The Highlands Historical Society Bookstore

Notecards
All Years
Online price: $20.00

Dahlia Notecards

Each pack contains eight (8) 4.5 x 6.5 inch folded cards printed on watercolor-textured paper along with a soft natural envelope. Cards are blank inside. Artwork is painted by Trish Foor.

Pewter Plate
The Wilton Company
Online price: $80.00

The Legend of Highlands, North Carolina

This commemorative pewter plate was commissioned in 1975 to honor the town's centennial and again in 2000 to celebrate the reactivation of the Highlands Historical Society. Embossed on it are a rifle, a log cabin, and the legend of the town's founding, as follows:

"One beautiful winter morning in Kansas, a Mr. Samuel Truman Kelsey and a Mr. Clinton Carter "C. C." Hutchinson took a map in hand and drew a line from New York to New Orleans. Then they passed another between Chicago and Savannah. These lines, they predicted, would be the great trade routes of the future and where they crossed would someday be a great population center. The lines intersected at what is now Highlands. "We will go forth and found that town," they said, and they did. In 1875 they believed that Highlands would become one of the great attractions of the world."

Paperback
100 pages
ISBN: None
Pub. date: 2021
Online price: $16.00

Charlie and Helen: Chronicles of Love, Heroism, and Persistence
Maxie W. Duke

Paperback
128 pages
ISBN: 978-146711653-X
Pub: Arcadia Publishing
Pub. date: 2018
Online price: $23.50

Cherokee (Images of America)

M. Anna Feriello

The 21st-century town of Cherokee sparkles with modern architecture, a bustling shopping district, and numerous tourist attractions. Beneath its progressive exterior is an ancient homeland where Cherokee people once lived in villages that occupied parts of eight modern states.

The Cherokee who now live in western North Carolina are descended from those who did not travel the "Trail of Tears" but remain on a portion of their original homeland. Today, the Eastern Band of Cherokee is a sovereign nation. The tribe works to preserve its language and culture through the promotion of heritage destinations. Sited at the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Blue Ridge Parkway, Cherokee is home to the Oconaluftee Indian Village, Unto These Hills, Qualla Arts and Crafts Mutual, and Museum of the Cherokee Indian.

"Old photographs, like this one, are important as they capture the fading presence of old buildings and the changing personality of a community's cultural landscape." Smoky Mountain News

Paperback
56 pages
ISBN: None
Pub. date: 1975
Online price: $11.00

Courage at Fool's Rock

Bill Marett

A true tale of an incredible rescue at Whiteside Mountain from the top of the highest cliffs east of the Rockies. Filled with suspense, this book concerns the bravery of Charlie Wright and Will Dillard when their friend Gus Baty lost his balance on Fool's Rock in 1911 and fell to a point 1,800 feet above the floor of Whiteside Cove, where a single rhododendron bush halted his plunge to certain death. The text is accompanied by photographs and illustrations that make clear the terrifying ordeal faced by Baty's rescurers.

Hardback
96 pages
ISBN: 978-0-9710130-4-9
Pub. Faraway Publishing
Pub. date: 2009
Online price: $54.00

First Creation: 100 Years of Land Conservation

Randolph P. Shaffner and the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust

This lovely coffee-table book was produced by the Highlands-Cashiers Land Trust to celebrate the centennial of its first land purchase in 1909. The book is a photographic essay, by a number of photographers, of landscapes, flora, fauna, and viewscapes of the Highlands-Cashiers plateau that have been preserved for the perpetual enjoyment and benefit of the public. Proceeds from the sale of this book help support the mission and goals of the Land Trust.

Recipient of the Society of North Carolina Historians History Book Award, 2016.

Paperback
125 pages
ISBN: None
Pub. date: 1972
Online price: $11.00

From the Hills of Home

Frances Baumgarner Lombard

In this charming book a native descendant of some of the earliest pioneers of Western North Carolina recounts her childhood memories of life in Whiteside Cove during the early 20th century. These simple little stories were woven from a heart of love about the mountains and the people who lived within the realm of their shelter. Some of the information was gathered from the few remaining "ole timers." Also included are stories about the Grimshawes and the World's Smallest Post Office.

Hardback
87 pages
ISBN: None
Pub. date: 1981
Online price: $11.00

Happy Highways

Edith Inglesby

The Happy Highways is a dream book. Its author, a native of Savannah, Georgia, looks back through rose-colored mists on her summers in Highlands, North Carolina, before the First World War, summers filled with fragrant meadows and serious attention to horses. In those halcyon days, the sheer inaccessibility and splendid isolation of Highlands was supreme, especially for people from Savannah, Charleston, and New Orleans who made Highlands their second home. The author's elegant style evokes nostalgia, envy, and a thrill of discovery. The book is illustrated by Laura Peck.

