Carolina Mountain Club

History Project

Pete Steurer

December 2002

Overview: The Carolina Mountain Club (CMC) was established in Asheville, North Carolina on July 16, 1923. The history of CMC is a significant part of our local heritage and has also resulted in a national influence in promoting and protecting the mountains of North Carolina. In an effort to preserve this history for future generations, CMC has entered into a mutual agreement with the University of North Carolina at Asheville (UNCA) to house and make accessible the Club’s collection of historical documents, photographs, and other material. The collection will be housed as part of the Special Collections & University Archives of the D. Hiden Ramsey Library at UNCA (http://toto.lib.unca.edu/) under the category Manuscripts. Long-time club member Bernard Elias initiated the agreement with Helen Wykle, Coordinator of Special Collections at UNCA. CMC Historian Pete Steurer agreed to organize and inventory the collection, and present it to UNCA. The collection was presented to UNCA in two batches in December 2002.

Description of Collection: The Club has a rich and diverse history which has involved the three main activities of hiking, building and maintaining trails, and promoting conservation. Since CMC never had a physical office, the club’s records have been relocated throughout its history. The full details of these relocations have not been documented. It is known that since the 1990s, the CMC records were transferred from CMC club president to president. CMC president, Howard McDonald, retained the collection after his term and has provided stewardship since 1998. In October 2002, Pete Steurer acquired the records from Mr. McDonald and began to the process of organizing the collection for presentation to UNCA.

The CMC collection prior to reorganization consisted of three 2-drawer file cabinets, one 4-drawer file cabinet and numerous boxes of assorted sizes. After reorganization, the collection presented to UNCA consists of 19 boxes.

With some exceptions, much of the historical information that one would expect a club to have retained has been found in the CMC collection. This is remarkable, considering that most CMC officers changed every few years, and without a physical office, there was a greater likelihood for important information to be lost. It is quite likely that three CMC members were instrumental in maintaining the history. CMC Historian Jerome Dykeman took on the task of organizing the records in the 1950s and 1960s. He died in 1973. His outstanding work is evident in the collection today. Beginning in the 1960s and continuing until her death in 1992, Eloise Whitson held office of CMC treasurer and/or secretary. This long-term commitment to CMC is evident in the collection, in terms of the continuity she provided to new officers and the data stewardship shown in her outstanding record keeping. Arch Nichols was an integral part of CMC from the 1940s until his death in 1989. He led many conservation efforts and kept meticulous files. These files are largely intact and are an integral part of the CMC history.

Carolina Mountain Club History Project

Reorganization of the CMC Collection: Standard archival practices allow for records to be maintained in the original order that they were produced. Unfortunately, the original order of the CMC collection was not retained. This was likely due to the frequent movement of the records as well as the document searches that occurred over the years by CMC members and guests. To bring order to the collection, it was decided to determine record series groups and place the collection in chronological order within upon each record series. A record series is a broad classification or grouping of similar records. The record series groups that were determined for the CMC collection are listed in the following table. The table also includes an estimate of the historic value of the records within the series and the physical box number that the records were transferred to UNCA:

Record Series Names Record Physical

Priority Box #

CMC Meeting Minutes High 1

CMC Financial Records High 1

CMC Membership Records High 2

CMC “Let’s Go” and Hiking Schedule Publications High 3

Hiking Schedules & Misc. Publications from other clubs Medium 4

Hiking and Misc. Publications by other organizations Medium 5

Appalachian Trail Guides and Trail Manuals High-Medium 6

CMC Hike Reports Medium 7*

CMC Newspaper Clippings Medium-High 8

Commercial Maps and Trail Guides Low 9

CMC Legal Documents High 10

Conservation Documents by other Organizations Low-Medium 11

CMC Miscellaneous Publications High 12

CMC Miscellaneous Correspondence Low-Medium 13

CMC Early Documents (Mainly 1920’s and 1930s) High 14

CMC History Narratives and Member Descriptions High 14

CMC Conservation Documents High 15

CMC Multi-Club Meeting Documents High-Medium 16

CMC Max Patch Documents High 17

CMC Mountains to Sea Trail Documents High 18

CMC Appalachian Trail Documents Medium-High 19

* Part of this series is also contained in a metal index card file box

Carolina Mountain Club History Project

Record Series Name: CMC Meeting Minutes

Physical Location: Box 1

Record Series Value (High, Medium, Low): Estimated as High

Record Series Description: As with most organization, formal meetings are conducted and minutes are taken of the proceedings. The frequency of CMC meetings has varied over the years. Currently, meetings are conducted quarterly for officers, council members, and other members who want to participate. An annual meeting for the entire membership is also held. These are important CMC records and have extremely high value since they document the proceedings of CMC throughout its history. Summary of records:

