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Description
Join us at the Asheville Museum of History (AMoH) on Tuesday, August 25th, from 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM at the historic Smith-McDowell House, home to AMoH, for a special History Hour program: The Light at the End of the Tunnel: New Archival Discoveries of the African American Incarcerated Laborers Who Built the Western North Carolina Railroad, with Ashley Whittle. Light refreshments will be available.
About the History Hour Program:
The Western North Carolina Railroad, which was constructed in the late 19th century, was built primarily by African American incarcerated laborers, many of whom had been unjustly imprisoned during the dangerously turbulent times following the Civil War. This history of the Railroad is virtually unknown, but in 2024 there was a successful movement to release the state prison records at the North Carolina State Archives in Raleigh, and at almost the same time, the Southern Railway records from the Norfolk Southern Corporation were donated to the Atlanta History Center, where they were processed and opened to the public. Taken together, these records provide an unprecedented view of both the convicts who built the Western North Carolina Railroad, as well as the almost insurmountable conditions they overcame in order to build what is still considered one of the greatest human achievements of our time. This presentation will discuss the process of unveiling these archival records, new discoveries made from those records, and the implications on historical equity this astonishing information has the potential to balance.
About the Speaker:
Ashley McGhee Whittle served as Assistant Archivist and Special Collections Assistant from 2019-2023, she served as Lead Archivist in 2024, and she was named Head of Special Collections and University Archivist in 2025. Prior to that she worked in the archives at Biltmore Estate and as the administrative assistant in the UNC Asheville History Department. She brings a love of regional history and a passion for helping students to the job. Her current research interests include the implementation of convict labor in relation to the building of the Western North Carolina Railroad from Old Fort to Swannanoa. She is a 2016 graduate of the UNC Asheville History Department with her BA in History and also has a minor in Environmental Studies, graduating cum laude. She is a 2022 graduate of UNC Greensboro with her Master’s in Library and Information Studies (MLIS). She teaches as an adjunct for the UNC Asheville History Department; her classes include Appalachian History, Environmental History of Appalachia, and History of the United States to 1865.
Tickets:
* In-Person Tickets are Limited *
General Admission | $10 [plus fees & taxes]
AMoH Members | FREE
We also have no-cost, community-funded tickets available. We want our events to be accessible to as many people as possible. If you are able, please consider making a donation along with your ticket purchase. These donations are placed in our Community Fund, which allows us to offer tickets at no cost to those who could not attend otherwise. Tickets are limited for in-person lectures, so don't miss your opportunity to secure a spot!
* In-Person Tickets are Limited *
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For questions about this event:
Email education@ashevillehistory.org or call the Asheville Museum of History (AMoH) at 828.365.8479
Date & Time
Tue, Aug 25, 2026 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Venue Details
Asheville Museum of History
283 Victoria RoadAsheville, North Carolina 28801
