WNC History Lecture Series: Settlement & Transportation
Zoom Webinar 283 Victoria Road, AshevilleWe are excited to bring you a new virtual lecture series. Each month WNCHA will feature an expert on various topics in Western North Carolina history and culture. Our first speaker is the Museum Education Associate for Western Carolina University's Mountain Heritage Center. Peter Koch will present on the settlement of and transportation within Western […]
LitCafe: DuPont Forest with Danny Bernstein
Zoom Webinar 283 Victoria Road, AshevilleThis live virtual event features author Danny Bernstein discussing her new book DuPont Forest: A History
LitCafe Experiences: DuPont Forest History Hike with Danny Bernstein
DuPont State Forest 3051 Reasonover Rd, Cedar Mountain, NC, United StatesHistory Hike through DuPont Forest What is an airstrip doing in the middle of DuPont State Recreational Forest? Why the formal entrance into a state forest? And how did the lakes come to be? Come on a moderate all-day hike through historic DuPont Forest where we will walk, talk, take photos and even speculate. DuPont […]
WNC History Lecture Series: Cherokee Mound and Village Sites
Zoom Webinar 283 Victoria Road, AshevilleJoin us as Dr. Ben Steere of Western Carolina University presents research from his forthcoming book The Fire Yet Burns in These Great Mounds: Archaeology and Resilience in the Cherokee Heartland. Dr. Steere's presentation will be followed by a Q&A session. Dr. Ben Steere of WCU Dr. Steere says of his work: Mound and village […]
LitCafé: John Ehle’s The Road w Steve Little and Dr. Richard Starnes
ZoomLitCafé: John Ehle's The Road w Steve Little and Dr. Richard Starnes Join us April 13 at 6pm. This third event in our LitCafé series explores John Ehle's 1967 book, The Road. Set in western North Carolina, this work of fiction is based on the real history and people behind the Western North Carolina Railroad […]
LitCafe Experiences: History Hike with the RAIL Project (Hike 2)
Point Lookout Trail, Ridgecrest Trailhead Mill Creek Road, Old Fort, NC, United StatesAfter reading and discussing John Ehle’s work of historical fiction The Road, join WNCHA for a special hike exploring the real history of the incarcerated laborers who toiled and often died constructing the Western NC Railroad. We are joined by a special guest presenter, member of the RAIL Project committee and mayor of Marion, Steve Little. By popular […]
WNC History Lecture Series: Rep. John Ager on the Drover’s Road and Sherill’s Inn
Zoom Webinar 283 Victoria Road, AshevilleJoin us for the third event in our Intro to WNC Lecture Series. Rep. John Ager will discuss the drover's road through the Hickory Nut Gap and the historic Sherill's Inn. After the presentation, we will hold a Q&A where the audience can ask questions. Western NC once hosted large herds of livestock being driven […]
LitCafe: Mary Burnette presents Lige of the Black Walnut Tree
Zoom Webinar 283 Victoria Road, AshevilleLitCafe: Mary Othella Burnette presents Lige of the Black Walnut Tree For the fourth installment of this year's LitCafe series, we are very excited to bring you author and local native Mary Othella Burnette who will present her recently published memoir Lige of the Black Walnut Tree: Growing Up Black in Southern Appalachia. This virtual […]
WNCHA 2020 Outstanding Achievement Award Ceremony
ZoomWNC Historical Association presents Outstanding Achievement Award to Ann Miller Woodford The WNCHA 2020 Outstanding Achievement Award will be presented to Ann Miller Woodford for her work preserving and promoting the history of African American people in far western North Carolina, on Tuesday, May 18 at 6:30pm via Zoom. The live Zoom webinar is free […]
WNC History Lecture Series: Kieta Osteen-Cochrane on Tuberculosis & Tourism
Zoom Webinar 283 Victoria Road, AshevilleJoin us (virtually) for our fourth installment in the WNC History Lecture Series. Asheville native and WNCHA board member Kieta Osteen-Cochrane will present on the Von Ruck Sanitarium—one of many such facilities built in and around Asheville to treat tuberculosis patients in the late 1800s-early 1900s—as well as its impacts on Asheville and regional tourism. […]
LitCafé: Dale Neal on Appalachian Book of the Dead
ZoomJoin us (virtually) for another installment of LitCafé as author Dale Neal discusses his writing and most recent work Appalachian Book of the Dead, a finalist for the 2020 Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award. The event kicks off at 6pm. Like all of our virtual programs, this event will be recorded and available for you […]
WNC History Lecture Series: Sites of Resistance
ZoomFor the fifth installment in our Intro to WNC Lecture Series, we are joined by two researchers and historians who will present on sites of African American history and resistance here in western North Carolina. Ronnie Pepper will discuss his research into the Kingdom of Happy Land, demonstrating the importance of viewing it from an […]
LitCafé: Historic Tales of Sylva and Jackson County w Jim Buchanan
