Folks, look at this cute. Little. Bear cub. There he is in Asheville at the Biltmore Estate! Ooh, that’s him at the Old Well in Chapel Hill! Say, is that a lighthouse behind him? Yup!
Wouldn’t you like to see more of this bear? Wouldn’t you like to know his story? If so, then you’ve already figured out that bear cub advertising works.
The little cub in these pictures was 10 weeks old when legendary photographer and Grandfather Mountain proprietor Hugh Morton took him on the road. In April and May of 1972, the cub appeared in 28 programs on 16 television stations and was photographed being adorable in front of landmarks across the state. It was all part of a bond campaign to raise money to create the North Carolina Zoo. The strategy worked.
A contest to name the bear followed a few months later, promising mountain honey to the winner. Hobo was selected (other entries included Heffalump, Butchy Poo, and General Grant). After his big tour, Hobo went to live with other bears at Grandfather. He was a cute bear, but a bear nonetheless, and he sometimes got into tussles with his handlers. He lived for 17 years, until 1989, and was the first bear to be buried next to the picnic area.
But he’s still mostly remembered for being a cub. “If I win the honey,” a girl from Mooresville wrote in her entry, “please keep it and give it to the little bear for a treat.”
Why does this Haywood County town have some of the cleanest water in the state? It’s the result of the community’s efforts to keep the forests in its watershed pristine.
The spectacular views in North Carolina’s High Country aren’t just inspiration for writers, painters, and sculptors. Those landscapes — the rugged gray face of Grandfather Mountain, the vibrant fall leaves, the deep green meadows — are brushstrokes on Earth’s own canvas.
The sprawling vineyards and wide-open skies that stretch for miles across seven North Carolina counties offer relaxing getaways — not to mention some of the state’s finest wines — for Sunday drivers aching to escape the rush of city life.
Nothing lasts forever — and that’s what makes many of our cherished moments so special.
