Broken promises and false starts plagued the city’s early hopes of developing an airport.
Asheville Archives: Residents debate city roosters, 1912-23
In 1912, the owner of a raucous rooster was taken to court by his very tired neighbors.
Asheville Archives: The 1918 influenza changes social norms
In October 1918, in the midst of a worldwide influenza pandemic, Asheville residents opted to wear medical masks as opposed to Halloween costumes.
Asheville Archives: Construction begins on U.S.A. General Hospital No. 19
In March 1918, construction began on a new hospital in Asheville. The facility was specifically built for World War I soldiers infected with tuberculosis.
Charles George VA Medical Center celebrates its centennial
On Friday, Oct. 26, the Charles George VA will celebrate its centennial at its grand reopening of building No. 9, known today as the Hope and Recovery Center.
Annual conference will spotlight regional African-American history
The African Americans in Western North Carolina and Southern Appalachia Conference will take place Oct. 18-20 in Asheville. The theme this year is “Making the invisible visible.”
Asheville Archives: The great jewelry heist of 1912
In the summer of 1912, self-proclaimed clairvoyant Mme. Nina Lester arrived in Asheville for a brief stint. By late July she would flee the city with hundreds of dollars worth of stolen jewelry.
Asheville Archives: Flames finish off the original Battery Park Hotel, 1923
In the fall of 1923, a demolition crew began tearing down the original Battery Park. Later that year, flames would consume parts of the remaining property.
Asheville Archives: Residents debate the demolition of Battery Park Hill, 1922
In the final months of 1922, news spread that E.W. Grove had plans to raze the original Battery Park Hotel and demolish the hill it stood atop. Not everyone was on board with the plan.
Historian Christopher Arris Oakley discusses his latest book on the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
On Tuesday, Sept. 25, historian and author Christopher Arris Oakley will discuss his latest book, New South Indians: Tribal Economics and the Eastern Band of Cherokee in the Twentieth Century at UNCA.
Asheville Archives: President Theodore Roosevelt arrives in the mountains
In June 1902, North Carolina Sen. Jeter Conley Pritchard invited President Theodore Roosevelt to join him on a bear hunt in the western part of the state. The possible expedition created all sorts of commentary in the local papers.
Asheville Archives: Irene Hendrick and the Colored Library, 1927-1966
On April 7, 1927, Asheville’s Colored Library opened inside the YMI Building.
Lynching memorial confronts our country’s past
Students and scholars from Asheville, as well as representatives of several religious organizations here, are among those who have traveled to the National Memorial for Peace in Justice in Montgomery. The 6-acre site houses more than 800 monuments the organization has created, each indicating a county where racial terror lynchings occurred, including Buncombe.
Asheville Archives: Kress creates consternation, 1926-27
A 1926 debate over traffic jams nearly caused a roadblock in the construction of the Kress building at 19 Patton Ave.
Former City Manager Gary Jackson leaves mixed legacy
As Asheville gears up to begin a new chapter in its administration, Xpress asks what lessons, if any, can be learned from Jackson’s time as the city’s top employee. But given the reluctance of so many current and former city officials to discuss either Jackson’s firing or his legacy, any final assessment of this recent history may have to wait.
Asheville Archives: The Beaucatcher Tunnel project, 1927-29
In May 1927, work officially began on Beaucatcher Tunnel. Controversy and catastrophe would haunt the two-year project.
Asheville Archives: The launch of Best Of WNC
Voting for the inaugural Best Of began in April 1995. Winners were announced the following month.
Cherokee heartland: Ben Steere discusses ancient mounds and townhouses
On Saturday, Aug. 11, Ben Steere will present The Archaeology of Mounds & Towns at the Reuter Center at UNC Asheville.
Asheville Archives: A city consumed by trash
Forget historic names and dates, this week we’re bringing you the smell of our city’s past.
Asheville Archives: The formation of the Asheville Fire Department, 1882
Prior to the formation of the Asheville Fire Department in 1882, residents and business owners had only themselves and their neighbors to rely on.
Remembering the fire that nearly destroyed the Old Kentucky Home
July marks the 20-year anniversary of the unsolved arson that nearly destroyed one of Asheville’s historic landmarks.