JP Chalarca discusses his new oral history project, which tells the stories of people who live and work in the West End Clingman Avenue Neighborhood.
Asheville Motor Speedway’s legacy endures
More than two decades after the speedway closed, some of its most passionate supporters gauge the historical significance of “The River,” as well as the opportunities available to modern racing fans and drivers.
Asheville Archives: Literary expectations hound Thomas Wolfe, 1931
Despite public outcries over his 1929 debut novel, Look Homeward, Angel, local residents were still eager to know what Thomas Wolfe had planned next. As pressure mounted to deliver his next book, Wolfe begged his mother to not leak any information to the Asheville press.
Asheville Archives: 1891 resident shares his vision of the city’s future
In an 1891 article, published by The Asheville Daily Citizen, an unnamed writer shared his visions from a recent dream wherein he time-traveled to 1950.
New book explores 1936 slaying at the Battery Park Hotel
After nearly a decade’s worth of research, local author Anne Chesky Smith celebrates the publication of her new book, Murder at Asheville’s Battery Park Hotel: The Search for Helen Clevenger’s Killer.
New exhibit chronicles South Slope and Southside history
The South Slope Neighborhood Association has created an exhibit of six weatherproof panels that chronicle important topics and people from far before the current food and beverage boom.
Asheville Archives: The city hires its first Black police officers, 1946
In 1946, at the urging of local residents, the city of Asheville hired its first two Black officers.
Cullowhee’s enigmatic Judaculla Rock continues to inspire conjecture
A tribal historian with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, a local author and a Western Carolina University biology professor share thoughts on the Jackson County landmark, which bears some carvings thought to predate the recorded history of the Cherokee.
Asheville Archives: Imaginary melee at the Biltmore Estate makes front-page news, 1891
On Sept. 14, 1891, the Asheville Daily Citizen falsely reported that roughly 600 Black workers nearly broke out into a riot at the Biltmore Estate. Subsequent letters to the editor refuted the paper’s unfounded claims.
Asheville Archives: Workers go on strike at American Enka, 1941
Demanding higher wages, better working conditions and paid time off, workers at American Enka went on strike in late March 1941.
Asheville Archives: The influence of white supremacy in the women’s suffrage movement
In the summer of 1920, local residents disputed the merits and perceived risks associated with the passage of the 19th Amendment. Racism, rather than sexism, was a key factor on both sides of the argument.
Asheville Archives: City residents bemoan increasing traffic, 1925
In 1925, as more motorists flooded the roads, local residents sought solutions to the city’s growing traffic problems.
Asheville Archives: Army plane makes emergency landing in West Asheville, 1949
In 1949, a military plane made an emergency landing in West Asheville. The craft remained grounded for five weeks before the Army produced the necessary resources for a successful takeoff.
Andrea Clark honors James Vester Miller’s contributions to Asheville
The Asheville-based photographer established the James Vester Miller Historic Walking Trail to honor her master brickmason grandfather’s numerous local buildings.
Asheville Archives: Herbert Hoover Jr. convalesces in Asheville, 1930-31
For six months, Herbert Hoover Jr. lived in Asheville. During his stay, residents and reporters alike eagerly awaited a visit from his father, the president of the United States of America.
First of three reparations talks draws hundreds of viewers
The speaker series is part of a three-phase process to create and empower a joint Asheville-Buncombe County Reparations Commission. Once formed, the commission would be tasked with making short-, medium- and long-term recommendations to repair the damage caused by public and private systemic racism.
Asheville Archives: The three burials of Zebulon Vance
Zebulon Vance died on April 14, 1894. For a brief six weeks, his remains lay peacefully inside Riverside Cemetery. But by early June, a dispute among surviving family resulted in his remains being exhumed and relocated before eventually being returned to his original resting place.
Vance Monument removal begins
Work started May 17, and demolition of the 123-year-old monument to Zebulon Baird Vance in downtown Asheville is expected to take two weeks to complete, says city spokesperson Polly McDaniel. Costs to take down the structure block by block will reach roughly $114,000, while an additional $25,500 has been allocated for site restoration following the monument’s removal.
Asheville Archives: Community support amid the Great Depression, 1931
In a Jan. 11, 1932, report, E. Grace Miller, the executive secretary of the Asheville Associated Charities, declared, “Never before have the people of Asheville realized to such an extent that the problem of the unfortunate people of this community are their problems too.”
Asheville Archives: The Majestic Theater spurs controversy, 1921
In 1913, the Majestic Theater opened on the corner of Market and College streets. Some residents bemoaned its early productions as vile and crude, while others cheered them on.
Asheville Archives: President Franklin Delano Roosevelt extols WNC
On September 9, 1936, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt arrived in Knoxville, Tenn. He and his team traversed the Great Smoky Mountains National Park on their way to Asheville, where the commander-in-chief delivered a speech to a crowd of 20,000 people at McCormick Field.