Elisha Mitchell, The 1857 Fall, and Mount Mitchell

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Elisha Mitchell, the 1857 Fall, and Mount Mitchell is a North Carolina story with a documented core at Mount Mitchell State Park, Burnsville, Yancey County. The sources are named below.

HistoryKind of story
5Named sources
Asheville & FoothillsRegion
Oct 27Checked, 2026

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Elisha Mitchell, The 1857 Fall, and Mount Mitchell

A University of North Carolina professor measured the Black Mountains and said one peak was the highest in the East. Years later, when a rival questioned him, he went back to prove it and never returned. He was found days later, and he now rests on the summit of the mountain that bears his name.

What The Record Shows

The official NC State Parks page says Mount Mitchell, at 6,684 feet, is 'the highest point east of the Mississippi River'; it is in Yancey County. NC DNCR's marker N-38 post (Elisha Mitchell, 1793-1857) says he announced in the Raleigh Register of November 3, 1835 that a Black Mountains peak was the highest in the eastern United States, estimating 6,672 feet, and that Thomas L. Clingman later challenged his measurements. It says Mitchell died June 27, 1857, and that his remains were moved to the summit in 1858. A separate DNCR post, 'The Death of Elisha Mitchell,' says he slipped and fell into a deep pool at the base of a 60-foot waterfall and that the tracker Big Tom Wilson found his body several days later. The NCpedia biography (Elgiva D. Watson, 1991) says he was first buried in Asheville on July 10, 1857 and reburied on the summit on June 16, 1858, and that the U.S. Geological Survey later confirmed his measurement and named the peak for him. Sources differ on details: NCpedia's Mount Mitchell State Park entry describes a 40-foot waterfall and a fall from a cliff, while DNCR says 60 feet, and NCpedia says he 'apparently' fell. The official park page does not mention Mitchell.

Sources: NC State Parks: Mount Mitchell State Park; NC DNCR: Elisha Mitchell 1793-1857 (N-38); NC DNCR: The Death of Elisha Mitchell.

A Note

Elisha Mitchell died on the mountain in 1857. The sources record the event and assign no fault. The park calls Mount Mitchell the highest point east of the Mississippi. Sources differ on the height of the waterfall where he fell.

Its home: Mount Mitchell State Park, 2388 NC 128, Burnsville. Official page.

On this site: Mount Mitchell State Park, Blue Ridge Parkway.

Looked for and Not Found

Official park page does not mention Elisha Mitchell.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the story of Elisha Mitchell, the 1857 Fall, and Mount Mitchell true?

The official NC State Parks page says Mount Mitchell, at 6,684 feet, is 'the highest point east of the Mississippi River'; it is in Yancey County.

Is this a legend?

It is a story with a documented core. The facts are listed on this page with their sources.

Where do these facts come from?

From the named sources listed on this page: NC State Parks: Mount Mitchell State Park; NC DNCR: Elisha Mitchell 1793-1857 (N-38); NC DNCR: The Death of Elisha Mitchell.

Sources

Read on October 27, 2026. Stories are for fun; the facts come from these sources. How we check: editorial standards; spot a mistake? tell us.

Map of Places in This Legend

2 places from our park, venue and attraction datasets are pinned (green pins are state parks, rust pins are places to go). Tap a pin for the page and directions. © OpenStreetMap contributors. Confirm the spot on the official page before you drive.

Cite this page: It's North Carolina, “Elisha Mitchell, The 1857 Fall, and Mount Mitchell”, itsnorthcarolina.com/legends/elisha-mitchell-and-mount-mitchell/ (updated 2026-10-27). By the It's North Carolina editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.