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: Asheville Colored Hospital opens, 1943
In 1941, two years before the Asheville Colored Hospital opened, Asheville’s African-American population numbered 14,500. At the time, the segregated city only had 21 hospital beds available for the entire African-American community.
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.
Asheville Archives: Instagram account brings 1940s Asheville to life
In 1998, freelance writer Emily Capps was antiquing in Atlanta when she came across a pair of boxes.
How will new downtown construction affect Asheville’s future?
Local architects, preservationists and city officials discuss the evolving look of downtown Asheville.
Asheville Archives: ‘An infusion of new blood’
Immigration at the turn of the century spurred debate over policy, as well as the country’s future.
Asheville Archives: A flood of allegations, 1916
In the immediate aftermath of the 1916 flood, the city of Asheville quickly united in its efforts to help rebuild and find temporary housing for those who lost their homes. Yet amid this goodwill, a battle brewed between some residents and local news publications.
Asheville Archives: The deaths of Thomas Wolfe
It’s not often that two men, unrelated, share both a name and a profession. But this was the case for writers Thomas Wolfe.
