Each time tourists or residents drive beneath the stone bridges throughout the Blue Ridge Parkway, whether it is in Cherry Lane, Laurel Springs or somewhere along the 477-mile route, they are passing beneath a piece of history and essentially a piece of Europe. Both Italian and Spanish immigrants helped to…
Do you ever wonder how your hometown or the section of the county you’re from got its name? In Alleghany County the names are obvious for certain sections like Piney Creek, Cherry Lane, and Roaring Gap. At one time the county even had locations like Nile and Egypt on their…
One of the most noteworthy stories to ever come across the pages of the Alleghany Times News, now the Alleghany News, was the death of a local school girl in the Saddle Mountain community. Her name was Elva Brannock. Her story is unique in the sense that it was never…
When I was growing up, there were few things more exciting than listening to WCOK (our local radio station) for the birthday reports. It was so exciting to hear your name on the radio when it was YOUR birthday. We also looked forward to getting a copy of the Alleghany…
While giving tours on the campus of Brevard College, N.C. I decided to do a little research on the college’s history so that I may share it with perspective students and their families. However, upon doing so it was a bit of a surprise when I found mention of a…
My love of history began when I was in fourth grade. However, it would not be until I got to high school that I discovered my true passion for it. So, when it came time to pick a topic for my senior project I chose to do the history of…
As a historian I have the tendency to read, and not just read, but to really dive deep into a topic. The more I grew to love history, the more I wanted to know about my own Appalachian mountain community. Over the years everything from the Great Depression, tobacco farming,…
