Banner Elk

Banner Elk (HM1GX7)

Location: Banner Elk, NC 28604 Avery County
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Country: United States of America
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N 36° 9.391', W 81° 52.24'

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Inscription

Unionist Haven

In 1860 Banner Elk was a small community in the mountains of Watauga County (present-day Avery County). Then called Banner Elk, it was named for the local Banner family and the Elk River. During the last years of the Civil War, an organized system of safe houses was operated here for escaped Union prisoners of war and refugees from Confederate conscription. Local residents guided them through Blowing Rock, across Grandfather Mountain, and into Banner Elk, where other guides led them to safety in Kentucky and Tennessee. Daniel Ellis, Harrison Church, and Lewis Banner were among the guides, as were Keith and Malinda Blalock.



Lewis B. Banner, a slave owner, was a Unionist with three sons in the Federal army. He frequently provided food and shelter for escapees while they waited for their guides. Banner son Samuel H. Banner, a member of the 5th Ohio Infantry, built this house after his discharge in February 1864. The laurel thicket by the river was known as the Land of Goshen and served as a hiding place for escapees and draft evaders.



In January 1865, a raid on the Confederate Home Guard camp along Cove Creek in Sugar Grove originated in Banner Elk. After capturing Co. B, 11th Battalion North Carolina Home Guard, the Union raiders returned to Banner Elk with a dozen prisoners. They spent the night nearby before sending the prisoners across the lines into Tennessee.



(captions)

(lower left) Samuel H. Banner; Lewis B. Banner

(upper right) Banner Elk, showing the Land of Goshen All photographs courtesy Banner House Museum



Major funding for this project was provided by the North Carolina Department of Transportation through the Transportation Enhancement Program of the Federal Transportation Efficiency Act for the 21st Century.
Details
HM NumberHM1GX7
Series This marker is part of the North Carolina Civil War Trails series
Tags
Placed ByNorth Carolina Civil War Trails
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Thursday, October 23rd, 2014 at 10:44pm PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)17S E 421683 N 4001659
Decimal Degrees36.15651667, -81.87066667
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 36° 9.391', W 81° 52.24'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds36° 9' 23.46" N, 81° 52' 14.4" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)828
Which side of the road?Marker is on the right when traveling East
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 4601-4633 State Rd 1342, Banner Elk NC 28604, US
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