Unlike most of the communities we’ve covered in this series, the community of Ramoth is in reality, no longer. Once a rather large, and even incorporated suburb of Asheville, most folks living in Buncombe County today have probably never heard of this North Asheville community. Indeed, at one time, Ramoth was so large, they intended … Continue reading Setting the Record Straight in Ramoth: 52 Weeks, 52 Communities
Map of a Subdivision within the Montford Neighborhood. MAP402. Montford is one of Buncombe County’s most iconic historic neighborhoods. In this installment of 52 Weeks, 52 Communities, we could take almost any angle on Montford; there is just so much to talk about. So instead of trying to pick just one thesis, I decided that … Continue reading A Montford Bibliography: 52 Weeks, 52 Communities
"On The Front Porch" A porch is a passage into a home. It’s where we comfortably pause before entering as well as when leaving. Porches link the private interior with the outdoors, the public sidewalk and street. Porches are where we rest, are silent, or talk quietly with family or friends. We sometimes gather on porches … Continue reading “On the Front Porch” –A New Photograph Exhibit at Pack Memorial Library
Asheville was the first city in North Carolina to have an electric streetcar system, with the first run on February 1, 1889. Asheville was followed by Winston, Charlotte, Raleigh and then Wilmington (1890-1892). Montford was likely the first electric streetcar suburb in the state. Streetcar suburbs, defined as a planned community built around a street … Continue reading Discovering Montford’s Early History Part 4: “A Rustling Company” Develops a Streetcar Suburb
We now know that Richmond Pearson named the new station Montford Park Station. Why the Name Montford? An article in the Daily Citizen of March 31, 1891, titled “Montford Park Station: Asheville’s New Suburb on the French Broad” reveals that “for the privilege of naming the station, Mr. Richmond Pearson, last summer, agreed to erect … Continue reading Discovering Montford’s Early History Part 3: Where the Name Montford Came From
A couple of years ago I set out to see if I could find the origins of the name Montford. I pretty much figured I was in for a long haul. Many people have pondered the question: who named it and why was it named Montford? In 1976 when Montford was getting a lot of deserved … Continue reading Discovering Montford’s Early History, Part 1
The North Carolina Room recently received a new donation of Montford materials, including photographs, newspaper clippings and early newsletters. In the mid 1970's Montford and Montford Hill residents rallied together to clean up the neighborhood and to work at renovating houses in need of repair. Work was organized through the Montford Community Club and the Montford Hills Community Club. … Continue reading Montford Community Scrapbooks: A Glimpse of a Forgotten Multiracial Neighborhood
One of the most fulfilling kickbacks of being an archivist, for me, is knowing that there is something new to be uncovered as I pick up the next piece of paper, or the next photograph. The Rankin-Bearden Collection is no disappointer. When Asheville resident Walter Diehl found himself the last keeper of the family's records, he donated them to Pack Memorial Library's … Continue reading Col. Bishop Ozone Scrubbs and The Rankin-Bearden Collection
I joined the staff at Pack Memorial Library in 1990 when I took the position of Special Collections Librarian. Lewis Buck was my closest associate in the North Carolina section. As I studied to get up to speed on Asheville history, he steered me toward the brief histories of Asheville and Buncombe County in Cabins … Continue reading REMEMBERING SARAH UPCHURCH
