Ashe County Historical Society

About Us

The Ashe County Historical Society is a non-profit corporation created under the laws of the State of North Carolina. Organized in 1983, its Articles of Incorporation and its Bylaws provide for involvement of members, and governance by a board of directors elected by the membership at an annual meeting.

Our mission is to preserve, collect, present, and promote the rich history of the Ashe County area. The society motto is: "Preserving Our Past for Your Future." We welcome all interested persons to join us in our endeavors to preserve Ashe County’s yesterday.

Local History

Before there was an Ashe County, this territory was part of the English colony called Anson County. In 1753 it became part of Rowan County, then part of Surry County in 1771, and part of Wilkes County in 1777. From 1784 until 1789 it was part of the State of Franklin, along with much of eastern Tennessee. From 1789 when the State of Franklin dissolved until 1792, when these lands were returned to North Carolina governmental jurisdiction as part of Wilkes County, the area would be just a part of United States territory. (This may be the basis for occasional historical references to this region as “The Lost Province.”)

In 1799, the North Carolina legislature created the County of Ashe. The name was given to honor Samuel Ashe, who had been Governor, Superior Court Judge, and a Revolutionary War patriot. The new county contained approximately 977 square miles. In 1849 approximately 320 square miles was ceded to the formation of Watauga County, and in 1859 approximately 230 square miles to the formation of Alleghany County.

One of the county’s most distinctive features is the New River. It is said to be over three hundred million years old, and is unique in that it flows North. The river has been a major reason for settlement here, as well as a popular source of recreational activities. On July 30, 1998, it became protected from major development when it was proclaimed an American Heritage River.

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Historic Sites

National Register's list of historic places in Ashe County.
The Museum of Ashe County History in the Old Courthouse.

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Photographs:

Ashe County Historical Photos

Submit your historic photos to the Society! Click the bus to see more photos!

Old Ashe County

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News & Events:

Category: General : Author: ACHS

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Our Annual Meeting and Family Heritage Gathering celebration for 2011 was held on June 10 and 11. Special appreciation goes to Lonnie Jones, Carol Williams and Gary Poe for arranging another program of interest to our members and to the public.

Our election for board members resulted in election of Gary Poe to a three-year term and returned Bob McCoy to another three-year term.

At the July 11 meeting for election of officers those now serving were retained for another year.

Category: General : Author: ACHS

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We are now in our organization's permanent office location. It is in the Museum of Ashe County History, which is in the 1904 Courthouse building in the center of Jefferson. We have a large office, available conference room, and climate controlled storage for our book inventory. Our space is on the ground floor, with easy access for our members and visitors. We have Internet access, and will begin some genealogical research there. We are working on a number of fund-raising ideas, and welcome new members. Come out and join us!

Category: General : Author: ACHS

Date: Second Mondays, 6:30 pm Regular Meetings :
Ashe County Historical Society meets the second Monday in each month. The location is in the Museum of Ashe County History (the 1904 Courthouse building) in downtown Jefferson. The meeting starts at 6:30pm. It will move along quickly and then we stay awhile for just visiting. Come join us!

Category: General

WORK IN PROGRESS :
We are continuing with work on an updated Cemetery Records book. This one will cover the years 1999 through 2009.

The Virginia Creeper in Ashe County is now an addition to the Images of America books and is available for sale. Click on our Book Shoppe to order your copy (and some for friends and family).

Mountaineer Heritage was the name given to a series of twenty-two publications created by Ashe County high school students. We are preparing the collection in a bound volume which will provide much information about our history.

Another project is to prepare for publication the survey of Ashe County historical properties which was commissioned by the county in 2004.

Category: General

Membership Dues :
For the calendar year 2012 our annual membership dues remain at Ten Dollars. Your contribution supports our mission, and you will receive our quarterly newsletters.

Please send a check, along with your email and mailing addresses, to Ashe County Historical Society, Post Office Box 1361, Jefferson, NC 28640.

Category: General

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For Sale:

The Virginia Creeper in Ashe County

West Jefferson did not exist until local entrepreneurs saw an opportunity to run the tracks from Whitetop Mountain in Virginia to North Carolina. In 1914, the Virginia Carolina Railroad came to Ashe County. Virgin timber grew in the mountains, luring the Hassenger Lumber Company into the area. Small sawmills and lumbering operations were located “up every holler,” so the tracks were expanded into Elkland, known today as Todd. Until 1933, the train ran daily into the county, and communities such as Nella, Tuckerdale, Camrose, Bowie, Lansing, Warrensville, Berlin, and West Jefferson grew up along the tracks. The timber was gone by 1929, and when the Great Depression came, the Norfolk and Western Abingdon Line made the slow grinding haul up the mountain every week. During the 1950s and 1960s, the spectacular fall leaf displays made excursion trains popular for tourists. The last train ran in 1977, and the tracks in Ashe County were removed, leaving only a few vestiges to show the train was ever here. $21.99

Ashe County

Arcadia's Images of America series features Ashe County, NC. The book focuses on the geographical features of Ashe County and the remarkable pioneers who settled the region. 128 pages. $22.49

Ashe County Revisited

After the publication of Images of America: Ashe County, requests poured in for a second volume. In response to this demand, the Ashe County Historical Society has compiled another collection of over 200 captivating black-and-white photographs along with historical information about this beloved corner of the High Country. Ashe County Revisited focuses on the distinctive geographical features of Ashe County and how the geography shaped the remarkable pioneers who settled the region. These hardy folk came from the relative security of the Piedmont and valleys of Virginia and North Carolina to a mountainous region dominated by 5,000-foot peaks, fertile bottomland, and vast stretches of timberland and meadowland. They forded the many streams feeding the two forks of the New River and carved roads around and through sheer granite walls. They mined ore from the mountains and felled vast timber resources before replanting the forests and developing new industries. The character of Ashe County reflects how these pioneers learned to live with the demands of the harsh mountainous environment. The residents of the county and their myriad accomplishments are celebrated once again in a stunning visual history. $22.49

Ashe County A History

This work is a reprint of the first-ever complete history of Ashe County, North Carolina, originally commissioned by the Ashe County Research Association and published in 1963. Chapters cover early explorers, including Bishop Spangenberg, whose Moravians were the first recorded explorers in the region, and Daniel Boone; the ill-fated War of Regulation, which preceded the American Revolution; the county’s creation in 1799; Ashe County’s role in the Civil War and both World Wars; religion; education; industry; highways; local organizations; community leaders and newspapers; recreation; and folklore. Appendices provide rosters of Ashe County veterans who served in World Wars I and II and a list of regional land entries from 1778. $45.00