Hurricane Helene: Appalachian History

Valdosta, located in Lowndes County in the wiregrass region of southern Georgia, was founded in 1860, when the county seat was moved 4 miles east from Troupville to meet the railroad that would connect the region with Savannah. The town was named for the residence of former governor George Troup, who named his home after the Valle d'Aosta region of northern Italy. The town took some time to begin substantial growth, but after the Sea Island cotton market boomed in the late 1800s, the town entered a period of expansion that has rarely slowed. Currently, Valdosta is home to several major highways, a state university, a nationally known amusement park, and an Air Force base.

In January of 1913, South Georgia State Normal College opened in Valdosta, Georgia, with three students who paid $10 a year for tuition and $12 per month for food and board. Colonel W.S. West donated land for the campus to the state, the Georgia Senate allocated $25,000 to the school, the city of Valdosta raised $50,000, and Richard Holmes Powell was chosen as the school's first president. From this early ambitious endeavor to educate the traditionally underserved students of South Georgia grew a college that has served not only as an institution of higher learning but also as a valuable resource for citizens all over the region. Known as Georgia State Womens College (1992-1950) and Valdosta State College (1950-1993), Valdosta State University boasts a long and distinguished history. What was once a training school for teachers now offers a wide variety of undergraduate programs and awards masters and several doctorate degrees. Within these pages, the colorful characters, cherished traditions, memorable social and sporting events, and picturesque campus of VSU are all brought to life. Photographs taken from the Valdosta State University Archives date back to the school's beginnings, before the student body became co-educational. View the early May Queens and their courts parading on school grounds and the Old English Christmas Feast; step back to the days when men first arrived on campus, bringing a variety of new social, civic, and athletic organizations with them; and discover the remarkable beauty of the school's Spanish Mission-style campus.

Following the Old Buffalo and Nickajack Trails, Native Americans and early settlers were the first citizens of present-day Watauga County. In 1752, Bishop August Spangenberg, the earliest documented explorer, traveled through this steep terrain and noted the necessity of crawling on hands and knees to stay balanced. Located among the Blue Ridge Mountains, Watauga County grew slowly with few settlers until after the Civil War. The Boone and Blowing Rock Turnpike began to open up the area to commerce and tourists in the 1880s. The establishment of the Watauga Academy in 1899, several ski resorts, and upscale residential developments has changed the landscape. The towns of Boone and Blowing Rock have been listed as some of the best small towns in America and continue to attract new residents and visitors.

Prior to its formation in 1849, Watauga County was a hunting ground for the Cherokee and part of the trail blazed by frontiersman Daniel Boone, for whom the county seat was later named. Primarily settled by whites after the Revolutionary War, many of the county's earliest families came to the Appalachians from the Piedmont region of North Carolina and, prior to that, from the North—New England, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. These settlers were mainly of European extraction—English, German, Scottish, Irish, Swiss, and Welsh—along with a smaller African representation. Nestled in the panoramic Blue Ridge Mountains and unimaginable by its early agrarian inhabitants, Watauga would become one of North Carolina's premier tourist destinations and home to Appalachian State University.

Perched near the eastern edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Waynesville is an attractive destination with stunning vistas, cool mountain air, and small-town charm.

For centuries, the Cherokee lived and hunted in what is now western North Carolina, and after the Revolutionary War, white settlers moved into the area from all directions to farm and build a new life on the frontier. By the end of the 18th century, families had established a small community known as Mount Prospect. In 1810, the town was renamed Waynesville after the Revolutionary War general ""Mad"" Anthony Wayne. With the coming of the railroad in the 1880s, Waynesville blossomed as a summer retreat for guests who came to stay at numerous boarding houses and hotels. By the early 1900s, Waynesville's neighboring town, Hazelwood, became a hotbed of industrial growth with lumber mills and assorted factories producing furniture, leather goods, and rubber products, and the town would eventually merge with Waynesville in 1995.

Native Americans, particularly the Cherokee, inhabited Western North Carolina for thousands of years prior to white settlement. Legend has it that the name Dry Ridge derived from what the natives called the area. When Michael Montraville Weaver provided the land in the 1870s, Weaversville was born. The name was changed to Weaverville a few years later. In the time since, Weaverville has slowly grown. It now offers a quaint and historic downtown, along with substantial newer commercial development on Weaver Boulevard leading to Interstate 26. With the bustling town of Asheville just a few miles down the road, Weaverville has become a haven for retirees, longtime residents, and newcomers who want the cultural offerings of Asheville and the charm of a small town.

Wander through the pages of this book and meet the mermaids of Weeki Wachee in their magical underwater theater.

Mermaids are like leprechauns: it's very hard to sneak up and catch a glimpse of one. But in a hamlet on the Gulf Coast of Florida, people have been able to do just that since 1947, when Newton Perry opened a small roadside attraction with an underwater theater. For nearly 60 years, live mermaids have been the unique focal point of Weeki Wachee Springs. Mysterious and enchanting, these young performers have done everything from teaching a class to typing a letter underwater. They are carefully trained, completely enthusiastic, and delightful to see.

