Hurricane Helene: Appalachian History

Author and local hunting connoisseur Bob Plott takes readers on a quest back through time for a glimpse into the minds and the rifles of the region's most intrepid hunters.

The age-old struggle of man versus beast has ensued within the rugged terrain of the Great Smoky Mountains since humans first encountered the region centuries ago. From the primitive weaponry and prevailing tactics of the Cherokee to the audacious rifle-toting ridge runners, and even a gruesome gang of cannibalistic rogues, these stories are truly a gripping tribute to mountain life and the adventure of the game.

From The Chattooga to the Nantahala, the thrilling rapids and unparalleled scenery of Western North Carolina's rivers attract thousands of whitewater paddlers each year. Author and paddling instructor Will Leverette grew up in and around canoes. His grandfather, Frank "Chief" Bell, helped to popularize the sport through Camp Mondamin, the country's premier summer camp for paddling. Ride along with Leverette as he recounts the exhilarating adventures of paddling's pioneers from 1923 to 1980, both those who started the craze and those who guided it farther downstream.

The breathtaking Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina, has captured the fascination of people everywhere for over 100 years.

Created in the 1890s by George Washington Vanderbilt, a member of one of America's wealthiest families, the estate combined a 250-room French Renaissance-style chateau with 125,000 acres of gardens, forests, and working farms. Biltmore House served as Vanderbilt's primary residence for almost 20 years. After Mr. Vanderbilt's death in 1914, life at Biltmore continued for his wife Edith and daughter Cornelia. In 1930, Cornelia Vanderbilt Cecil and her husband, Hon. John Francis Amherst Cecil, opened Biltmore House - the largest private home in the United States - to the public, firmly establishing the Asheville area as a major tourist destination.

The 21st-century town of Cherokee sparkles with modern architecture, a bustling shopping district, and numerous tourist attractions. Beneath its progressive exterior is an ancient homeland where Cherokee people once lived in villages that occupied parts of eight modern states. They hunted game along steep mountainsides and planted fields of corn, squash, and beans, known as the "Three Sisters," along rivers and streams. The Cherokee who now live in western North Carolina are descended from those who did not travel the "Trail of Tears" but remain on a portion of their original homeland. Today, the Eastern Band of Cherokee is a sovereign nation. The tribe works to preserve its language and culture through the promotion of heritage destinations. Sited at the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Blue Ridge Parkway, Cherokee is home to the Oconaluftee Indian Village, Unto These Hills, Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, and Museum of the Cherokee Indian.

This entertaining seek-and-find alphabet book invites you to explore twenty-six must-see places at Biltmore Estate, offering beautiful photographs, clever rhymes and hidden animals on every page.

Children will discover everything from colorful gardens and underground tunnels to towering rooftops and lively farm animals. Included are fun facts about Biltmore's history in an illustrated glossary and a kid-friendly map for planning your journey. Whether you use this book as a guide for an upcoming visit to Biltmore or as a souvenir to commemorate your stay, a magical adventure awaits you and your family!

The milestones of Asheville's long history are well known to locals, but so many interesting stories are all but forgotten.

Thankfully, the staff and volunteers of the North Carolina Room at Pack Memorial Library have unearthed the best of those hidden tales. Meet daredevil aviatrix Uva Shipman and Tempie Avery, who went from slavery to respected nurse and citizen. Learn the poignant tale behind the sad death of former mayor Gallatin Roberts and uncover the parts of old Asheville lost to the wrecking ball. These and many more historic episodes come to life in this collection compiled by North Carolina Room librarian Zoe Rhine.

Tales from North Carolina's high country.

The Toe River winds its way past the peaks of Mount Mitchell and into the valley that bears its name. Mineral mines go back to the earliest days of Yancey County and encouraged some of the first settlers to come to the region. Mitchell County's Bakersville experienced violent unrest, with a riot and a lynching, in 1892--but did it actually happen? The section of the Blue Ridge Parkway that runs through Avery County was left incomplete for years because of a property dispute with the owner of Grandfather Mountain. Take a journey along forgotten rail lines, through abandoned communities and past sites whose histories have shaped this valley's story just as the river has shaped its landscape.

North Carolina historian and author Michael C. Hardy explores the hidden historical gems of the region.

Like all great cities, Asheville's story is one of people, not institutions or industries. For more than two centuries, deep in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, extraordinary women and men have created a truly unique American city. Legendary Locals of Asheville tells the stories of the people who founded, built, and rebuilt Asheville. From the first woman elected to state office in the South, who won her primary before women had the right to vote, to the grandson of a famed railroad magnate who built a 250-room chateau that became the largest home in America, to the entrepreneur who helped ignite the city's renaissance when he risked opening an art gallery downtown when most of it was still boarded up, Ashevillians are an amazing lot. Likewise, there are stories of extraordinary groups like the renowned faculty of an experimental college that redefined the American arts or the brave high school students who joined together to fight segregation. Their stories are as touching and fascinating as they are varied.

