Welcome from the Ashe County Historical Society. Our goal is to promote and preserve the history of Ashe County. This site provides products and resources related to that mission
This Week in Ashe County History:
Date | Event | 12-05-1752 | On this date, Bishop Augustus Spagenberg became the first European to visit Ashe County. Searching for a place to establish a Moravian church, Spagenberg was exploring Western North Carolina. He and his party were forced to climb and "indescribably steep mountain" and upon reaching the summit, experienced a howling mountain wind. Spagenberg wrote that he had "never felt a winter wind so strong and cold." To modern residents, these descriptions of Ashe County are still all too relatable. |
12-09-1876 | On this date, a severe cold snap hit the county. It was reported that the temperature reached a high of -4 and ice on the New River was observed to be 18 inches thick. An observer from Mecklenburg County reported that he saw residents of Ashe County racing their horse on the frozen river. |
12-10-1888 | David Worth died in Creston. Worth came to Creston around 1828. A tanner by trade, he was soon involved in several successful business ventures including a store, a mill and a wagon factory. Worth became one of the most prominent residents of Creston. When he died, Worth left land and money in his will to construct a church for the Creston community. The resulting building, Worth's Chapel, is one of the most stunning buildings in Ashe County; it is currently listed on the National Historic Register. |
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