This week 90 years ago, construction began on the Blue Ridge Parkway at Cumberland Knob, near the VA state line — and this week 38 years ago, the Linn Cove Viaduct was finished, completing all 469 miles of America’s Favorite Drive. Though the parkway is central to Asheville today, history nearly left the city out of the loop.
The original parkway plans
Today, the parkway runs from the southern terminus of Shenandoah National Park’s Skyline Drive in Virginia to US Route 441 in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park near Cherokee. But the original 1930s plan had the parkway turning at Blowing Rock, extending into the Unaka Mountains and TN — which would have bypassed Asheville entirely.
With Asheville’s economy shattered by the Great Depression, city representatives and leaders from the Asheville Chamber of Commerce lobbied for a new route that would bring visitors to the Land of the Sky. What later ensued was a battle between NC and TN, each fighting for its share of what would become America’s most-visited national park.
Even though parkway architects already favored TN for its diversity of scenery, Department of Interior Secretary Harold Ickes appointed the Radcliffe Committee to decide the route. In February of 1934, each state passionately pleaded its case. And even through the summer months, as the Asheville contingency awaited a decision for the committee, it didn’t let up on its push. In a grand gesture, a custom leather photo album filled with photos of Asheville’s mountain scenery was arranged to be hand-delivered to FDR.
Bringing in the big guns
Despite Asheville’s efforts, word from the committee had leaked, expressing its support for the TN route. Then, our home team decided it was time for a Hail Mary — recruiting Josephus Daniels to the cause.
During his career, the NC native had served as the manager of The News & Observer, Secretary of the Navy under President Woodrow Wilson, and US Ambassador to Mexico under FDR. More than just colleagues, Daniels, Roosevelt, and Ickes were friends. So when Daniels, a proponent of the Asheville route, expressed his support to the two decision-makers, his word was wildly influential.
Later that fall, Ickes announced the results of the campaign — the Asheville route would be built. Even the NPS’ account of the decision credits Daniels with swaying the administration’s decision. About a year after the announcement, construction on the parkway began.
Time for a drive
If this spirited story has you especially inspired to embark on an adventure, you’re in luck. In case you missed it, the NPS completed Helene-related repairs that have opened up the parkway for 85 continuous miles of travel from Asheville to Cherokee.
