WCU Digital Collections

The fourth of July holiday always makes me think of family and friends gathering, boat rides, and picnics. Here is a random assortment of images that are from film brought to Sherrill’s Photography Studio in downtown Waynesville for developing, but never picked up. The only clue we have is a name on the envelope. If you recognize any people or places, let us know! Also, check out our Mystery Photos website mysteryphotos.wcu.edu to see if you might recognize any of the people in the photographs or search for a name under the “More Names” tab and request images from any name that you may recognize.

We were sad to see the old White Oak Tree fall over the weekend of June 6th. And just how old was the tree? We’ve heard that a core sample was taken in 2021 and it was determined to be between 240-280 years old. The tree was a big part of what made the view from Special Collections Reading Room so interesting, and it will be dearly missed.

Pictured here is an aerial view from around 1929 when both the new and old Cullowhee Baptist church were in place, a view of church from the school’s 50th anniversary celebration in 1939, a view beyond the football field from 1941, a few-recent day photographs, and some from after the tree’s fall.

Walter Berry is doing a handstand, Jim Thompson is taking his picture from the trail, and Guy Frizzell is standing on top of Charlies Bunion in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This National Park photo from 1935 is part of the Carlos C. Campbell collection that we are in the process of putting online. With such beautiful days in the upcoming week, it is time to get out and hike, but please don’t try this handstand on the trail!

Walter Berry is doing a handstand, Jim Thompson is taking his picture from the trail, and Guy Frizzell is standing on top of Charlies Bunion in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This National Park photo from 1935 is part of the Carlos C. Campbell collection that we are in the process of putting online. With such beautiful days in the upcoming week, it is time to get out and hike, but please don’t try this handstand on the trail! . . . #charliesbunion #findyourpark #climbamountain #getoutandhike #themountainsarecalling #greatsmokymountainsnationalpark #gsmnp #wnchistory #mountainphotography #westerncarolinauniversity #hunterlibrary #specialcollections #digitalcollection #tennessee

We just put online a series of about 100 images taken by James Baldwin Shelton (1886-1977) prior to the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the Elkmont area. This is a community picnic held at the end of the school year, likely in Elkmont, date unknow. J. B. Shelton grew up in the Smoky Mountains and married Sarah “Caroline” Walker, whose sisters are famous for securing a lifetime lease to remain in their home, becoming a living museum when the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was created. Shelton carried his bulky camera, glass plates, and tripod around the mountains and processed his plates in a darkroom over a stream near his house. To browse all of the images: https://tinyurl.com/3tn9as2y

Welcome to the alumni who are gathering this weekend for the Sylva-Webster High School Alumni Fest. Here are a few pages from the 1966 Sylva-Webster High School yearbook for you to enjoy!


downtownsylva