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Finding George Masa
From May/June 2008 Issue
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A Japanese immigrant with no known family came to the U.S. seeking his fortune. What he found instead were the Smokies and a penchant for photography. He became one of the defining figures in the mapping and preservation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Until recently, his legacy was nearly forgotten.
In july 1915, a small, wiry Japanese man with close-cropped hair came to Asheville, N.C., to work at the posh Grove Park Inn, which at the time was frequented by the likes of Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, Harvey Firestone and the Vanderbilts. He claimed to have come from Osaka, Japan, and said he had studied mining engineering, though no one has ever found any records of his origins as Masahara Izuka. Where he came from and why is a mystery.
Many thanks to the staff of the North Carolina Collection, Pack
Memorial Public Library, Asheville, North Carolina, for their time
retrieving and providing these photos.
Read this complete article in the new Blue Ridge Country, now available at bookstores, on newsstands or by calling (800) 877-6026. Or try our Free Issue Offer.
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