History of

Buncombe County, NC

New! 68 Page Illustrated Booklet

Early days in Buncombe County, North Carolina, are recalled in this new 68-page spiral-bound booklet, comprised of excerpts from several vintage books. These source materials include John Hill Wheeler's Historical Sketches of North Carolina (1851); Sketches of Prominent Living North Carolinians by Jerome Dowd (1888), North Carolina, A Guide to the Old North State (1939), a product of the WPA; A New Geography of North Carolina (1954-65).

The tri-color front cover is printed on 80# card stock and has been protected with a vinyl sheet. The text is printed single-sided on 60# opaque paper, with the print enlarged to fit the 8.5" x 11" paper and improve readability.

Some of the places mentioned in the booklet include: Asheville (County Seat), Weaverville, Arden, Skyland, Biltmore, Ridgecrest, Black Mountain, Swannanoa, Leicester, Candler, Barnardsville, Dillingham, Fairview, Enka.

Among the many subjects included are: Geology and Physical features, such as the Swannanoa Gap, Potato Knob and the French Broad; Members of the General Assembly from Buncombe County before 1851; Early notables -- David Swain, Thomas L. Clingman, James Patton, Col. Samuel W. Davidson, Davy Crocket and Elizabeth Patton, John Lyon, George W. Vanderbilt, O. Henry, Bill Nye, Foster Sondley, the Smathers family; Blue Ridge Parkway; Biltmore House, a 200-room chateau; Biltmore Village; Tobacco; Industries; Thomas Wolfe Memorial; Civil War Times; Religion; Schools, including Montreat College and Warren Wilson Junior College; two governors born in one house in 1801, the weather center of the world, stories about names, a printer who couldn't write, an early electric street car, other curious bits of history and trivia.

The Dowd excerpts are biographies of Senator Z.B. Vance (extensive), Capt. Melvil E. Carter, R.B. Vance, Thomas Dillard Johnston, W.H. Malone and Gen. Theodore F. Davidson. The WPA section offers a nostalgic glimpse of the area from a 1939 vantage point, offering many historical notes and sightseeing possibilities. It has a separate section on Asheville with a map and points of interest, such as the Biltmore House.

Our North Carolina booklets are a good resource for learning about the history, geography and social climate of places where you or your ancestors have lived or for places you plan to visit.

Wouldn't this make a unique gift?