Hurricane Helene: Appalachian History

Easley has a rare combination of a quaint Main Street and a thriving industrial presence. The city was a series of small farms and open land until residents convinced officials to make the area a stop along the Atlanta and Richmond Air-Line Railroad after the Civil War. Access to the railroad and the popularity of cotton spurred an era of rapid growth and expansion, culminating in the dominance of the textile industry throughout most of the twentieth century. While cotton drove textiles in the area, advances in agriculture and manufacturing brought dozens of companies, placing Easley at the center of the state's biggest industrial area. Author Chad Stewart details the history of a city that moved from sleepy train stop to vibrant South Carolina city.

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.

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.

Nestled in the gateway of the Great Smoky Mountains, Haywood County has a rich, distinct history that has been continually shaped by a variety of factors and factions. Today, Haywood County offers not only unforgettable mountain vistas and a fascinating history, but is also known for its thriving arts community and various cultural organizations. Haywood County: A Brief History guides readers through the many towns contained within Haywood County's borders, and shines a particularly insightful light on Waynesville and its transition from past to present. Writing for historians and the general reader alike, Janet Threlkeld Webb offers a brief but extremely informative account of a precious mountain county in historic western North Carolina.

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

From the rough trails carved by the Catawba and the Cherokee to the "crossroads of the future," Iredell County has experienced a dramatic and poignant evolution, though its original innovative spirit and agricultural traditions persist to the present day. County native Sandra Douglas Campbell chronicles the area's rich history, drawing from its many renowned sites and from the extensive permanent collections of the Iredell Museums. Iredell County residents will welcome the volume's thorough treatment of their forebears' legacy, much of which can be seen and appreciated in their surroundings, and visitors to the county will appreciate the glimpse into an intriguing North Carolina history.

Roan Mountain's remarkable ecosystem has enchanted people for centuries, beginning with the first native inhabitants.

Then came pioneering settlers, celebrated naturalists like John Muir, hardworking miners and loggers eager to make a living from the land and ambitious businessmen such as John T. Wilder, whose Cloudland Hotel helped make Roan a tourist destination in the late 1870s. Today, conservationists, researchers and nature lovers of all kinds flock here to experience flora and fauna unique to this region of the Appalachians. Preserving Roan's ecological heritage has proven both a challenge and a triumph for the mountain's dedicated supporters. In this newly revised and expanded edition, featuring previously unpublished color photography, former Roan Mountain park interpretive specialist Jennifer A. Bauer recounts the fascinating natural and social history of this marvelous highland landscape.

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.