The Heart of the Alleghanies; or, Western North Carolina

by Wilbur Gleason Zeigler; Ben S. Grosscup

POPULATION OF THE WESTERN COUNTIES, 1880.[A]

	Total.	Colored.	County-seats.
Alleghany	5,486	519	Gap Civil
Ashe	14,437	966	Jefferson	196
Buncombe	21,909	3,487	Asheville	2,116
Burke	12,809	2,721	Morganton	861
Caldwell	10,291	1,600	Lenoir	206
Catawba	14,946	2,477	Newton	583
Cherokee	8,182	386	Murphy	170
Clay	3,316	141	Hayesville	111
Cleaveland	16,571	2,871	Shelby	990
Graham	2,335	212	Robbinsville	47
Haywood	10,171	484	Waynesville	225
Henderson	10,281	1,388	Hendersonville	554
Jackson	7,343	752	Webster	107
McDowell	9,836	1,897	Marion	372
Macon	8,064	669	Franklin	207
Madison	12,810	459	Marshall	175
Mitchell	9,435	503	Bakersville	476
Polk	5,062	1,144	Columbus	71
Rutherford	15,198	3,288	Rutherfordton	—
Surry	13,302	2,075	Dobson	—
Swain	3,784	550	Charleston	—
Transylvania	5,340	517	Brevard	223
Watauga	8,160	746	Boone	167
Wilkes	19,181	1,924	Wilkesboro	200
Yancey	7,694	325	Burnsville	—

[A] United States Census Report

MONTHLY, SEASONAL, AND ANNUAL MEAN TEMPERATURES FOR A PERIOD OF YEARS AT SEVEN STATIONS, AND THEIR AVERAGE FOR THE WESTERN DIVISION.

Name of Station.	January	February	March	April	May	June	July	August	September	October	November	December	Spring	Summer	Autumn	Winter	Year	No. Years Observations.
	°	°	°	°	°	°	°	°	°	°	°	°	°	°	°	°	°
Asheville	37	39	45	52	63	69	74	71	66	53	43	37	53	72	54	38	54.3	6½
Bakersville	34	37	38	54	61	66	72	74	65	50	43	36	51	71	52	36	52.5	1
Boone	33	34	36	49	57	65	69	70	62	47	34	30	47	68	48	32	48.7	2
Franklin	38	42	45	54	63	70	70	70	65	52	42	41	54	70	53	40	54.4	2
Lenoir	36	40	45	56	66	73	76	73	67	55	43	37	55	74	55	38	55.5	3
Murphy	38	42	45	56	65	71	74	72	66	53	41	38	56	72	53	39	55.2	2½
Highlands	29	33	46	52	58	64	71	69	61	49	48	29	52	68	53	30	50.7	1
Western Division	36	39	41	53	62	69	71	71	64	51	41	36	52	70	52	37	53.1

AVERAGE MONTHLY, SEASONAL AND ANNUAL MAXIMA, MINIMA AND RANGE OF TEMPERATURE FOR A PERIOD OF YEARS AT FOUR STATIONS AND FOR THE WESTERN DIVISION.

Name of Station.		January	February	March	April	May	June	July	August	September	October	November	December	Spring	Summer	Autumn	Winter	Year	No. Years Observations.
		°	°	°	°	°	°	°	°	°	°	°	°	°	°	°	°	°
	Maxima	63	65	71	80	82	83	86	85	81	75	68	63	82	86	81	65	86
Asheville	Minima	10	10	12	30	42	49	61	57	45	29	17	7	12	49	17	7	7	6½
	Range	53	55	59	50	40	34	25	28	36	46	51	56	70	37	64	58	79
	Maxima	57	58	64	73	75	81	84	82	79	74	55	51	75	82	79	58	82
Boone	Minima	4	6	11	26	38	50	57	53	40	32	30	22	11	50	30	4	4	2
	Range	53	52	53	47	37	31	27	29	39	42	25	29	64	32	49	54	78
	Maxima	62	66	71	82	85	88	91	87	85	82	67	63	85	91	85	66	91
Lenoir	Minima	14	15	14	36	47	58	66	52	50	29	18	9	36	50	18	9	9	3
	Range	48	51	57	46	38	30	25	35	35	53	49	54	49	41	67	57	82
	Maxima	64	67	73	81	88	88	89	89	84	78	65	74	88	89	86	74	89
Murphy	Minima	9	14	15	35	47	59	64	57	44	24	11	6	15	57	11	6	6	3
	Range	55	53	58	46	50	29	25	32	42	54	54	68	73	32	75	68	83
	Maxima	61	63	69	78	82	84	86	87	82	76	63	63	82	87	82	63	87
Western Division	Minima	8	10	13	30	42	53	61	56	43	28	19	12	13	53	19	8	8
	Range	53	53	56	48	43	31	25	31	39	48	44	51	69	34	63	55	79