Our History

Founded in 1977, the Watauga County Historical Society (WCHS) has been committed for forty years to preserving and fostering community interest in the history and literature of Watauga County, North Carolina.

During that time, the WCHS has worked individually and in partnership with other like-minded groups to sponsor and present various lecture series, our serial publications (Writings on Watauga and Watauga County Times...Past), and our books (Memories of Cove Creek High School: 1922 to 1965 and The Architectural History of Watauga County, North Carolina), all with the goal of connecting Watauga County residents, students, and visitors with our community's rich and multifaceted history. Other major projects have included authorship of the history essay section of Volume 1 of The Heritage of Watauga County as well as WCHS's transfer of the 1936 H. Lee Waters film of Boone to video and DVD. Copies of this film were then provided to libraries and schools throughout Watauga County.

Our current major project is the Digital Watauga Project, which aims to make the complex history of Watauga County more widely known and easily accessible to the public by digitally preserving the images, documents, and artifacts of Watauga County. Online access to Digital Watauga is ALWAYS free to the public.

The Watauga County Historical Society is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation operating in the State of North Carolina. Donations to the WCHS are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Our current officers are:

President--Bettie Bond
Vice President--Ralph Lentz, II
Secretary--Shannon Russing
Treasurer--Eric Plaag
Chairperson, Digital Watauga Project--Eric Plaag

Our Philosophy

The Watauga County Historical Society is committed to seven primary goals:

* To foster interest in the history and literature of Watauga County;

* To promote activity in the field of local history;

* To participate in the preservation of historic sites, landmarks and heritage of the county;

* To serve as a medium for the exchange of ideas among persons concerned with preserving the history of Watauga County;

* To sponsor awards, certificates and other recognitions for outstanding achievement;

* To cooperate with other organizations in North Carolina having similar purposes;

* To consider and sponsor grant requests to appropriate agencies.