NC 694 was created about 1932 as new primary routing. Initially, it began at US 70-74 Poplar St (now College Ave) and went north on Oak St to Woodfin St, then east to Charlotte St, then north to Edwin Pl, then northwest to Kimberly Ave which it followed north. NC 694 then used Grifting and N. Grifting Blvds to Patton Mtn Rd east to Town Mtn Rd. NC 694 then followed Town Mountain Rd until it reached where the Blue Ridge Pkwy now passes by. NC 694 followed the Parkway alignment north to the Elk Mountain Scenic Hwy, which NC 694 then followed west back down the mountain to Beaverdam Rd then ending at US 19-23-25-70/NC 20 (now just US 25) Merrimon Avenue in northern Asheville. Official Maps 1933-39 place the loop at 23 miles long. The 1941-42 Official shows the loop distance as only 16 miles. I think this is when NC 694 was rerouted on its southern loop to be Town Mtn Road down to Woodfin west to Oak St south to US 70 Charlotte St. NC 694 (23 miles) 1933 Official NC 694 (16 miles) 1941-42 Official

NC 694's original Downtown routing 1937 Texaco

About 1954, NC 694's southeast end was truncated to Woodfin, replaced by a rerouted US 70.
In 1961, NC 694's southeast end was extended back along Woodfin to end at US 19 Bus-23 Bus Market St. This replaced US 70 which had been moved to the current I-240 expressway. There is a picture of an interchange between NC 694 and the freeway on page 66 of the book Paving Tobacco Road by Walter Turner.
Between 1966-68, NC 694's southeast end was truncated to Oak and Woodfin at an offramp from US 70 EB (this is now a parking lot behind First Baptist Church).

NC 694 truncated to Woodfin 1957 Buncombe County

NC 694 extended to Market St 1962 Buncombe County

NC 694 truncated to US 70 1972 Buncombe County

State Officials up through 1978 imply that the Elk Mtn Scenic Hwy was still part of NC 694 and it is still shown on the 1972 Buncombe County Map. The 1980 Buncombe County map shows NC 694 ending at the Blue Ridge Pkwy as it does today.
In July 1978 (NCDOT) NC 694 was rerouted to use Charlotte St south from I-240 to Woodfin St.

NC 694 still a full loop 1978-79 Official

NC 694 down to just Town Mtn. Rd. 1979-80 Official

In 1981 or 1982, NC 694's south end was moved to its current location, with Charlotte/Woodfin Sts becoming US 70 again as it is today.

NC 694 moved to Charlotte St 1980 Buncombe County

NC 694 truncated to US 70 2009 Buncombe County

The first NC 694 was born in 1922, running from NC 69 (US 19E-NC 194 jct) Cranberry west through Elk Park to the Tennessee Line.
The next map I have that explicitly labels this small stretch of road is the 1929 Official which numbers it as part of NC 194. However, this renumbering is implied on the 1924-26 Officials. Today it is part of US 19E.
The 1922-23 Auto Trails map misnumbers this as NC 649.

Original NC 694 1922 RMcN Pocket Map

NC 194 replaces NC 694 1929 Official