The Bailey Family of Deer Park

The Bailey Family of Deer Park

The first Bailey settler in Mitchell County is said to have been John Bailey (1771-1838), who was the son of pioneer Edmond Bailey.  Family tradition holds that following service in the French and Indian War, Edmond Bailey moved from Pennsylvania to North Carolina. ...
Oh, Christmas Tree!

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...
Uncle Bill Keller

Uncle Bill Keller

William E. Keller was born 10/15/1855 near Taylorsville in Alexander County, NC, the son of Joseph and Rinda Keller.  When he died on 5/26/1969 in Mitchell County at 111, he was the state’s longest living Social Security pensioner, and may also have been the oldest in...
What Goes Up ~ Will Come Down

What Goes Up ~ Will Come Down

In the early part of the Twentieth Century, Jason Burleson was known as the mica king of Mitchell County, and unbeknownst to most travelers today, “Burleson Hill” in Spruce Pine was named for him. He lived atop that hill in a large white house where the Spruce Pine...