ZoomOur LitCafé series continues as author and WNCHA board member Jim Buchanan discusses his recently-published work Historic Tales of Sylva and Jackson County. His book was a nominee for the 2020 Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award. Join us Tuesday, July 13 at 6pm for this virtual event. The Author: A Jackson County native, Sylva-Webster and Western Carolina […]
WNC History Lecture Series: Literature and Stereotypes
ZoomAll good things must come to an end. On Thursday, July 29, Dr. Erica Abrams Locklear of UNCA will conclude our Intro to WNC Lecture Series with a discussion of literature and stereotypes of western North Carolina and Appalachia. From traveler accounts and color writers, to stereotyped hillbillies and a romanticized land, this presentation examines […]
WNCHA Outdoor Experiences: The Buncombe Turnpike
Palmetto Trail Anders Road, Zirconia, NC, United StatesReady to hit the old dusty trail and explore the history of the Buncombe Turnpike? Join us Saturday, August 7 as special guest Lauren May of the Vance Birthplace State Historic Site partners with the Western North Carolina Historical Association to lead a hike in the historic Saluda Gap. This area was the southern terminus […]
Shiloh, Past and Present
ZoomJoin us (virtually) on Thursday, August 12 at 6:30pm as we bring you a multi-generational discussion of Asheville's historic Shiloh community. We are joined by a special moderator—Jefferson Ellison of JAWBREAKING Creative. Founded by newly freed people after the Civil War, Shiloh is one of Asheville’s oldest historically Black communities. Due to construction of the Biltmore […]
WNCHA Outdoor Experiences: Paddle the French Broad
Amboy Road River Park 180 Amboy Road, Asheville, NC, United States“For the French Broad is, above all, a region of life, with all the richness and paradox of life. Water, forests, plants, animals, people: thronging here in rare and wonderful variety.” - Wilma Dykeman, The French Broad On Saturday, September 11, the Western North Carolina Historical Association (WNCHA), in partnership with Montreat College’s Outdoor Recreation […]
WNCHA Outdoor Experiences: Big Ivy Historical Park
Big Ivy Historical Park 550 Dillingham Rd, Barnardsville, NC, United StatesJoin the Western North Carolina Historical Association Saturday, September 25 at 11am as we tour the Big Ivy Historical Park. NOTE: The planned hiking portion of this outing to Little Snowball Mountain is suspended unless road access and trail conditions improve. As of 9/1/21, we plan to offer only the tour of the historical park […]
WNCHA Presents: Dr. David Moore on Native American Resistance to the16th-Century Spanish Invasion of Western North Carolina
ZoomJoin the Western North Carolina Historical Association Thursday, September 30 at 6:30PM for this special virtual event. We will explore the history and the modern archaeology behind the travelling exhibit Unearthing Our Forgotten Past: Fort San Juan, now on display at the Smith-McDowell House Museum. Dr. David Moore will describe excavations of the Berry site, […]
WNCHA Lectures: The Marion Mill Massacre in Memory
ZoomJoin the Western NC Historical Association Thursday, October 14 at 6PM via Zoom as we kick off a month of programming centered on labor and mill history in WNC. On October 2, 1929, deputies killed six textile workers at the Marion Manufacturing Company mill, marking one of the deadliest labor strikes in the South. This […]
WNCHA Presents: 1874 Illustrations for “The Land of the Sky”
ZoomA virtual event exploring the illustrations of the famous Land of the Sky novel by Frances Tiernan Join the Western North Carolina Historical Association Thursday, November 4 at 6pm as we bring you this special event via Zoom. History shouldn’t be boring. W.L. Sheppard’s illustrations for Frances Tiernan’s notable novel are not — illustrating her blockbuster […]
WNCHA Presents: Narrow Gauge Logging Railroads of the Champion Fibre Company
ZoomJoin the Western North Carolina Historical Association on Zoom Tuesday, November 23 at 6PM as we bring you this virtual event featuring guest Gerald (Jerry) Ledford. In 1905, paper manufacturer Peter Gibson Thomson came to western North Carolina in search of pulpwood and a suitable location for a mammoth pulp mill that would provide pulp […]
WNCHA History Hour: African American Music Traditions in WNC
ZoomDr. William Turner and Dr. Ted Olson discuss African American musical contributions to WNC in this live Zoom webinar. Join the Western North Carolina Historical Association (WNCHA) Thursday, January 13 at 6PM as we kick off our 2022 lineup of programming. This event airs live via Zoom. The mountains of WNC and Appalachia are home […]
WNCHA History Hour: The Brevard Rosenwald School
ZoomJoin the Western North Carolina Historical Association (WNCHA) Thursday, February 17 at 6PM via Zoom for another program exploring African American education in WNC. We hope you are able to tour the Mars Hill Anderson Rosenwald School with us, but for those unable, or who simply want to learn more, please join us as Betty […]
Cherokee Women in Resistance and Activism: Valleytowns to the Voting Booth