1) Jerome Dykeman volumes: As club historian, Jerome took on the task of organizing CMC records in the 1950s and 1960s. CMC meeting minutes were one of the important collections he organized. He created 3 volumes (black loose leaf type notebooks)

a. Book 1: 1923-1941; in the possession of University of North Carolina, Asheville as part of the Jerome Dykeman collection. Also see the series in this collection entitled CMC 1920’s and 1930s Records which contains additional meeting minutes

b. Book 2: 1946-1957 (marked No. 2 Compiled by Jerome Dykeman)

c. Book 3 (marked 2): 1958-1965; also contains two club history documents and an original letter signed by Senator Sam Ervin, Jr.

2) 1966-1970: Gray manila folder: possibly compiled by Jerome Dykeman or Eloise Whitson. Appears complete. Also contains newspaper clippings

3) 1971-1979 currently missing

4) 3/1980-1989: Manila folder; the folder was recently compiled by Pete Steurer from miscellaneous folders and loose papers throughout the collection. There are missing minutes (e.g. 1982, 1987, 1988, and 1989) and there are some duplicates.

5) 12/1989-5/1997: Manila folder; the folder was largely intact and was likely compiled by Jim Roddy in the 1990s. Pete Steurer recently added papers from miscellaneous folders and loose papers. There are some duplicates and some missing minutes

6) Currently missing after 5/1997

Carolina Mountain Club History Project

Record Series Name: CMC Financial Records

Physical Location: Box 1

Record Series Value (High, Medium, Low): Estimated as High

Record Series Description: CMC kept detailed records of its business receipts and disbursements over the years. These records can be used to determine CMC activity levels. Summary of records:

1) CMC Daily Ledgers: Several hard covered volumes were created likely by the club Treasurer that contain daily cash receipts and disbursements. Eloise Whitson, Treasurer of CMC, likely created all books since 1966. Upon Eloise’s death in 1992, Maryalice Church-Steurer completed the latter entries of 1989-1993 book. Since 1993, computers were used to create the daily ledgers and these later files are currently unavailable or have been lost.

a. Missing prior to 1932

b. 1932-1939: Old manila folder

c. Missing 1940- October 1941

d. Nov. 1941 - Dec. 1965; Black book marked “Cash Records 11/1941”

e. Jan. 1966 – Jun 1972; Blue book marked “1966-June 1972”

f. Jul 1972 – Dec. 1978; Dark green book marked “ July 1972-Dec 1978”

g. Jan. 1979 – Dec. 1983; Light green book marked “1-1-79 thru 12-31-83”

h. Jan. 1984 – Dec. 1988; Light green book marked “ 1-1-84 – 12-31-88”

i. Jan 1989 – Aug 1993; Blue book marked “1-1-89 – 8-28-93”

j. Missing after August 1993

2) CMC Monthly and Annual Budget Summaries; lists receipts and disbursements from the main CMC operating account according to standard accounting practices

a. Missing prior to 1933

b. 1933-1947; Old folder (See CMC Early Documents series for other folder)

c. Missing 1948-1965 (some annual budget summaries may be available as part of the CMC annual meetings; See Meeting Minutes Series)

d. 1966-1974; Dull Yellow Folder likely compiled by Eloise Whitson

e. 1975-1981; Blue Folder likely compiled by Eloise Whitson

f. 1982-1988; Yellow folder likely compiled by Eloise Whitson

g. 1989-1990; Blue folder likely compiled by Eloise Whitson

h. Missing after 1990 (some annual budget summaries may be available as part of the CMC annual meetings and listed in the series CMC Meeting Minutes)

3) CMC Special Accounts; lists special accounts that were created by CMC over the years to tract expenditures for accounts other than the CMC operating account

a. CMC Separate Accounts; Bright green book

4) Cabin Daily Ledger; lists daily receipts and disbursements for the upkeep on the CMC cabin

a. Jul. 1964- Oct 1971; Black 4 column notebook

5) Miscellaneous; check registers, savings account books, property inventory folders

Carolina Mountain Club History Project

Record Series Name: CMC Membership Records

Physical Location: Box 2

Record Series Value (High, Medium, Low): Estimated as High

Record Series Description: CMC kept detailed membership records from original incorporation in 1923 to the present. These are important CMC records and have extremely high value since they list the names of those individuals who were part of the proceedings of CMC throughout its history. Summary of records:

1) CMC Membership Record Books: As club historian, Jerome Dykeman took on the task of organizing CMC records in the 1950s and 1960s. CMC membership records were one of the important collections he organized. He created 2 volumes that contain an outstanding summary of CMC members from the 1920s through the 1960s. It is possible that Eloise Whitson kept these books updated through the 1970s. The two books list the CMC member’s name, address, phone number, occupation, CMC activities, CMC offices held, and CMC hikes led. For the more prominent members, a narrative is written that describes that member and his/her accomplishment in more detail.

