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.
The Civil War Comes to Bakersville April 16
We open the 2018 series of programs on Monday, April 16 with Melanie Storie of East Tennessee State University who takes us on an adventure of intrigue, ruthlessness, and suspense during the Civil War. The “Dreaded Thirteenth” Tennessee Union Calvary was composed mostly of amateur soldiers that eventually turned undisciplined boys into seasoned fighters. At the outbreak of the Civil War, East Tennessee was torn between its Unionist tendencies and the surrounding Confederacy. The result was the persecution of the home Yankees” by Confederate sympathizers. Rather than quelling Unionist fervor, this oppression helped East Tennessee contribute an estimated thirty thousand troops to the North. Some of those troops joined the “Loyal Thirteenth” in Stoneman’s raid and in pursuit of Confederate president Jefferson Davis. Storie will be sharing anecdotes and stories she uncovered while putting together her book The Dreaded Thirteenth Tennessee Union Calvary: Marauding Mountain Men. She is a Senior Lecturer in the history department at East Tennessee State University.
The program begins at 7:00 p.m. in the courtroom of the Historic Mitchell County Courthouse in Bakersville. It is free and open to the public.
Come join us for a look back at a little-known piece of Civil War history April 16th!
Newsletter
Want 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
Locations with interesting stories
Davis to Bakersville: 150th Anniversary of Name Change
On the 16th of February 1861, the North Carolina Legislature ratified a bill to establish a new county by the name of Mitchell. The act goes on to specify that “a permanent seat of justice” be determined, which “said town shall be called and known by the name of...
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Penland Post Office and General Store
The building which houses the Penland Post Office and, for many years, a general mercantile, was constructed in 1902 by Isaac Bailey, a Confederate Colonel and later NC Senator from Mitchell County. Two years later, Bailey and his wife, Louisa Penland, donated land...
read morePeople
Significant people in Mitchell County
“Doc” Hoppes – The Minstrel of Brushy Creek
Mitchell County was well represented at the Chicago World’s Fair of 1933. Miss Lucy Morgan of Penland unveiled the “Carolina Cabin” at the event that showcased the handicrafts, music, folklore, and people of the Southern Highlands. An unusual attraction was scheduled...
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THREE YOUNG BROTHERS
This photo was likely made in the early years of the 20th century when Thomas Baker Young (photo center) came up from his home on Toms Creek in McDowell County to visit his brothers in Mitchell County. Mack Young (photo left) lived on Cane Creek; Reuben J. Young...
read moreHistory
Happenings of note
Grassy Creek Golf Course has Storied Past
The Spruce Pine Golf Course had its beginnings prior to World War II, when a nine-hole-course was built on what was then part of the S.T. Henry Dairy Farm at Grassy Creek. This land was once used as a hunting ground by both the Cherokee and Catawba Indians before the...
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Veterans of the Great War
The Great War, which was referred to as World War I only after the Second World War, ended on November 11, 1918, when an armistice was arranged at the Western Front in France. The cessation of hostilities between the Allied Forces and Germany took effect at 11:00 AM...
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
The Greene Building in Bakersville
The Greene Building, which currently houses the Bakersville Emporium, was constructed on the site left vacant by the 1922 fire that destroyed part of Bakersville. The Green Building was constructed by David MacDonald Greene, who owned a big white two-story general...
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Grassy Creek Golf Course has Storied Past
The Spruce Pine Golf Course had its beginnings prior to World War II, when a nine-hole-course was built on what was then part of the S.T. Henry Dairy Farm at Grassy Creek. This land was once used as a hunting ground by both the Cherokee and Catawba Indians before the...
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 26, 2018 | March 27, 2018 | March 28, 2018 | March 29, 2018 | March 30, 2018 | March 31, 2018 | April 1, 2018 |
| April 2, 2018 | April 3, 2018 | April 4, 2018 | April 5, 2018 | April 6, 2018 | April 7, 2018 | April 8, 2018 |
| April 9, 2018 | April 10, 2018 | April 11, 2018 | April 12, 2018 | April 13, 2018 | April 14, 2018 | April 15, 2018 |
April 16, 2018
7:00 pm: MCHS Program |
April 17, 2018 | April 18, 2018 | April 19, 2018 | April 20, 2018 | April 21, 2018 | April 22, 2018 |
| April 23, 2018 | April 24, 2018 | April 25, 2018 | April 26, 2018 | April 27, 2018 | April 28, 2018 | April 29, 2018 |
| April 30, 2018 | May 1, 2018 | May 2, 2018 | May 3, 2018 | May 4, 2018 | May 5, 2018 | May 6, 2018 |
7:00 pm: MCHS Program