Hype for the Future 100I: The Hydrological Definition of the High Country

Overview

Hydrologically, the High Country of the State of North Carolina shall be defined as the extent of the New River Valley, including all forks and branches of the New River, located within the State of North Carolina.

Hype for the Future 100H: What is the High Country of North Carolina?

Overview

The High Country of the State of North Carolina refers to the relatively higher elevations in the mountainous portions of the State of North Carolina. The State of North Carolina is home to the numerous communities at higher elevations within the region, and the cities at higher elevation that are also somewhat larger often define the cultural boundaries of the High Country, culturally distinct from Asheville and more influenced by the Tri-Cities to the west and even Roanoke to the north. Today, communities such as Boone and Blowing Rock are hydrologically related to the New River Valley, which typically defines the region known as the High Country. Based on the New River definition of the High Country, the region specifically refers to the areas around the City of Boone in Watauga County and in a number of surrounding counties within the State.

Hype for the Future 100G: Ashe County, North Carolina

Introduction

Ashe County is located at the northwestern corner of the State of North Carolina, with the Commonwealth of Virginia to the north and the State of Tennessee to the west. The county is deeply embedded within the Great Smoky Mountains and is a popular vacation and retiree destination located within the higher elevations of the region, especially attractive to visitors from Florida, Georgia, and the lower elevations of the Carolinas.

Communities

While the Town of Jefferson is the county seat of Ashe County, the resort town of West Jefferson provides the vast majority of the cultural features associated with the area. Today, the Town of West Jefferson contains such cultural traits as the R T Morgan Art Gallery, the Catch Light Gallery, the Originals Only Gallery, and the Ashe Arts Center. To the east of the primary communities is the New River State Park, with the upper New River remaining a point of cultural significance throughout the region otherwise known as the High Country.

Hype for the Future 100F: Town of Sparta, North Carolina

Overview

The Town of Sparta is located within Alleghany County, North Carolina, along the Virginia state line to serve as the county seat. Without a significant tourist industry, the community remains even more highly rural than the vast majority of surrounding communities within the most recreational area of the Appalachians and Great Smoky Mountains in particular. Within the Town of Sparta, the only notable point of cultural interest is the Alleghany Historical Museum.

Hype for the Future 100E: Madison County, North Carolina

Introduction

Madison County is located along the western edge of the State of North Carolina, with the Town of Marshall serving as the county seat and the Town of Mars Hill to the east serving as the largest community within the county.

Attractions

Locally within the Town of Marshall is an art gallery known as “Flow” as well as a statue on the Charters of Freedom. Further east, the Town of Mars Hill is home to Mars Hill University as well as the Mars Landing Galleries and Arts Center outside campus. On the eastern edge of the Mars Hill campus are the Weizenblatt Gallery as well as the Rural Heritage Museum.

Hype for the Future 100C: Town of Spruce Pine, North Carolina

Overview

The Town of Spruce Pine represents the largest town located within the boundaries of Mitchell County, North Carolina, and is situated within one of just a few places where high-purity quartz can be found, especially within the Spruce Pine Mining District. While not much exists in tourist attractions within Spruce Pine, lodging is available throughout the community and Mitchell County, including the iconic Blue Ridge Boutique Hotel.

Hype for the Future 100B: Grandfather Mountain

Introduction

Largely associated with Avery County, Grandfather Mountain is situated at the highest elevation along the Eastern Continental Divide in the United States of America. Though Mount Mitchell is situated at an even higher elevation, Mitchell is located further west and not along the Eastern Continental Divide in any way.

Infrastructure

The entirely gated community known as Grandfather is located directly at the centerpiece of Grandfather Mountain in the western portion of the State of North Carolina. Nearby, the community of Linville is associated with the modern Highland Games event known as Grandfather Mountain Highland Games. Surrounding communities are also home to tourist attractions along the Blue Ridge Mountains, including the overlooks of the Blue Ridge Parkway associated with Grandfather Mountain and surrounding areas. Also associated with Grandfather Mountain is the site of Grandfather Mountain State Park, recognizing the role of the mountain as the highest point directly along the proper Eastern Continental Divide.

