Cranberry, North Carolina

Before the settlement of Cranberry, the area was already known for one of the largest veins of iron ore in the United States.[2] During the Civil War, iron was produced for the Confederate Army. In 1882, the East Tennessee and Western North Carolina Railroad ("Tweetsie") linked Cranberry with Johnson City, Tennessee; it was later extended on to Montezuma in 1904, eventually reaching Boone by 1919. During this time, Cranberry was incorporated as a town and had a hotel, Cafe, stables, post office and general store. It was disincorporated sometime after 1929 when the Cranberry Furnace was closed. Eventually the railroad to Cranberry was decommissioned in 1950. At present, a church, a combined elementary and middle school, garage, nursing facility and store remain in operation, and the historic old Cranberry High School still stands, which is now a community center.