a. Book 1 contains A-K

b. Book 2 contains L-Z. In the back of book 2 are excellent summaries and statistics of the CMC. This includes yearly summaries of CMC Officers, membership totals, and budgets

2) CMC Former Member Book: This book is in a similar format to the CMC Membership Record Books and likely compiled by Jerome Dykeman. This book lists individuals that were no longer members due to resignation, death, etc. (E.g. has George Masa with a short narrative including his birth and death dates)

3) CMC Cabin Guest Book: During parts of CMC history and ending in the 1970s, CMC rented from the U.S. Forest Service one or more cabins for its members and guests to use. These guest books list who stayed at the cabin and when. Historical Note: the brown colored guest book was purchased by Jerome Dykeman and is inscribed “originally purchased for the Vanderbilt Mansion some years ago.”

4) Membership Cards: Index cards that list the name and address of CMC members. These are loose, in a plastic index file box, and were likely created by Eloise Whitson. With the advent of computers, this information was transferred into a membership database and maintained there.

5) Membership Lists: CMC maintained lists of its membership throughout its history. A purpose was to have a list of its members to mail Hiking Schedules, the CMC Let’s Go publication, and miscellaneous announcements. There are many annual membership lists in this collection. The lists have not been sorted and have not been inventoried. Many of these lists were also sent out annually to CMC members as an attachment to one of the CMC Let’s Go publications.

6) New Member Forms: A CMC applicant was required to fill out a form containing their information and sponsorship of a CMC member. A small subset is included in this collection (Shoebox).

Carolina Mountain Club History Project

Record Series Name: CMC “Let’s Go” and Hiking Schedule Publications

Physical Location: Box 3

Record Series Value (High, Medium, Low): Estimated as High

Record Series Description: From the 1930’s to the present day, CMC regularly produced publications to keep its membership informed about its activities. These included a Let’s Go publication and a Hiking Schedule publication. Let’s Go informed users of the latest information about the Club. The Hiking Schedule listed the scheduled outings of CMC. During much of CMC’s history these publication were issued quarterly. In 1970??, Let’s Go and the Hiking Schedule were merged into one document. The merged publication continues today and is issued quarterly to the membership via mailing.

Note: As Club Historian, Jerome Dykeman took on the task of organizing CMC records in the 1950s and 1960s. The CMC Let’s Go and Hiking Schedules publications were one of the important collections he organized. These records were placed in bound volumes and in the 1960s, donated to the Pack Library in Buncombe County, North Carolina. In 1999 and 2000, Club Historian, Pete Steurer continued Jerome’s work and acquired from long time club member Elizabeth Parker all Let’s Go and Hiking Schedules from 1960?? to 2000. These were organized and donated to Pack Library in 2001, and CMC donated $100 to the library to bind the volumes. These two collections are very complete and are currently located in the Pack Library, The North Carolina Reference Section. Summary of records:

1) Let’s Go and Hiking Schedules: Due to the importance of the regular information available in these publications and the occasional breaks in the CMC history due to lost records, all Let’s Go and Hiking Schedules found in the CMC History Collection were retained for the UNCA collection. Even though there are missing issues in the UNCA collection and there is duplication with the Pack Library collection, these publications are considered of extreme importance to the CMC historical record and duplication with Pack Library is considered justified. These publications have not been sorted and have not been inventoried.

Carolina Mountain Club History Project

Record Series Name: Hiking Schedules and Miscellaneous Publications from other clubs

Physical Location: Box4

Record Series Value (High, Medium, Low): Estimated as Medium

Record Series Description: CMC acquired these throughout the years from other hiking clubs mainly along the east coast of the United States with responsibility of maintaining the Appalachian Trail. Summary of records:

1) More than a dozen folders: Schedules and some publications from other hiking clubs. These include clubs in Maryland (Potomac Appalachian Trail Club), Georgia, Tennessee, New York, among others.

2) Large brown manila folder: Older schedules from other hiking clubs primarily from the 1930s and 1940s. Pete Steurer acquired these records in the early 1990s from Arch Nichols’ estate (prominent CMC member who died in 1989) after the death of his wife Zeffie. Includes 1941 booklet from the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club entitled Hiking the Appalachian Trail in Georgia.

3) Colorado Mountain Club hiking schedule booklets (1959, 1968, and 1969) loose in box.

