Rishi Chugh
"Beech Mountain inside Avery County is this western United States' maximum city, during 5,606 yards above sea level. Regional residents discuss that mountain with various resort communities in addition to Ski Beech, your preferred ski resort. During any nineteen seventies Beech Mountain appeared to be additionally house in order to the particular Land of Oz, the concept park that will offers taken it has the position amid your prosperous folklore associated with the particular Appalachian Mountains.
In the course of the earlier portion involving the twentieth century, Beech Mountain was component involving a strong crucial logging business. Though sparsely populated, them ended up being dotted with smaller cabins at which loggers were living in the course of the particular some days while people previously worked. Skiing arrived that will this mountain beginning inside any 1930s, along with scholars through community Lees-McRae College or university making use of skis made with the particular college's wood purchase.
Yellow-colored Brick Highway, Land connected with Oz. Impression courtesy regarding Flickr end user _rockinfree. This Robbins brothers-Grover, Harry, as well as Spencer-purchased some sort of huge tract connected with land on leading involving the particular mountain around 1962. The particular Robbinses, who likewise owned Tweetsie Railroad and the particular Hound Ears Resort, joined together with other investors that will generate your Carolina Caribbean Company with 1965. Carolina Caribbean planned any 10,000-acre resort along with homesites with regard to 9,000 people, a good eight-slope ski resort, some sort of the summer months recreation region, some sort of golfing lessons, along with a composition park. Grover Robbins enlisted Charlotte artist together with artist Jack Pentes to establish a great plan with regard to a concept park the fact that could bring men and women that will any mountain all through any off-season. Pentes dreamed associated with a set that will might enchant individuals and also let these individuals for you to escape that hard realities of the actual late 1960s.
For inspiration Pentes drew upon common kid's tale involving enchantment and also escape, The actual Wizard connected with Oz, obtaining noted this similarity somewhere between gnarled beech trees upon this possession and also your chatting apple timber in the story. Together with any assistance associated with 2 fellow Charlotteans, composer Loonis McGlohon along with choreographer Alice Lamar, Pentes created any regarding Oz topic park. When it's initial time ended around the drop involving 1970, attendance got hit that six-figure indicate. Via hot air balloons as well as this magical cyclone for you to flying monkeys plus joyful melodies, that Land associated with Oz allowed prospects to take up residence all instant connected with this well-known adventure pertaining to ourselves while people walked that 55,000 bricks regarding the actual park's yellow hue brick highway. Visitors ended up being joined by simply each individual regarding your beloved characters since that they visited Kansas, Munchkinland, that Wicked Witch's Citadel, along with the actual Emerald Metropolis.
With 1975 your Carolina Caribbean Company went bankrupt. Shortly afterward, vandals set in place fireplace in order to the actual Emerald Metropolis together with stole Judy Garland's primary gown together together with other artifacts from your park's Oz museum. This Land associated with Oz, already strike as a result of a new shortage regarding repeat visitors, for no reason recovered. As the actual building improved hands, the actual park fell target in order to a new absence involving consistent management and poor funding, closing with 1980.
The property seemed to be obtained inside 1990 by simply your Emerald Mountain progress company, which will produced homesites on 450 acres close to your good old topic park. Every drop, Emerald Mountain secures a Burnt in Oz celebration, exactly where supporters regarding any Land involving Oz could take on a new nostalgic stroll straight down the straw yellow brick road together with witness remnants connected with the particular composition park which have got also been carefully preserved. Other artifacts by the particular park are on showcase with the particular Appalachian Cultural Museum with Boone."
