A Confluence of Remarkable Women

From the earliest settlers in western NC and the founding of Asheville, women have been instrumental in this area’s history, but few records of their achievements exist. Many women will remain anonymous, with their stories known only to their families at best. There are, however, a group of women who converged in the 1920s and 1930s whose achievements should be marked. They helped form Asheville into a distinctive Southern highlands community by establishing medical clinics, caring for the poor, founding community centers, raising money for the churches and schools, marching for equal rights, and integrating schools and hospitals. What a shame historical accounts of the region ignore their contributions, as if they had never been part of the stream of settlers in Asheville, living, working, and building a community. Dr. Gwen McNeill Ashburn’s program highlights the efforts and achievements of these women.