Black Mountain and the Swannanoa Valley

Black Mountain and the Swannanoa Valley PDF Author:
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 9780738516264
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 132

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Book Description
North Carolina's magnificent Blue Ridge Mountains have drawn people to the Swannanoa Valley since the beginning of time. Rivers and forests lured early hunters and gatherers; later inhabitants tilled the rich, fertile soil and logged the thick forests on the mountainsides. People also came to the mountains to enjoy the mystical beauty and enchantment of the area, the cool, crisp climate, and the sparkling waters of brooks and streams. Hiking, camping, and the tranquility of a woodland world provided escape from city life. The Swannanoa Valley is cradled between the Craggy Mountains to the north and the Swannanoa Mountains to the south. Mount Mitchell, the highest peak in America east of the Mississippi River, rises majestically nearby. Among the early visitors who decided to settle in the valley were those who purchased the land that later became the sites of the famous conference centers in the area-Montreat, YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly, and Ridgecrest-and businessmen, who brought industry to the area.

Black Mountain and the Swannanoa Valley

Black Mountain and the Swannanoa Valley PDF Author:
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 9780738516264
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 132

Get Book

Book Description
North Carolina's magnificent Blue Ridge Mountains have drawn people to the Swannanoa Valley since the beginning of time. Rivers and forests lured early hunters and gatherers; later inhabitants tilled the rich, fertile soil and logged the thick forests on the mountainsides. People also came to the mountains to enjoy the mystical beauty and enchantment of the area, the cool, crisp climate, and the sparkling waters of brooks and streams. Hiking, camping, and the tranquility of a woodland world provided escape from city life. The Swannanoa Valley is cradled between the Craggy Mountains to the north and the Swannanoa Mountains to the south. Mount Mitchell, the highest peak in America east of the Mississippi River, rises majestically nearby. Among the early visitors who decided to settle in the valley were those who purchased the land that later became the sites of the famous conference centers in the area-Montreat, YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly, and Ridgecrest-and businessmen, who brought industry to the area.

The Juan Pardo Expeditions

The Juan Pardo Expeditions PDF Author: Charles Hudson
Publisher: University of Alabama Press
ISBN: 0817351906
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 382

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Book Description
Provides English translations of selected passages from the expedition accounts of sixteenth-century explorer Juan Pardo in the Carolinas and Tennessee, and includes interpretations of Pardo's routes and encounters with native peoples.

One Second After

One Second After PDF Author: William R. Forstchen
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 9780765356864
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 532

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Book Description
Book 1 in the "John Matherson" trilogy.

Steel Drivin' Man

Steel Drivin' Man PDF Author: Scott Reynolds Nelson
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 9780199741144
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
The ballad "John Henry" is the most recorded folk song in American history and John Henry--the mighty railroad man who could blast through rock faster than a steam drill--is a towering figure in our culture. In Steel Drivin' Man, Scott Reynolds Nelson recounts the true story of the man behind the iconic American hero, telling the poignant tale of a young Virginia convict who died working on one of the most dangerous enterprises of the time, the first rail route through the Appalachian Mountains. Using census data, penitentiary reports, and railroad company reports, Nelson reveals how John Henry, victimized by Virginia's notorious Black Codes, was shipped to the infamous Richmond Penitentiary to become prisoner number 497, and was forced to labor on the mile-long Lewis Tunnel for the C&O railroad. Equally important, Nelson masterfully captures the life of the ballad of John Henry, tracing the song's evolution from the first printed score by blues legend W. C. Handy, to Carl Sandburg's use of the ballad to become the first "folk singer," to the upbeat version by Tennessee Ernie Ford. Attractively illustrated with numerous images, Steel Drivin' Man offers a marvelous portrait of a beloved folk song--and a true American legend.

Living Stories of the Cherokee

Living Stories of the Cherokee PDF Author: Barbara R. Duncan
Publisher: Univ of North Carolina Press
ISBN: 9780807847190
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 276

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Book Description
Traditional and modern stories by the Cherokee Indians of North Carolina reflect the tribe's religious beliefs and values, observations of animals and nature, and knowledge of history.

Lige of the Black Walnut Tree

Lige of the Black Walnut Tree PDF Author: Mary Burnette
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 263

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Book Description
Mary Othella Burnette, an 89 year old African American, was born and reared in Black Mountain, North Carolina. While much has been documented about White communities in Southern Appalachia, little has been written by a native mountaineer about other African Americans living in that area. All of Ms. Burnette's stories are rare, and most of them contain vibrant and emotional depictions of characters she grew up with and around from early childhood through the mid-1940s, a time when the sun was setting on the lives of the few surviving family members of freed slaves and their community-minded heirs who settled in the Swannanoa Valley after 1865. As these original stories display the social and cultural norms of a fading era, they also reveal how residents of those times faced oppression with a steadfast belief in America and held on to their unwavering hope for better days. Thus this thoughtful work becomes an open window into African American history. Ms. Burnette's love for Black Mountain, combined with her loyalty to Valley residents and other characters she adoringly describes, brings these beautifully written, historically and culturally significant stories to life.

