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 78K: Communities in Eastern Ohio

Introduction

The specific region properly known as Eastern Ohio is the region located directly to the west of the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia, especially when referring to the communities opposite Wheeling. Further into the State of Ohio, communities such as Cadiz and Cambridge are also often associated with the Appalachian region and are thus identified as part of “Eastern Ohio” as well.

City of Cambridge

Cambridge is centrally located within Guernsey County, Ohio, and serves as the county seat. Within the community, the most notable museum is the National Museum of Cambridge Glass, though more locally significant museums including the Guernsey County Museum and the Dickens Victorian Village are also of particular interest. The community is accessible off Interstates 70 and 77 and along Routes 22, 40, and 209.

Village of Cadiz

The Village of Cadiz is centrally located in Harrison County, along Routes 9, 22, and 250, to serve as the county seat. As part of a historically coal-mining region, the Harrison County History of Coal Museum is often naturally featured as an associated attraction for the region.

Village of Barnesville

The Village of Barnesville is located in the western part of Belmont County, Ohio, home to the Belmont County Victorian Mansion Museum, the Ohio Pumpkin Festival at Barnesville, and the Watt Center for History and the Arts—all within the vicinity of Routes 147 and 800.

Village of Bridgeport

Located directly opposite the City of Wheeling, West Virginia, and specifically opposite Wheeling Island, the Village of Bridgeport is a community of under two thousand people home to the historic Joseph Kirkwood House.

Village of Bellaire

To the south of Bridgeport and Wheeling (WV) is the Village of Bellaire, home to the Bellaire Toy and Plastic Brick Museum, the National Imperial Glass Museum, and enchanted house tours typical of the eastern part of the State of Ohio.

City of Steubenville

Directly opposite the City of Weirton, Brooke County, West Virginia, is the City of Steubenville, the county seat of Jefferson County, Ohio. Though the two communities may have similar population counts, the Ohio community is distinct for having Historic Fort Steuben and the Franciscan University of Steubenville, while the West Virginian community, which also extends north into Hancock County, is merely home to the Weirton Area Museum and Cultural Center.