My grandparents Asbury Whisnant (1872-1955) and Sarah Ella Austin (1869-1942) both grew up down the mountain, and came to the Land of the Sky as adults–he to find a job…
Read more“The Land of the Sky”: How a Phrase Went So Far, So Fast, and Lasted So Long
One of a three-part series, best read in order: 1. Asheville as “The Land of the Sky”: The Novel, and a Phrase That Stuck 2. “The Land of the Sky”:…
Read more“The Land of the Sky”: A Brief Guide to the Novel and Its Moment
One of a three-part series, best read in order: 1. Asheville as “The Land of the Sky”: The Novel, and a Phrase That Stuck 2. “The Land of the Sky”:…
Read moreAsheville as “The Land of the Sky”: A Novel, and a Phrase That Stuck
One of a three-part series, best read in order: 1. Asheville as “The Land of the Sky”: The Novel, and a Phrase That Stuck 2. “The Land of the Sky”:…
Read moreMud on the Rafters
More than thirty years ago, just short of my father’s seventieth birthday, I taped a long interview with him to explore his memories of his early life in Asheville. Toward…
Read moreWelcome to Asheville Junction
A One-Minute History of Asheville and “The Land of the Sky” Chartered 1797; turkey and hog drives on drovers’ roads, and early trade; early “stands” and inns; Buncombe Turnpike opens (1828); hotels and…
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