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History Cafe: Beacon Blankets

April 22, 2019 @ 10:30 am - 11:30 pm

Free – $5

This event is at capacity. Email info@swannanoavalleymuseum.org to be added to the waitlist. You are also welcome to arrive the morning of and see if there are any no shows.

Join us for a presentation on the history of Swannanoa’s Beacon Blanket mill from writer and director Rebecca Williams. The Beacon Blanket mill was once billed as the “largest blanket manufacturer in the world.” The company moved south to Swannanoa in the midst of the Great Depression and was an integral part of the local economy until its closure in 2002. Williams will present on Beacon’s history in the context of the migration of the textile industry to the South, and will also share short clips from her upcoming film Blanket Town: The Rise and Fall of an American Mill Town.

Seating is limited. Please reserve your spot below.

About History Cafe
Ever wonder how Asheville came to get its drinking water from Black Mountain? What slavery looked like in western North Carolina (Yes, there were enslaved people here.)? How wagons, stagecoaches, and trains made it up the steep grade from Old Fort into Ridgecrest? Come to the Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center on the fourth Monday of the month at 10:30am for a discussion about local history. Come start off your morning getting to know our region a little better!

Cost: Free for museum members and students with ID. Please RSVP below. Nonmembers may pay $5 in advance online or a $5-15 suggested donation at the door. Coffee will be provided.

Designed for adults and modeled after the popular Science Cafes taking place across the nation, Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center’s monthly History Cafe offers lectures and workshops led by local experts and researchers on regional history topics. These hour-long meet-ups engage the many stories that have shaped our southern Appalachian community as a place — from geological changes to native histories, musical innovations, pioneer experiences, and labor struggles — and will end with informal discussion bringing our shared history into context with contemporary issues.

Proudly sponsored by:

 

Details

Date:
April 22, 2019
Time:
10:30 am - 11:30 pm
Cost:
Free – $5

Venue

Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center
223 W State St
Black Mountain, NC 28711
Phone:
828-669-9566
View Venue Website

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