EDITOR’S NOTE: Western North Carolina is weird – and it always has been. From Cherokee myths to Bigfoot and alien encounters, the Blue Ridge Mountains host the quirky and bizarre from past and present. We would not have it any other way, and neither would you. Join us in unfolding the histories and unraveling the mysteries of this strange land we call home.
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A Fortune 500 company called Asheville home from 1928 – 1985. With some 3,000 employees, the sprawling factory produced textiles including “artificial silk.” Today, only one beacon of the manufacturer’s greatness remains in W.N.C., the Enka clock tower, now almost 100 years old…