History of

Mitchell & Yancey Counties, NC

New! Page Illustrated Booklet

Early days in Mitchell & Yancey Counties in North Carolina, are recalled through a mixture of colorful tales and factual data in this new -page spiral-bound booklet, comprised of excerpts from several vintage books. These source materials include John Hill Wheeler's 1851 Historical Sketches of North Carolina; North Carolina, A Guide to the Old North State, a product of the WPA, first published in 1939; and A New Geography of North Carolina, a project started in the 1950s.

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.

Places mentioned in the booklet include: Mitchell County -- Bakersville (county seat), Penland, Kona, and Spruce Pine. Yancey County -- Burnsville (county seat), Celo, Hardscrabble, Higgins, Relief, Lower Pig Pen, Micaville, and Upper Pig Pen .

Among the many subjects included are: Geological and Physical features, such as the Toe River Valley and "The Roan", the Black Mountains and Pisgah National Forest; Capt. Otway Burns; Samuel Bright; John Sevier; William Wiseman, William Davis and William Pendley, Alexander McKnitt and William Sharpe, early settlers; a land grab; the hardships of isolation; Civil War and its aftermath; the Railway; Minerals, including mica and feldspar, and Kaolin, a white clay used in pottery; Schools, including Penland School for Handicrafts; Tourism, Agriculture, Herb raising, and Lumber; Cloudland, built by Gen. J.H. Wilder; Pioneers from Georgetown Maryland; a Killing in a Mine
Dispute; why Mitchell and Yancey were split; a sensational murder that inspired a poem from the scaffold;Stories about names; Isaac English and the undergrund railway; mysterious "mountain music,"a woman "scalped alive" by Indians,Welborn Waters -- the wolf killer, Big Tom Wilson-- legendary woodsman who killed 113 bears, David Grier -- Hermit of the Bald, a giant "wild man" of Yancey County, and other curious bits of history and trivia.

The WPA section offers a nostalgic glimpse of the area from a 1939 vantage point, offering historical notes and sightseeing possibilities.

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 places you plan to visit.

Wouldn't this make a unique gift?