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. Your contributions help us continue our work. Please consider making an online donation by clicking the button below:
NOW: FREE SHIPPING ON ALL ORDERS!
Just in time for the holidays, all orders from the MCHS Online Store feature FREE SHIPPING. There is no minimum purchase. Select your items and check out. It’s that simple!
VISIT THE STORE2018 Christmas Ornament
The 2018 Mitchell County Historical Society Christmas Ornament celebrates the heyday of the Cloudland Hotel. It is decorated with a drawing of the famous resort that appeared in a newspaper ad in the 1890s along with a sprig of the famous rhododendron that appears in the largest naturally-occurring rhododendron gardens in the world atop Roan Mountain. A brief version of its history is included on the back.
This keepsake is perfect for anyone who has an interest in Roan Mountain and the grandeur of resort hotels from the late 19th Century. It is glass and comes in a box to protect it during shipment and storage.
The ornament is $22 and can be ordered online by clicking the button below. You can also purchase ornaments at the MCHS office located in the Mitchell County Historic Courthouse in Bakersville during business hours (Wednesday-Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.).
Newsletter
NewsletterWant to learn more about what is taking place with the Historical Society? We release a quarterly newsletter with information on programs, events, updates on projects, and much, much more. MCHS members receive the newsletter as part of their membership early each quarter.
Take a look at our CURRENT NEWSLETTER (PDF file – opens with the free Adobe Reader software).
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
Poplar – Hollow Poplar Creek
Hollow Poplar Creek was the original name of this community near where the Toe River becomes the Nolichucky as it flows into the Nolichucky Gorge and Tennessee. It was named for an enormous poplar tree that once stood there. This hollowed tree supposedly served not...
read more
Minpro
This community has often been called the “mineral belt” of Mitchell County because of the clay, spar, and mica mined in the area. Several mineral processing plants sprang up in the area in the early 1900’s. A workman at one of those plants suggested the name Minpro as...
read morePeople
Significant Individuals
Celebrating 106 years of the Bakersville Barber Shop Building
The earliest photograph of Bakersville that shows the property on which the Barber Shop building sits today was taken after the 1901 May Flood. It’s shown here beside the first Post Office and the J W Bailey Store which was sold in 1912 to George Young. At this time,...
read more
S.T. Henry – A Man With Many Talents Making Many Contributions
Any conversation related to people who have made significant contributions to Spruce Pine and Mitchell County will inevitably lead to naming S. T. Henry. Smith Tompkins Henry Jr. was born April 9, 1881, in Bushnell, Illinois, about 150 miles east of Champaign, to S....
read moreHistory
Happenings of note
Celebrating 106 years of the Bakersville Barber Shop Building
The earliest photograph of Bakersville that shows the property on which the Barber Shop building sits today was taken after the 1901 May Flood. It’s shown here beside the first Post Office and the J W Bailey Store which was sold in 1912 to George Young. At this time,...
read more
Mitchell County Historical Society’s 2018 Christmas Ornament Commemorates The Cloudland Hotel
In 1885 Civil War general Thomas Wilder constructed a grand resort hotel atop Roan Mountain near a hunting lodge he had built after he came to the area following the war. The Cloudland Hotel opened to great fanfare with plans to make Roan Mountain a destination for...
read moreCommunities
Unique locales in Mitchell County
Poplar – Hollow Poplar Creek
Hollow Poplar Creek was the original name of this community near where the Toe River becomes the Nolichucky as it flows into the Nolichucky Gorge and Tennessee. It was named for an enormous poplar tree that once stood there. This hollowed tree supposedly served not...
read more
Minpro
This community has often been called the “mineral belt” of Mitchell County because of the clay, spar, and mica mined in the area. Several mineral processing plants sprang up in the area in the early 1900’s. A workman at one of those plants suggested the name Minpro as...
read moreIcons
These define Mitchell County
The Evolution of Bakersville’s Blevins Building
The modest, but well-constructed building known by various names, beginning with “the Blevins Building,” has served the Town of Bakersville and its people for decades. The name by which locals often call the structure comes from original owner...
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Buster Brown Comes To Town!
Turning out when a celebrity visits town has always been commonplace, and when Buster Brown and his dog Tige stopped by the new Spruce Pine Store building in the 1920s, the whole town turned out to say hello. “I’m Buster Brown, and I live in a shoe. That’s my dog,...
read moreEconomics
Making a living in Mitchell County
Building the “Scenic”
On November 16, 1933, the Blue Ridge Parkway project received approval from Congress. After much debate in Washington, the Virginia – North Carolina route won out, completely leaving out the state of Tennessee. Had the Tennessee route been included, the road would...
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The Story of the Spruce Pine Depots
With all the excitement of the exterior renovation of the Spruce Pine Depot, we thought we would take a look back at the history behind the two depots that have existed in Spruce Pine. The South & Western Railroad, the forerunner of the Clinchfield Railroad,...
read moreUpcoming 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.
| MonMonday | TueTuesday | WedWednesday | ThuThursday | FriFriday | SatSaturday | SunSunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 26, 2018 | November 27, 2018 | November 28, 2018 | November 29, 2018 | November 30, 2018 | December 1, 2018 | December 2, 2018 |
| December 3, 2018 | December 4, 2018 | December 5, 2018 | December 6, 2018 | December 7, 2018 | December 8, 2018 | December 9, 2018 |
| December 10, 2018 | December 11, 2018 | December 12, 2018 | December 13, 2018 | December 14, 2018 | December 15, 2018 | December 16, 2018 |
| December 17, 2018 | December 18, 2018 | December 19, 2018 | December 20, 2018 | December 21, 2018 | December 22, 2018 | December 23, 2018 |
| December 24, 2018 | December 25, 2018 | December 26, 2018 | December 27, 2018 | December 28, 2018 | December 29, 2018 | December 30, 2018 |
| December 31, 2018 | January 1, 2019 | January 2, 2019 | January 3, 2019 | January 4, 2019 | January 5, 2019 | January 6, 2019 |