Tar Heel Junior Historian Association
tar heel
junior historian
The State History
Journal For Inquiring Students Fall 1979
Cltaitei Gltatlie's (ZltaU
What interesting club project will your club be working on
this year? Will you be compiling local legends and folk tales for the
spring issue of the Tar Heel Junior Historian, or assisting a civic
group with a festival? Will you be planning a fall tour of the North
Carolina Museum of History, or beginning research for your
club's spring entry in the state contest? In the coming year, the
association will be stressing the value of photography as an im-portant
means of recording history. THJH will contain informa-tion
about the purchase of a camera, the use and care of photo-graphic
prints and negatives, and exciting news about a new con-test.
The Archaeology and Historic Preservation Section of the
Division of Archives and History is sponsoring a photography
contest to help record North Carolina's historical architecture. All
entries submitted will be displayed in the Archives and History-
State Library Building and savings-bond prizes will be given to
students during Awards Day 1980. Information about the con-test
appears in this issue.
This issue also deals with activities of this past May's awards
program and projects entered for judging. Those who attend this
annual meeting find it to be a special event—one at which student
historians and advisers gather, share friendships, and receive
well-deserved recognition. We hope that you will make plans to
participate in this year's annual contest. Literary entries are due
April 14; media entries are due May 5; and models are to be
brought in by May 19. Awards Day 1980 (the association's cele-bration
of its eighteenth annual competition) will take place May
19 and 20 on the campus of Peace College in downtown Raleigh.
Once called Peace Institute and referred to as the "women's
seminary," its main building has served as a hospital for wounded
Confederate soldiers during the Civil War, and later as an office
for the Freedman's Bureau. The school is located on Peace Street
three blocks north of the North Carolina Museum of History.
There are a number of items that the association will be
sending to you this fall. A newly designed membership card with
interesting North Carolina facts will be mailed along with a club
calendar listing important dates. A Tar Heel junior Historian Adviser
Manual and Student Guidebook will be sent to each club also. This
booklet will be invaluable in helping your club plan its year's
activities.
Over the last few months, travel has been a key word with the
association. In June, Donna Wilburn attended the George Rogers
Clark Symposium in Vincennes, Indiana, as our state's represen-tative.
The meeting was sponsored by the student officers of the
Kentucky and Indiana junior historical societies to commemorate
the accomplishments of George Rogers Clark, a pioneer who
("Charter Charlie" cont'd, on page 27)
Charter Charlie
Definitions
Some words appearing
within THJH articles are
defined in nearby margin
space. These definitions
are intended to give only
the meaning of the word as
it has been used in the ad-joining
copy.
Commemorate means to honor
the memory of.
OR
OMAN
1
Cover
The first issue of the 1979-1980 school year deals with
Awards Day, the annual two-day meeting of junior historians,
advisers, association staff, and guests. It is the time for sharing
knowledge, seeing and judging the many fine projects created
by the junior historians during the school year, and the presen-tation
of numerous awards for the work judged best done. The
front cover of this issue illustrates four of the 1979 winners:
(upper left) model of the Gibson House, Charlotte, made by
Frank Vagnone, Hornets Best, Charlotte (Individual Arts First
Place); (upper right) a model entitled "Wright Tavern," made
by Dennis Lowe, Wentworth Junior Historians, Wentworth
(Individual Arts Honorable Mention); (lower left) model en-titled
"Troublesome Creek Iron Works Mill," made by the
Wentworth Junior Historians, Wentworth (Group Arts First
Place); and (lower right) "Charles B. Aycock Birthplace," a
slide presentation by Chris Brown, Mt. Olive Junior Historians,
Mt. Olive (Individual Media First Place).
-# Fall 1979
Contents Volume 19, Number 1
Charter Charlie's Chats inside front cover
Awards Day 1979 2
The Speakers 2
The Awards
Elementary Division 3
Regular Contest 4
Special Achievement 4
Special Awards 6
Recipients of Certificates of Appreciation 6
Advis Honor Roll 8
Magazine Contribution Tile Recipients 9
Adviser of the Year 10
The Projects
Elementary Division 11
Regular Contest 12
Special Achievement 19
Special Awards 23
Certificate of Appreciation 24
Associates' Artifact Search 26
Martin '76er Goes To Indiana 28
A Survey of Abandoned Cemeteries 29
Photography Contest 30
Adventures in Reading 32
Courthouse Contest 34
THJHA Project on Exhibit 34
Going Things 35
Tar Heel junior Historian is published three times during Sara W. Hodgkins Natalie G. Talyor
the school year by the Tar Heel Junior Historian Associa- Se
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ry
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or
"L^"'"*' ? u- ,
xi .1 /- i- w r rr. . r». . . e Department of Cultural Resources North Carolina Museum of Hilton
