The name Swannanoa derives from a Cherokee word meaning "beautiful river." The beauty and abundance created by the river and surrounding mountains drew Native Americans for hunting. In the 19th century, the Davidson and Alexander families developed Swannanoa's infrastructure, establishing farmsteads, gristmills, lumber mills, and general stores. Families soon flocked to the area, traveling west from the coast and piedmont to escape the sweltering...
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History