4) Appalachia periodicals. 1959

Carolina Mountain Club History Project

Record Series Name: Hiking and Miscellaneous Publications by other organizations

Physical Location: Box5

Record Series Value (High, Medium, Low): Estimated as Medium

Record Series Description: CMC acquired these throughout the years from other hiking clubs and organizations. Some of the 1920s and 1930s publications could be personal copies of CMC members. Summary of records:

1) A very complete set of Appalachian Trailways News from 1939-1960’s. Set includes a bound volume, a loose-leaf volume, and loose issues. A separate folder contains duplicate issues.

2) Manila folder containing Sierra Club publications in 1946-47

3) Two 1930 Mazama hiking magazines from 1928 and 1929

4) Mountain Magazine, 1930 (Geo Masa signature)

5) The Mountaineer; 1928-29

6) National Park Service Bulletin; 1936-37

7) Summit,

8) Living Wilderness

9) Book: Tigers of the Snow; 1955

10) Booklet: Famous Trees, USDA 1938

11) Retyped 1849 manuscript: “Letters from the Allegheny Mountains”

Carolina Mountain Club History Project

Record Series Name: Appalachian Trail Guides and Trail Manuals

Physical Location: Box6

Record Series Value (High, Medium, Low): Estimated as High - Medium

Record Series Description: As a member of the Appalachian Trail Conference, CMC is responsible for a segment of the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina. CMC likely acquired these throughout the years as an aid in preparing the narratives to the guide for CMC’s section in North Carolina. Summary of records:

1) 1934 AT Trail Guide: Entitled Guide to Paths in the Blue Ridge: Personal copy signed by Marcus J. Book, a Forest Service supervisor of Unaka Division at the time. Note: may have significant historical and monetary value.

2) 1937 AT Trail Guide: Entitled Guide to the Southern Appalachians: Personal copy signed by Laura C. Smith, possibly a CMC member at the time. Note: may have significant historical and monetary value.

3) AT Trail Guides from the 1960s-1980s. Maybe a complete set: Maine to Georgia

a. Appalachian Trail Data Book; 1987 edition

b. Appalachian Trail Guide Tennessee – North Carolina: 1981 edition

c. Appalachian Trail Guide North Carolina - Georgia: 1980 edition

d. Guide to the Appalachian Trail in the Great Smokies and Nantahalas and Georgia: 1973 edition

e. Guide to the Appalachian Trail in Maine; 1969, 1975 editions

f. Appalachian Trail Guide New Hampshire - Vermont: 1983 and 1968 Eds.

g. Appalachian Trail Guide New York – New Jersey: 1983, 1977, 1972 (2 copies) editions

h. Appalachian Trail Guide Central and South Virginia: 1980 edition

i. Guide to the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania; 1973, 1970 editions

j. Guide to the Appalachian Trail in Massachusetts and Connecticut; 1983, 1972 editions

k. Guide to the Appalachian Trail and side trails in Shenandoah National Park; 1970 edition

4) Other Hiking Books

a. Hiking the Mountain State: Trails of West Virginia by Allen de Hart, 1986

b. Hiking the Old Dominion: Trails of Virginia by Allen de Hart, 1984

c. Miscellaneous maps of Tennessee and North Carolina

5) Miscellaneous Books

a. Stalking the Healthful Herbs by Euell Gibbons, 1966

b. Stalking the Wild Asparagus by Euell Gibbons, 1962

c. Appalachian Hiker: Adventures of a Lifetime by Edward B. G?????, 1971

6) Trail Manuals for the Appalachian Trail, 1931 (5 cps), 1940 (2 cps) 1966 (6 cps)

7) Manila folder:

a. The Appalachian Trail Publication 5 (1939-excellent AT history)

b. The Appalachian Trail Publication 17 (1967)

c. Suggestions for Appalachian Trail Users (1941)

d. Key 1938 document with detailed discussion of the AT in North Carolina

Carolina Mountain Club History Project

Record Series Name: CMC Hike Reports

Physical Location: Box7 and Metal Index Card File Cabinet

Record Series Value (High, Medium, Low): Estimated as Medium

Record Series Description: For every hike (1-3 per week), the hike leader was to prepare a summary. In the early years (1930's) these were written narratives. In the latter years, they were filed on index cards by filling in the blanks on a preprinted card. There are quite a few of these cards (many thousand). Numerous cards and narratives are missing from the collection. These were either lost over the years or not turned in by the hike leader. Summary of records:

1) Metal Index Card File Cabinet: Cards are in alphabetical order by date.

2) Loose cards: Mixed cards from miscellaneous folders and loose throughout the collection

3) 1930’s hiking narratives: Due to the historical nature of these early records, they have been grouped under the CMC Series named “1920’s and 1930’s CMC Records” and described under that series in this document.