Hype for the Futute 100A: Avery County, North Carolina

Overview

Situated immediately outside the Town of Banner Elk are two notable ski resorts in the area, namely the Beech Mountain Resort in the north and the Sugar Mountain Resort in the south. Wildcat Lake is situated nearby, and Grandfather Mountain is situated somewhat further to the southeast. In town, however, is the Banner House Museum, largely home to preserved historical artifacts from the 1860s in an analogous historic home. To the east of town, the Banner Elk community is also home to the Apple Hill Farm, which requires tickets.

Hype for the Future 100/284: Town of Banner Elk, North Carolina

Overview

The Town of Banner Elk is the largest town located within Avery County, North Carolina. However, the Town of Newland to the south serves as the county seat, and the most significant geographical interest related to the county is the relatively high elevation associated with the Blue Ridge Mountains in the region. Today, the Town of Newland is the county seat with the highest elevation east of the Mississippi River, while the Town of Banner Elk is home to the college or university of the highest elevation in the eastern part of the country. The college is known as Lees-McRae College, and the surrounding area is largely determined by rural mountain communities, thus with minimal population.

Hype for the Future 99O: Carl Sandburg

Overview

Notable as an early American poet associated with the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries, Carl Sandburg was a heavily renowned and iconic figure of the United States of America during his lifetime. Related to the Carl Sandburg historical context is the Village of Flat Rock, wherein Carl Sandburg’s historic home is preserved by the United States of America under the designation of a “National Historic Site.”

Hype for the Future 99N: Grayson County, Virginia

Introduction

Located firmly within the Appalachian, and more specifically, Blue Ridge, portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia is Grayson County, a Virginian county home to the Town of Independence and associated Independence Gallery as well as much of the Grayson Highlands State Park.

Geography

Topographically, Grayson is the Virginian county most commonly attributed to the highest elevation found in the Commonwealth of Virginia. However, the official highest point on the mountain may actually be shared with a neighboring western county, namely Smyth County.

Tourist Attractions

Apart from the local gallery serving the Town of Independence, more easterly tourist attractions include the Matthews Living History Farm Museum and the Blue Ridge Music Center, though the latter may actually be shared with Carroll County immediately to the east. Both tourist draws are identified as within the general vicinity of the independent City of Galax.

Hype for the Future 99M: Notable Appalachian Mountains, North Carolina Edition

Introduction

Within the State of North Carolina are many of the highest elevations located east of the Mississippi River within the United States of America. While Mount Mitchell represents the highest natural point in the State of North Carolina as well as in the east in general, neither the Eastern Continental Divide nor the Great Smoky Mountains divide between the States of North Carolina and Tennessee contain the official highest point. Mount Mitchell is, in fact, situated directly in between the two, east of the Tennessee state line but entirely west of the Eastern Continental Divide, thus associating with the Tennessee Valley first by way of associated river tributaries in the region of the Great Smoky Mountains.

Additional Mountains of Intersst

Apart from Mount Mitchell, two of the other most notable mountain peaks in the State of North Carolina include Kuwohi (formerly Clingman’s Dome) and Grandfather Mountain. While Kuwohi is the highest point of the Great Smoky Mountains and of the North Carolina and Tennessee state line, Grandfather Mountain contains the geographical high point of the Eastern Continental Divide through the United States of America. Also associated with the Blue Ridge Mountains, albeit north of the Great Smoky Mountains, is the highest natural peak in the Commonwealth of Virginia, Mount Rogers, directly within the limits of Grayson County and within reach of the Town of Independence.

Hype for the Future 99L: Yancey County, North Carolina

Introduction

Home to the highest natural point in the State of North Carolina—and in the United States of America east of the Mississippi River—is Yancey County, North Carolina. Mount Mitchell represents the highest point in the eastern United States of America and is specifically located in the southern portion of the county, within reach of the City of Asheville to the southwest.

Local Interest

Within the limits of Yancey County, North Carolina, the top of Mount Mitchell provides visitor information and services just shy of 6,700 feet above official sea level in the region. However, within the Town of Burnsville, which serves as the county seat of Yancey County, are the notable local attractions of the NuWray Hotel, the Otway Burns Statue, the Chase-Coletta House, and the Yancey History Association.