Paperback
256 pages
ISBN: 0964007835
Pub: The Hudson Library
Pub. date: 1994
Online price: $15.00

Good Reading Material, Mostly Bound and New:The Hudson Library, 1884-1994

Randolph P. Shaffner

This book, illustrated with 35 photographs, narrates the history of one of the oldest public libraries in North Carolina. It focuses on the community leaders who founded and sustained the library and on the changing literary taste of its patrons through the years. The old library building now houses the Highlands Historical Museum and Archives.

"The original and delightful addition to Shaffner's history is his skillful interweaving of local and world events. The small community is not isolated from the larger world."
Wilma Dykeman, Asheville, N.C.

“I know of nothing else quite like this. Into the history of a town library, Ran Shaffner has woven in stories of the town and its growth, as well as many of its people and all manner of evidence of books—books, good, great, famous, not-so-famous books. I think book lovers of all types will love the memories it evokes.” - John Ehle, Winston-Salem, N.C.

2nd ed., Hardcover
800 pages
ISBN: 978-0-9710130-3-2
Pub: Faraway Publishing
Pub. date: 2001, 2nd ed. 2004
Online price: $37.50

Heart of the Blue Ridge: Highlands, North Carolina
Randolph P. Shaffner

Paperback
128 pages
ISBN: 978-0-7385-5403-7
Pub: Arcadia Publishing
Pub. date: 2008
Online price: $23.50

Highlands (Images of America)

Randolph P. Shaffner

This little book, in Arcadia's Images of America series, focuses on the 55 years before and after the founding of the village of Highlands, North Carolina, that is to say, from 1820 to 1930. Every effort was made to provide a representative cross-sampling of the extraordinary variety of people who contributed to the early history of the town and its surroundings.

Many of the 265 black and white photographs were supplied by generous families of the town and the surrounding area as well as relatives and descendants from across the U.S. The accompanying historical texts were distilled from oral interviews and family scrapbooks, photo albums, memoirs, diaries, documents, deeds, histories, genealogies, and letters. The author hopes this volume encourages the rediscovery and sharing of forgotten photographs in family closets, attics, and basements throughout the Highlands plateau. In 2009 the North Carolina Society of Historians gave this book its History Book Award.

Recipient of the Society of North Carolina Historians History Book Award, 2009

2nd ed., Paperback
75 pages
ISBN: None
Pub. date: 2005 Online Price: $5.00

History and Cuisine of Highlands Inn

Helen Major, Pat Benton, and Sabrina Hawkins

This is a reissue of an indispensable collection of recipes featured by Highlands' first hotel, listed on the National Register as built in 1880. It was published in 2005 to celebrate 125 years of hospitality service at Highlands Inn and includes narrative 'Memories of Highlands Inn,' as well as old photographs and 'Timeless Tastes' recipes concocted primarily by Helen Major during the two decades that she established the Inn's reputation for serving the finest in family style meals. One of the specialties of her kitchen was her famous apple crisp, which she served daily.

Paperback
120 pages
ISBN: 978-0895875969
Pub: Nature's Focus Press
Pub. date: 2023
Online price: $50.00

Highlands Through the Years

Cynthia Strain

This 121-page full-color book is a condensed history of Highlands, Horse Cove, and Scaly Mountain, illustrated with photographs that I have made over my 41 years living here. The 240 photos include historical sites, homes, businesses and churches as well as rivers, mountains, valley views, and waterfalls. Also included are samples of local wildlife, birds, and wildflowers. The book is chock full of interesting features of area history, including a section on the Cherokee and early settlements before Highlands was founded.

1st ed., Paperback
160 pages
ISBN: 978-1-4671-4945-7
Pub: History Press
Pub. date: 2021

Online price: $23.50

Historic Tales of Highlands: Looking Backward
Helen Hill Norris

Paperback
217 pages
ISBN: 0972497943
Pub. date: 2003
Online price: $16.00

Life & Times of a Mountaineer

Coleman M. Reese

More than a memoir—although it covers the Great Depression mountain-style, World War II from the trenches, and post-war growth in Florida—this books sings with the spirit of life in America as it was lived from the 1920s until the end of the 20th century. It sparkles with mischievous humor, honest common sense, human compassion, and old-fashioned values, ranging from frog gigging as a child to caddying for golf-legend Bobby Jones to the landing in Normandy to work for the postal service. It reads like a homespun diary.

