history

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History

Bakersville is a small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, known for its picturesque beauty and is filled with history, art and artists, and Southern Appalachian culture.  It is named for the settler who owned much of the land in the area, David Baker.  It was first recognized as a town in 1852 by Yancey County and in 1868 it became the seat of Mitchell County government.  It was officially incorporated in 1870. 

The town is located within the floodplains of the Cane Creek and the town has flooded on several occasions in the past.  Despite its potential for destruction, Cane Creek is a beautiful natural asset within the town that has been developed to provided a greenway with fishing piers, bridges, and recreational sports fields.  Cane Creek is also the location of Dellinger Grist Mill, a National Register of Historic Places site and building which is located just a few miles east of Bakersville.

The Town also takes pride in their Rhododendron Festival which is an annual event that started in 1946.  Bakersville is nestled below Roan Mountain which has the largest naturally-occurring rhododendron gardens in the world.