.