Carolina Mountain Club History Project

Record Series Name: CMC Newspaper Clippings

Physical Location: Box8 (actually a regular size box top)

Record Series Value (High, Medium, Low): Estimated as Medium - High

Record Series Description: CMC promoted hiking and conservation in Western North Carolina and had numerous newspaper articles written about the club’s activities. During parts of its history, CMC had a publicity committee that was responsible for promoting the club’s activities and attracting new members. This resulted in quite a bit of press especially in the early years. During the 1980s and 1990s, CMC stopped publicizing its regular activities, such as hiking trips, primarily because of many non-Club members attending resulting in a liability in the event of an incident or accident. As a result, there are less newspaper clippings during this period of time. Summary of records:

1) Numerous articles were found in the CMC collection. Some were in newspaper clipping folders and some were loose and scattered throughout the collection. The clippings have not been organized nor inventoried. Note: Newspaper clippings were also found in many club folders pertaining to the subject of that folder. These clippings were not removed from the folder in order to maintain the original order.

Carolina Mountain Club History Project

Record Series Name: Commercial Maps and Trail Guides

Physical Location: Box9 (approximately 4 feet by 3 feet by 3 inches high))

Record Series Value (High, Medium, Low): Estimated as Low

Record Series Description: As part of CMC’s business to build and maintain hiking trails in Western North Carolina, topographic maps were procured to assist in the process. In addition, CMC acquired various hiking trail maps and guides. These maps do not appear to have a great deal of significance to the CMC history. Summary of records:

1) Topographic maps: Included are a hundred or so topographic maps produced by USGS. The geographic location of these maps is generally Western North Carolina. The USGS maps lying flat in the box are in alphabetical order and most are from the 1950s and 1960s (some duplicates with different versions)

2) Trail Guides: Included are guides products by U.S. Federal Agencies generally for the areas in Western North Carolina.

3) Rolled maps: miscellaneous maps, some North Carolina highway maps (likely used in planning trail relocations), some maps from other states, some maps of western U.S. National Parks

Carolina Mountain Club History Project

Record Series Name: CMC Legal Documents

Physical Location: Box10 (actually a regular size box top)

Record Series Value (High, Medium, Low): Estimated as High

Record Series Description: As with most organizations, CMC has rules and regulations. CMC is also incorporated. As a result, various legal documents are a part of the CMC history. Some are original State of North Carolina legal documents. Summary of records:

1) CMC Legal Files Folder (1); Original and copies of 1957 and 1973 Amendment of Incorporation documents. Also contains the original copy of the 1960’s lease for the Big Ivy cabin with the U.S. Forest Service.

2) CMC Bylaws folders (6); Bylaws for various years and varying stages of handwritten edits. One folder has the 1987 amendments. There is much duplication throughout these six folders. Due to the handwritten edits, it is recommended that none should be discarded without careful review.

Note: Due to the historical nature of the early records, the CMC Certification of Incorporation 1924 Folder has been grouped under the Series named CMC Early Documents (mainly1920’s and 1930’s).
Carolina Mountain Club History Project

Record Series Name: Conservation Documents by other Organizations

Physical Location: Box11

Record Series Value (High, Medium, Low): Estimated as Low - Medium

Record Series Description: In the course of performing conservation work, CMC acquired conservation documents and publications from other organizations. These were used to further CMC conservation efforts and occasionally were retained as a reference. Summary of records:

1) U.S. Forest Service-USDA

a. 1961 Folder; Forest Service 50^th anniversary; includes newspaper clippings

b. North Carolina National Forests: Forest Supervisor’s Report CY1961

c. Curtis Creek Unit Draft Environmental Statement; 1976

d. RARE II documents (3); 1978 and 1979

2) National Park Service

a. Black vinyl folder; Great Smoky National Park: Advance copy of General Management Plan; 1972 (1972 letter from NPS inside document with description)

b. Fire Management Plan Great Smoky National Park; 1996

c. Environmental Assessment of the Fire Management Plan Great Smoky National Park North Carolina and Tennessee; 1996

3) North Carolina Mountain Treasures: The Unprotected Wilderness of the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests; 1992 Wilderness Society (4 copies)

4) ORV information; 1970s (brown envelop)

5) North Carolina Trails Committee: 1974 Annual Report

6) Miscellaneous pamphlets, publications, and legislation copies (NC and Fed.) loose in box

Carolina Mountain Club History Project

Record Series Name: CMC Miscellaneous Publications

Physical Location: Box12

Record Series Value (High, Medium, Low): Estimated as High

Record Series Description: CMC has produced miscellaneous publications over the years concerning hiking, conservations, and trail work. See the record series: CMC “Let’s Go” and Hiking Schedule Publications for publications that CMC regularly produced. Summary of records:

1) 1967 Folder: A Scenic Park Road in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park from the Blue Ridge Parkway to Bryson City, North Carolina (6 copies) Folder includes other related publications.