Hype for the Future 99K: Buncombe County, North Carolina

Introduction

The principal county of the Western North Carolina region, home to the City of Asheville and situated firmly within the Appalachian Mountains with the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east and the Great Smoky Mountains to the west, is known today as Buncombe County, North Carolina, and continues to serve the community and much of the vicinity throughout the western edge of the State.

Geography and Infrastructure

The City of Asheville is a tourist hub associated with the Blue Ridge Mountains, especially thanks to serving as the effective southern terminus of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Though not typically referred to as part of the High Country that occasionally defines the communities nearer Boone and Blowing Rock, the community is generally associated with higher elevations of the mountainous reaches of the State.

Art Colonies

While the City of Asheville may not be thought of as an art colony in the same manner as the art colonies of New England and other more stereotypically progressive regions, Buncombe County, including Asheville, is interestingly aligned with such communities. Today, the City of Asheville hosts the New Morning Gallery near the Biltmore Mansion and, in turn, the Biltmore Estate, in the southern portion of the community; however, a higher density of related art colonies also occurs further north. Such more northerly art galleries include the Odyssey Gallery of Ceramic Arts and the Bottinelli Fine Art studio areas as well as Wedge Studios and the Philip DeAngelo Studio nearby. The Luna Gallery also represents the immediate area; however, the inner city area, even further to the north and east, is representative with an even higher density of art institutions and related liberal and progressive cultural traits, resulting in a local cluster of communities with resemblances to communities in New England or even parts of Canada.

To the north of city limits are the Craggy Mountain Line and Artisans on Main in Weaverville, and to the east of city limits are the overlooks along the southern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Southern Highland Craft Guild and Folk Art Center (within city limits), Warren Wilson College near Swannanoa, and the numerous art guilds and related galleries in the area around Black Mountain at the eastern edge of the county.

Hype for the Future 99J: Haywood County, North Carolina

Introduction

Haywood County is located in the western portion of the State of North Carolina and serves as the largest county by population in the portion of the state west of the City of Asheville. The smaller City of Waynesville serves as the county seat, and the artificial Lake Junaluska to the north anchors a significant unincorporated community and a novelty residential area similar to gated communities located elsewhere throughout the nation.

Geography

The City of Waynesville is located within a region straddling the edges of the Great Smoky Mountains and the Blue Ridge Mountains, depending on the associated side of the area. Usually, the community is considered a core community of the Great Smoky Mountains; however, the eastern portion of the county is largely closer to sight of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Attractions

Most of the attractions associated with Haywood County, North Carolina, are located within the City of Waynesville, including, but not limited to, the Museum of North Carolina Handicrafts in the Shelton House of History, Heritage, and Crafts and a number of art conservatories associated with the smaller city as with numerous other Western North Carolina (WNC) communities. Apart from the Waynesville Conservatory, the primary art galleries associated with the smaller city include the Curatory Gallery (Art Contempo), the T Pennington Art Gallery, and the Twigs and Leaves Gallery. The Buckner Gallery is also located within the area, albeit further to the northeast.

Hype for the Future 99I: Biltmore Estate

Introduction

Located within the City of Asheville and Buncombe County, North Carolina, is the highly renowned and often prestigious location known as the Biltmore Estate. The Biltmore Estate, though with perhaps a lesser-known history, is largely influenced by the geographical setting of the area within the Appalachian Mountains, with the Great Smoky Mountains to the west and the Blue Ridge Mountains to the east.

Context

According to the Biltmore website, the Biltmore Estate represents the largest home in the United States of America and was originally associated with the construction by George Vanderbilt. Numerous exhibits and slower-paced attractions are associated with the estate, dependent on the time of day, time of year, and other factors; however, the grounds are largely associated with the southwestern portion of the county.

Hype for the Future 99H: Hayesville, North Carolina

Overview — Hayesville

The Town of Hayesville is centrally located within Clay County, North Carolina, and serves as the county seat. Located in the western portion of the State of North Carolina immediately north of the Georgia state line is the town, which serves as home to the Clay County Historical and Arts Museum as well as the Historic Clay County Courthouse at the Beal Center.

