Southern Appalachian Digital Collections

Western Carolina University (20) View all

Carolina Wood Turning Company office personnel

  • wcu_picturing-5538.jpg
  • This 1941 image showing the Carolina Wood Turning Company’s office staff standing in front of the office, (L to R) Ken Anderson, Carroll Wright, Jessie Shank, Queve Woody, Sr., unknown, and Claude Patterson, is part of the Stearns-Grueninger collection. Irving Kip Stearns (1895-1942) was president of Carolina Wood Turning Company from 1928 until his death in 1942. Stearns’ grandfather, Jeremiah Shank, started the company in 1903 as Bryson City Pump Works and it grew to be a thriving industry for the community. In 1911, Stearns was in the first graduating class of Bryson City High School. He had one son, Joseph Pease Stearns (1917-1948). In 1935, I. K. married Betty Grueninger (1896-1971).