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Asheville Museum of History

Asheville Museum of History

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Asheville Museum of History

Asheville Museum of History

  • About
  • Contact
  • Visit
  • Learn
  • Support
  • Programs & Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Outdoor Programs
    • Thomas Wolfe Literary Award
    • Outstanding Achievement Award
    • Virtual Exhibits
    • Recorded Programs
    • Venue Rental
    • For Educators
  • AFTER HOURS Summer Concert Series

Category: On this Day

December 14, 1804: The Walton War Turns Deadly

Posted on December 14, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: Simmering tensions in the Walton “War” between North Carolina and Georgia finally turned deadly

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On this Day

November 23, 1893: Waldensian Arrivals in Valdese

Posted on November 23, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: After a rough ship crossing of the Atlantic and a lengthy train ride from

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On this Day

November 14, 1972: TVA Drops Dam Plans

Posted on November 14, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: After years of concerned citizens input and activism, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) dropped

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On this Day

November 11, 1924: WNC Ag Exposition and the Farmer’s Federation

Posted on November 11, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: The hard work and skill of farmers and women’s groups were presented to the

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On this Day

November 5, 1827: The Vance-Carson Duel

Posted on November 5, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: In a previous post, we discussed a reported WNC duel which was simply a

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On this Day

November 3, 1868: Asheville Election Riot

Posted on November 3, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: Amid the charged climate of the Reconstruction period, the Asheville Election Riot occurred on

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On this Day

October 31, 1919: Pandemic and Halloween

Posted on October 31, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: After a year disrupted by war and the 1918 flu pandemic, Ashevillians returned to

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On this Day

October 21, 1898: Senator Pritchard’s Letter

Posted on October 21, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: As the contentious and pivotal election of 1898 drew near, Senator Jeter C. Pritchard

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On this Day

October 17, 1941: Marian Anderson Performs in Asheville

Posted on October 17, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: Before an audience of 3,400 in the new City Auditorium, renowned singer Marian Anderson

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On this Day

October 13, 1976: O’Henry’s Opens in Asheville

Posted on October 13, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: Popularly known as Asheville’s oldest gay bar, O.Henry’s (initially called the Skylight Room) opened

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On this Day

October 7, 1780: Josiah Brandon at Kings Mountain

Posted on October 7, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: With lead balls and cries of war filling the air around him, the young

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On this Day

October 3, 1880: First Passenger Train to Asheville

Posted on October 3, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: On October 3, 1880, the first passenger rail service arrived in Asheville at a

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On this Day

October 2, 1866: Second Freedmen’s Convention

Posted on October 2, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: Convening in the St. Paul AME Church in Raleigh, African American representatives from seven

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On this Day

October 2, 1929: The Marion Mill Massacre

Posted on October 2, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: On October 2, 1929, deputies fired into a crowd of striking workers in Marion,

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On this Day

September 26, 1923: Spruce Pine Mob

Posted on September 26, 2022 by AMoH

September 26, 1923: One of the most visible incidents of racial terror and intimidation in WNC began on this day

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On this Day

September 25, 1933: Black Mountain College Opens

Posted on September 25, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC History: During the midst of the Great Depression, the Black Mountain College opened to students

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On this Day

September 2, 1940: FDR Dedicates the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Posted on September 22, 2022 by AMoH

On this Day in WNC history: Though he made his remarks on the Tennessee side, on this day in 1940,

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On this Day

September 18, 1924: The 2nd Battery Park Hotel Opens

Posted on September 18, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: The second hotel to stand on this prominent hill, Asheville’s new Battery Park Hotel

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On this Day

September 16, 1896: William Jennings Bryan Campaigns in WNC

Posted on September 16, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: Dubbed “the greatest event, politically at least, in the history of Asheville and Western

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On this Day

September 11, 1987: Blue Ridge Parkway Completed

Posted on September 11, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: After years of debate, revisions, construction, and even a bomb threat during the ceremony,

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On this Day

September 9, 1730: Cherokees and British sign Treaty of Whitehall

Posted on September 9, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: Though they hailed from what is today western North Carolina (and several other states),

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On this Day

September 8, 1946: Asheville Blues Win Pennant

Posted on September 8, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: Defeating the Nashville Cubs 2-1 in a game at McCormick Field, the Asheville Blues

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On this Day

September 1, 1929: Beaucatcher Tunnel Opens

Posted on September 1, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: One of the most famous Asheville landmarks opened (unofficially) on this day in 1929

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On this Day

August 22, 1776: Watauga Petition

Posted on August 27, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: Western North Carolina is a large region, comprising twenty-three counties. But did you know

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On this Day

August 13, 1940: The Second Great Flood

Posted on August 13, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: Western North Carolina is no stranger to flooding. The flood of 1916 wreaked unimagined

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On this Day

August 8, 1913: Chestnut Blight

Posted on August 8, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: On August 8, 1913, the Jackson County Journal reported the dangerous “Chestnut tree bark

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On this Day

August 6, 1985: The “Flower Lady” of Asheville

Posted on August 6, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: In 1985, one of Asheville’s iconic residents passed away at the age of 92.

