While it is oftened spelled incorrectly as Ashville, Asheville was named for North Carolina Governor Samuel Ashe. That's where the "e" comes from. To understand more about the history of "Ashville," here is a long history lesson with both spellings of our fair city!
If you are not up for a long history lesson, go to our home page to start planning a fun trip!
Ashville is a city in Buncombe County, North Carolina, and is its county seat. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 68,889. It is the largest city in western North Carolina, and continues to grow. As of 2005, the Census Bureau estimates that Ashville's population is 72,231
Before the arrival of Europeans, the land where Asheville now exists lay within the boundaries of Cherokee country. In 1540, Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto came to the area, bringing the first European visitors, in addition to European diseases which seriously depleted the native population. As the Cherokee were eventually dominated by European settlers, the area was used as an open hunting ground until the middle of the 19th century.
The history of Ashville, as a town, begins in 1784 In that year Colonel Samuel Davidson and his family settled in the Swannanoa Valley, redeeming a soldier's land grant from the state of North Carolina. The town was not officially designated " Asheville" until 1797. Soon after building a log cabin at the bank of Christian Creek, Davidson was lured into the woods by a band of Cherokee hunters and killed. Davidson's wife, child and female slave fled on foot to Davidson's Fort (named after Davidson's father General John Davidson) 16 miles away.
In response to the killing, Davidson's twin brother Major William Davidson and brother-in-law Colonel Daniel Smith formed an expedition to retrieve Samuel Davidson's body and avenge his murder. Months after the expedition, Major Davidson and other members of his extended family returned to the area and settled at the mouth of Bee Tree Creek.
Over the course of years, more settlers came to the area. The United States Census of 1790 counted 1,000 residents of the area, excluding the Cherokee. The county of Buncombe was officially formed in 1792. The county seat, named “ Morristown” in 1793, was established on a plateau where two old Indian trails crossed. In 1797 Morristown was incorporated and renamed “ Asheville” after North Carolina Governor Samuel Ashe.
While Asheville prospered in the 1910s and 1920s, the Great Depression hit Asheville quite hard. Most of Asheville's banks closed. The 'per capita' debt held by the city (through municipal bonds) was the highest of any city in the nation. Rather than default, the city paid those debts over a period of 50 years. From the start of the Depression through the 1980s, economic growth in Asheville was slow. During this time of financial stagnation, most of the buildings in the downtown district remained unaltered. This resulted in one of the most impressive, comprehensive collections of Art Deco architecture in the United States.
In 2005, alleged bomber Eric Robert Rudolph was transported to Asheville from Murphy, North Carolina for arraignment in federal court. In September 2004, major flooding was reported in town, particularly at Biltmore Village, due to rains from the remnants of Hurricane Frances and Hurricane Ivan.
Asheville has adopted at least two nicknames over its history:
* The Land of the Sky, based on a book of the same name written by Frances Fisher Tieran (nom de plume Christian Reid).
* The Paris of the South (also used by New Orleans, Louisiana and Charleston, South Carolina).
The city is known for the lavish Biltmore Estate, which attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists each year. Other notable architecture in Ashville includes its Art Deco city hall and other unique buildings in the downtown area. The Montford neighborhood and other central areas are considered historic districts and include Victorian houses. Asheville and the surrounding mountains are also extremely popular in the autumn when fall foliage peaks in October. The scenic Blue Ridge Parkway runs through the Asheville area and the grounds of Biltmore Estate. Biltmore Village is a section of the city adjacent to the estate, where workers stayed during its construction. It is currently home to small trendy shops.
The Asheville Citizen-Times is Ashville's daily newspaper which covers most of Western North Carolina. The Mountain Xpress is Asheville's award-winning alternative newsweekly, which covers arts and politics in the region. The Asheville Global Report is a local, independent newspaper, that has been publishing for over a decade. It is the recipient of 10 Project Censored Awards and is run primarily by volunteers.
