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:
Overmountain Men Radio Show/Podcast Wrapping Up
The radio broadcast from WTOE and WKYK of Footsteps for Freedom concluded October 11th with our 30th Episode. Thsnk you for joining us for the series!
BUT WE’RE NOT THROUGH! We are putting the finishing touches on a roundtable discussion featuring Jonathan Bennett, David Biddix, Rhonda Gunter, and Chris Hollifield. We will take a look at the work behind the scenes to produce the episodes. We will discuss the events and people involved with the battle and share opinions on our research and more. The final episode is podcast-only and will be posted in the next week.
Our resource page for the Overmountain Men and the Battle of Kings Mountain is still available along with all thirty episodes of the program. You can listen to them online or download them using the various podcatching software (Apple Music, Google Music, etc.) so check it out and catch up on anything you missed, or listen to the final program when it is posted.
The 2019 Christmas Ornament
The 2019 Christmas OrnamentThe 2019 Mitchell County Historical Society Christmas Ornament honors this historic building, built of cast stone and designed in the Classical Revival style. which is home to the MCHS offices on the first floor. The building was designed by H.L. Lewman and was constructed by the Falls City Construction Company. The Yancey County Courthouse, built in 1905, is almost a clone of the building. It is glass and comes in a box to protect it during shipment and storage.
VISIT THE MCHS ONLINE STORE FOR DETAILS >>
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 2019 SECOND QUARTER NEWSLETTER (PDF file – opens with the free Adobe Reader software).
Scholarship Recipient Announced
Scholarship Recipient AnnouncedMCHS is pleased to announce that Macie Stafford, a 2019 graduate of MItchell High School, is the third recipient of the Inez McRae Scholarship. You can learn more about Macie and about the scholarship here.
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
North Carolina Rhododendron Festival: Roots and Twigs
The beautiful Rhododendron flower is celebrated worldwide. These celebrations include festivals in Port Logan, England; Edinburgh, Scotland; Muroji, Japan; Taranaki, a bit south of New Plymouth, New Zealand: Florence, OR; Me, CA; Plymouth, MA; and tad closer to home,...
People
Significant Individuals
Charlie Byrd’s Long Road Home
At least three different versions of Charlie’s capture, escape, and eventful walk home from South Carolina during the Civil War have been gleaned from reliable local sources, including Harvey J. Miller. None of those sources indicate why Charlie joined the Union Army...
History
Happenings of note
Jonathan Tipton of Kings Mountain Fame and His Descendants
Major Jonathan Tipton was one of the Overmountain Men who marched from Tennessee to Kings Mountain and fought in the 10/7/1780 battle that was “the turning point of the America Revolution” (Thomas Jefferson). Besides traveling along the Overmountain Victory Trail...
Communities
Unique locales in Mitchell County
Mitchell County and the May Fresh of 1901
David Crockett described the flood of the Nolichucky in 1791 as “the second epistle to Noah’s fresh.” Most likely, since the Toe River feeds the Nolichucky and Cane Creek feeds the Toe River, the folks in what’s now Mitchell County also had to deal with high water....
Icons
These define Mitchell County
The Historic Mitchell County Courthouse
The first Mitchell County Courthouse, built in 1869, served the county well until 1907 with the grand opening of the new Courthouse which was built on the site of the first courthouse. More than just a courtroom where justice was served, the building was a gateway to...
Economics
Making a living in Mitchell County
1955 – The Museum of North Carolina Minerals is Opened With Great Fanfare at Gillespie Gap
On June 17, 1955, the Museum of NC Minerals was officially opened at Gillespie Gap with North Carolina Governor Luther Hodges presenting the museum to United States National Park Service Director Conrad L. Wirth. The museum was a joint project between the state of...
Upcoming 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.
| SunSunday | MonMonday | TueTuesday | WedWednesday | ThuThursday | FriFriday | SatSaturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 29, 2019 | September 30, 2019 | October 1, 2019 | October 2, 2019 | October 3, 2019 | October 4, 2019 | October 5, 2019 |
| October 6, 2019 | October 7, 2019 | October 8, 2019 | October 9, 2019 | October 10, 2019 | October 11, 2019 | October 12, 2019 |
| October 13, 2019 | October 14, 2019 | October 15, 2019 | October 16, 2019 | October 17, 2019 | October 18, 2019 | October 19, 2019 |
| October 20, 2019 | October 21, 2019 | October 22, 2019 | October 23, 2019 | October 24, 2019 | October 25, 2019 | October 26, 2019 |
| October 27, 2019 | October 28, 2019 | October 29, 2019 | October 30, 2019 | October 31, 2019 | November 1, 2019 | November 2, 2019 |