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About Us
The Digital Heritage Project is a part of The Mountain Heritage Center at Western Carolina University
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Recent Posts
- Mary Ulmer Chiltosky, 1986
- Stecoah Valley Center, 2011
- Gar Mosteller and Doyle Barker, 2008
- Cradle of Forestry in America, 1997
- Jackson County Genealogical Society, 2012
- Rob Tiger, 2012
- Young Adult Choir, Tried Stone Missionary Baptist Church, 2001
- Bea Hensley, 1995
- Penland School of Crafts, 1985
- John B. Battle, 1983
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Tag Cloud
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Land Archive
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Floods of 1916 and 1940
Posted on August 17, 2010 | No CommentsMany people in the mountains of Appalachia vividly remember September, 2004. During that month, the rains and winds of Hurricanes Frances and Ivan combined to swell the French Broad, Catawba, and Pigeon Rivers to record flood levels. Several fatalities and millions of dollars of damage resulted. But few residents recall an earlier event of similar proportions that devastated our region. -
Ghost Towns
Posted on August 17, 2010 | No CommentsTowns do not survive forever. Western North Carolina has a number of its own lost towns. They disappeared for a number of reasons. -
Grandfather Mountain
Posted on August 17, 2010 | No CommentsOver 700 million years ago two gigantic plates within the earth’s crust slammed together. Among the results was the creation of one of the highest peaks in the Blue Ridge Mountain range, Grandfather Mountain. At 5,964 feet, the mountain is one of Appalachia’s most visited attractions and one of its most unique natural wonders. -
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Posted on August 17, 2010 | No CommentsAmerica’s first National Parks were created out West. By the early 20th century, Easterners who feared the loss of nature... -
Lake Logan
Posted on August 17, 2010 | No CommentsThousands of years before the arrival of European settlers, Native Americans, particularly the Cherokees, inhabited the mountain region now known as Appalachia. Within the boundaries of present-day Haywood County, the Cherokee were scattered throughout several villages. -
Little Switzerland
Posted on August 17, 2010 | No CommentsThe Grassy Mountain area of Mitchell and McDowell counties was long a traditional settlement of Scotch-Irish families. In the summer of 1909, Charlotte lawyer Heriot Clarkson discovered the Alpine-like setting and laid plans for a resort colony. -
Mount Mitchell
Posted on August 17, 2010 | No CommentsOf the ten highest mountains in the eastern United States, six are in the Black Mountain Range of western North Carolina. The most famous of these is Mount Mitchell, which at 6684 feet is the tallest peak east of the Mississippi River. -
Outdoor Recreation
Posted on August 17, 2010 | No CommentsIn the fall of 2006, students in PRM 433, Outdoor Recreation, researched recreational opportunities in western North Carolina. They were asked to explore an aspect of outdoor recreation in western North Carolina. They divided into four groups and off they went, exploring the regions fine recreational opportunities. -
Pisgah National Forest
Posted on August 17, 2010 | No CommentsPisgah National Forest, founded in 1916, covers much of North Carolina’s northwestern mountains. Pisgah was the first national forest created from purchased land rather than from the public domain. Many of its half-million acres were purchased from the widow of the Biltmore Estate’s creator, George W. Vanderbilt. -
Place Names
Posted on August 17, 2010 | No CommentsPeople like to name natural features. In Appalachia, place names often stand out because of the wide variety of ethnic groups that have settled the region. Many places, like Cullowhee and Nantahala, retain their Cherokee names. -
Wetlands
Posted on August 17, 2010 | No CommentsSouthern Appalachian wetlands are gaining attention for the wealth of rare and unique life forms they support. In North Carolina alone, mountain bogs and fens provide habitats for nearly 90 species of plants and animals that are considered rare, threatened or endangered.