Our name is inspired by a Yancey County legend and friend, Sam Jones. Our favorite part of spending time with Sam was to hear all his old Appalachian mountain sayings and he had some classics. If you were playing golf with him and someone sprayed a drive-off into the woods you might hear him say, “You’ve hit that in Aunt Tildy’s new ground”, or if you hit a shot in the water he might say, “You’ve hit it in the babbling brook.” He has a saying for just about any occasion, but our all-time favorite was when he was thirsty. On a sweltering hot day, somewhere along the way, we would almost always hear him say, “I’m thirstier than a White Faced Mule.” When he said it we would always laugh and after hearing it numerous times we told him that we would use that saying somehow, one day.
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.