Ashe'ville, N. C., the county-seat of Buncombe co., 140 mi. e. of Knoxville, on the Southern railroad and near the junction of the French, Broad and Swannanoa rivers. The city is located in a mountainous region at an altitude of about 2300 feet, and, with its many hotels and boarding houses, has become a popular resort for both summer and winter. Points of special interest are Overlook Park, Richmond Hill, Mount Beaumont, Swannanoa drive along the river, the great Vanderbilt estate of Biltmore, and Pisgale forest, which is a hunting preserve of 84,000 acres. Asheville College for Young Women, Bingham Military Academy, Normal College and several industrial schools are located here. The region has valuable timber and some mineral wealth and produces live stock, fruits and vegetables. The city is an important tobacco market and does considerable manufacturing. It was settled in 1792. The waterworks are now owned and operated by the municipality. Population in 1910, 18,762.