Spruce Pine, NC

By Avery Merkley, Monarch Field Crew Member / AmeriCorps Member

While on disaster response in Western North Carolina, I’ve served nearly half of my time at a distribution site in Spruce Pine, located in Mitchell County. This site is about an hour commute from our base. The drive has beautiful views of the mountains and valleys. Sometimes, I prefer not to drive just so I can take it all in, rather than having the responsibility to watch the road.

One specific road we take winds us on steep switchbacks up a mountainside. Some days, the skies are very clear and the mountains stretch off in the distance. Other days, the peaks are blanketed by clouds, visible only when we break through the fog. When the sun is shining, the ground itself glitters and shines in the light. The first day I saw this, I thought it looked just like the gleam of fresh snow.

Linda, a woman we’ve worked closely with at this distribution center, gifted me a book titled Images of America: Spruce Pine. It contains historical pictures of the town and how it has changed throughout the years. Through this, I learned Spruce Pine is known as the Mineral City. Mica, feldspar, and quartz are mined here for use in computer chips and plumbing fixtures all around the world. Because of this, it is said there is a piece of Spruce Pine in every home.

Our time in North Carolina is soon coming to a close, and driving up that winding highway won’t be part of our daily commute next week. It’s been impactful to get a glimpse of the minerals shimmering in the soil and learn how they have so heavily shaped Spruce Pine. When I remember that a piece of Spruce Pine is in every home, I will remember the people here that we’ve worked with and learned so much from.

Sources

Images of America Spruce Pine Authors: David Biddix and Chris Hollifield