It all started with a jeep. Since my 6th birthday, I've been living the jeep life. I would spend hours driving all over the yard feeling like the coolest kid in the neighborhood. Fast forward 10 years to my 16th birthday and I had to make sure my first car was a jeep. My $3,000 beat-up wrangler took me anywhere I wanted to go. I would drive up the Blue Ridge Parkway any chance I got. It led me on countless adventures and gave me lifelong memories.
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The History of Asheville
Before European settlement, Asheville was part of the Cherokee Nation. Bearing the name Untokiasdiyi, meaning “Where they race,” the Cherokee people used the area as a gathering place.
Settlement didn’t occur until after the Revolutionary War, in 1784, when Colonel Samuel Davidson and his family arrived, claiming land through a soldier’s grant. The settlement, initially named “Morristown,” was later renamed Asheville in honor of North Carolina Governor Samuel Ashe.
Asheville became an important outpost in the Blue Ridge Mountains, attracting famous travelers like Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett. The city flourished during the railway boom into the 1920s but faced a significant setback during the stock market crash of 1929. However, thanks to a committed urban renewal plan and efforts to maintain the city’s charm, Asheville transformed into the vibrant culture hub it is today.