Overview — Clay County

Outside the Town of Hayesville, additional communities of county interest include the unincorporated community of Brasstown, home to the Silva and Highlander Galleries, in the west and the Jackrabbit Mountain area around Chatuge Lake in the south-central portion of the county adjacent to the Georgia state line to the south. In the east, the Shooting Creek Scenic Overlook is situated along Route 64, providing access to scenic views associated with the Blue Ridge Mountain of the region and possibly views into the State of Georgia as well. Though located outside the State of North Carolina, the Brasstown Bald along the line of Union County (west) and Towns County (east) within the State of Georgia is also of cultural significance to the region.

Hype for the Future 99G: Graham County, North Carolina

Overview

While Cherokee County represents the westernmost edge of the State of North Carolina, Graham County is located just to the northeast along the Tennessee state line. A rural county, the Town of Robbinsville serves as the county seat with fewer than six hundred residents. The county population only slightly exceeds eight thousand total residents in the modern day, at a relatively rural population density even for the Western North Carolina region.

Hype for the Future 99F: The Great Smoky Mountains At-Large

Introduction

The Great Smoky Mountains, largely determining the border between the States of Tennessee and North Carolina, is identified as a region of cultural significance, with many of the thrill attractions on the Tennessee side in Sevier County while the historical museums of the area are predominantly on the North Carolina side of the border.

Tennessee

The most important tourist draw to the Great Smoky Mountains is the Tennessee side of the area, containing such communities as Gatlinburg, Sevierville, and Pigeon Forge. While Gatlinburg is most notable for the cultural and artistic significance as a mountain retreat with cultural similarities occasionally resembling Asheville more than Knoxville, Pigeon Forge contains many of the most significant tourist destinations, including lighter thrill rides, zip line cultures, and notable figures in modern popular culture. While Sevierville, the county seat of Sevier County, may not be as much of a tourist destination, the community also contains honorary references to figures situated elsewhere within the county.

North Carolina

On the North Carolina side of the Great Smoky Mountains, civilization can vary quite dramatically, from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians around Cherokee and Bryson City, including Swain and surrounding counties, to the numerous museums and related cultural aspects regarding Scots and Scots-Irish culture and even a few minor universities in the region.

Though quite a distance from the mainstream Smoky Mountain attractions, Cherokee County is most notable around the Town of Murphy for the Cherokee Historical Museum. A separate museum is dedicated to the Cherokee people and is located within the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the community of Cherokee within Swain County. The Kuwohi (formerly Clingman’s Dome) Observation Deck is located directly at the high point of the Great Smoky Mountains and the highest elevation dividing the States of Tennessee and North Carolina, partially in Sevier County and partially in Swain County. The historical places associated with the region include Mingo Falls, the Oconaluftee Indian Village, the Mountain Farm Museum, the Mingus Mill, the Chasteen Creek Cascade, and a number of scenic overlooks intended to represent the natural beauty of the region. Within Bryson City, the most important tourist draws are the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad and the Appalachian Rivers Aquarium.

Outside the major attractions of Swain County and the Cherokee County Town of Murphy, additional communities and counties also contain distinctive tourist attractions and draws. Macon County contains Quarry Falls, the Cullasaja Falls hiking area, the Wesser Bald Fire Tower, and the larger community of Franklin. Within Franklin, Nikwasi Mound and the Smoky Mountain Center for the Performing Arts alike represent significant cultural features and traits, while the local attractions in the community include the Scottish Tartan Museum, the Franklin Terrace Bed and Breakfast, the Macon County Historical Museum, the Gem and Mineral Museum at Franklin, and the Uptown Gallery. Further west is the Town of Andrews, which contains the community attractions of the Valleytown Cultural Arts and Historical Society and the Andrews Valley Rail Tours.

Further east is Transylvania County, home to the community of Brevard, which serves as the county seat. Brevard is home to Brevard College, the Transylvania Heritage Museum, and the Veterans History Museum of the Carolinas.

Hype for the Future 99E: The Iconic Cumberlands

Introduction

The region of the Cumberlands in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, south of the Inner and Outer Bluegrass regions, is largely determined by the proximity to the upper reaches of the Cumberland River and to Lake Cumberland proper.

