Hidden History of Asheville

by Arcadia Publishing

Overview

The milestones of Asheville's long history are well known to locals, but so many interesting stories are all but forgotten.

Thankfully, the staff and volunteers of the North Carolina Room at Pack Memorial Library have unearthed the best of those hidden tales. Meet daredevil aviatrix Uva Shipman and Tempie Avery, who went from slavery to respected nurse and citizen. Learn the poignant tale behind the sad death of former mayor Gallatin Roberts and uncover the parts of old Asheville lost to the wrecking ball. These and many more historic episodes come to life in this collection compiled by North Carolina Room librarian Zoe Rhine.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467142212
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	06/17/2019
Series:	Hidden History
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	1,031,194
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Zoe Rhine has worked in the North Carolina Room at Pack Memorial Library for more than twenty-five years. In 1976, she moved to Asheville, where she attended Warren Wilson College, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1980. She received her Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Goddard College in 1989. She has previously published creative nonfiction stories and taught creative writing courses at the University of North Carolina-Asheville. She was chosen by Mountain Express in 2016 as one of Asheville's "Influential Eight."

Table of Contents

Foreword Heather South 13

Acknowledgements 15

Introduction 17

Part I Sterling Characters

1 The Lost Picture Betsy Murray 21

2 In One Photo, a Window on Family History Zoe Rhine 25

3 Gallatin Roberts: A Stolen Suit and the Fickle Finger of Fate Betsy Murray 28

4 Who in the Sam Hill Is Dan Hill? Betsy Murray 32

5 Western North Carolina's Wing Walker Lyme Kedic Jon Elliston 36

Part II Local Heroes and Heroines

6 Dr. Irma Henderson Smathers: Five Feet Tall and One Hundred Pounds of Determination Betsy Murray 41

7 E.W Pearson's Remarkable Run Betsy Murray 46

8 Tempie Aveiy: From Slavery to Community Bedrock Betsy Murray 50

9 G.O. Shepherd Sr.: A Far-Reaching Community Voice Laura Gaskin 54

10 Flower Ladies of Southern Appalachia Zoe Rhine 60

11 Robert Morgan's History-Making Flights Zoe Rhine 65

12 Ever Wonder How Asheville Got to Be So Cool? The 1980s Zoe Rhine 68

Part III Contraptions from the Past

13 A Weather Kiosk on Pack Square? Laura Gaskin 81

14 This Is a Card Catalog Zoe Rhine 85

15 Ferry Me to the Races Zoe Rhine 89

16 The Old German Cannon on Pack Square Laura Gaskin 93

17 Do You Know What a Fire Alarm Box Was? Zoe Rhine 97

Part IV Outsiders, Photographers and Mountain Crafts

18 Photographers' Painted Backdrops and Props Zoe Rhine 103

19 Hidden Mother Victorian Portraits Zoe Rhine 108

20 Rustic Furniture Set Against a Modern Gas Stove Demonstration-1905 Lyme Poirier-Wilson 112

21 Remembering Artist Leroy Baxter Betsy Murray 115

22 Appalachian Rustic Souvenirs Lynne Poirier-Wilson 118

23 Hugh Brown, the Treasure Chest and Three Mountaineers: Southern Mountain Craft Industries Zoe Rhine 121

24 The Cabin Kids Lyme Kedic Zoe Rhine 129

25 Swannanoa Wood Carver Wade Martin Carves One Last Piece Zoe Rhine 132

Part V The Coming and Going of Sacred Places

26 South Slope: The Demolition, 1926 Ione Whitlock 137

27 February 1980: The Leveling of an Entire City Block Zoe Rhine 142

28 Tourists' Homes: Hanging Out Places Zoe Rhine 145

29 Grace: A Community that Got Absorbed by an Avenue Lone Whitlock 149

30 Camp Dellwood Laura Gaskin 154

31 Catholic Education in Asheville Ed Sheary 159

32 Margaret's Supper Club and Brown Bagging and A Smith & Carrier Building and the Wrecking Ball Zoe Rhine 162

33 Ora Street Church Terry Taylor 165

Part VI Immigrants Find a Home

34 The Pearlman Family: Three Generations of Selling Furniture Zoe Rhine 171

35 Americanization Classes at the Grove Park Inn Zoe Rhine 176

36 The Sad Story of Hop Wo, the Chinese Laundryman Zoe Rhine 179

37 Yutaka Minakuchi: A Story in a Name David Mayeux 182

38 The Jewish Family Store Zoe Rhine 185

Part VII Getting Around

39 Consider the Horse Zoe Rhine 193

40 Asheville's First Motor Mile: Coxe Avenue Ed Sheary 197

41 Asheville's Landing Strips Lynne Poirier-Wilson 201

42 Three Mountain Toll Roads Terry Taylor 205

Part VIII Quirks and Kerfuffles

43 The Mikado Room-An Asheville Original Lynne Poirier-Wilson 211

44 There's Nothing Like a Picnic Zoe Wane 215

45 Asheville's Blue Laws Zoe Rhine 219

46 A Very Big Boy Terry Taylor 222

Part IX Asheville Architecture

47 Standing on One Corner hi Asheville Terry Taylor 227

48 The Other Douglas Ellington Buildings Asheville Didn't Get Zoe Rhine 233

49 What's Not in This Photograph? Zoe Plane 237

50 Anthony Lord: Artist, Architect, Craftsman Zoe Rhine 240

Epilogue 245

Index 249

About the North Carolina Room 253

About the Editor 255