Group gathered in front of the Swain County Courthouse

Group gathered in front of the Swain County Courthouse

A group of men are gathered outside the jail with the Swain County Courthouse to the right. B 467 is written on the negative. The photographer, “Doc” Kelly Bennett (1890-1974), was a prominent pharmacist in Swain County, NC. Owner of the Bryson City Drug Company, Bennett served as alderman and mayor of Bryson City, on the Swain County Board of Education, as well as several terms as NC State Senator and NC State Representative. He participated in numerous other initiatives and organizations. Known as the “Apostle of the Smokies,” Bennett was an instrumental figure in the movement to create the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He was also an avid photographer, skillfully documenting a wide variety of people, places, and events in Swain County and the surrounding area.

Bennett, Kelly, 1890-1974

negatives (photographs)

72265

3.5" x 5.75"(dimension)

Picturing Appalachia