Asheville pops up on national rankings for a variety of things: Modern Maturity named it one of "The 50 Most Alive Places To Be," AmericanStyle Magazine called it one of "America's Top 25 Arts Destinations," Self Magazine labeled it the "Happiest City for Women," it is one of AARP Magazine's "Best Places to Reinvent Your Life," and was proclaimed the "New Freak Capital of the U.S." by Rolling Stone. Asheville has also been called "a New Age Mecca" by CBS News' Eye On America, and named the "most vegetarian-friendly" small city in America.
Asheville is served by Asheville Regional Airport in nearby Fletcher, North Carolina, and by Interstate 40, Interstate 240, and Interstate 26. A milestone was achieved in 2003 when Interstate 26 was extended from Mars Hill (north of Asheville) to Johnson City, Tennessee completing a 20-year half-billion dollar construction project through the Blue Ridge Mountains. Work continues to improve Interstate 26 from Mars Hill to Interstate 40 by improving U.S. Route 19 and U.S. Route 23 and the western part of Interstate 240. This construction will include a multi-million dollar bridge to cross the French Broad River and is not slated to start until 2008.[14]
Geography
Ashville is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains at the confluence of the Swannanoa River and the French Broad River. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 107.0 km² (41.3 mi²). 106.0 km² (40.9 mi²) of it is land and 1.0 km² (0.4 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.94% water.
Climate
Ashville's weather resembles the weather of the rest of the southeastern U.S., but with somewhat cooler temperatures due to the higher altitude. The highest recorded temperature in Asheville was 99ºF (37ºC) in 1983, and the lowest recorded temperature was -17ºF (-27ºC) in 1985. In winter, temperatures may fall below freezing, and Asheville almost always receives snow and freezing rain a few times each year.
Neighborhoods
* Central - includes the neighborhoods of Downtown, Montford, and Kenilworth. Montford was designated a local historic district by the Asheville City Council in 1980.
* North - includes the neighborhoods of Albemarle Park, Beaverdam, Grove Park, and Kimberly. Albemarle Park was designated a local historic district by the Asheville City Council in 1989.
* South - includes the neghborhoods of Biltmore Village, Reynolds, and Skyland. Biltmore Village was designated a local historic district by the Asheville City Council in 1987.
* East - includes the neighborhoods of Haw Creek, Oakley, and Oteen.
* West - includes the neighborhoods of Emma, Malvern Hills, and West Ashville.
Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 68,889 people, 30,690 households, and 16,726 families residing in the city. The population density was 650.0/km² (1,683.4/mi²). There were 33,567 housing units at an average density of 316.7/km² (820.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 77.95% White, 17.61% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.92% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.53% from other races, and 1.58% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.76% of the population.
There were 30,690 households out of which 22.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.1% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.5% were non-families. 36.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the city the population was spread out with 19.6% under the age of 18, 10.3% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $32,772, and the median income for a family was $44,029. Males had a median income of $30,463 versus $23,488 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,024. About 10.3% of families and 15.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.9% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.
Metropolitan Area
Ashville is the largest city located within the Asheville MSA (Metropolitan Statistical Area). The MSA includes Buncombe County; Haywood County; Henderson County; and Madison County; with a combined population - as of the 2005 population estimate - 392,831.
Apart from Ashville, the MSA includes Hendersonville and Waynesville, along with a number of smaller incorporated towns: Biltmore Forest, Black Mountain, Canton, Clyde, Flat Rock, Fletcher, Hot Springs, Laurel Park, Maggie Valley, Mars Hill, Marshall, Montreat, Weaverville, and Woodfin.
Several sizable unincorporated rural and suburban communities are also located nearby: Arden, Barnardsville (incorporated until 1970), Bent Creek, Candler, Enka, Fairview, Jupiter (incorporated until 1970), Oteen, Skyland, and Swannanoa.
Though technically beyond the boundaries of the MSA, a number of other nearby towns, including Brevard (an hour drive) and Old Fort (a 30 minute drive) are also often considered part of the Ashville region.
Ashville is also part of the Greenville-Spartanburg-Anderson-Asheville Designated Market Area (DMA), a grouping corresponding to TV and radio markets.
