“There are more than 40,000,000 homeless dogs and cats in the United States,” wrote Mrs. Fred Hester in a letter published in the May 5, 1957, edition of the Asheville Citizen-Times. “Many people, finding it impossible to find homes for the animals they permitted to be born but are unwilling to keep, resort to drowning, […]
“Western North Carolina is confident, optimistic in the highest degree, and eager to be busy with the tasks that will come to our hands in 1920,” declared local banker W.B. Davis, in a Jan. 1, 1920, interview with The Asheville Citizen.
A look back on Billy Borne’s 1920 cartoons.
Colleagues and friends offer praise of local historian and librarian Zoe Rhine, who will retire at the end of 2019.
Whether digging through archives or covering the latest community news, Thomas Calder had a busy year. The Xpress writer shares his most memorable stories from 2019.
We raised the question to Jack Thomson, former executive director of The Preservation Society of Asheville & Buncombe County, who served the nonprofit from September 2010 to November 2019.
If you could grab a drink or a bite to eat in 2019 with a local historical figure, who would it be, and where would you take that person?
People came by the hundreds to attend the Rev. Lucius B. Compton’s annual revival services at Eliada in the early part of the 20th century. Known for his deep understanding of the Bible, Compton’s popularity continued to soar throughout much of his life. Scandal, however, erupted in 1943, when the religious leader was indicted on multiple counts of assault with intent to rape.
Throughout much of the 1950s, Asheville residents raised the same question again and again: Where can I find a taxidermist?
On Wednesday, Dec. 18, the North Carolina Room at Pack Memorial Library will host a launch party for the release of Nan Chase’s latest book, Lost Restaurants of Asheville. The event includes a talk by the author, followed by a book signing. The event runs from 6-7 p.m.
In 1916, tuition for Montreat Normal School (today’s Montreat College) was $225 per year, with scholarship options for those who could not afford to pay in full. The school’s early brochures placed a strong emphasis on character, as well as Christian studies.
In 1919, a year after the Great War ended, Asheville, along with the rest of the country, prepared to celebrate Thanksgiving Day.
“Buncombe blood flowed freely, and many of our gallant boys are among the slain,” the Asheville News reported on July 17, 1862. At the time, both Union and Confederate troops suffered immense losses during the Seven Days Battles near Richmond, Va.
On Dec. 26, 1948, several hundred people made their way to Charlotte Street to celebrate the grand opening of the Asheville Art Museum.
The five story brick structure, the paper wrote, “is fitted out with all the most modern and convenient improvements.” Features included electric lighting, steam heating and ventilators in the ceilings of all cells.
In his latest book, historian Daniel Pierce offers a detailed look at the history of moonshine in North Carolina.
In 1898, residents were spooked by an unusual glow inside a vacant house. A few years later, another resident offered the local paper insight on how to deter ghosts from haunting homes.
More than 90 military veterans who served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War participated in the Sept. 21 flight which allowed them to experience Washington D.C. and the war memorials built in their honor.
The 1860 census records show that Buncombe County had 1,907 slaves and 283 slave owners. Yet even today, some local historians say people are unaware that slavery existed in WNC.
Across Asheville, community members are honoring and reflecting on the 400th anniversary of the landing of the first enslaved Africans in England’s North American colonies in 1619.
In 1928, Dr. Esprenza Weizenblatt arrived to Asheville, by way of Vienna. Her contributions to the community went far beyond her medical practice.
