Facts and Folklore between milepost 299 - 317

• Brown Mountain Lights- Although scientists have tried for years to explain it, the mysterious red, bluish-white or yellow lights that appear suddenly over the Brown Mountains, remain a mystery. Of course local residents have come up with their own explanations. One of these legends is that a plantation owner had gone up the mountain to hunt, became lost and never returned home. One of his slaves took a lantern and searched for him for several nights but never returned. It is said that the light is from the lantern of the slave's spirit searching for his master. Another legend is that the lights are the wives still searching for their husbands killed during a major war between the Cherokee and Catawba indians. Visible in all seasons but better in the fall, the best time to see them is on a cool, crisp night just after a good rain (around 9:30 or 10:00 p.m.). The best locations for viewing the lights are: Wiseman's View (for those with a 4WD) near Linville Falls on milepost 317.5 , the Lost Cove Overlook on milepost 310 , An overlook south of Jonas Ridge on NC 181 and from the Thunder Hill overlook on milepost 290.
• The Buried Treasure of Frank & Jesse James! -According to legend, Frank James, brother of bank robber, Jesse, had friends in Avery County and often visited them there. On one occasion, he became ill while traveling through the county and rested in the loft of Jake Carpenter's barn He went on to Alabama where he died shortly after. The legend states that he had buried some of his loot in the vicinity of Avery County which has led to many a treasure hunt and wild goose chase!
• The Tallest Town - At an elevation of 5506 feet, Beech Mountain is the highest incorporated town in the Southeastern United States.
• The Little People of Linville Caverns - According to the storytellers, little people called "Nunnehi" by the Cherokee are supposed to live in the caverns!
• The Rags that Built a School - Dr. Eustace and Mary Sloop, both physicians, moved to Crossnore in 1911 and some time later began a boarding school for mountain youth. To raise funds for the school, Dr. Mary Sloop wrote friends and asked them to send discarded clothes to sell to raise funds for the institution. The upscale second hand shop raised enough money to help build Crossnore School which today is a thriving academy. The Blair Fraley thrift store is still on the campus, although it recently moved into a much larger building.