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.
BULADEAN, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Sometimes the most unusual legends begin with something simple. Sam Brinkley became famous simply because he got tired of shaving.
That small act of refusal helped turn the Mitchell County schoolteacher into a world-famous curiosity whose beard reached the floor, drew paying crowds and eventually carried him across the United States and Canada with the Barnum & Bailey Circus.
Brinkley was born Sept. 21, 1850, near Burnsville in neighboring Yancey County. As an adult, he settled near Buladean, where he farmed and taught school…