Notable Men of Henderson County: Abraham Kuykendall

by: Dan Gibbs • 02/28/2020

Abraham Kuykendall was born in New York in 1719 and he was in his 60’s when he served in the Revolutionary War. The veteran Kuykendall was one of what was to become Henderson County’s first settlers. He was awarded a land grant of 600 acres by the state of North Carolina in the late 1780’s […]

Categories: History

Notable Men of Henderson County: Charles Baring II

by: Dan Gibbs • 02/13/2020

Charles Baring II was born into the Barings Banking family in London, England in 1774 and was living in Charleston, SC when he wed Susan Heyward. The marriage was his first and Baring was her fifth husband. Susan inherited a substantial sum of money from her husband James Heyward when he died. Baring II started […]

Categories: History

The Roaring Twenties Part V

by: Dan Gibbs • 01/29/2020

The Roaring Twenties in Hendersonville was a time of great growth and prosperity. North Carolina passed a Prohibition Amendment of their own in 1909 and the 18th Amendment turned the local blockade distillery into a lucrative and dangerous business. Local law enforcement and the federal government in the form of Revenue enforcement officers waged war […]

Categories: History

The Roaring Twenties Part IV

by: Dan Gibbs • 01/23/2020

During the 1920’s there was a section on Main Street near 4th Avenue West existed below street level that became known as “Underground Hendersonville.” According to most local historians, Underground Hendersonville came into existence in the 1920’s. Some of the earliest “legitimate” businesses in Underground Hendersonville was a barber shop, a beauty salon, and a […]

Categories: History

The Roaring ‘20’s Part III

by: Dan Gibbs • 01/17/2020

The turn of the 20th Century saw a lot of growth in Hendersonville. The Railroad was bringing tourists and summer residents to Hendersonville by the carload but with more tourists and population growth brought more issues to be dealt with. Automobiles were becoming commonplace and North Carolina enacted their own Prohibition law in 1909, ten […]

Categories: History

Tales from the Dark Corner of Henderson County: The Roaring 20s of Hendersonville Part 2

by: Dan Gibbs • 01/07/2020

In the years leading up to the 1920’s in Hendersonville, blockade distilleries and the making of moonshine was commonplace whether it was being made for personal consumption or for profit. The making of moonshine was not illegal unless taxes were not paid on it, and that is where blockade distilleries got their name. Several areas in […]

Categories: History

SPECIAL: The Roaring ‘20’s in Hendersonville – Part 1

by: Dan Gibbs • 12/31/2019

Prelude As we head into the 21st Century version of the Roaring ‘20’s, I thought it would be worth a look back to see how things were a century ago in Hendersonville. The Roaring ‘20’s in the sleepy town of Hendersonville was a time of growth and prosperity for the townspeople but with that came […]

Categories: History