Editing Banner Elk, North Carolina (section)

== History==
The area surrounding the [[Elk River (North Carolina)|Elk River]] was inhabited by the [[Cherokee]] before western settlement, although no evidence of a permanent Cherokee settlement has ever been found. It is likely the area was used for hunting and fishing. The first permanent settlement was established by Martin L. Banner in 1848. Although the Banner family originally came from [[Wales]], Martin Banner moved from [[Forsyth County, North Carolina|Forsyth County]] in the [[Piedmont (United States)|Piedmont]] region of North Carolina. Eventually, the Banner family grew to 55 members, and the area where they lived became known as Banner's Elk. This name was later shortened to Banner Elk when the town was incorporated in 1911.<ref>Heritage, 1976</ref>

The [[Banner Elk Hotel]] and [[Robert Chester and Elsie H. Lowe House]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref><ref name="nps">{{cite web|url=http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/listings/20130510.htm|title=National Register of Historic Places Listings|date=May 10, 2013|work=Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 4/29/13 through 5/03/13|publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>