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The Digital Heritage Project is a part of The Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University
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Culture Archive
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Dinner on the Ground
Posted on April 26, 2012 | No CommentsDinner on the Ground in the Upland South from Appalachia to the Ozarks, is an outdoor picnic held at Decoration Day events. The term originally referred to eating in a churchyard or cemetery with a picnic blanket spread on the ground. . . . -
Jackson County Courthouse
Posted on February 23, 2012 | No CommentsJackson County, created in 1851, built a brand new town named Webster to be its county seat. Court was held at Daniel Bryson’s home and at Alan Fisher’s store until the courthouse was finished. In 1887, a second courthouse was built, but the new railroad had bypassed Webster three years earlier. . . -
Trail of Tears
Posted on February 16, 2012 | No CommentsIn the 1830s, the United States government, with the approval of the United States Congress and President Andrew Jackson, forcibly removed Southeastern American Indian tribes to present day Oklahoma. This atrocious act has been infamously named the Trail of Tears. . . -
Happy Land
Posted on February 16, 2012 | No CommentsIn 1865, a band of former slaves newly freed in Mississippi began searching for a new home. They settled near Tuxedo in Henderson County, North Carolina. They eventually bought 200 acres of land that they declared to be “The Kingdom of the Happy Land". . . -
Personal Names
Posted on February 16, 2012 | No CommentsPeople receive their names according to a number of social conventions. Often those conventions reflect regional differences. . . -
Old Christmas in Appalachia
Posted on February 16, 2012 | No CommentsChristmas in Appalachia was not always celebrated on December 25th. Whether because calendar reform in 1752 had removed 11 days, turning December 25th into January 6th, or because January 6th marked. . . -
Oconaluftee Indian Village
Posted on February 16, 2012 | No CommentsIn 1952, the Cherokee Historical Association opened the Oconaluftee Indian Village, a recreated Cherokee village set in the 1750s. . . -
Cornbread
Posted on February 16, 2012 | No CommentsCornbread is a staple in the Appalachian diet. Introduced to the corn plant by Native Americans, European settlers in the New World quickly adopted it for its ease of cultivation, it’s hardiness, and its versatility in cooking. . . -
Cherokee Storytelling
Posted on February 16, 2012 | No CommentsThe Cherokee people, like all Native American tribes, possess an extensive, ancient oral history. Before European contact and the creation of the Cherokee syllabary. . . -
Banjo
Posted on February 16, 2012 | No CommentsThe banjo, a four or five string musical instrument with a leather or plastic head stretched over a circular wooden rim, is pictured by many as the symbol of Appalachian music. . . -
4th of July
Posted on February 14, 2012 | No CommentsOld-time mountain 4th of July celebrations focused on patriotism. In smaller communities, they involve simple patriotic services in churches and a community dinner. . . -
The Migration of the Scotch-Irish from Ulster to Western North Carolina
Posted on December 7, 2011 | No CommentsMigration has been a major feature of human history, beginning with the earliest hunter-gatherers who ranged widely in pursuit of food. Other motives for migration have included war, economic hardship, religious strife, and the promise of a better life. . . -
Woolly Worms
Posted on April 19, 2011 | No CommentsNot too many generations ago, before snow plows, central heat, and supermarkets, winters in Appalachia were a much different experience than they are today. Many basic necessities such as mobility, heat, and food were not taken for granted. . . -
Coverlets and Quilts
Posted on October 22, 2010 | No CommentsFew things warm the senses, mental or physical, like a handmade quilt. For hundreds of years, quilts have been crafted, treasured, snuggled, and displayed with dedication and devotion. A special quilt often symbolizes some of our earliest memories; either from the warmth it generated, or perhaps for the family or regional heritage it represents. . . -
Folk Medicine
Posted on August 30, 2010 | No CommentsNot all people in western North Carolina regularly go to the doctor when they get sick. Some still rely on the traditional folk medicine of their ancestors, drawn from the regions many cultures. . .