tion, North Carolina Museum or History, Division of
Archives and History, 109 East Jones Street, Raleigh, Larry E. Tise Davis Waters
N. C, 27611. Copies are provided free to club members.
Division of Archives and History Tar Heel ^m'or HrstoriCn ^Association
Individual and library subscriptions may be purchased at
the rate of $3.00 per year. J°hn D Ellington Robert E Winters, Jr V y
^ Administrator Editor
Illustration: "Charter Charlie," John F. Wilson, Jr. North Carolina Museum oj History Graphic Designer
EDITORIAL POLICY—Compositions to be submitted should be typewritten or legibly handwritten in double-spaced form and should include the full
name of the student and the school represented. When reference works (previously published material) are used, proper credit must be given to the
original author. Include a bibliography listing each work used; list the author, title of work, facts about publication (place of publication, publisher, date,
and edition), and pages used. If the exact words of the original author are used, quotation marks should be placed before and after the material used.
When possible, black-and-white photographs to illustrate the article should accompany the written material. Due to space limitations and the need to
adhere to the announced theme of each issue, it is possible to only briefly cover the topics—not to present and exhaustive study. All student compositions
submitted for publication are required to meet highest literary standards and are subject to editing and revision by the editorial staff.
The text of this journal is available on magnetic recording tape from the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. For information, call (toll
free): 800 oo2-772o.
AWARDS DAY 1979
Part of a Two-Day Gathering at Meredith College
For Entertainment, Dancing, Workshops, Speeches,
and Awards Presentations!
The Speakers
Richard G. Walser
Storyteller
Again this year, junior historians who participated in the an-nual
Award Day activities were treated with talks delivered by
guest speakers. Great interest was created by a native Tar Heel
who has authored, edited, or prepared for publication numerous
books about his state and its people—Richard G. Walser. Mr.
Walser is Professor Emeritus of the Department of English at
N.C. State University.
Students were intrigued by the stories that Walser told to
exemplify legend and history. He explained the differences. One
story, "Virginia Dare the White Doe," exemplified legend, though
it is based upon a real character.
Walser also discussed certain stories about the pirate Black-beard
and pointed out that they are history, that the facts are
recorded in documents.
With their attention and their applause, the students made it
clear that Mr. Walser's presence and his storytelling abilities were
much appreciated.
Richard G. Walser
Eric Simmons
Indian Affairs
Eric Simmons, administrative assistant, North Carolina
Commission of Indian Affairs, spoke to the junior historians on
the subject of North Carolina Indians. He presented some of the
most pressing social and economic problems with which the com-mission
is working, including the rate of school dropouts and
economic depression. Mr. Simmons is a Coharie Indian from
Sampson County.
Eric Simmons
THE AWARDS
3
Each year, junior historians are encouraged
to prepare projects for an annual statewide
competition. After local judging is completed
by club advisers or other local adults, as many
as six of the best projects can be entered in the
statewide competition held in Raleigh. Clubs
that have won at least two first-place awards
and one honorable mention in three separate
contests may enter their projects in the Special
Achievement category. Clubs that have not
yet attained this level of achievement com-pete
in the General Contest.
Students who work on the projects often
find them to be a source of great pride. They
become better acquainted with their com-munities,
the people who live there and what
they have done. These students discover and
develop their research and artistic talents.
They help others to become more informed
about North Carolina history.
ELEMENTARY DIVISION
FIRST PLACE HONORABLE MENTION
INDIVIDUAL ARTS:
Kathleen Reeves, James Mendenhall
Junior Historian Association, Jamestown
Elementary School, Jamestown—"The
Reed Gold Mine."
GROUP ARTS:
No award given.
INDIVIDUAL LITERARY:
No award given.
GROUP LITERARY:
No award given
INDIVIDUAL MEDIA:
Chris Brown, Mt. Olive Junior His-torians,
Mt. Olive Junior High School,
Mt. Olive—"Charles B. Aycock Birth-place."
Kim Meeler, J. B. Page Super Tar Heels, J. B.
Page Elementary School, Belmont—"Patch-work
Quilt."
J. B. Page Super Tar Heels, J. B. Page Elemen-tary
School, Belmont—"Patchwork Quilt."
Robert Gouge, Hillbilly Hikers, South Toe
Elementary, Burnsville—"Ballew and Silver
Family Genealogy."
No award given.
No award given
GROUP MEDIA:
No award given. No award given.
