The West Asheville Business Association (WABA) launched a new website, WestAshevilleHistory.org, and scavenger hunt this week. It also premiered “Biking through West Asheville History,” a short film by West Asheville-based Industrious Productions.
WestAshevilleHistory.org is an online source dedicated to preserving West Asheville History and actively working to collect more photos, documents, and personal recollections of the area. The website will include a submission portal where the community can submit photos, stories and documents to be included. West Asheville treasures its vibrant history, and the unique personal stories that capture moments in time help define a community that continues to grow and thrive. Now that history will be easily accessible in a navigable online location.
“We’re thankful for the partnership of the West Asheville Branch Library, the North Carolina Room at Pack Library, and New Belgium Brewing in the development of WestAshevilleHistory.org, the film and the scavenger hunt,” says Alice Oglesby, WABA Secretary. “There are so many great stories and pictures from West Asheville’s past,” notes Oglesby. “We are excited to have teamed up on a way to make that history more accessible to a wider audience and showcase where we’ve been in context of where we are now.”
Short Film: “Biking through West Asheville History” is an engaging ten-minute short film that captures the stories of current residents and businesses as they relate to the history of place and people who made a positive impact on our community.
Produced and directed by Industrious Productions with support from New Belgium Brewing, “Biking through West Asheville History” includes tidbits of the history of West Asheville from many familiar local faces and voices: Kim Roney (narrator), Scott Woody and Josephine Woody (Isis Restaurant & Music Hall), James Harrison (multi-generational Ashevillan), Dewayne Barton (community advocate and business owner), Pastor Rodney Hagans (Trinity United Methodist Church), and with historic reference support from area libraries and area historian Karen Loughmiller.
“As we’ve built this brewery, we’ve learned so much about the rich history of both our campus and the area,” says Susanne Hackett, New Belgium Communication Specialist. “We wanted to find a way to share that information back out to the community and add more voices to it. We hope this project enables easy access to and collection of community stories and memories.”
Scavenger Hunt: West Asheville History Moments
From July 13- August 13, gather historic collector cards of “West Asheville History Moments.” Each of the six cards includes a historic photo and information and can be obtained at the business that currently occupies the location in West Asheville.
Those who collect all the cards will be eligible (by random drawing) to win a pair of VIP tickets to New Belgium Fat Tire’s 25th Birthday Party on August 27, 2016. To participate or learn more, go to www.WestAshevilleHistory.org.
This inaugural set of cards will focus on the East end and historical gateway of West Asheville, with the hope that this will expand to include more businesses with future events. The card collection runs until August 13 (or when cards run out).