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On this Day

August 2, 1881: The Mountain Lily Steamboat is Christened

Posted on August 2, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: A steamboat in the mountains? As far-fetched as this may seem today, on August

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On this Day

July 30, 1943: The Road to Nowhere

Posted on July 30, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: During a period of immense change and wartime sacrifices, a promise was made to

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On this Day

July 26, 1827: Cherokee Nation Adopts Constitution

Posted on July 27, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: On July 26, 1827, in New Echota (modern Georgia) the Cherokee Nation adopted a

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On this Day

July 19, 1898: Black Men from WNC Muster with NC 3rd Regiment

Posted on July 19, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: On July 19, 1898, eleven companies of African American soldiers from North Carolina—including Companies

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On this Day

July 16, 1916: The Great Flood

Posted on July 16, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: In 1916, the worst documented flood in WNC ravaged the region, sweeping away people

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On this Day

July 13, 1962: New Asheville Speedway Opens

Posted on July 13, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: Engines roared and an estimated 5,000 fans cheered drivers as NASCAR first visited the

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On this Day

July 10, 1915: George Masa Arrives in WNC

Posted on July 10, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: Travelling overland by train from San Francisco to St. Louis, and ultimately to Asheville,

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On this Day

July 4, 1844: James Smith Applies for His Father’s Pension

Posted on July 4, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: On July 4, 1844 James Smith—first owner of the Smith-McDowell House—applied for a pension

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On this Day

June 27, 1857: Elisha Mitchell Dies Measuring Mountain

Posted on June 27, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: In 1857, Dr. Elisha Mitchell, a University of North Carolina professor, fell to his

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On this Day

June 19, 1865: Juneteenth

Posted on June 19, 2022 by AMoH

On June 19, 1865, a Union commander in Texas issued General Order No. 3, freeing all remaining African Americans held

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On this Day

June 18, 1884: NC Teacher’s Assembly Convenes in Waynesville

Posted on June 18, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: In the grand White Sulphur Springs Hotel outside of Waynesville, the North Carolina Teacher’s

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On this Day

June 17, 1991: The Last of the Mohicans Begins Filming

Posted on June 17, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: Western North Carolina has served as a film location for numerous movies large and

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On this Day

June 16, 1956: McCormick Field’s First Stock Car Race

Posted on June 16, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: In a previous post, we covered McCormick Field’s opening as a baseball stadium, but

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On this Day

June 11, 1957: Levern Hamlin Integrates Western Carolina College

Posted on June 11, 2022 by AMoH

  On this day in WNC history: in 1957, three years after the Brown v Board decision, Levern Hamlin entered

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On this Day

June 6, 2006: First Marion Livermush Festival

Posted on June 6, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: In 2006, a new festival opened in Marion celebrating a food with much older

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On this Day

June 4, 1906: Edison Travels WNC

Posted on June 4, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: Crowds lined the streets of Rutherfordton and heard the low rumble of an automobile

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On this Day

May 27, 1973: Doc Watson Receives Honorary Doctorate

Posted on May 27, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: On May 27, 1973, “Doc” Watson became Dr. Watson, awarded an honorary doctorate in

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On this Day

May 18, 1916: Kiffin Rockwell Downs a German Aircraft

Posted on May 18, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: On May 18, 1916, Asheville transplant Kiffin Rockwell became the first American to down

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On this Day

May 11, 1961: Sit-in Protest in Rutherfordton

Posted on May 11, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: The sit-in movement that helped spark desegregation began in North Carolina, at a Greensboro

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On this Day

May 7, 1929: Lucy Morgan and the Penland School

Posted on May 7, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: On May 7, 1929, western North Carolina native Lucy Morgan, director of the Penland

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On this Day

May 1, 1893: WNC Forestry on Display at Columbian Exposition

Posted on May 1, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: Towering white neoclassical buildings and throngs of presenters greeted guests to Chicago’s “White City”

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On this Day

April 30, 1988: MerleFest Begins

Posted on April 30, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: One of the most popular music festivals in WNC, honoring one of its most

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On this Day

April 24, 1955: Wilma Dykeman’s The French Broad

Posted on April 24, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: On April 24, 1955, the Asheville Citizen-Times reviewed a new book with lasting local

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On this Day

April 21, 1924: McCormick Field Opens

Posted on April 21, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: Play Ball! These words signifying the start of “America’s pastime” were first heard at

