Wilkes County, North Carolina was formed in 1778. It possesses a rich history, as it has been home to Native Americans, intrepid explorers like Christopher Gist and Daniel Boone, wartime heroes like Benjamin Cleveland and General James B. Gordon, and well-known scoundrels like Tom Dooley and Otto Wood. Over the years, Wilkes produced timber, moonshine, tobacco, NASCAR, Lowe's Home Improvement, and Americana music. This comprehensive history of the county explores the development of one of the most beautiful and interesting areas of the United States. Drawn from the local history collection of Wilkes Community College, local newspapers, and personal accounts, this book will entertain visitors and long-time residents alike. For more information, contact Dr. Fay Byrd at Wilkes Community College at (336) 838-6114.This is the black and white edition.

Offers highlights of Wilkes County history that weren't included in the Wilkes County SOH DVD productions.

In the Southern Appalachian Mountains, no character was more loved or despised than George W. Kirk. This inured Union officer led a group of deserters on numerous raids between Tennessee and North Carolina in 1863, terrorizing Confederate soldiers and civilians alike. At Camp Vance in Morganton, Kirk's mounted raiders showcased guerrilla warfare penetrating deep within Confederate territory. As Home Guards struggled to keep Western North Carolina communities safe, Kirk's men brought fear and violence throughout the region for their ability to strike and create havoc without warning. Civil War historian Michael C. Hardy examines the infamous history of George W. Kirk and the Civil War along the Blue Ridge.

While all history has the potential to be political, public history is uniquely so: public historians engage in historical inquiry outside the bubble of scholarly discourse, relying on social networks, political goals, practices, and habits of mind that differ from traditional historians. Radical Roots: Public History and a Tradition of Social Justice Activism theorizes and defines public history as future-focused, committed to the advancement of social justice, and engaged in creating a more inclusive public record. Edited by Denise D. Meringolo and with contributions from the field's leading figures, this groundbreaking collection addresses major topics such as museum practices, oral history, grassroots preservation, and community-based learning. It demonstrates the core practices that have shaped radical public history, how they have been mobilized to promote social justice, and how public historians can facilitate civic discourse in order to promote equality. "This is a much-needed recalibration, as professional organizations and practitioners across genres of public history struggle to diversify their own ranks and to bring contemporary activists into the fold." -- Catherine Gudis, University of California, Riverside. "Taken all together, the articles in this volume highlight the persistent threads of justice work that has characterized the multifaceted history of public history as well as the challenges faced in doing that work."--Patricia Mooney-Melvin, The Public Historian

The murder of Laura Foster in 1866 has been the source of many legends and both in fiction and non-fiction it has inspired many authors. The murder, which in the end led to the conviction and execution of Thomas C. Dula, also inspired the famous song, The Ballad of Tom Dooley. In this book I go through the surviving records from the time and tell the story based on these facts, before I try to give my own explanation of what actually happened in Western North Carolina in the difficult times following the American Civil War.

A young woman in 1960's North Carolina resents the moonshining operation her family has conducted for generations, blaming it for her mother's death. When her father insists that moonshining is in her veins, Jessie devises a plan to destroy the stills. Her scheme escalates an old rivalry and revels long-held grudges.