The flooding of Asheville in 1916 provided new insight into the socio-economic conditions of Appalachia during industrialization. The interplay of social powered offers a new explanation for Appalachia’s role in American globalism. The flood disrupted society during a crucial period of economic resurgence. The city’s unique influence by northern elites placed pressure on Asheville’s leadership to quell the social disturbance. The result was Asheville’s rebirth with lasting reverberations. By the 1920s, the city experienced an era of opulence infused by the capital of “robber” barons, which implied a powerful but tenuous social caste system. This study adds a new dimension to Appalachian historiography, which contributes to the “many mountains” theme of diversified research of the southern Appalachians
