In early 2002, on December 4-5th, snow fell across North Carolina, but in the Piedmont, including areas around Raleigh, Greensboro, and Charlotte, it quickly turned to freezing rain, creating an icy mess when an inch of ice blanketed the ground and roadways. In some areas, freezing rain lasted for 12 hours, causing $113 million in…
The Worst Snowstorm Ever Recorded in Western North Carolina
The Worst Snowstorm Ever Recorded in Western North Carolina According to the record books, the worst winter weather we have ever had occurred in February or March in the South. But have you ever wondered when the worst recorded snowstorm of all time occurred? Many of our readers may remember the Blizzard of 1993. Yes,…
The 1975 Lumberton UFO Flap
Back in April 1975, a string of well-documented sightings sent UFO investigators scrambling across the country to Lumberton, North Carolina. Some estimates report that as many as 80 people, including 40 police officers, observed close encounters and unidentified flying object sightings over a week-long span. The incidents are known as the “Lumberton UFO flap,” and…
The Civil War and Linville Caverns
Many people have stopped at Linville Caverns in Marion, North Carolina, through the years. The caverns were first discovered in 1822 by Henry E. Colton, but what many don’t know is their ties to the Civil War. When war broke out in April 1861, many deserters from both the Confederate and Union armies used it…
Historic Occoneechee Speedway in North Carolina
Occoneechee Speedway sits just outside Hillsborough, North Carolina, and holds a special place in NASCAR history. It’s the only dirt track from NASCAR’s very first season in 1949 that’s still around today. The track actually started out as a horse racing venue built by Julian S. Carr on land with a rich Native American heritage….
Babe Ruth’s North Carolina Connection
Many may not be aware, but the city of Fayetteville, North Carolina, played a pivotal role in the beginning of George Herman “Babe” Ruth Jr. It was here that Ruth hammered his first home run as a professional against the then-minor league Baltimore Orioles on March 7, 1914. The blast traveled 350 to 400 feet…
Was Asheville Planning to Build a Subway System in the Early 1900s
One rumor that has gained attention over the years concerns the secret tunnels and passageways under Asheville, North Carolina. Some believe that Asheville was planning to build a subway sometime during the 1910s or early 1920s. It seems like a far-fetched idea even in 2025, given the mountain city’s population and terrain, but that hasn’t…
The Great Flood of 1940 in Western, North Carolina
One flood that receives minimal mention compared to Hurricane Helene in 2024 and the Great Flood of 1916 is the devastating 1940 flood. Just 24 years after the flood of 1916, western North Carolina was hit again by a slow-moving system, a Category 2 hurricane that made landfall along the South Carolina coastline. The storm…
A Winter’s Night Tragedy
The tragic story of Lue Cree Overcash Westmoreland is woven into the fabric of the Amity Hill Community as much as any cornfield, church hymn, or long-abandoned cotton gin. If you grew up in this community in the last half-century around these parts, you had heard about Lue Cree. On Nov. 28, 1936, Lue Cree…
The Infamous 1933 Charlotte Heist
Decades before the $17 million Loomis Fargo Heist in 1997, Charlotte was the scene of another infamous heist, when a group of gangsters invaded the Queen City to “raise” money for legal fees. On November 15, 1933, four men in a brand-new vehicle cut off and robbed a mail truck on 3rd Street. One of…