A History of Books

Written By: Luke Osteen | Issue: April 2025

In the aftermath of the Great Recession of 2008, when the national and local economies were writhing like a snake on a griddle, I ended up working the front desk at Albert Carlton-Cashiers Community Library.

It gave me an unprecedented look at the various communities of Southern Jackson County and a continuous drama wilder than anything conceived in Hollywood – little triumphs and shared tragedies, petty feuds and sudden reconciliations and always – always – unexpected bouts of laughter.

My employment was ensured by Fontana Regional Library System, which supports branches in Jackson, Macon (that’s right, Highlands’ Hudson Library) and Swain counties. The system is celebrating its 80th birthday and, if anything, its mission has become even more vital.

In the 19th century, North Carolina had the highest rate of illiteracy in the US. The State Library, formally established in 1812, was the only tax-supported library existing in North Carolina before the 20th Century.

Grim as that situation was, things weren’t so dark in the grand experiment called Highlands.

Ella Emmons Hudson, a newcomer to the young town, believed that residents deserved a library. Though she died before her dream could be realized, Hudson Library opened its doors on June 13, 1884. The 80 volumes that comprise the collection were those brought to Highlands by Ms. Hudson.

If you look at the date of its foundation, you’ll notice that Hudson Library is in the midst of its 140th anniversary.

And while we’re talking about birthdays, we can’t ignore Albert Carlton-Cashiers Community Library, which opened its doors in 1994. How about that – its 41st birthday!

In the 1930s, Franklin Roosevelt’s Works Project Administration decided to increase the number of libraries in the state, with emphasis on WNC with its burgeoning army of Civilian Conservation Corps workers.

My uncle Harvey “Benny” Souther was one of those CCC “boys” and he remembered the thrill of being able to check out the Tarzan novels and the pulp adventures of Doc Savage and G-8 and His Battle Aces.

With even more development of the Tennessee Valley Authority and Oak Ridge (see our 2020 interview with Highlander Katherine Taylor about that project), it became clear that an even greater effort would have to be undertaken to meet the needs of the reading public.

In 1944, Fontana Regional Library began as a regional bookmobile to visit the most remote areas of Jackson, Macon and Swain Counties. After nearly a decade, Fontana Regional Library System incorporated as a nonprofit entity designed to serve libraries in all three counties.

For evidence of how FRL and the twin Plateau libraries continue to enrich the lives of residents, I’d invite you to check their reports featured in every issue of The Laurel.