×
Brick-wall mural featuring ornamental text 'Burlington' with a 'Welcome' banner and ribbons reading 'North Carolina'—a city welcome sign.
Asheville History
4 months ago
Strangeville: Why Thomas Wolfe testified in a Yancey County murder trial

The Asheville author testified in a Yancey County murder trial after witnessing a Burnsville confrontation one week before a deadly shooting.

Close-up of a book cover showing a woman's face with a vibrant flower crown, outdoors among pink blooms; title reads 'HAPPY LAND'.
Community
4 months ago
750+ readers participate in blockbuster One Book, One Buncombe program

One Book, One Buncombe is a community reading program aimed at creating unity through literature across Buncombe County. Hundreds of copies of “Happy Land” by Dolen Perkins-Valdez were made freely available to readers as part of the initiative.

Weathered granite tombstone in a sunny grassy cemetery, inscribed with Amos Lunsford and family dates and the word 'Father'/'Mother'.
Asheville History
4 months ago
Tombstone Tales: Deadly 1889 camp meeting in Buncombe County

A violent confrontation at a Turkey Creek camp meeting led to a death and a murder trial in Buncombe County.

Smiling man with glasses stands in front of a bright mural of oversized orange-yellow sunflowers with green leaves.
Community
4 months ago
New Asheville Pride festival marks 1st June fest in nearly 30 years

June may be Pride Month, but Asheville Pride festivals have been traditionally held in the fall. That is, until this summer. June 26-28, 2026 marks the debut of AVL Stonewall Fest, a new Pride Month festival.

Rocky mountain ridge with dense evergreen forest and misty clouds rolling over the valley below.
Asheville History
4 months ago
Strangeville: Grandfather Mountain’s Phantom hiker haunts Western North Carolina

A silent figure on rugged High-Country paths has become one of Western North Carolina’s most enduring mountain mysteries.

Granite grave marker in a sunny cemetery, reads Theodore Sum­mey Morrison (1852–1926) and Ella Davidson Morrison (1851–1939) with other worn headstones nearby.
Asheville History
4 months ago
Tombstone Tales: Ella Morrison shaped Asheville institutions

Buried at Riverside Cemetery, Ella Morrison left a lasting mark on Asheville’s civic life.

Black-and-white photo of a man sitting on a rustic, four-wheeled wooden cart with a steering wheel in a park with trees.
Arts & Culture
5 months ago
George Masa documentary to make world premiere in Asheville

George Masa was a Japanese photographer whose pictures helped establish the Appalachian Trail and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Despite his historical impact, little is known about Masa in his private life. In “A Life Reimagined: The George Masa Story,” filmmaker Paul Bonesteel attempts to unearth the story of the legendary photographer.

Bronze statue of a male military figure in uniform atop a stone pedestal in a sunny park, with trees and a small pavilion nearby.
Asheville History
5 months ago
Strangeville: Why Burnsville, NC was named for a sea captain who never visited

Burnsville’s town square honors War of 1812 hero Otway Burns, the coastal sea captain whose support for western North Carolina helped earn him a mountain town bearing his name.

Asheville History
5 months ago
Tombstone Tales: War of 1812 Veteran Buried in Haywood County

Elijah Deaver, a War of 1812 officer and early settler, gave Bethel a resting place that still serves the community today.

Asheville History
5 months ago
Strangeville: Ghost lore at St. John in the Wilderness in Flat Rock, NC

Long before ghost stories took hold, St. John in the Wilderness carried a layered history. Explore how its cemetery and past shaped its haunted reputation.