Students' exhibit about the fight for bluff on display at Mars Hill University's Ramsey Center

An exhibit called "The Fight for Bluff: A Community's Effort to Preserve Its Mountain" is on display in Mars Hill University's Liston B. Ramsey Center for Regional Studies. The exhibit looks at the history behind the proposed large scale logging of Bluff Mountain in the late 1990s and the public response to the National Forest Service’s proposal. It examines how the two sides were able to come to an agreement that drastically reduced the size of the proposed timber harvest. Bluff Mountain is located near Hot Springs, North Carolina, along the North Carolina–Tennessee state line.

The exhibit was researched, written, and designed by history students who are a part of the Public History Concentration and were enrolled in the Archival Management/Museum Studies course in the fall semester of 2016. “Having these students work on the exhibit gave them the opportunity to see the work that goes into creating this type of piece while also teaching them how to work in a team setting, how to research and write with the public in mind, and what it will take to succeed in the field of public history. It is the goal of the public history concentration to make students aware of a growing field that they could potentially work in, while also helping to broaden their understanding of what it means to be a historian," said Patrick Cash, Public History Program Coordinator and instructor of the course. 

“Being able to participate in the creation of the exhibit has truly been an eye opening to the importance of history and public history," said Jennifer Cardona-Alfaro of Raleigh, North Carolina. "Beyond providing me with wonderful hands-on experience, this exhibit has allowed me to be a part of a larger project that I am proud of. This exhibit is a form of preservation of knowledge, culture, and community and we hope it inspires visitors to become involved in their own community," The other students involved with the project are Digna Bermudez of Charlotte, North Carolina; Brandon Cheek of Inman, South Carolina; Adrienne Enoch of Kernersville, North Carolina; Clay Peregoy of Salem, Virginia; and Jamie Whitesides of Black Mountain, North Carolina.

The exhibit will remain on display through July 28, 2017. Hours are Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 1 to 4 p.m.; Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 to 11 a.m.; and by appointment. The Ramsey Center is located on the main level of Renfro Library on the Mars Hill University campus. For more information, contact Patrick Cash at (828) 689-1581 or pcash@mhu.edu.

The Liston B. Ramsey Center for Regional Studies at Mars Hill University connects the campus with the wider community to explore the history, culture, and environment of the Southern Appalachian region. The Ramsey Center preserves and provides access to resources for this study through its Southern Appalachian Archives. The center shares Mars Hill University’s commitment to local and global engagement, to service, and to experiential learning.