Tuesday, May 05, 2020 / Published in Arts, Buncombe County History, Crafts, Forgotten People, Oral History, Women

Elsie’s Story – Hidden Stories in Oral Histories

Working in local history archives at UNCA Ramsey Library and at Pack Library’s North Carolina Room, I thought often about the many fascinating stories that remain hidden in the oral histories of both collections. Until the interview is transcribed, the story remains untold. Few people will have the time or the patience to listen to the
Saturday, June 15, 2019 / Published in 52 Weeks 52 Communities, Buncombe County History, Local History, North Carolina Room Staff

Farming Family connections in Fairview: 52 Weeks, 52 Communities

One of my earliest childhood memories is in a big, old house full of people gathered for Christmas dinner. In a dining room with a large table and wood floors, the chandelier lit with candles dripped down onto the table. At just five years old or so, it was a method of lighting I had
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Tuesday, April 09, 2019 / Published in 52 Weeks 52 Communities, Buncombe County History, Local History, Manuscript Collection, Oral History, Photograph Collection, Women

Voices from Old Candlertown: 52 Weeks, 52 Communities

The voices of our community members are one way we learn about our past. Eleanor Newcomb Rice knew this, and made it her work to collect the voices of “Old Candlertown” for many years. Rice was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1924, but when she was young, her parents moved her and her three older