Paperback
240 pages
ISBN: 978-1467136112
Pub: History Press
Pub. date: 2016
Online price: $25.00

Literary Excursions in the Southern Highlands

George Ellison

Extending from Roanoke to Mount Oglethorpe and bounded by the Appalachian Mountains, the Southern Highlands is one of the most diverse natural areas in North America. From beautiful flora like the Fraser magnolia to rare ecosystems such as the mountain cedar glades, the area has been an inspiration for writers and naturalists since it was first explored by William Bartram in 1775. Investigate the biology of the cloudless sulphur butterfly, whose erratic flight is used to confuse its prey. Discover the botany of the white ash tree, said to produce the most satisfying crack of a baseball bat. Essayist, poet, and naturalist George Ellison explores the abundant wonders of the Southern Highlands in a series of humorous, scientific and literary essays vividly illustrated by artist Elizabeth Ellison.

Paperback
161 pages
ISBN: None
Pub. date: 1994, 2000
Online price: $15.00

The Mountain at the End of the Trail: A History of Whiteside Mountain
Robert Zahner

Paperback
2720 pages
ISBN: 978-1467136372
Pub: History Press
Pub. date: 2017
Online price: $22.00

Nantahala National Forest

Marcia Spencer

The 500,000-acre Nantahala National Forest dominates the rugged southwestern corner of North Carolina. Rivers such as the Cheoah, Cullasaja, and Tuckasegee carve deep gorges, making the region one of the wettest in the nation. The Whitewater River tumbles over the highest waterfall in the eastern United States. Power companies dammed local rivers, creating some of North Carolina's most scenic recreational mountain lakes. The high peaks, secluded coves and forested woodlands of the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, Panthertown Valley and Buck Creek Serpentine Pine Barrens and other areas hold cultural and natural history secrets.

Paperback
192 pages
ISBN: 978-1-59629-791-3
Pub: History Press
Pub. date: 2009
Online price: $26.00

Remembering Highlands: From Pioneer Village to Mountain Retreat

Isabel and Tony Chambers

Join sixth generation Highlands native Isabel Hall Chambers and her husband, Overton Chambers, as they share charming tales of old Highlands, from lazy summer days playing "town ball" to ice skating and celebrating Christmas. Woven into this collection of articles from The Laurel magazine are true stories of some of the area’s grand old homes, its traditions, and an array of interesting residents and visitors through the years, as told by fathers and grandfathers, old postcards, letters, deeds, and even tombstones.

Hardback
240 pages
ISBN: 978-0-9710130-5-6
Pub: Faraway Publishing
Pub. date: 2010
Reprint due August, 2024
Online price: $60.00

Satulah, the Mountain

James E. Green, Jr.

A complete history of the properties on Satulah Mountain in Highlands, North Carolina, in 4 parts: (1) The Mountain and the Town: The first section includes general information about the mountain and several subjects associated with the development of the Satulah residential community. (2) Early Owners: This section contains stories about the early Satulah Mountain home owners and land investors. (3) Title Histories: Title histories for each property through December 31, 1975, are shown in the third section. These histories list each transfer of property from one owner to the next. (4) Maps: Detailed maps of the properties

Hardback
262 pages
ISBN: 978-1-59486-120-8
Rodale Press
Pub. date: 2005
Online price: $25.00

Slam: Bobby Jones and the Price of Glory

Curt Sampson

A powerful story of a man on the verge of becoming a legend - at a time when the nation needed every hero it could get. In the 1930s, Bobby Jones did what no golfer had done before - and what no golfer has done since - he won all four major championships in one year. This dominant performance earned him untold riches and the adoration of the public. He had two tickertape parades to commemorate his achievement. He dated starlets. He became one of the best paid men in the country at a time when the Depression had ravaged the economy. Then, at the top of his game, he quit the sport. He walked away.

DVD
ISBN: None
Pub. date: 2006
Online price: $15.00

DVD: A Brief History of Highlands

Randolph P. Shaffner and Katie Brugger

This is a visual history of the origin and growth of Highlands from before 1875 until 2006. Narrated by Randolph Shaffner and produced by Katie Brugger of Time Capsule Video, it features 64 photographs with appropriate music and a five-minute history. In 2007 this DVD won the North Carolina Society of Historians' prestigious Paul Green Multimedia Award.

Recipient of the Society of North Carolina Historians Multimedia Award, 2007

DVD
ISBN: None
Pub. date: 2014
Online price: $15.00

DVD: A Botanical History of the Highlands Plateau: In the Footsteps of the Ancients

Randolph P. Shaffner and Time Capsule Video

This DVD was created to accompany a fascinating exhibit by the Land Stewards of the Highlands Plateau that is on display at the Highlands Historical Museum in North Carolina. It begins with the creation of the Appalachian mountains and features the Cherokee view of the world, the life of early settlers, and the arrival of early botanists on the Plateau. The video attempts to compress 300 million years into 7 minutes for those who haven't the time to read all the information in the exhibit.

Recipient of the Society of North Carolina Historians Multimedia Award, 2015