Asheville was the first city in North Carolina to have an electric streetcar system, with the first run on February 1, 1889. Asheville was followed by Winston, Charlotte, Raleigh and then Wilmington (1890-1892). Montford was likely the first electric streetcar suburb in the state. Streetcar suburbs, defined as a planned community built around a street
We now know that Richmond Pearson named the new station Montford Park Station. Why the Name Montford? An article in the Daily Citizen of March 31, 1891, titled “Montford Park Station: Asheville’s New Suburb on the French Broad” reveals that “for the privilege of naming the station, Mr. Richmond Pearson, last summer, agreed to erect
Richmond Pearson’s Little-Known Part in the Creation of Montford [Click here to read Rediscovering Montford’s Early History Part 1 post revealing the first newspaper article announcing the creation of Montford Park and the naming of Montford Park Station.] Richmond Pearson was given the honor in the summer of 1890 of naming the new passenger depot on the Asheville Loan, Construction
Jon Elliston will explore the bizarre odyssey of John R. Brinkley, one of Western North Carolina’s most infamous figures. From his humble mountain origins, Brinkley rose to national stature as a medical scam artist. He made a killing on sketchy goat gland implants and other oddball treatments, only to die pretty young and totally broke. At the
We did it! The HeardTell blog hit 100,000 views on Monday, December 12, 2016, at 10:09 p.m. Thank you for making it happen! Thanks to our readers. Thanks to our staff writers and guest writers. Thanks to all who have commented on our posts. And thanks to everyone who has shared our posts and told others about
On exhibit at Pack Memorial Library: “Folk Art of Southern Appalachia.” “Folk artists thrive in North Carolina, evolving through self-instruction and emulation of the work of others as well as upholding traditional methods of craft passed down through the generations.” “While a consensus definition is difficult, folk art generally refers to work done by untrained,
HeardTell followers will have a surprise when they pick up the Nov. 30, 2016 issue of Mountain Express. The cover story trumpets the inclusion of the Influential Eight, “some of those lesser-known folks who are quietly doing important work in the Asheville area.” Among those eight is North Carolina librarian Zoe Rhine. Read it and