Sarah Gudger’s oral history from the 1930s Federal Writer’s Project Slave Narratives is the only written, personal eye witness account of a person who was enslaved in Buncombe County. Katherine Cutshall, a library associate at the North Carolina Room at Pack Library in downtown Asheville, will discuss the process of uncovering Sarah Gudger’s biography, a story trapped in a multitude of primary sources from census rolls to county budget records, and reflect upon how deciphering Gudger’s life history is indicative of the struggle to reveal African-American stories in Southern Appalachia. 

Seating is limited. Please reserve your spot below.

About History Cafe
Ever wonder how Asheville came to get its drinking water from Black Mountain? What slavery looked like in western North Carolina (Yes, there were enslaved people here.)? How wagons, stagecoaches, and trains made it up the steep grade from Old Fort into Ridgecrest? Come to the Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center on the fourth Monday of the month at 10:30am for a discussion about local history. Come start off your morning getting to know our region a little better!

Cost: Free for museum members and students with ID. Please RSVP below. Nonmembers may pay $5 in advance online or a $5+ donation at the door. Coffee will be provided.

Designed for adults and modeled after the popular Science Cafes taking place across the nation, Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center’s monthly History Cafe offers lectures and workshops led by local experts and researchers on regional history topics. These hour-long meet-ups engage the many stories that have shaped our southern Appalachian community as a place — from geological changes to native histories, musical innovations, pioneer experiences, and labor struggles — and will end with informal discussion bringing our shared history into context with contemporary issues.

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