The Carolina Mountain Club (CMC) was established in Asheville, North Carolina on July 16, 1923 The focus of the Club is on hiking, building and maintaining trails, and promoting conservation.
Three officers of the club were instrumental in retaining core club records and for building the Club’s history. Jerome Dykeman, as CMC Historian took on the task of organizing the records in the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1960s and on the death of Dykeman in 1973, Eloise Whitson, the Secretary/Treasurer continued the retention and organization of the records until her death in 1992. In addition to the record-keeping responsibilities of these two officers, Arch Nichols, a member, maintained meticulous files. Mr. Nichols was active in the Club from the 1940s, until his death in 1989.
Since CMC never had a physical office, the club’s records have been relocated throughout its history. The full details of these relocations have not been documented. During the 1990s, CMC records were transferred from CMC club president to president, but in 1998, CMC president, Howard McDonald, retained the collection after his term ended, and provided stewardship of the materials. In October 2002, club historian Pete Steurer acquired the records from Mr. McDonald, and began to the process of organizing the collection for presentation to UNC Asheville.
Contains administrative, financial and membership information on the Carolina Mountain Club from the founding of the club in 1923, until very recent years. There are extensive records of hikes undertaken, with details of dates, weather, routes, hike leaders, and hikers.
The conservation work undertaken by the club is described in trail maintenance records, including projects undertaken on the Appalachian Trail, and with National Parks and Forests.
Photographs of hikes and conservation work undertaken by the club are included, as are numerous maps, trails guides and other publications related to hiking and conservation, primarily in the Appalachian region.
Contains correspondence, membership and financial records, hike and trail records, maps, photographic prints and slides, digital images, audio recordings, serials, monographs, other publications, and realia.
