A vision of progress : identity and urban development in Asheville, North Carolina, 1919 - 1931

A vision of progress : identity and urban development in Asheville, North Carolina, 1919 - 1931

Asheville (N.C.)

Hurley, Joseph A.

2006

McRae, Elizabeth

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/

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61750

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A small commercial and resort center for much of its existence, Asheville, North Carolina steadily grew in size following the completion of a railroad line in the late 1880s. A long time summer resort for southern aristocrats, Asheville's leaders embraced tourism as the main industry for their city. By 1920 the city's population had grown to 28,504. This decade brought many changes to the city's urban landscape. New construction projects dotted the city. A mountain was leveled to make way for a luxury hotel and more business buildings. Not only did the physical layout of Asheville change, but so did the city's image. Though not a large city, during the 1920s, many of Asheville's leaders worked to create an image of their city as prosperous, urban, and cultured. This image of a cosmopolitan Asheville, crafted by its leaders, became an instrumental force during this decade of rapid urban growth. In their efforts to create a city that matched their fashioned image, the city government mounted massive debts and by 1931 became bankrupt. This thesis examines the role of imagery and identity in Asheville throughout the 1920s. By examining Asheville within the context of national developments, such as the period's rural-urban conflict, and the overly optimistic business mood, this city's identity appears more associated with urban America than with the South. This study examines how Asheville's leaders defined progress and cosmopolitan, and the effects that those two concepts had on their actions. During this decade, the city's commercial-civic elite invested heavily in selling Asheville to the nation and improving its infrastructure. This study also examines how Asheville's leaders advertised a crafted image of their city as they traversed the eastern half of the nation on Good Will Tours. Finally, this work also examines the city's real estate boom and the financial collapse of the city government and the Central Bank and Trust Company. The image and identity of Asheville crafted by its leaders during the 1920s continues to resonate throughout the city to the present day. The 1920s proved to be the defining era for the city of Asheville.

2014-09-04

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