A History of Mt. Mitchell and the Black Mountains: Exploration, Development, and Preservation

by S. Kent Schwarzkopf

The Black Mountain range of the Appalachians is the highest mountain range in the eastern United States and has a diverse ecology with plants and animals usually found much further north. Heavily deforested in the late nineteenth century, the range was the site of the nation's first natural resources preservation movement in the early 20th century. Subjects discussed include intitial habitations by scientist Elisha Mitchell's exploration of the range, developing tourism in the 1850s, the Clingman-Mitchell highest peak controversy, and geographic explorations of Arnold Guyot, exploitation and preservation at the turn of the 20th century, and the return of tourism.

132 pages, Paperback

First published November 12, 1985

Reviews

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love the Black Mountains region of North Carolina and find the history of the area to be fascinating. I am always looking for new books to read on the subject. I found this book by chance and am very glad that I did. It was an easy and very informative read.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though published in 1985, this concise history of the Mt. Mitchell and the Blacks is well-organized and contains the most detailed description of the Clingman-Mitchell feud I’ve come across. Recommended for anyone interested in WNC history.

[Matthew Chisholm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is history before AI or even the internet. Authored by a local man with an intimate sense of the landscape and a personal stake in the land's history. Short but rich look at a small J-shaped portion of the tallest mountains in the eastern United States. Just wished we had direct citations for all sources.