In the Grip of Slavery: The Rise of a Slave Society Surrounding the Establishment of Stock Stands along the Buncombe Turnpike, 1790 to 1855

Western North Carolina is often seen as a region where African-American slavery was uncommon, and non-essential to the economy. However, in Buncombe County, especially the communities along the Buncombe Turnpike, slavery was common and played an important role in the economy. Many of Buncombe’s most wealthy and prominent slave-owners ran “stock stands” or inns along the road. Over two generations, the elements of a slave society (including the consolidation of wealth, a new profitable commodity, and a strengthening of slave codes) manifested themselves in Buncombe and by 1855 the communities along the Buncombe Turnpike were in the grip of slaver

Pack(ed) Place: Cultural Heritage Tourism in Buncombe County, NC Past, Present, and Future

Abstract: Since before the Civil War, tourism of all kinds, including heritage tourism, has been a primary driver of the economy of western North Carolina, especially in Asheville, the seat of Buncombe County, and the region’s urban center. By the end of WWII, heritage tourism as we know it today, fueled by programs like the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival and Southern Highlands Craft Guild, centered authentic mountain life and culture for throngs of seasonal tourists while simultaneously benefiting local performers and craftspeople. After an economic decline in the mid-20th century, Asheville embraced historic preservation and numerous community museums and organizations burst on the scene. These institutions saw so much support and success that by the early 2000s it seemed likely that Buncombe County would host a large, state-run history museum. However, After the latest major economic recession, Asheville turned its gaze away from preservation and heritage tourism toward hospitality industry development. Focus on hotels, and general neglect for the state of heritage tourism infrastructure and the robusticity of heritage tourism programs have, over the past nearly two decades, been detrimental to the participation of working-class residents in heritage tourism programs. This paper argues that the welfare of heritage tourism and preservation institutions and organizations is more impactful to Buncombe County’s working class and residential communities and that a single, large, centralized history museum would be of benefit for both tourists and residents, economically and in less quantifiable ways