Copyright 2008 Capitol Broadcasting Company

My father spoke of Table Rock with a sense of reverence just as the Cherokees did. The Native Americans called it “Attacoa.” Table Rock was their mystic altar for sacred ceremonies. Senator Sam Ervin said Table Rock stood like a “sentinel standing guard over Morganton.” You could see the mountain outside our kitchen window. As a child I marveled at its unusual shape and dominance of the western skyline. My father painted Table Rock from every possible angle in every season.