Western North Carolina played an important role in the state’s economic and occupational development, through its railroads delivering raw materials such as lumber and mica across the state. Pictorial evidence Western Carolina University preserves includes the accompanying photo of the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad. Through such endeavors, acknowledgment of railroads’ place in North Carolina history chugging along.
Mounds built by Native Americans, like the ones featured in the accompanying photo, had purposes both prosaic and sacred. Places like Franklin, Bryson City, Murphy have earthen mounds intact, despite the effects of erosion, plowing, and artifact hunters.
Reardon relates things to see and do on a visit to Bryson City. 1,300 year-round residents live there, and the town is a hub for outdoor activities in nearby national forests and parks.
Bryson City, county seat of Swain County, attracts thousands of tourists to its scenic mountains, historical attractions, and outdoor activities, yet still maintains its small-town, down-home atmosphere.