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Town History

Glen Alpine was incorporated in 1883.  The Western North Carolina Railroad (later the Southern Railroad) was built through this section in 1868 and the little community called Turkey Tail had its beginning then.  The name Turkey Tail was derived from a tree near the railroad tracks that had the shape of a turkey’s tail.

When two brothers, Columbus and Edward Sigmon (Sigmund), operated a store and a post office in their store, the name of the village of Turkey Tail was changed to Sigmundsburg.

By 1883 this community located six miles west of Morganton had acquired the name of Glen Alpine Station.  In 1896 the word Station was dropped. 

In the early 1870’s, The Glen Alpine Springs Hotel was built.  It was the largest wooden structure in North Carolina, and was said to have had as many as 100 guests at a time. The hotel was closed in 1902.  The building was used as a school until 1909.  The structure burned to the ground in 1934.  After the
 hotel closing the town’s name was changed to just Glen Alpine.