New in the collection: Mount Mitchell tourist decals

Mount Mitchell decal
Mount Mitchell State Park decal noting highest peak easet of the Mississippi

 

“Souvenir travel decals are a part of America’s automotive vacation and touring history. They were made and sold by the untold millions during the Golden Age of highway travel –1945-1970. Today, they have virtually disappeared.”

— From Lost Highway Art Co.

Since 1888 Mount Mitchell has had five structures erected on its summit to commemorate it as the tallest peak east of the Mississippi River. The one pictured here was No. 4 (1959-2005).

 

North Carolina’s First State Park – Mount Mitchell

French Broad hustler and Western Carolina Democrat. volume (Hendersonville, N.C.), 10 Feb. 1916. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.
French Broad hustler and Western Carolina Democrat. (Hendersonville, N.C.), 10 Feb. 1916. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.

 

In March 1915, a bill was passed in both houses of the State Legislature naming Mount Mitchell as the first state park in North Carolina. The bill was largely encouraged by Governor Locke Craig, the 53rd Governor of North Carolina. He acted in response to concerns from the citizens of North Carolina regarding deforestation.

The namesake of Mount Mitchell was Dr. Elisha Mitchell. Dr. Mitchell, a science professor at UNC, measured elevations of the Black Mountain region until he met an untimely and unfortunate death after falling off a cliff over a large waterfall. Mitchell is buried on the summit of the mountain. Mount Mitchell is the highest point east of the Mississippi River. The second highest point, Mount Craig, was named in honor of Governor Craig. Read more about North Carolina’s first state park in Chronicling America and on the website of the N.C. Department of Parks and Recreation. Additional information about North Carolina woodlands is available from The Forest History Society.