Greer, an 1876 railroad town, was founded by people who moved from farms, the mountain region of the Dark Corner, and other small communities to the area around Greer's Depot with high expectations of prosperity promised by railroad commerce and, later, the cotton mills. Like a colorful quilt with its individual patches, the early population of Greer included farmers, store keepers, laborers skilled and unskilled, and their wives and
families. As the town grew, investors funded three local cotton mills; mill hands and supervisors arrived to operate them. The bankers, attorneys, physicians, teachers, and ministers followed. Eager to succeed, they all labored long and hard, some heroically like Officer William Foster and volunteer fireman Carl Miller, who died in the line of duty. Greer folk reared families, provided education, and imbued their children with strong moral and religious values. Their descendents continue to populate the city
today with a strong sense of community pride.

Located in the Piedmont Region of North Carolina, Rutherford County is rich in history, resources, and people. Legendary Locals of Rutherford County attempts to capture this region's history and wealth through introducing some of its people and their lives. These locals begin with explorers like Hernando De Soto; early settlers unafraid of frontier living; early governors like Griffith Rutherford, who left his name in the region; and everyday people who made a difference. Textile magnate Raleigh Rutherford Haynes, South Mountain physician Benjamin Washburn, entertainer Dewitt "Snuffy" Jenkins, Sheriff Damon Huskey, radio announcers Jerrell Bedford and Jim Bishop, preacher Harold Brown, writer Tony Earley, Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton, funeral director T.R. Padgett, muralist Clive Haynes, novelist Kay Hooper, and museum founder-curator Mike Rhyne represent just a sampling of the more recent residents who have shaped the county, the state, and the nation.

What did Lake Norman look like before it became a major tourist attraction for Mooresville? This volume of historical postcards features buildings, businesses, and sites that are no longer around, with topics ranging from early life in the town to advertisements for early hotels, trains, World War I and World War II, churches and schools, and the importance of the lake to the community. Images for this volume come from the Mooresville Postcard Collection, part of the Local History and Archives. Author Henry A. Poore is a lifelong Mooresville resident whose roots trace back to Mooresville and Iredell County since the 1700s. He has collected and researched postcards that were printed in Mooresville and worked to create the archives at the town's library. He has served as curator, archivist, and town historian and is the chairman of the Historic Preservation Commission for Mooresville and a founding member of the Mooresville Museum.

Few locations in South Carolina have figured as prominently in the early history of the state as the old town of Ninety Six. As a witness to two Revolutionary War battles, two Cherokee War battles, a trading post, three forts and two towns, the site is perhaps one of the richest archaeological sites in the South. In recognition of its rich history the Ninety Six National Historic Site became part of the National Park Service in 1976.

The unusual name that was given to the site is believed to have taken root in the early 1700s. English traders estimated the distance to the Cherokee village of Keowee in the upper South Carolina foothills to be ninety-six miles. By the 1770s, Fort Ninety Six and the adjoining village--located at the crossroads of twelve roads--reached its peak as an important backcountry outpost, boasting a growing population, a newly constructed courthouse and jail. However, the onset of the American Revolutionary War would end this progress and the first land battle south of New England was fought at Ninety Six in 1775. The fort and town would change hands many times between those fighting for independence and those still loyal to England, leaving the town in shambles by the close of the war.

Old Ninety Six: A History and Guide, by Robert Dunkerly and Eric Williams, is a well-researched and highly accessible work, which underscores the important contribution of Ninety Six to the early history of South Carolina and guides the reader through the well-preserved fort that stills stands at the site today.

Around 1919, George Weston left New York to return to his boyhood home in the Arden-Fletcher area of Western North Carolina. The US government had recently established Pisgah National Forest by purchasing 80,000 acres from Edith, George Vanderbilt's widow; lands deserted by logging companies; and other tracts. While superintendent of farms at the Biltmore Estate, Weston had admired those mountainous landscapes. About two miles from Mount Pisgah and a mile from Vanderbilt's private Buck Spring Lodge, Weston constructed Pisgah Inn on property leased from the US Forest Service. Visitors came from across the country and around the world to stay and dine at Pisgah Inn. By the 1940s, the construction of the Blue Ridge Parkway brought drastic changes across the narrow, isolated Pisgah ridgeline. Today, a more modern 1960s lodge welcomes guests to its grand views and preserves the history, charm, and natural setting of the original Pisgah Inn.

Linville Gorge is one of the few examples of old-growth forest in the Blue Ridge Mountains and draws thousands of visitors every year.

The Gorge was approved by Congress in 1964. "The Grand Canyon of the East" was named for William Linville, a member of a party of long hunters in 1766 who fell victim to a Shawnee attack. The difficult terrain made early settlements nearly impossible and logging unprofitable. Unique rock formations, from Table Rock to the Chimneys, and miles of trails attract thousands of climbers, hikers and adventure seekers each year. In this revised edition, author Christopher Blake draws on American colonial reports, travel writings, diaries, fiction and numerous archival records to weave a narrative fabric of an American treasure.

As newcomers flocked to Asheville over the last fifty years, they joined with locals to breathe new energy into the city. Sometimes called the Asheville One Thousand, these folks didn't necessarily intend to be entrepreneurs, community organizers and business leaders, but when they saw a challenge, they rose to it. Stone Soup became a gathering place and laid the foundation for Asheville's natural food culture. MANNA Food Bank emerged to help solve hunger. And the River Arts District turned into a vibrant cultural center for upcoming artists. Join author Marilyn Ball as she traces the bonds of community that gave rise to Asheville today.