History

Cleaning Our Toes

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

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...

J.J. Britt: Defender of Freedom

J.J. Britt: Defender of Freedom

On 19 October 1899, J.J. Britt, presiding over the North Carolina Republican Party meeting in Statesville opposing the suffrage amendment, the Campaign for Freedom In North Carolina, said: “We have entered upon a period of unparalleled prosperity in every line of...

A Very Special Six Months in Buladean

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 Greenlee House Once Stood Proud on Grassy Creek

The Greenlee House Once Stood Proud on Grassy Creek

James Greenlee (1740-1813) of Morganton bought a 640-acre tract of land on Grassy Creek from John Carson, owner of large acreage in Burke County.  The tract of land in what is now Mitchell County passed from James Greenlee, who also owned land in Burke, McDowell,...