Although Grandfather Mountain has not achieved the iconic status that the Old Man of the Mountain had for citizens of the Granite State, we Tar Heels do have a special place in our hearts for our geological grandfather. Images of Grandfather Mountain are widely available, including on the North Carolina Collection’s postcard site, but do you know that the mountain also inspired a poem? Two, in fact. “The Legend of Grandfather Mountain” was written by Henry E. Fries and published by the Charlotte Observer Publishing House in the mid-twentieth century. A more obscure piece, “A Tribute to the Grandfather,” recently came to my attention when it appeared in manuscript form in this lovely keepsake.
