EDITOR’S NOTE: Strangeville explores the curious and unexplained stories that have long defined Asheville and Western North Carolina. The region is full of unanswered questions, from old folklore and local legends to eerie encounters, unsolved moments in history, and the true-crime mysteries that still leave people wondering. Each week, we look back with an open mind and a sense of curiosity, trying to understand why some stories take hold and why some can never be explained.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — In the mountains along the North Carolina-Tennessee line, a name like Devil’s Den offers a not-so-subtle hint that strangers should stay away.
Devil’s Den is on Iron Mountain, where northern Mitchell County rises toward the Tennessee border and the ridges fold into one another. The area was ideal for outlaws who needed to hide out. This was not easy country to enter, and it was even harder country for law enforcement who had to pursue criminals through rough terrain…