Monthly Programs
Programs
Follow Mitchell County Historical Society programs by year, revisit recorded presentations, and find information about upcoming monthly gatherings.
Monthly Program Information
MCHS presents public programs on topics of historical interest throughout the year. This page is designed as the central home for each year's monthly program schedule and archive.
As new program details are confirmed, they can be added here by year with dates, locations, presenter names, topic descriptions, and video links after programs are recorded.
Upcoming Programs
The remaining 2026 program schedule is listed below. Programs are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.
Program Schedule & Archive
Browse upcoming program details and the year-by-year archive below, or visit the MCHS YouTube channel for the full collection of available recordings.
MCHS YouTube ChannelProgram Archive
2026
The remaining 2026 program season includes Revolutionary-era women of the Toe River Valley, Lost Cove, and the Spruce Pine Mining District.
- JulyTuesday, July 14, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.
Six Women. Six Voices. Stories History Left Unfinished
Daniel Barron, in collaboration with Chelsea Wilson Thayler
Mitchell Senior Citizens Center, Ledger, North Carolina
An original Readers Theater production giving voice to women whose stories have long remained in the shadows of Revolutionary War history, including Dorothy Wiseman Baker, Hannah Baker Davenport, Keziah Robertson Sevier, Agatha Ethington Washburn, and Nancy Ann Griffith Silver.
- AugustTuesday, August 11, 2026
Lost Cove: Portrait of a Vanished Appalachian Community
Smith
Mitchell Senior Citizens Center, Ledger, North Carolina
A presentation tracing the isolated mountain settlement of Lost Cove from its beginnings before the Civil War through its decline and abandonment, using old newspaper accounts, deeds, documents, photographs, and other historical sources.
- SeptemberTuesday, September 15, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.
The Spruce Pine Mining District: Then and Now
Alexander S. Glover Jr., PG, CPG
Mitchell Senior Citizens Center, Ledger, North Carolina
A look at the history, geology, production, and modern uses of feldspar, quartz, mica, and other mineral resources from one of the world's most significant mineral-producing regions, including the exceptional purity of Spruce Pine quartz and its importance to semiconductors.
Program Archive
2020
Video programs and online presentations produced while public programs were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- SeptemberSeptember 27, 2020
2020 Overmountain Men Celebration in Spruce Pine
Overmountain Victory Trail Association
Riverside Park, Spruce Pine
Re-enactors shared the story of the Battle of Kings Mountain and the men who marched through the Toe River Valley.
Daniel Boone's Tree at Dellinger Mill
Bruce Koran and Jack Dellinger
Dellinger Mill, Bakersville
A local story connected to the historic Dellinger Mill property and the legend of Daniel Boone.
Dellinger's Mill in Bakersville, North Carolina
Bruce Koran and Jack Dellinger
Dellinger Mill, Bakersville
A look at the history of the famous Dellinger's Mill along Cane Creek near Bakersville.
Program Archive
2019
The 2019 program season included presentations on geology, migration, and Civil War history.
- AprilApril 15, 2019
Scotland: Where WE Came From...Or Did WE Really Ever Leave?
Alex Glover
Historic Mitchell County Courthouse, Bakersville
A geologic and cultural tour of Scotland with connections to the Appalachian Mountains.
- MayMay 20, 2019
The Red & White Strings: Isaac English & The Civil War
Jonathan Bennett and David Biddix
English Inn, Spruce Pine
The story of Isaac and Alice English and the Union officers who escaped through Mitchell County during the Civil War.
Program Archive
2017
The 2017 season featured Mitchell County music, early cultural history, the Frankie and Charlie Silver story, and Toe River history.
- AprilApril 17, 2017
Mitchell County: Early Crossroads of Culture
Dr. Dan Barron
Historic Mitchell County Courthouse, Bakersville
A presentation on the early cultural crossroads that shaped Mitchell County's history.
- JuneJune 19, 2017
The Frankie & Charlie Silver Story
John Silver
Old Kona Baptist Church, Kona
A special presentation on Frankie and Charlie Silver, with additional related videos and stories.
- AugustAugust 21, 2017
Rhonda Gouge Plays Music of Mitchell County, NC
Rhonda Gouge
Historic Mitchell County Courthouse, Bakersville
Local music history with songs and stories connected to Mitchell County musicians.
- SeptemberSeptember 16, 2017
The Toe River: The Valley's Highway
David Biddix
Toe River Arts Council Gallery, Spruce Pine
A human history of the Toe River and its role in the life of the valley.
- SeptemberSeptember 16, 2017
The Geology of the Toe River
Alex Glover
Toe River Arts Council Gallery, Spruce Pine
A geologic look at the Toe River and the landscape it cuts through Mitchell County.
Program Archive
2016
The 2016 program archive preserves titles and presenters from that season.
World War I & the Soldiers of the Toe River Valley
Dr. Lloyd Bailey
A presentation on World War I and soldiers connected to the Toe River Valley.
The Railroads of the Toe River Valley
Warren Harding
A program on the railroads that served the Toe River Valley.
Mountain Church Music in the Toe River Valley
Rhonda Gouge
A program exploring mountain church music traditions in the Toe River Valley.
The Penland Post Office
Alicia Swaringen
A local history program about the Penland Post Office.