Swannanoa

Swannanoa PDF Author: Anne E. Chesky Smith
Publisher: Images of America
ISBN: 9780738599403
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The name Swannanoa derives from a Cherokee word meaning "beautiful river." The beauty and abundance created by the river and surrounding mountains drew Native Americans for hunting. In the 19th century, the Davidson and Alexander families developed Swannanoa's infrastructure, establishing farmsteads, gristmills, lumber mills, and general stores. Families soon flocked to the area, traveling west from the coast and piedmont to escape the sweltering summer heat. The arrival of the railroad in 1879 funneled tourists and permanent residents into the town. One of these, E.W. Grove, who built the well-known Grove Park Inn in nearby Asheville, also designed America's first planned community, Grovemont-on-Swannanoa. Industry came as well; the Beacon Blanket Manufacturing Company was built in 1925. The mill was the center of community in Swannanoa, providing employee housing and many other amenities as well as sponsoring sports teams, music gatherings, and holiday celebrations for over 75 years. Swannanoa showcases the rich history of this North Carolina mountain town; it truly is the "land of the sky."

Swannanoa Valley

Swannanoa Valley PDF Author: Mary McPhail Standaert and Joseph Standaert
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
ISBN: 1467121797
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 128

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Book Description
The Swannanoa Valley lies to the east of Asheville, North Carolina, and is surrounded by some of the highest mountains in the eastern United States. The eastern boundary of the valley follows the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and travelers entering through the Swannanoa Gap emerge into the beautiful "Land of the Sky." In the 1900s, multiple large religious assemblies were founded here. Montreat, Ridgecrest, the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly, and Christmount have preserved thousands of acres of forested mountain slopes for more than a century. The valley is drained by the Swannanoa River, which meanders 18 miles westward, finally merging with the French Broad River near Biltmore. Swannanoa Valley showcases the rich recreational and cultural history of this scenic mountain area.

Beacon Blankets

Beacon Blankets PDF Author: Jerry Brownstein
Publisher: Schiffer Pub Limited
ISBN: 9780764313592
Category : Antiques & Collectibles
Languages : en
Pages : 176

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Book Description
The largest blanket manufacturer under one roof in the United States by 1920 was the Beacon Manufacturing Company, of New Bedford, Massachusetts, and later of Swannanoa, North Carolina. Cotton, wool, and blended blankets came off their looms in plain, geometric, and Indian designs by the millions. They were sold at dry goods stores and large orders were filled for American troops in the World Wars. This book displays a large selection of Beacon blankets and color catalog pages from 1917 to 1957, together with original blanket designs, a history of the company, advertisements, and all the Beacon labels. There are special sections on crib blankets, bathrobes using Beacon fabric, related blankets, and Skookum Indian dolls dressed in Beacon remnants. These blankets are diligently searched for by collectors of folk art and textiles because they represent a nearly-lost chapter in textile history and bring a sparkle of color to interior decoration.

Even As We Breathe

Even As We Breathe PDF Author: Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle
Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
ISBN: 1950564088
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 196

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Book Description
Nineteen-year-old Cowney Sequoyah yearns to escape his hometown of Cherokee, North Carolina, in the heart of the Smoky Mountains. When a summer job at Asheville's luxurious Grove Park Inn and Resort brings him one step closer to escaping the hills that both cradle and suffocate him, he sees it as an opportunity. The experience introduces him to the beautiful and enigmatic Essie Stamper—a young Cherokee woman who is also working at the inn and dreaming of a better life. With World War II raging in Europe, the resort is the temporary home of Axis diplomats and their families, who are being held as prisoners of war. A secret room becomes a place where Cowney and Essie can escape the white world of the inn and imagine their futures free of the shadows of their families' pasts. Outside of this refuge, however, racism and prejudice are never far behind, and when the daughter of one of the residents goes missing, Cowney finds himself accused of abduction and murder. Even As We Breathe invokes the elements of bone, blood, and flesh as Cowney navigates difficult social, cultural, and ethnic divides. Betrayed by the friends he trusted, he begins to unearth deeper mysteries as he works to prove his innocence and clear his name. This richly written debut novel explores the immutable nature of the human spirit and the idea that physical existence, with all its strife and injustice, will not be humanity's lasting legacy.