Heritage of Black Highlanders Collection

Heritage of Black Highlanders Collection

Collection of photographs and texts, collected in the 1970s, that document the contributions and activities in the Asheville area.

Often excluded and invisible from the histories of the Southern Appalachian Mountains, those of African-American descent contributed much to the physical and cultural environment of these highlands. Those who were credited as being responsible for the creation of Buncombe County and Morristown, eventually the thriving tourist and trade center known as Asheville, owed much to those who were enslaved. This site focuses upon the donations of Mrs. Lucy Saunders Herring, Mr. Johnny Baxter, Jean McKissick McNeil, the Southern Highlands Research Center and YMI Cultural Center. Supplementing these valuable donations are additional resources from various donors and sources.

Lucy Saunders Herring

M77.10.1-5; OS77.10.1-4

ca. 1888-1972, digitized 2001, updated 2005, 2006, and 2011

en-US

Manuscript Collection Individual Photographs

Asheville, NC