-
Biltmore Estate
Biltmore validated Asheville’s status as a leisure destination for the elite. By 1930, the Great Depression was taking its toll on Asheville, and “America’s largest home” opened to the public to help increase tourism. Today Biltmore stands among North Carolina’s top attractions, with more than one million annual visitors -
Religious Congregations
The 1890s dawned the advent of religious retreat centers and meeting grounds here, bringing thousands of followers to Western North Carolina. Many Christians congregated to celebrate their religion in Montreat. -
Bringing the Smokies into Light
Kephart and Masa took photographs of the Smokies, getting it noticed. This helped campaign to turn it into a national park -
Pisgah National Forest
86,000 acres of Biltmore Estate land donated to the US government to create the first National Park east of the Mississippi River! -
The Creation of the Appalachian Trail
A trail connecting a series of work, study, and farming camps along the ridges of Appalachia to serve as a refuge from an increasingly industrialized society. -
The Great Smokies
President Calvin Coolidge signed the bill that established the “Great” Smokies as a national park straddling the state line of Tennessee and North Carolina -
Cherokee Indian Reserve
A major attraction is the Cherokee Indian Reserve. Cherokee culture is exhibited along with the Oconaluftee Indian Village. -
Knoxville Hosts the World Fair
The fair introduced the world’s first touch-screen computer displays, Cherry Coke, and the Sunsphere, a 26-story steel tower capped with a giant bronze globe. -
Dollywood
In 1986, the Tennessee singer brought her star power home to Sevier County, with a rebranded theme park on the site of Pigeon Forge. Today, Dollywood is Tennessee’s most popular ticketed attraction! -
Cold Mountain
Novel published telling the story of Confederate Soldiers in the South. Reveals Appalachian culture.