2) Highlands of the Roan Composite Plan. (Map has 1974 date) Possible CMC publication. Arch Nichols copy

3) Blue 3 ring binder: CMC position on Horse Use on Max Patch. 1987 (See also Max Patch Record Series for further documents)

4) CMC Land Management Plan for the Appalachian Trail from Davenport Gap to Spivey Gap (1992) (2 copies)

5) CMC Appalachian Trail Optimum Location Review Davenport Gap to Spivey Gap (1987)

6) Photo Album: Appalachian Trail Shelter Project: Roaring Fork Shelter. 1989-1990; dedication has U.S. House of Representatives Jamie Clarke photos. Loose photos also in envelop

7) Photo Album: Appalachian Field Shelter Project Flint Mountain. 1988

8) Western North Carolina 223 Highest Mountain Peaks. (Likely not a CMC publication). 1946 edition (1 copy) and 1949 edition (8 copies)

9) Miscellaneous Folder: Dedication Art Loeb Memorial Trail. 1969; The Indian Path in Buncombe County by Dr. Gail Tennent (no date-may have historical value); Dr. Elisha Mitchell and the Measuring of Mt. Mitchell. 1950 by William Leinback; 100 Favorite Trails of Western North Carolina by Bernard Elias

Carolina Mountain Club History Project

Record Series Name: CMC Miscellaneous Correspondence

Physical Location: Box13

Record Series Value (High, Medium, Low): Estimated as Low-Medium

Record Series Description: As part of operations, individuals and organizations contact CMC to obtain information. This would include information about the club, hiking, trails, buying CMC items, and other miscellaneous things. CMC officers, primarily the club secretary, would respond. Folders were created that contained this type of correspondence. Some of these folders are large, especially in the 1960’s and 1970s. There are few folders of this type prior to 1968 in the CMC collection. This may indicate that Jerome Dykeman, in compiling the CMC history in the 1950’s and 1960s, considered these records as not essential and discarded them. Some of these records have the potential for being discarded as outlined below. Summary of records:

1) Prior to 1949; missing or merged with other series

2) 1949-1956 folder: contains important conservation documents, CMC budget information, and general correspondence.

3) 1957-1962: currently missing

4) 1963-1972 folder: small folder compile from papers throughout the collection

5) 1968 – 1973 annual folders (6): these are large folders and contain almost entirely general correspondence with private individuals. The records may have little importance to the CMC history. There are some newspaper clippings and conservation documents that are sporadically mixed. Some of the contents has the potential for being discarded after a careful review

6) 1969-1975 folder: Misc. documents (annual meetings, clippings)

7) 1974-1976 annual folders (3); these are small folders and contain some important conservation documents. The contents should not be discarded.

8) 1975-1979 folder: compiled from loose documents (some conservation papers)

9) 1977 annual folder (1); contains almost entirely general correspondence with private individuals. The records may have little importance to the CMC history. Some of the content has the potential for being discarded after a careful review.

10) 1978 folder: CMC Misc. Correspondence

11) 1980-1982: currently missing

12) 1983-1985 folder: CMC-USFS Misc. correspondence

13) 1985-1990: large folder CMC Misc. Correspondence( some conservation papers)

14) 1987 folder: Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy Misc. documents

15) 1988-1989 folder: Pres. John Dickson correspondence (some conservation papers)

16) 1988-1990 folder: NC Department of Natural Resources

17) 1990 folder: CMC Misc. Correspondence of President Brenda Thomas

18) 1991-1992 folder labeled Misc. Correspondence with Washington; contains important conservation documents. The contents should not be discarded.

19) 1991-1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995-1996 folders (4); contains important conservation documents. The contents should not be discarded.

20) 1992-1996 folder: Trail Maintenance Miscellaneous

21) After 1996; currently missing or merged with other series

Carolina Mountain Club History Project

Record Series Name: CMC Early Documents (Mainly 1920’s and 1930s)

Physical Location: Box14

Record Series Value (High, Medium, Low): Estimated as High

Record Series Description: The early club history is extremely important and as such a separate series has been created even though these records apply to other series in the collection. See these other record series for additional documents. Summary of records:

1) CMC Founding Documents folder: 1920-23 documents that outline the creation of CMC in 1923; original letters and signatures; H.D. Ramsey listed in Jan.14, 1923 letter (note Ramsey likely did not join the Club after the CMC incorporation but appears to have been a member prior to incorporation)

2) CMC Certification of Incorporation: original 1924 document with member signatures; also 1957 extension of incorporation document (see CMC Legal Documents series)

