Thursday, March 26 • 6:00 p.m.
Mitchell High School Auditorium
Inez McRae
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SAVE THE DATE: October 17, 2020
The History & Heritage of
Mitchell County, NC
The Mitchell County Historical Society is committed to the preservation of the history, heritage, and culture of Mitchell County, North Carolina. We hope you enjoy your visit and stop by often for updated stories, photos, and videos.
Donate to MCHS
The Mitchell County Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, which means your donations are tex-deductible under the limitations of tax law. Your contributions help us continue our work.
Please consider making an online donation by clicking the button below.
Penland Cemetery Project
MCHS is seeking help with an important project we have undertaken. The historic Penland Cemetery in Bakersville has suffered from years of neglect, with vandals overturning tombstones and the plot becoming grown-over with trees and underbrush. We have begun efforts to repair the road to the cemetery and restore it so visitors and researchers have easy access. Learn more about the Penland Cemetery project and how you can help..
The 2019 Christmas Ornament
The 2019 Mitchell County Historical Society Christmas Ornament honors the Historic Mitchell County Courthouse, built in 1907. This historic building, built of cast stone and designed in the Classical Revival style. which is home to the MCHS offices on the first floor. The building was designed by H.L. Lewman and was constructed by the Falls City Construction Company. The Yancey County Courthouse, built in 1905, is almost a clone of the building. The ornament is glass and comes in a box to protect it during shipment and storage.
MCHS Membership & Newsletter
Big changes are coming soon for members of the Mitchell County Historical Society in 2020
Discounts on merchandise purchased from the MCHS store are but one of the many goodies for members of MCHS. In fact, we have a preview of one of the new features available right now: our redesigned newsletter, the Quarterly Review. Download a copy (PDF file – opens with the free Adobe Reader software) and see what members will be receiving beginning in the new year. Plus, you will get advance notice (and input) on our 2020 presentation series, opportunities to volunteer to help preserve our history, and access to online resources to research topics and genealogy in our office located in the Historic Mitchell County Courthouse.
Not a member? Join today!
What’s New on the Site
Here are our latest posts about Mitchell County’s history. We welcome suggestions for topics to add. Please use our contact page to submit your ideas to us!
Places
Interesting stories
Kilmichael Tower and Little Switzerland
Judge Heriot Clarkson of Charlotte and his family were the developers of the resort community of Little Switzerland in 1910. The community between Grassy Mountain and Chestnut Ridge had been settled by several generations of hardy pioneers by the time Clarkson arrived...
People
Significant Individuals
Bakersville’s Uncle Sam: A Tribute
Samuel Silver was born near Micaville, NC in March 1854 to an unknown enslaved mother belonging to Green B. Silver. In 1860, Silver had 9 enslaved people including 5 children ages 2 months to 10 years. At that time there were 21 enslaved people of African descent...
History
Happenings of note
John Graves Heap: Union Operative?
John Graves Heap and his business partner Elisha Bogue Clapp are credited with bringing large-scale mica mining operations to the Toe River Valley. They came here with their families in 1870 and within a few years owned and managed over a dozen mines that employed...
Communities
Unique locales in Mitchell County
Kilmichael Tower and Little Switzerland
Judge Heriot Clarkson of Charlotte and his family were the developers of the resort community of Little Switzerland in 1910. The community between Grassy Mountain and Chestnut Ridge had been settled by several generations of hardy pioneers by the time Clarkson arrived...
Icons
These define Mitchell County
Helen McBee: Teacher, Philanthropist, and Woman of Some Mark
Helen McBee was born 1/10/1909 in Los Angeles, CA to John Calhoun and Margaret Chambers Thomas McBee. Her father served in Company B of the 16th Infantry and had spent most of the Philippines-American War in the islands where Helen’s brothers Paul Thomas (1905) and...
Economics
Making a living in Mitchell County
Oh, Christmas Tree!
In 2005 the Fraser fir (Abies fraseri) was adopted as the official state Christmas tree of North Carolina. The idea came from eighth-graders in Mr. Chris Hollifield's North Carolina History Class at Spruce Pine’s Harris Middle School who petitioned legislators to...
Upcoming Events
Check out the upcoming events from the Mitchell County Historical Society. Click or tap on a date that is highlighted for information on what’s happening.
| SunSunday | MonMonday | TueTuesday | WedWednesday | ThuThursday | FriFriday | SatSaturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 26, 2020 | January 27, 2020 | January 28, 2020 | January 29, 2020 | January 30, 2020 | January 31, 2020 | February 1, 2020 |
| February 2, 2020 | February 3, 2020 | February 4, 2020 | February 5, 2020 | February 6, 2020 | February 7, 2020 | February 8, 2020 |
| February 9, 2020 | February 10, 2020 | February 11, 2020 | February 12, 2020 | February 13, 2020 | February 14, 2020 | February 15, 2020 |
| February 16, 2020 | February 17, 2020 | February 18, 2020 | February 19, 2020 | February 20, 2020 | February 21, 2020 | February 22, 2020 |
| February 23, 2020 | February 24, 2020 | February 25, 2020 | February 26, 2020 | February 27, 2020 | February 28, 2020 | February 29, 2020 |