White Oak Mountain has History

 Author Susan Speight writes of a quarry man from Ohio, a millionaire from New York, a former First Lady, and a notorious mountain man - these characters and more are featured in this new book about White Oak Mountain, Columbus, NC. The foreword is written by cultural historian, Mike McCue: "In this book, Susan has pulled together a rich opportunity to add to our knowledge. One of her goals is to gather memories--first-hand and second-hand accounts presented here, which are valuable primary sources. Her even greater achievement here is to share fruits of extensive research into the more-distant past. She brings to light much material that has never been published. Susan's work offers fresh perspectives we haven't had before, and suggests additional intriguing avenues for future research and interpretation." This is a fascinating and little known story for anyone interested in the history of western North Carolina. There are more than 200 images in the book, some of which have never been seen outside of family albums.