3) Membership Applications folder: 1924-25 original application forms filled out by members; original signatures (e.g. B.S. Colburn)

4) Report on Mt. Mitchell Camping Trip July 4-5, 1931: Outing with narrative by George Masa; includes a typed copy of a portion of the book History of Western North Carolina by John P. Arthur (1914) pages about the history of Mt. Mitchell

5) Hike Reports Annual folders (5) 1931-35: contains narratives on hikes and member list who took part in CMC scheduled outings

6) Cabins folder: 1933-34 correspondence on rental agreement with Forest Service; 1930s cabin rules; numerous original cabin use forms filled out by members; also Oct. 1962 cabin rules

7) Automobile Liability folder: 1936 correspondence on attaining automobile liability insurance for CMC outings (3 letters)

8) CMC Poetry folder: no date (est. 1930s-40s) poem by Andy Martenson

9) Hiking Annual Folders (2) 1939-40: Miscellaneous correspondence on CMC hikes and hiking

10) CMC Financial Reports folder: Annual budget reports from 1933-39 (1935 missing) and 1947(see CMC Financial Documents series)

11) Appalachian Trail Conference Documents

a. Folder 1: Important 1938 letter outlining the state of the AT in North Carolina (several copies); also contains 1948 and 1950s documents

b. Folder 2: Correspondence on ATC meeting and miscellaneous letters

12) Roger Morrow personal folders: instructions on folders describes to give to CMC after his death; contains miscellaneous material some old; possibly some important documents included

Carolina Mountain Club History Project

Record Series Name: CMC History Narratives and Member Narratives

Physical Location: Box14

Record Series Value (High, Medium, Low): Estimated as High

Record Series Description: Over the years, narratives have been written about the CMC. These narratives were sometimes written for presentation at annual meetings and to commemorate a CMC anniversary. In addition, folders were created for CMC members either because they were integral to the Club or because sometimes Summary of records:

1) CMC History Narratives folder: several narratives describing the history of CMC. The earliest is dated 1936 (2 pages) and the latest is dated 1992 (12 pages)

2) CMC Member Narratives

a. George Masa: large collection (in a box); this collection was extracted from the CMC History collection by Jamie McDaniels in 2001 and used for the creation of the documentary film The Mystery of George Masa. Includes 1930s documents as well as the 1960s documents assembled by Dr. Samuel Robinson that resulted in the naming of Masa Knob in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

b. Dr. Charles H. Lindsey: 1971 documents that describe the memorial hike to Mt. Leconte where Dr. Lindsey had earlier fell to his death

c. Jerome Dykeman: two folders that contain his Will and obituary (Jerome donate $1,000 to CMC upon his death)

d. George Cutting: small 1974-75 file concerning art work donated to CMC upon his death

e. Rev. Rufus Morgan: 1983 material including an autobiography booklet of his life; also photos of Rev. Morgan and Arch Nichols honoring Morgan

f. Arch Nichols: 1980s documents including narratives on Arch’s life and his obituary

Note: For additional member narratives, see the CMC Membership Records record series for short narratives on many if CMC’s more prominent members.
Carolina Mountain Club History Project

Record Series Name: CMC Conservation Effort Documents

Physical Location: Box15

Record Series Value (High, Medium, Low): Estimated as High

Record Series Description: CMC has produced documents over the years promoting conservation in Western North Carolina. See the record series CMC Max Patch and CMC Mountains to Sea Trail for these two conservation efforts. Summary of records:

1) Carter Creek Fall Preservation Project: 1955-56; Jerome Dykeman effort

2) Tennent Mountain Naming: 1956-64; letters to Congressman, documents, photos (Arch Nichols folder)

3) Naming of Black Brothers near Mt. Mitchell: 1958; Arch Nichols folder with numerous correspondence between D.H. Ramsey & CMC, also dedication photos

4) Photographs: 1950s and 1960s; miscellaneous hikes

5) NC Trail Legislation: 1960s-1990s; includes Joyce Kilmer and Appalachian Trail Act, among others

6) Great Smoky Mountains: various files; 1960s Trans Smoky Mountain Road; Swain County Road (includes summary and interpretation of the 22-page 1944 agreement with the Department of Interior); 1987 Great Smoky Mountains Wilderness Act

7) Shining Rock Wilderness (2 folders) 1962-64 contains CMC involvement, legislation, and establishment; 1988-89 wilderness evaluation documents

8) Big Ivy Cabin: 1962-75; lease and correspondence

9) Z. Smith Reynolds: 2 folders 1973 and 1974-75; CMC involvement with land purchase of Big Yellow Bald tract in Avery County, NC

