What You Don't Know About Asheville's History
Posted On Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Looking back on things...
Something about weekends in the south are just magical. Yes, like anywhere else, they can get eaten up with grocery trips, errands, and chauffeuring kids around (seriously, every time I pick my sisters up, more kids pile in the car with them!). However, on a weekend where all of that is taken care of...there's nothing like it. The entire culture down here is begging you to take a load off, sit back and enjoy a cup of tea. Fortunately for the current weather (this is the closest to a tundra I ever want to be) my yankee mother drilled into me that tea is drunk hot. Personally, my free time recently is being monopolized by trying to figure out how to make flowers out of frosting and refurbishing dressers. Only in the south can my fascination with refurbishing old furniture and using power tools become a feminine art. You may prefer perusing the local shops or taking a hike to one of the many nearby scenic mountain outlooks. If this is how I'm whiling away my free time now, just after the turn of 2015, what were Ashevillians doing in their free time before the advent of the internet and "up-cycling" as a hobby?
A New Chapter in Asheville History
Providing a solid education to our children has always been a major priority and on January 29, 1892 that is exactly what the Buncombe County Farmers' Alliance was working toward. After much debate, it was decided that the Alliance would pass a resolution to utilize their influence to raise money for the public schools through the area to remain open for six months rather than four with the ultimate goal of being open eight to nine months. At the time there were three elementary schools and one high school. Three of the four buildings are still in tact. The Orange Street School is currently used for the NC DOT offices, Queen Carson Elementary School located on the corner of Haywood Street and Park Avenue has been delegated for use as the city bus garage and Montford Street Elementary School was torn down and replaced in the 1950's with William Randalph Elementary. The High school still stands on the ground it was moved to in 1929 with the original structure in tact, though with a few modern additions to accommodate the evolution of education in the United States. When it was originally opened, Asheville High School had a wide scope of vocational training for it's students to choose from including automotive mechanics, mechanical drawing, photography - complete with dark room - and print shops that produced all the school yearbooks, newspapers and magazines.
P.S. Click on the Image above to look at an electronic version of the actual paper that hit the streets on January 29, 1892.
Step into the Past while you Tour the Present...
It can be easy to get caught up with the hustle and bustle of the city and spend all your time in the chic, modern galleries and spas. But to allow that to be all that you experience of Asheville would be to cheat yourself. Asheville has always appealed to those who burn with the desire to make their own way and blaze a new trail. This has created a deeply layered and rich culture with many secrets and forgotten stories to be unearthed. I hope you enjoy the picture we found and the link to the real Asheville Daily Citizen as it was printed one hundred twenty three years ago. And I hope you find ways to make this January 29th historic for yourself.
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