Nestled in the mountains of western North Carolina, Mitchell County was created in 1861 and was named for Dr. Elisha Mitchell, a University of North Carolina professor who died in 1857 while remeasuring the mountain that now bears his name. Although the appropriately named mountain lies in adjacent Yancey County, Mitchell County has no shortage of claims to fame; it is well known for the Clinchfield Railroad, the Carolina Theater, the Blue Ridge Parkway,...