Thanks to our partners at Transylvania County Library and funding from the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), new editions of The Transylvania Times are now available on our website!

These new editions cover the years 1975 to 1996 and explore life in southwestern North Carolina. Residents of Transylvania County received their local, state, and national news from The Transylvania Times, which was faithfully updated semi-weekly.

The early July 1976 issues cover Transylvania County’s plans for the Bicentennial anniversary of America’s independence. The celebrations lasted three days and included free watermelon, a flag-raising ceremony, a softball game, relay races, and fireworks, among other events. The Transylvania community united to celebrate the birth of America through family-friendly events, although summer showers delayed some of the festivities.

The birthday celebration’s main event was burying a time capsule on the courthouse lawn. Inside, community members buried twenty-eight items, including the centennial issue of The Transylvania Times, documents from the Transylvania County Historic Properties Commission, and thirteen postcards printed with scenes and buildings of local interest.

To learn more about the Transylvania County Library, please visit their website.

To view all issues of The Transylvania Times, please click here.

To view more newspapers from around North Carolina, please click here.