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On this Day

April 19, 1784: Morganton, First WNC Town, Chartered

Posted on April 19, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: At a 1784 meeting of the NC General Assembly, representatives chartered the first town

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On this Day

April 17, 1832: Rumors of Enslaved Laborer Insurrection

Posted on April 17, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC History: On April 17, 1832, the Miners’ and Farmers’ Journal broke the news of a

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On this Day

April 17, 1985: Cherokee Beloved Woman Lula Owl Gloyne Passes

Posted on April 17, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: Lula Owl Gloyne, a Cherokee Beloved Woman and a lifelong advocate and public servant

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On this Day

April 11, 1954: Billie Joe Patton’s Special Run at the Masters

Posted on April 11, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: The newspapers called him a “possum hunting amateur,” but Billy Joe Patton, a lumberman

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On this Day

April 6, 1865: Battle of Asheville

Posted on April 6, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: On April 6, 1865, just three days before Robert E. Lee’s army surrendered at

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On this Day

April 3, 1924: Forest Fires Ravage WNC

Posted on April 3, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: On April 3, 1924, a large forest fire burned in the hilly and heavily-wooded

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On this Day

March 27, 1911: First Forest Service Purchase in WNC

Posted on March 27, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: Following the passage of the Weeks Act on March 1, the U.S. Forest Service

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On this Day

March 26, 1865: Stoneman’s Forces Enter WNC

Posted on March 26, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: As the Civil War neared its end, a final raid into western North Carolina

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On this Day

March 22, 1941: Enka Mill Strike

Posted on March 22, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: On the afternoon of March 22, 1941, workers at the American Enka rayon manufacturing

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On this Day

March 17, 1756: Cherokee Reach Agreement With British

Posted on March 17, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: Entering the second year of conflict between British and French forces in North America,

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On this Day

March 15, 1952: WNC Historical Association Founded

Posted on March 15, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: Seventy years ago, on a cold, snowy night, representatives from fifteen mountain counties gathered

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On this Day

March 9, 1965: Appalachian Regional Development Act Signed

Posted on March 9, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: On March 9, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Appalachian Regional Development Act into

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On this Day

February 27, 1890: Nantahala River is Full of Logs

Posted on February 27, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: The Swain County Herald reported in 1890 that the Nantahala River and several nearby

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On this Day

February 23, 1911: NC’s Last County Created

Posted on February 23, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: One hundred is a much neater number than ninety-nine isn’t it? On this day

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On this Day

February 22, 1894: Cornerstone of St. Matthias’ Episcopal Church Laid

Posted on February 22, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: On the western slope of Beaucatcher Mountain, in Asheville’s East End district, the first

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On this Day

February 21, 1828: The Cherokee Phoenix Debuts

Posted on February 21, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: On this day in 1828—the year the Cherokee Nation ratified a constitution, and seven

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On this Day

February 17, 1917: The Life of Tempie Avery

Posted on February 17, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: On a Saturday in 1917, one of Asheville’s oldest residents, and perhaps one of

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On this Day

February 10, 1874: Rumbling in the Hickory Nut Gorge

Posted on February 10, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: The mountains of WNC occasionally experience earthquakes, which often pass without much notice or

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On this Day

February 6, 1928: Lunsford Records “Good Old Mountain Dew”

Posted on February 6, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: In a small studio in Ashland, Kentucky in 1928, WNC native Bascom Lamar Lunsford

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On this Day

February 1, 1889: Asheville Streetcar Opens

Posted on February 1, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: Just three years after Scranton, Pennsylvania created the nation’s first fully electric streetcar system,

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On this Day

January 21, 1926: Buxton Hill Demolition

Posted on January 21, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: One of the only constants in a city is change; 1920s Asheville was a

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On this Day

January 20, 1964: Martin Luther King Visits WNC

Posted on January 20, 2022 by AMoH

Though Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made many public visits to central North Carolina in the 1950s and 1960s, including

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On this Day

January 16, 1849: Polk County Repealed

Posted on January 16, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: In previous posts, we have discussed the creation of some WNC counties, but did

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On this Day

January 7, 1922: Bicycle Trip for the KKK

Posted on January 7, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: One hundred years ago today, two women – Florence Deering and Evelyn Morey –

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On this Day

January 6, 1787: Rutherford County Expands

Posted on January 6, 2022 by AMoH

On this day in WNC history: Meeting in Fayetteville, the North Carolina General Assembly passed a new law in 1787

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On this Day

January 4, 1839: Cherokee County Established

Posted on January 4, 2022 by AMoH

Just a few short months after the last forced Cherokee removal to Oklahoma, North Carolina established its westernmost county—Cherokee—on this

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On this Day
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Asheville Museum of History

Asheville Museum of History