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:
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 4TH QUARTER 2018 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
Penland
This world-renown community in southern Mitchell County, is famous for it’s School of Handicrafts. At an elevation of 2,462 feet, it was named for Milton Penland, pioneer settler and businessman. The Penland School of Crafts was founded in 1910 by Miss Lucy Morgan.
read more
Buladean
Magnetic City and Wilder’s Forge were the original names of this community on Big Rock Creek in northern Mitchell County. The name Magnetic City comes from the story that when the survey lines were being conducted for the boundary of North Carolina and Tennessee, the...
read morePeople
Significant Individuals
Jason Basil Deyton: Warrior, Teacher, Administrator, and Community Leader
Jason Basil Deyton was born to Nathan and Buena Vista Masters Deyton on February 13, 1894, near Red Hill, NC. Jason graduated from the short-lived Stanley McCormick Institute in Burnsville. The school was named for her son and funded by Mrs. Nettie McCormick, widow of...
read more
Courting – A Century Ago
Valentine’s Day brings our attention to love and romance – a century ago! In the early 1900s, before the advent of automobiles and movie theaters and restaurants, “dating” as we know it didn’t exist. Instead, a couple would often join other friends in a group...
read moreHistory
Happenings of note
Mitchell County for Me
As Americans, we show our patriotism through the singing of the national anthem of the United States called the Star Spangled Banner. As North Carolinians we also want to show our state pride in the state song named The Old North State. However, most Mitchell County...
read more
Jackson Stewart – Live Fast and Die Hard
The old saying “live fast and die hard” could be applied to Jackson Stewart, as well as to his parents and siblings. Almost all of them died in a violent or strange manner, including Jackson. His father, Isaiah, was killed by a falling limb while he was in the woods...
read moreCommunities
Unique locales in Mitchell County
Penland
This world-renown community in southern Mitchell County, is famous for it’s School of Handicrafts. At an elevation of 2,462 feet, it was named for Milton Penland, pioneer settler and businessman. The Penland School of Crafts was founded in 1910 by Miss Lucy Morgan.
read more
Buladean
Magnetic City and Wilder’s Forge were the original names of this community on Big Rock Creek in northern Mitchell County. The name Magnetic City comes from the story that when the survey lines were being conducted for the boundary of North Carolina and Tennessee, the...
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...
read more
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
Catching The Train
Catching the Clinchfield as it wound its way northbound up the mountains, or southbound to the piedmont was an easy task when passenger service was common. The railroad, which ran from coalfields of Elkhorn City, Kentucky to the textile mills of upstate South...
read more
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 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 25, 2019 | February 26, 2019 | February 27, 2019 | February 28, 2019 | March 1, 2019 | March 2, 2019 | March 3, 2019 |
| March 4, 2019 | March 5, 2019 | March 6, 2019 | March 7, 2019 | March 8, 2019 | March 9, 2019 | March 10, 2019 |
| March 11, 2019 | March 12, 2019 | March 13, 2019 | March 14, 2019 | March 15, 2019 | March 16, 2019 | March 17, 2019 |
| March 18, 2019 | March 19, 2019 | March 20, 2019 | March 21, 2019 | March 22, 2019 | March 23, 2019 | March 24, 2019 |
| March 25, 2019 | March 26, 2019 | March 27, 2019 | March 28, 2019 | March 29, 2019 | March 30, 2019 | March 31, 2019 |