10) Proposed Trail (Cold Mountain to Burnsville): 1973

11) South Toe and Big Ivy River Management Plan: 1975-76; plan & CMC position

12) AT Corridor Project: 1975-76

13) Rattlesnake Lodge: 1976; purchase and 1960s documents

14) Blue Ridge Parkway Extension: 1976; proposed plan and CMC position

15) Cold Spring Mountain: 1979-85

16) Balsam-Bonus Defeat Land Purchase: 1980-81

17) Linville Gorge Permit Plan: 1982

18) CMC Radio License: 1985

19) Peake Property: 1986; AT land acquisition in the Highlands of Roan Mountain

20) Governor’ Award: 1987 certificate signed by NC Governor James Martin for CMC volunteer services

21) CMC FENCE: 1987-89 (Foothills Equestrian Nature Center)

22) Log Hollow and Wash Creek: 1989 (Forest management documents of area)

23) NC Arboretum: 1995-96; trail maintenance agreements with CMC

Carolina Mountain Club History Project

Record Series Name: CMC Multi-Club Meeting Documents

Physical Location: Box16

Record Series Value (High, Medium, Low): Estimated as High - Medium

Record Series Description: Hiking clubs associated with the Appalachian Trail met annually for a weekend usually associated with camping. The agenda included both business and fun activities. Clubs would take turns hosting the event. CMC hosted numerous events and also participated in the events hosted by other clubs.

Note: Pack Library in Buncombe County, North Carolina has a partial collection of Multi-Club Meeting Documents. In 1999 and 2000, Club Historian, Pete Steurer acquired these from long time club member Elizabeth Parker. The records were donated to Pack Library in 2001. There may be unique documents in both collections. Summary of records:

1) Folders: 1954-1958, 1958, 1963, 1973, 1995-1996

2) Miscellaneous loose documents: not sorted and not inventoried.

Carolina Mountain Club History Project

Record Series Name: CMC Max Patch Documents

Physical Location: Box17

Record Series Value (High, Medium, Low): Estimated as High

Record Series Description: CMC actively participated in the recommending the purchase and rerouting of the Appalachian Trail over Max Patch in Western North Carolina in the 1970s and 1980s. This was a conservation effort led by Arch Nichols and the documents are largely from his files. Due to the volume of records and the importance of CMC’s efforts, this separate record series has been created for this conservation work. Summary of records:

1) Manila folders (2)

2) Brown portfolio folder (1): includes July 1983 dedication photos

Carolina Mountain Club History Project

Record Series Name: CMC Mountains to Sea Trail Documents

Physical Location: Box18

Record Series Value (High, Medium, Low): Estimated as High

Record Series Description: CMC actively participated and was instrumental in the original planning, trail routing, and trail building of the Mountains to the Sea Trail (MTS) system. CMC continues today in this effort and also is extensively involved with maintaining these trails. Arch Nichols was instrumental in this conservation effort and a MTS section was dedicated to him after his death. Due to the volume of records and the importance of CMC’s efforts, this separate record series has been created for this conservation work. Summary of records:

1) Large dark brown portfolio: Important documents on the MTS that were extracted from the full CMC collection in the 1990s. Material was used in writing the book The Mountains to Sea Trail: Western North Carolinas Majestic Rival to the Appalachian Trail by Donald Dossey and John Hillyer (1998). Folder includes 1973 planning documents, NC legislation, and many background documents

2) Light brown envelop labeled MTS –CMC trails Dr. Dunn: possibly Dr Dunn’s file on MTS. Includes documents the 1970s-1980s and topographic maps

3) Light brown folder containing 1980s MTS Shut-In Trail documents including Shut-In Trail dedication and photos

4) Manila folders

a. 1979-87 miscellaneous information

b. 1989-90 miscellaneous information

c. 1989 dedication of MTS ceremony to Arch Nichols

d. 1994-96 miscellaneous information

Carolina Mountain Club History Project

Record Series Name: CMC Appalachian Trail Conference Documents

Physical Location: Box19

Record Series Value (High, Medium, Low): Estimated as Medium - High

Record Series Description: CMC has been a member of the Appalachian Trail Conference for many years due to the club’s active participation in maintaining about 90 miles of the Appalachian Trail. For additional ATC documents, see the record series CMC Early Documents (Mainly 1920’s and 1930s) and Hiking and Miscellaneous Publications by other organizations Summary of records:

1) Approximately 20 manila folders containing ATC related documents organized by date. The earliest folder is 1968 and the latest is 1996.

2) Membership directories

3) Three ringer binder documents (2): Appalachian Trail Conference Local Management Plan Guide, November 1988 and February 1997 editions

4) Three ring binder document: Strengthening the Appalachian Trail Partnership for the Future: The Knoxville Follow-Up Report, 1992