Ginseng Trade - North Carolina
Ginseng Trade Historical Marker
Memorial Description: A hardy perennial that was once abundant in western North Carolina, ginseng became a highly prized commodity for the medicinal uses of its root. Local export companies established a rigorous botanicals trade in Boone, including the Appalachian Evergreen Company and Wilcox Drug Company. Dried ginseng root remained a key element of this trade, and by 1976, Wilcox Drug was the largest purchaser of botanical goods in the United States. Watauga County continues to produce hundreds of pounds of wild ginseng sold legally each year, while poaching and the illegal trade accounts for even more of the local ginseng harvest.
Institution: Boone Historic Commission (local organization)
Date of Dedication: November 6, 2015, was the official unveiling of the High Country’s historical marker of the Ginseng Trade.
URL: http://openplaques.org/plaques/48409
Physical Aspects: The memorial dedicated to the recognition of Ginseng Trade is a highway marker that is propped in the town it had been established in of Boone, North Carolina.
Themes: With the erection of this new North Carolina Highway Historical Marker, the Boone Historic Commission honors the significance of the ginseng trade and the Wilcox Drug Company to their town and region. Location: King Street, Boone, North Carolina
