McDowell County Historical Society

06/06/2026

Hi everyone.. we will be at the 22nd Annual North Carolina Gold Festival today talking about McDowell County being the very first Gold Rush in the US and giving tours to the Nichols Mine.

We will have raffle tickets for a Yeti Cooler filled with some amazing gifts and the leading book on Gold in this area by the late Dr. James L. Haney for sale. These are limited and hard to find. Stop By and come sit a spell. We will be on hand from 9am til 4pm and the tours book up early!

You can find us where the history began, over on the Gold Foundation property across the road from the festival.

06/05/2026

05/21/2026

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05/18/2026

The impact of Mr. Carson's donation was swift and profound, as our community was able to construct our first courthouse just two years later, in May 1845.

05/18/2026

How could we forget this monumental day in McDowell County history??????

On May 17, 1843 the transfer of 63 acres and 73 poles (a pole being 5.5 yards, 16.5 feet or one rod) of land from John Logan Carson for the town of Marion.

Thank you Mr. Carson. We certainly appreciate your kind donation.

05/11/2026

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05/08/2026

On this day in 1886, Dr. John S. Pemberton, a pharmacist and inventor, sold the first Coca-Cola at Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia. Pemberton’s bookkeeper, Frank Robinson, coined the name. His handwriting was the basis for the Coca-Cola logo.

In the Library’s Prints and Photographs Division, the U.S. Patent Office Trademarks Collection documents the visual identity of American companies between about 1869 and 1911. Within that collection you can find the 1893 Coca-Cola trademark registration featuring the distinctive cursive, pictured here.

05/08/2026

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Participate in the Historic Carson House Silent Auction to help preserve a landmark of McDowell County. Your bids directly support the care of the house, its collections, and the grounds that hold so much of our region’s story.Funds raised sustain guided tours, school visits, and public programs t...

02/01/2026

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01/28/2026

Good afternoon.
We have received several messages asking why the McDowell County Historical Society is not participating in the upcoming 250th anniversary celebrations. The answer is straightforward and honest: we were not invited to participate.

Because that response naturally raises additional questions, we wanted to address this publicly rather than speculate or speak on matters we cannot verify. At this time, we do not have further information to share regarding how participating organizations were selected.

What we can say—and what remains important to us—is that local historical societies exist to preserve, research, and accurately interpret the history of the communities they serve. We will always stand by the belief that your local historical society should be a first and trusted source for local history.

We remain open and willing to collaborate on any effort that seeks to honor our shared past with accuracy, respect, and community involvement. Should future opportunities arise to work together in that spirit, we would welcome the conversation.

We appreciate the continued support, encouragement, and thoughtful questions from our community. Your interest affirms why preserving and sharing our history matters.