West Jefferson is located in the northwest corner of North Carolina, a land once known for its cherry orchards. In 1779, Col. Benjamin Cleveland, a hero of the Battle of King's Mountain, received a grant for 320 acres in a mountain valley in return for his service during the Revolutionary War. In 1912, the Virginia-Carolina Railroad became interested in the area's timber, farming, and mining resources and began building a railroad into Ashe County, ending at Todd. When the railroad came, the area was already populated by farms and businesses, as it was only two miles from the county seat of Jefferson. The North Carolina General Assembly chartered the town of West Jefferson in 1915, with boundaries extending one mile in each direction from the Virginia-Carolina Railroad depot. The railroad brought commercial growth, and the First National Bank of West Jefferson was opened in 1915 as well. West Jefferson showcases the expansion of this small town with a popular rail line to a tourist destination and retail center in the North Carolina mountains.

Few places in the United States can compare to the natural beauty and grace of Western North Carolina, a combination of picturesque mountain ranges, rolling foothills, and lush valleys. At the turn of the century, the visual splendor of the Appalachians and clean mountain air drew thousands upon thousands of visitors, including a large number of photographers, to the region's many health resorts, hotels, hiking trails, and small towns. Like explorers of old, these photographers went out into the North Carolina wilderness carrying their bulky photographic contraptions and glass-plate negatives in hopes of sharing its spectacular scenes with the rest of the nation. Using cameras equipped with twin lenses mounted about 2.5 inches apart, which created almost identical images, these photographers created
stereoscopic views, or stereo views--double images placed on a rigid card--which were then viewed through a hand-held stereoscope and resulted in the person experiencing a three-dimensional effect. In Western North Carolina: A Visual Journey Through Stereo Views and Photographs, you will see these professional photographers' hard work, a wonderful collection of images capturing the unspoiled beauty of the region, such as pictures of waterfalls, rivers, forests, and mountain ranges; views of local people at work and at play; snapshots of early railroad construction; and panoramas of the growing
mountain communities, such as Bakersville, Hot Springs, Lenoir, Old Fort, Hendersonville, and Asheville.

Told through the lens of vintage images, discover the rich and storied past of Wilkes County, North Carolina.

Hardy pioneers settled this area of the North Carolina backcountry in the 18th century. Perhaps best known for illegal whiskey and stock car racing, Wilkes County heritage also lies in agriculture and industry. Farmers toiled the land while industrialists and merchants built houses, businesses, railroads, and services in the county's three municipalities: Wilkesboro, North Wilkesboro, and Ronda. Major corporations Lowe's and Holly Farms were born here. Americana music is a staple of local culture, with popular festivals like MerleFest drawing international acclaim to the area. The enduring folkways and down-home values of this rural community have long made Wilkes County a place where the roots of family and history run deep.

The rich history of Williamston lives in the memories and memorabilia passed through generations of individuals. Williamston's raconteurs tell vivid tales of energizing spring water; a thriving community of hotels, restaurants, and theaters; and a school system reaching unbelievable heights. Founded by West Allen Williams near a natural mineral spring in 1842, the town of Williamston beckons for all to hear its history and soak in its rejuvenating heritage of trust, hope, and assurance. The town grew to accommodate travelers who arrived by train to partake of its medicinal waters. Many stayed in the Mammoth Hotel, the largest building in South Carolina at the time of its construction. The Civil War brought an end to this era of prosperity, but the turn of the 20th century saw the rise of cotton mills on the banks of the nearby Saluda River. This book unveils the timeless tapestry of Williamston's past—a history woven through time that unites people from all walks of life.

Nestled between Pilot Mountain and the Blue Ridge
Mountains, Yadkin County, North Carolina, is a beautiful region inhabited by energetic, hardworking
Americans, descendants of the pioneers who settled there over two hundred years ago. A rural setting that is close to major metropolitan areas, the county's special appeal is its unique way of incorporating change while preserving its heritage and family values. Yadkin County: The First One Hundred Years will be enjoyed by older generations as a trip down memory lane; appreciated by younger generations as a glimpse of an era when life was harder, but perhaps simpler; and treasured by residents and visitors of all ages. It graciously
reminds us of the importance of learning history to help us understand our past and succeed in the future as we deal with the computer age and move toward the twenty-first century.

The biggest meteor shower of the century filled the sky in the winter of 1833, and Yancey County came into being that December.

It is a place of fierce independence, astounding natural beauty, and civic pride. Nestled amidst the Black Mountains, the county boasts 19 peaks above 6,000 feet, including Mount Mitchell, the tallest peak in the Eastern United States. Archaeological excavations trace human history in Yancey County as far back as the Paleo-Indian period, 9000 to 10,000 BC, based on regional dates. Families have flourished for many generations along the Cane and Toe Rivers in a mineral-rich land dotted with fresh springs and free-flowing creeks. Named for statesman and orator Bartlett Yancey, the county is characterized by streets and areas with delightful names, such as Barking Dog, Bee Log, and Merry Bear Lane. The citizens are descended from ancestors who fought on both sides of the War between the States. Working the county's land of plenty has given them ginseng, galax, tobacco, ramps, and a cornucopia of fine foods.