Images of America:
Little Switzerland

By Chris Hollifield and David Biddix

This is the place. As Heriot Clarkson sat on his mule atop Grassy Mountain in June, 1909, he looked out over a sea of mountains extending to the horizon in every direction, his dreams before him. Here was the spot for a retreat from the summer heat of the piedmont and coastal plain where simple living and nature’s beauty would combine to create an idyllic community. But the story doesn’t begin there. Hardy Scotch-Irish settlers moved into these same mountains some two centuries earlier, admiring the same views but putting down permanent roots into the land. Images of America: Little Switzerland documents the unique interactions between native and summer residents in working together to build this remarkable community. The social, economic, historical, and spiritual fabric that makes Little Switzerland unique among resort communities is documented, along with the personalities and places that provide its character.

David Biddix is Webmaster/Coordinator of Multimedia for Mayland Community College and has an avid interest in local history and preservation. Chris Hollifield is a history teacher at Harris Middle School and a historian who has collected materials on local history for several years. They previously authored Images of America Spruce Pine.

ISBN: 9780738586151

Number of Pages: 128
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
Available: June 2010