Culture Archive

  • In 1892, Frances Goodrich, a New England educated Presbyterian Missionary, moved to the Madison County community of Allanstand. Her goal: to improve the quality of life for mountain families. Her means was the promotion of traditional crafts to a growing American market for authentic handicrafts. . .

    Craft Guild

    Posted on March 5, 2012 | No Comments
    In 1892, Frances Goodrich, a New England educated Presbyterian Missionary, moved to the Madison County community of Allanstand. Her goal: to improve the quality of life for mountain families. Her means was the promotion of traditional crafts to a growing American market for authentic handicrafts. . .

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  • In 1928, Bascom Lamar Lunsford turned his vast knowledge of traditional music and his organizational skills to the creation of a local music festival. The Asheville Chamber of Commerce had long sponsored an annual Rhododendron Festival, highlighting mountain arts and crafts. . .

    Mountain Dance and Folk Festival

    Posted on March 5, 2012 | No Comments
    In 1928, Bascom Lamar Lunsford turned his vast knowledge of traditional music and his organizational skills to the creation of a local music festival. The Asheville Chamber of Commerce had long sponsored an annual Rhododendron Festival, highlighting mountain arts and crafts. . .

    Continue Reading...

  • In 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. . .

    Trail of Tears

    Posted on February 16, 2012 | No Comments
    In 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. . .

    Continue Reading...

  • In 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". . .

    Happy Land

    Posted on February 16, 2012 | No Comments
    In 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". . .

    Continue Reading...

  • People receive their names according to a number of social conventions. Often those conventions reflect regional differences. . .

    Personal Names

    Posted on February 16, 2012 | No Comments
    People receive their names according to a number of social conventions. Often those conventions reflect regional differences. . .

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  • Christmas 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. . .

    Old Christmas in Appalachia

    Posted on February 16, 2012 | No Comments
    Christmas 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. . .

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  • In 1952, the Cherokee Historical Association opened the Oconaluftee Indian Village, a recreated Cherokee village set in the 1750s. . .

    Oconaluftee Indian Village

    Posted on February 16, 2012 | No Comments
    In 1952, the Cherokee Historical Association opened the Oconaluftee Indian Village, a recreated Cherokee village set in the 1750s. . .

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  • Cornbread 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. . .

    Cornbread

    Posted on February 16, 2012 | No Comments
    Cornbread 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. . .

    Continue Reading...

  • The Cherokee people, like all Native American tribes, possess an extensive, ancient oral history. Before European contact and the creation of the Cherokee syllabary. . .

    Cherokee Storytelling

    Posted on February 16, 2012 | No Comments
    The Cherokee people, like all Native American tribes, possess an extensive, ancient oral history. Before European contact and the creation of the Cherokee syllabary. . .

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  • The 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. . .

    Banjo

    Posted on February 16, 2012 | No Comments
    The 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. . .

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  • Old-time mountain 4th of July celebrations focused on patriotism. In smaller communities, they involve simple patriotic services in churches and a community dinner. . .

    4th of July

    Posted on February 14, 2012 | No Comments
    Old-time mountain 4th of July celebrations focused on patriotism. In smaller communities, they involve simple patriotic services in churches and a community dinner. . .

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  • Migration has been a major feature of human history, beginning with the earliest hunter-gatherers who ranged widely in pursuit of […]

    Migration of the Scotch-Irish from Ulster to Western North Carolina

    Posted on December 7, 2011 | No Comments
    Migration has been a major feature of human history, beginning with the earliest hunter-gatherers who ranged widely in pursuit of […]

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  • Not 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. . .

    Woolly Worms

    Posted on April 19, 2011 | No Comments
    Not 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. . .

    Continue Reading...

  •   Essay by Timothy N. Osment History M.A. WCU 2008 “Quilts tell stories; they illustrate history; they express love and […]

    Coverlets and Quilts

    Posted on October 22, 2010 | No Comments
      Essay by Timothy N. Osment History M.A. WCU 2008 “Quilts tell stories; they illustrate history; they express love and […]

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  • Not 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. . .

    Folk Medicine

    Posted on August 30, 2010 | No Comments
    Not 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. . .

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