New Book Releases

Journalist and historian Chuck McShane traces the triumphs and troubles of Lake Norman from the region's colonial beginnings to its modern incarnation.

On a muggy September day in 1959, North Carolina governor Luther Hodges set off the first charge of dynamite for the Cowan's Ford Dam project. The dam channeled Catawba River waters into the largest lake in North Carolina: Lake Norman. The project was the culmination of James Buchanan Duke's dream of an electrified South and the beginning of the region's future. Over the years, the area around Lake Norman transformed from a countryside of cornstalks and cattle fields to an elite suburb full of luxurious subdivisions and thirty-five-foot sailboats.

What do NASCAR, Tom Dula and Lowe's Home Improvement have in common? They all came from Wilkes County, North Carolina. The foothills of Wilkes County are a region of unsurpassed beauty and captivating history. Cradled by the Blue Ridge and watered by the Yadkin River, the county has faced the Revolution and Civil War, cheered on moonshiner and revenuer alike and struggled mightily to become the North Carolina jewel it is today. Join local historians Jennifer Peña and
Laurie Hayes as they tell the story of a county steeped in
tradition and immersed in history.

Whatever your acquaintance with Western North Carolina, you will discover within these pages a trove of regional treasures. Newcomers, longtime residents, natives and visitors alike will delight in the many highlights of this alluring corner of the Great Smoky Mountains, in one of our country's most breathtaking, celebrated areas. With a warm, insightful style, Ruscin takes you on a journey to the early nineteenth century, when the city of Hendersonville and the village of Flat Rock were beginning to blossom in their roles as beloved North Carolina destinations. Meet the founding fathers and their descendants. Explore historic homes and churches. Discover the fascinating details of Henderson County's stately courthouse and Hendersonville's train depot, and tour a farmstead in the heart of the county. Then, return to the present with stunning photography and revel in all that the region offers today--from Hendersonville and Flat Rock to nearby mountain villages like Saluda, Brevard an

Gaston County, in the rolling hills of North Carolina's southern Piedmont, is a treasure-trove of amazing sights and fascinating history.

In this readable, skillfully researched volume, historian Rita Wehunt-Black rediscovers the rich heritage of Gaston County, from the original European settlements in the eighteenth century to the growth of mill villages in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and into the modern day. Revel in the colonial and Revolutionary War history of what once was known as Old Tryon County--a county of gold mines that dotted the land around Kings Mountain--and of All Healing Springs, first discovered by Native Americans and later used by Victorian spa visitors. Whether you are from Gastonia, Cherryville, Bessemer City, Belmont or any of the other wonderful communities that make up this county, this book will reacquaint you with the place you call home.