Notable Locales

Within the general region associated with the Cumberland River, including the Outer Bluegrass and Pennyroyal (Pennyrile) regions of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is largely the Daniel Boone National Forest. However, outside the Daniel Boone National Forest, additional attractions include Lake Cumberland, one of the largest man-made lakes in the United States of America; Lindsey Wilson University in Columbia; the Stephens Classic Cars museum in Russell Springs; and the Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument and Visitor Center and Museum just east of Nancy in Pulaski County.

Hype for the Future 99D: Casey County, Kentucky

Overview

Casey County is located west of the Outer Bluegrass region of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, using the City of Liberty as the county seat. An integral portion of the 127 Yard Sale route, Casey County is largely determined by the success of the yard sale throughout the region, including by way of the specific appliances and cultural features to be sold in Liberty, Hustonville, and associated communities throughout the area and surrounding counties. In the relatively recent past, the Hatfield and McCoy relatives have hosted the combined Hatfield and McCoy Museum within the area; however, the community is no longer associated with the museum as the site has been permanently closed.

Hype for the Future 99C: Unicoi County, Tennessee

Overview

Within the State of Tennessee and the Grand Division of East Tennessee is Unicoi County, which uses the community of Erwin as the county seat and is firmly located within reach of the Great Smoky Mountains. The Town of Unicoi, located further north and east within the county, serves as home to a local strawberry festival every year.

Hype for the Future 99B: Person County, North Carolina

Overview

Within the Piedmont region of the State of North Carolina, Person County is situated along the northern state line with the Commonwealth of Virginia and uses the City of Roxboro as the county seat. Today, Person County is the northernmost county of North Carolina along Route 501, which passes through the city directly. Without much in terms of local attractions, the City of Roxboro is perhaps best known for the Person County Museum of History.

Hype for the Future 99A: The Frontier Culture of Augusta County, Virginia

Disclaimer

Within the Commonwealth of Virginia, independent cities can occasionally be classified within the associated counties; however, the cities are politically separate from the surrounding counties as per the state constitution. This post pertains to the Cities of Staunton and Waynesboro in addition to Augusta County proper.

Introduction

Traditionally a significantly larger county associated with the entire frontier of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the County of Augusta, named for Princess Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, continues to serve as a place of historical significance within the Appalachian backcountry and old frontier of the United States of America, originating with the Scots-Irish and German communities dispersed throughout the region.

Communities

The Cities of Staunton and Waynesboro are geographically within Augusta County but are politically separate from the county proper. The governmental offices are increasingly relocating from the City of Staunton to the Town of Verona; additional communities within the county include, but are not limited to, Fishersville, Jolivue, Stuarts Draft, and Grottoes (primarily in Rockingham County).

Attractions

Many of the scenic overlooks, including the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline Drive themselves, are located along the eastern county line with Nelson County, Virginia. However, the Cities of Staunton and Waynesboro also provide distinctive opportunities for local and regional tourism, including the relevant backstories of the associated Scots-Irish and German communities.

Associated with the southern portion of the Town of Grottoes is Grand Caverns, a notable tourist attraction in the region for which the nearby community of Weyers Cave to the west may have been named for. The Grottoes Pool and the Fountain Cave Adventure Tours are also associated with the community.

Waynesboro Area

Within the City of Waynesville and the associated immediate vicinity into Augusta County are the Virginia Metalcrafters Marketplace and Historic District in the east and the more centrally located Plumb House Museum and Main Street corridor areas. Along the Main Street corridor are the following notable amenities, from west to east:

• Mural: Poochie
• The Russell Museum (Art)
• Shenandoah Valley Art Center, Inc.
• Waynesboro Heritage Foundation
• The Augusta County Railroad Museum
• P Buckley Moss Gallery Waynesboro

Staunton Area

For the City of Staunton (pronounced “Stanton”) and immediate vicinity into Augusta County, the most notable portion of the area is the Frontier Culture Museum and associated Octagon Barn. The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum is located on the northeastern side of the inner city, while the Virginia Scenic Railway represents the southwestern portion of the city limits.

The inner city of Staunton is most notable for the Camera Heritage Museum, the Staunton Mural, the Artisans Loft, and the CoArt Gallery representing the numerous art institutions of the community, while the Downtown Staunton Visitor Center and the R. R. Smith Center for History and Art are each located further east.

