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Picturing the Past Local History Blog

Probart Street’s Namesake Part 1

Note: This article is part of a series on street namesakes in Brevard. When the city of Brevard was founded in 1861, many of the earliest organizers had streets named

Berry’s Restaurant

Berry’s Restaurant was an iconic sight in Transylvania County from 1959-1994 at the location that is presently Wendy’s. The stylish, vertical green sign greeted guests shortly after they entered the

City and Business Directories for Genealogy

Business and city directories provide a surprising amount of information about how people and communities have changed over time. One of the oldest in the state, Branson’s North Carolina Business

Veterans Day in Transylvania County

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, World War I formally ended. One year later, President Woodrow Wilson commemorated that first anniversary of

Transylvania Ghost Stories, Part 3

The last installment in this Transylvania ghost story series is about funny stories that feature ghosts. These knee-slapping stories probably didn’t really happen, but they make a good tale. These

Transylvania Ghost Stories, Part 2

Ghost stories have common themes, regardless of where they are located. One such theme is that of the star-crossed lovers. Usually there are some kinds of circumstances in life that

Transylvania Ghost Stories Part 1

October is spooky season, and in the archives and online we’ve been seeing increased interest in hearing local ghost stories. One would think that a place called Transylvania would be

Educator Ethel K. Mills

Ethelyn “Ethel” Kennedy Mills was born on February 20, 1902 in Franklin, NC to James and Florine Kennedy and was the fourth of six children. James was an Episcopal minister

Anne’s Beauty Bar

Many beauty and barber shops served Transylvania over the years, and one such business was Anne’s Beauty Bar (1946-1957). Owned by Mrs. Anne Norton Pearce, Anne’s Beauty Bar provided ladies

Brevard Lumber Company

Brevard Lumber Company (BLC) was one of the longest operating businesses in Transylvania County under the stewardship of one family. Started in 1910 by Francis Edward Byam Jenkins (1865-1940), it

The Little House Movement

The local Girl Scout Little House had its grand opening 75 years ago on October 24, 1948, thanks in large part to the efforts of a local women’s group headed

Black Forest Lodges in the Pisgah National Forest

When Carl Schenck created the first forestry school in America in the Pisgah Forest, Biltmore Forest School (BFS), he managed the 100,000-acre tract owned by George Vanderbilt with the precision

Elizabeth Neill Morris

Elizabeth Ann Neill (Morris), great-granddaughter of Lambert Clayton and Sarah Davidson Clayton, is another real historical figure who appears in Parker and Borhaug’s “To Stand on Solid Ground: A Civil

Godfrey-Barnette House Part 2

Last week’s article ended with the Godfreys selling the historic Godfrey-Barnette house on South Broad Street to the Stokes family in 1929. This week will include house history to modern

Godfrey-Barnette House Part 1

The Godfrey-Barnette House, which has at times been called Linden Tree Manor, was built in 1918 on land that belonged to George McCoy Hixson. The house was constructed in the

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