Mountain Lore
Orchard at Altapass Saved by Carson Family
Master storyteller Bill Carson tells how his family saved a century-old apple orchard from development and turned it into a heritage attraction on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Read more about Orchard at Altapass Saved by Carson FamilyMountain Gateway Museum Part One
Museum Director Terrell Finley tells about the Mountain Gateway Museum, which is located in Old Fort, NC, and is a State Historic Site.
Read more about Mountain Gateway Museum Part OneDonald Davis
Read more about Donald DavisAppalachian Homestead Farm and Preserve
Read more about Appalachian Homestead Farm and PreserveWillard and Ora Watson
Read more about Willard and Ora WatsonWillard and Ora Watson
Woodcarver, dancer, musician, storyteller and quilter
Watauga County, NC
Willard Watson and his wife Ora were among the extraordinary traditional artists in the Watson family of Watauga County, who were recognized with a 1994 North Carolina Heritage Award. Willard, a first cousin to famed guitarist Doc Watson, was widely known as a flatfoot dancer, storyteller, banjo player, and especially a woodcarver.
Read more about Willard and Ora WatsonMary Jane Queen
Read more about Mary Jane QueenMary Jane Queen
Old-time singer and banjo player, storyteller, traditional gardener
Jackson County, NC
Mary Jane Queen lived in the Caney Fork section of Jackson County near where she was born in 1914. She was descended from some of the earliest Irish-American settlers in the valley who, for three generations before her, scratched a living in the rocky soil. In a variety of practical ways—her reservoir of traditional knowledge, her gardens, her songs and stories—she communicated the values and traditions of her upbringing to modern audiences.
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