Institutions

The City of Staunton serves as home to Mary Baldwin University as well as a number of historic hotels and places to stay, most notably the Blackburn Inn and Conference Center in the southeast portion of the city. The Historic Inn at Oakdene, Hotel 24 South, the Storefront Hotel, and the Frederick House are perhaps some of the most notable places to stay within the city.

Hype for the Future 99/284: Buchanan County, Virginia

Overview

Located on a local northern extreme in the western part of the Commonwealth of Virginia, at the tripoint with the State of West Virginia and the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is Buchanan County, Virginia, most notable for the distinct pronunciation separate from the typical pronunciation of the name of the former President of the United States and for using the Town of Grundy as the county seat. Within the coalfields of the Commonwealth of Virginia in a region deep within Appalachia is a sense of extreme poverty, which decreases resources, services, and life expectancy within a region that also continues into similar dynamics in surrounding counties in southern West Virginia and the Eastern Kentucky Coalfields.

Hype for the Future 98L: Malcolm Blue Farm

Introduction

Located within the community of Aberdeen in southern Moore County, North Carolina, is the Malcolm Blue Farm, a historical place museum with indirect Scottish subtext associated with the community of Aberdeen, which itself inherits a community name from the City of Aberdeen in Scotland.

What to Expect

The historical site is admissions-free, and special events can be booked on select occasions though the primary purpose of the historical museum of Aberdeen is simply to focus on the story of Malcolm McMillan Blue, whose paternal lineage is largely traced to the Highland Clearances associated with the Scottish regions of the interior Highlands as well as potentially portions of the Inner and Outer Hebrides, regions which today comprise the vast majority of Gàidhealtachd areas in the modern nation.

Hype for the Future 98K: The Santee and Hopsewee Plantations — South Carolina

Overview

Though the Santee and Hopsewee Plantations are located nearby, the historical contexts of either plantation determine many of the cultural and economical differences. The Santee Plantation is on the south side of the South Santee River in Charleston County while the Hopsewee Plantation is situated near North Santee further north in Georgetown County. As with many plantations in the region in South Carolina, the historical context can largely be traced to the eighteenth (18th) century, between the years 1701 and 1800 and likely representative of the late colonial era in which South Carolina and, later, Georgia would have been settled.

Hype for the Future 98J: Walton’s Mountain Museum — Schuyler, Virginia

Overview

Located to the east of the Rockfish Gap on the border of Augusta and Nelson Counties crossed by Route 250 and dividing the Blue Ridge Parkway from Skyline Drive is a museum dedicated to The Waltons TV series, with Walton’s Mountain Museum located directly within the Schuyler area on the Nelson County side.

Hype for the Future 98I: Patrick Henry’s Red Hill

Introduction

Located near the county line between Charlotte County to the east and Campbell County to the west, in the area somewhat to the southeast of the City of Lynchburg, is the historic plantation estate of Patrick Henry. Today, the historic plantation estate continues to overlook the Roanoke River, somewhat accessible from the eastern vicinity of Route 501 near the Town of Brookneal in southeastern Campbell County (though the estate house itself is primarily in western Charlotte County, west of Charlotte Court House and associated communities).

Context

Sometimes, visitors can capture chances to meet direct descendants of Patrick Henry on the site of the historic Red Hill estate, which also offers interesting tours associated with the lanterns of the era and throughout the area. Today, Patrick Henry’s Red Hill is also identified as a national memorial intending to celebrate a Revolutionary War hero.

Hype for the Future 98H: The Booker T. Washington National Monument

Overview

Though the postal address of the national monument corresponds to the Town of Hardy, Bedford County, Virginia, the official location of the monument proper is situated within the limits of Franklin County, Virginia, though far to the east of the Town of Rocky Mount. Booker T. Washington was, along with rival W.E.B. DuBois, significant in Black history and progressive movements in the United States of America, even if Washington was the less progressive of the two.

Hype for the Future 98G: Oakland City, Indiana

Overview

While Princeton and Fort Branch represent the two (2) largest communities within Gibson County, Indiana, the third-largest community, Oakland City, is home to Oakland City University, the only General Baptist-affiliated university in the United States of America.