Born in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, Cratis was the first to go from the one-room elementary school in Caines Creek in Lawrence County to the high school in Louisa, the county seat. He attended Cumberland College, the University of Kentucky, and received his doctorate from New York University. He came to Appalachian State Teachers College in 1942 and in 1958 became Dean of the graduate school that is now named for him, a position held until 1975. He served briefly as acting chancellor and in recent years was special assistant to the chancellor.

Michael Hardy brings the history of Watauga County to modern times by updating the two previously published books by John Preston Arthur in 1915 and by Daniel J. Whitener in 1949.

Following the Old Buffalo and Nickajack Trails, Native Americans and early settlers were the first citizens of present-day Watauga County. In 1752, Bishop August Spangenberg, the earliest documented explorer, traveled through this steep terrain and noted the necessity of crawling on hands and knees to stay balanced. Located among the Blue Ridge Mountains, Watauga County grew slowly with few settlers until after the Civil War. The Boone and Blowing Rock Turnpike began to open up the area to commerce and tourists in the 1880s. The establishment of the Watauga Academy in 1899, several ski resorts, and upscale residential developments has changed the landscape. The towns of Boone and Blowing Rock have been listed as some of the best small towns in America and continue to attract new residents and visitors.