By 1915, logging had decimated much of the forest on Mount Mitchell, NC, the highest peak east of the Mississippi River. Locke Craig, the then governor of North Carolina, introduced a bill in the state legislature to protect this area. On March 3, 1915, Mount Mitchell became North Carolina's first
state park. Shortly afterwards, the North Carolina State Parks System was born.
Throughout 2016, the NC State Parks System is celebrating its
centennial anniversary. Mount Mitchell has been named the "North Carolina State Park of the Century". A few
books have been written about this magnificent mountain. One of these is aptly entitled "Mount Mitchell and the Black Mountains" by history professor
Timothy Silver. The author's work won the prestigious "Ragan Old North State Award" for nonfiction. Interested in learning more? Then check out this book at your local library or bookstore!
Perhaps one might even consider a trip to Mount Mitchell or one of the many other
parks in the NC State Park System. Wherever you end up going, please make sure to thank the NC State Parks workers for maintaining all of these sites across our state. Happy 100th Birthday to the North Carolina State Parks! Thank you so much for all of the work that you do!
