Portion of an advertisement for Malvern Hills, Asheville Citizen, 1925. Pleasant Alexander Calhoun lived most of his adult life in a place Horace Kephart described as the “back of beyond.” Until the beginning of the 20th century, it was so remote that few outsiders had ever ventured into the isolated community nestled deep in the Great Smoky Mountains. It's not probable that … Continue reading Becoming a “Townie” in Malvern Hills: 52 Weeks, 52 Communities
"Running up and down Cane Creek . . . is a wide belt of lime rock from which, for more than a century, quicklime has been manufactured in large quantities on Cane Creek by burning. . . . From this belt of lime rock Limestone Creek, once known by an objectionable designation, takes its name … Continue reading An Objectionable Designation, Limestone: 52 Weeks, 52 Communities
Part One: Blacks Vote for Public Education, Win a Separate but Unequal Place in the New School System When Asheville went to the polls in July 1887 and narrowly approved a resolution establishing tax-supported public schools, black voters provided the crucial margin of support. The city took this step forward during an era of educational … Continue reading Asheville’s First City Schools for Black Students
Disclaimer: This installment of 52 Weeks, 52 Communities has no ill intent. Indeed, I mean to shame no one in my assertions, only educate. However, be warned, I may air some grievances. Portion of MAP501 showing Leicester Township and surrounding area. Ca. 1903. Dear readers, there are a few things that send unpleasant chills down … Continue reading His Name Was Leicester: 52 Weeks, 52 Communities
A Residential Street Scene, Kimberly Heights. Postcard. AC615. We’re over halfway there, folks! Here we are on community #34/52. And a few times throughout this series, we’ve taken the opportunity to teach you a little bit about how to most effectively use your time in the archives or navigate our public database, Presto, to do … Continue reading Historical House Hunting in Kimberly: 52 Weeks, 52 Communities
In our recent post "PART 2: A WHO’S WHO LIST OF PROMINENT BLACK ASHEVILLE BUSINESSMEN IN 1922" we were giving the story of Noah Murrough and said that he had joined the Maceo Volunteers, a company of “colored men under Capt. Thomas L. Leatherwood” that left Asheville in July 1898 for Cuba. It occured to me … Continue reading Did your African American Ancestor March From Asheville to Volunteer in the Spanish American War?
"View of the Mountains from a Villa in Kenilworth, Asheville, NC" Postcard Of all the communities on our list, one of the most photographed besides Downtown Asheville, may be Kenilworth. This Asheville Suburb in the southeast part of the city sprung onto the scene in the late 1910's and rose in popularity into the 1920's … Continue reading A Kenilworth Research Album: 52 Weeks, 52 Communities
Have you not gotten your copy of Hidden History of Asheville yet? If it's because you're prone to not go Downtown Asheville, we'll be at the Barnes & Noble at the Asheville Mall for a book signing Saturday August 17th, 2019 from 1:00 to 3:00.
Or . . ."How Well Do You Know Black Asheville History?" "Colored Race Prospers in Asheville as the Result of Attitude of White Citizens" was the title of an article published in an Asheville Citizen-Times on December 3, 1922. "While it would be difficult indeed to mention in a short article the numerous successful business … Continue reading Part 2: A Who’s Who List of Prominent Black Asheville Businessmen in 1922
