November 3, 1835: UNC professor Elisha Mitchell announces discovery of highest peak in eastern U.S.

Posted Nov 3, 2019
On November 3, 1835, Elisha Mitchell, a professor at the University of North Carolina, announced that a peak in the Black Mountains of North Carolina was the highest in the eastern United States. The news aroused considerable interest. He estimated the mountain’s height at 6,672 feet, only twelve feet short of the present official height of 6,684 feet. (NC Department of Natural and Cultural Resources)

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