About Mitchell County
Cleaning Our Toes
According to the Cherokee, a river is referred to as the Long Man with his head in the mountains and his feet in the sea. The North Toe River’s head is at Sugar Gap in the mountains of Avery County and the South Toe’s head is in the Black Mountains near the Blue Ridge...
Our Earliest Highway: Bright’s Trace and the Yellow Mountain Road
Most of us journey up US Highway 19E to Avery County not realizing we’re traveling over millions of hoofprints, footprints, wagon tracks, and finally automobile tracks that have preceded us by hundreds if not thousands of years. An ancient path across the mountains...
A Very Special Six Months in Buladean
For many years, churches in our community served dual roles as centers of religious and social activity on Sundays, and also during the week,as schools for students of all ages. The Presbyterian Church played a pivotal role in the early education of Mitchell County...
The Road to Peppers Creek
Mitchell County has a mixed history when it comes to African-American children’s education. We invite you to learn more about those efforts.
Patrolman Charles L. Radcliffe
Charles Lewis Radcliffe was born 10/30/1926 in Roanoke Rapids, Halifax County, NC. His parents were Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Radcliffe; his father worked as an electrician at Rosemary Manufacturing Company. Charles had a brother and 2 sisters. When Charles was 7 years...
Miss Dorothy and her Books
Dorothy Lee Anderson was born in Bakersville on November 15, 1929. She was the youngest daughter of Lee and Dora Masters Greene. She grew up in Bakersville and was a graduate of Bowman High School. In 1950 she married Milton A. Anderson Jr. According to an Asheville...
The Sea Claimed Petty Officer Billy Joe McKinney, But His Heart Is Still in the Mountains
Bakersville native Billy Joe McKinney was killed during a routine training flight in 1953. This is his story.
Patrolman Charles L. Radcliffe
Charles Lewis Radcliffe was born 10/30/1926 in Roanoke Rapids, Halifax County, NC. His parents were Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Radcliffe; his father worked as an electrician at Rosemary Manufacturing Company. Charles had a brother and 2 sisters. When Charles was 7 years...
Miss Dorothy and her Books
Dorothy Lee Anderson was born in Bakersville on November 15, 1929. She was the youngest daughter of Lee and Dora Masters Greene. She grew up in Bakersville and was a graduate of Bowman High School. In 1950 she married Milton A. Anderson Jr. According to an Asheville...
The Road to Peppers Creek
Mitchell County has a mixed history when it comes to African-American children’s education. We invite you to learn more about those efforts.
Miss Dorothy and her Books
Dorothy Lee Anderson was born in Bakersville on November 15, 1929. She was the youngest daughter of Lee and Dora Masters Greene. She grew up in Bakersville and was a graduate of Bowman High School. In 1950 she married Milton A. Anderson Jr. According to an Asheville...
Roy Williams: Western North Carolina Legend
The legendary basketball coach announced his retirement on April 1, after 48 years of coaching. Roy Williams was born on August 1, 1950. His family lived in Spruce Pine at the time of his birth, however he was born in Marion Hospital as Spruce Pine would not establish...
McBee Museum Building Has Witnessed Over A Century of Mitchell County History
The McBee Museum in Bakersville, home to the collections of the Mitchell County Historical Society, has been a fixture for over 130 years.
The Road to Peppers Creek
Mitchell County has a mixed history when it comes to African-American children’s education. We invite you to learn more about those efforts.
“Crest of the Blue Ridge Highway” ~ The Parkway before the Parkway
In the early 1900’s, Americans were gaining great mobility with the invention of the automobile. In 1906, North Carolina’s State Geological and Economic Director, Joseph Hyde Pratt, had a vision of bringing visitors to the North Carolina mountains to experience views...
“Crest of the Blue Ridge Highway” ~ The Parkway before the Parkway
In the early 1900’s, Americans were gaining great mobility with the invention of the automobile. In 1906, North Carolina’s State Geological and Economic Director, Joseph Hyde Pratt, had a vision of bringing visitors to the North Carolina mountains to experience views...
Cleaning Our Toes
According to the Cherokee, a river is referred to as the Long Man with his head in the mountains and his feet in the sea. The North Toe River’s head is at Sugar Gap in the mountains of Avery County and the South Toe’s head is in the Black Mountains near the Blue Ridge...
Tragedy at Berry Gap
The coming of the Clinchfield Railroad to the region in the early 1900s was a boon for the area and opened up the isolated mountain region to the outside world. The building of the railroad through the mountains was an arduous task and an engineering marvel that still...