ZoomJoin the Western North Carolina Historical Association (WNCHA) Thursday, March 10 from 6-7PM as we bring you this live Zoom webinar. This event will be recorded. This presentation will focus on a period spanning from the 1830s through the 20th century. While the forced removal of the Cherokee people took place during the winter of […]
NC 11: Partisanship, Polarization, and Politics in a Mountain District
ZoomJoin the Western North Carolina Historical Association (WNCHA) Thursday, April 21 at 6PM as continue our April programming theme of historic WNC politics. This event airs live via Zoom and will be recorded. The 11th congressional district sits in the Western corner of North Carolina—wedged between North Carolina’s borders with Tennessee, South Carolina, and Georgia. […]
WNCHA Hidden History Hikes and Tours: Rumbling Bald Hike
Chimney Rock State Park - Rumbling Bald Access 827 Boys Camp Rd, Lake Lure, United StatesJoin the Western North Carolina Historical Association (WNCHA) Saturday, May 7 at 10AM as we hike below “Rumbling Bald” Mountain in the Hickory Nut Gorge. In February, 1874, the mountains at the eastern edge of the Hickory Nut Gorge began to tremble, shake, and emit plumes of dust, the day after a local preacher delivered […]
WNCHA History Hour – Missing History: Jewish Life in Western North Carolina
ZoomJoin the Western North Carolina Historical Association (WNCHA) Thursday, May 19, at 6PM. This program airs live via Zoom. Little has been documented about the Jewish history of Western North Carolina, yet clues are all around us. Jews could be found in many towns including Brevard, Hendersonville, Statesville, Asheville, Rosman, Boone, Blowing Rock, Franklin, Sylva, […]
“Queer Voices of the Past and Present”: Documenting, Remembering, and Celebrating LGBTQ Lives in Western North Carolina
ZoomJoin the Western North Carolina Historical Association (WNCHA) Thursday, June 2 at 6PM as we kick off our month of Pride and LGBTQ+ history programming. This event airs live via Zoom. West of Asheville there has been little research on LGBTQ history or activism. Just last year, Dr. Travis Rountree and colleagues from Western Carolina […]
WNCHA History Hour: Musical Instruments in WNC
ZoomJoin the Western North Carolina Historical Association (WNCHA) Thursday, July 7 at 6PM as we kick off our month of music history programming. This event airs live via Zoom and will be recorded. From early Native Americans to buskers on modern street corners, music and musical instruments have always been part of the cultural landscape […]
WNCHA Hidden History Hikes and Tours: Mars Hill Anderson Rosenwald School Tour
Mars Hill Anderson Rosenwald School Long Ridge Rd, Mars Hill, NC, United StatesJoin the Western North Carolina Historical Association (WNCHA) Saturday, August 6 at 11AM. This event is free and open to the public. Influenced by the work of Booker T. Washington, in the 1900s, the Julius Rosenwald Fund helped create schools across the American South for African American students. Between 1929-1930, this funding helped construct one […]
ReadWNC Series: The Ballad of Frankie Silver
ZoomOur ReadWNC series concludes Tuesday, October 4 with author Sharyn McCrumb discussing the true events behind her novel The Ballad of Frankie Silver. In this series, authors and historians explore the facts behind the fiction in books centered in WNC. We encourage you to read the books in advance and bring your own questions to […]
History Hour: An (Incomplete) Environmental History of WNC
Manheimer Room, UNC-Asheville Reuter Center 300 Campus View Rd, Asheville, United StatesJoin the Western North Carolina Historical Association on Earth Day, Saturday, April 22 at 10am for our first in-person event of the year! We invite you to join us in person at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNCA. This hybrid event also airs via Zoom if you cannot attend. It will be recorded and […]
WNCHA History Hour: Appalachia on the Table
ZoomJoin the Western North Carolina Historical Association Tuesday, May 9 at 6pm via Zoom for the first program in our foodways month. This event airs live and will be recorded. In this talk Erica Abrams Locklear will discuss her new book, Appalachia on the Table: Representing Mountain Food and People, published this April by University of […]
WNCHA History Hour: The Farmer’s Federation
ZoomJoin the Western North Carolina Historical Association Tuesday, May 23 at 6pm via Zoom for the second program in our foodways month. This event airs live and will be recorded. James G.K McClure Jr.,, an Illinois-born Presbyterian minister and experienced livestock handler, visited Asheville on his 1916 honeymoon and quickly decided to purchase and operate […]
A Narrative from the Inside: Hendersonville’s 9th Avenue School
Manheimer Room, UNC-Asheville Reuter Center 300 Campus View Rd, Asheville, United StatesJoin the Western North Carolina Historical Association Thursday, June 8 at 6pm for this special program. This event airs live in-person at OLLI and also via Zoom livestream and will be recorded. Hendersonville’s 9th Avenue School—a union school merging grades 1-12—served African American students from Polk, Transylvania, and Henderson counties from 1951-1965. When the Brown […]