4
REGULAR CONTEST
FIRST PLACE
INDIVIDUAL ARTS:
Frank Vagnone, Hornets Best, Albemarle
Road Junior High School, Charlotte
—
"Gibson House."
GROUP ARTS:
Wentworth Junior Historians, Went-worth
Junior High School, Wentworth
"Troublesome Creek Iron Works Mill."
INDIVIDUAL LITERARY:
Kimberly Cox, History Unlimited, E. B.
Aycock Junior High School, Greenville
"A Pictorial History of the Greenville
Rescue Squad."
GROUP LITERARY:
Wentworth Junior Historians, Went-worth
Junior High School, Wentworth
"A Historical Look at Wentworth School."
INDIVIDUAL MEDIA:
No award given.
GROUP MEDIA:
Free Americans, Spaulding-Monroe Mid-dle
School, Bladenboro—"Free Americans
in Action."
HONORABLE MENTION
(Joint Awards)
Ted Clark, Yadkinville Tar Heel Junior His-torians,
Yadkinville School, Yadkinville—
"Tarboro Cotton Press."
Natalie Keeton, Greensborough Junior His-torians,
Mendenhall Junior High School,
Greensboro—"Symbols of North Carolina."
Dennis Lowe, Wentworth Junior Historians,
Wentworth School, Wentworth—"Wright
Tavern."
Tony Knight, Harmony Junior Historians,
Harmony Elementary School, Harmony
—
"Old Liberty School."
(Joint Awards)
Yadkinville Tar Heel Junior Historians, Yad-kinville
School, Yadkinville—"The Union
Ironclad: Monitor."
Trexler Junior Historians, Trexler Junior High
School, Richlands—"Richlands Academy."
Michael Perdue, Wentworth Junior Histor-ians,
Wentworth Junior High School, Went-worth
—"The History of Wright Tavern and
of the Wright and Reid Families."
No award given.
No award given.
No award given.
SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT
This competition recognizes continued success in past contests. In order to qualify for Special
Achievement, a club must have finished with at least two first-place awards and one honorable
mention in three separate contests.
FIRST PLACE
INDIVIDUAL ARTS:
Derek Price, The Skewarkians, Bear
Grass School, Bear Grass—"Scale Model
of a Brig Sailing Ship."
HONORABLE MENTION
No award given.
5
GROUP ARTS:
No award given.
INDIVIDUAL LITERARY:
No award given.
GROUP LITERARY:
Martin '76ers, LeRoy Martin Junior High
School, Raleigh—"On the Merry-Go-
Round."
INDIVIDUAL MEDIA:
No award given.
GROUP MEDIA:
The Skewarkians, Bear Grass School,
Bear Grass—"Weird Tails of Martin
No award given.
Ellen Chism, Martin '76ers, LeRoy Martin
Junior High School, Raleigh—"Articles on
North Carolina Carousels."
No award given.
No award given.
No award given.
County."
Those students who did not win awards received certificates for contest participation.
SPECIAL AWARDS
YOUTH PRESERVATION AWARD (Historic Preservation Society of North Carolina) Martin
'76ers, LeRoy Martin Junior High School, Raleigh, received a $50 check for their work in
helping to restore the Pullen Park carousel.
BLOOMSBURY BOOK AWARDS (Bloomsbury Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolu-tion)
The Malcolm Blue Junior Historians, sponsored by the Malcolm Blue Historical
Society, Aberdeen, received a copy of The Civil War in North Carolina for having the best Com-munity
Service entry.
The Skewarkians, Bear Grass School, Bear Grass, also received a copy of The Civil War in
North Carolina for having the best Visual History entry.
Joy Harrison, Couratucke, Currituck County High School, Barco, received a copy of The
Civil War in North Carolina for her photographic essay entitled "Bits and Pieces from the Past
In and Around Currituck."
CHRISTOPHER CRITTENDEN STATE HISTORY QUIZ WINNERS (North Carolina Literary
and Historical Association)
Jamie Sharpe, Onslow Academy History Club, Onslow Academy, Jacksonville, $75 savings
bond; Erik Johnson, Armstrong Junior Historians, Armstrong Junior High School, Fayette-ville,
$50 savings bond; and Phyllis Fair, Hamlet Junior Historians, Hamlet Junior High
School, Hamlet, $25 savings bond.
CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION (National Trust for Historic Preservation, Washington,
D.C.)
Martin '76ers, LeRoy Martin Junior High School, Raleigh, received this honor for their work
to help preserve the Pullen Park carousel.
RECIPIENTS OF CERTIFICATES OF APPRECIATION
COMMUNITY SERVICE
Martin '76ers
LeRoy Martin Junior High
Of their total hours, 4,368 hours were
devoted to the restoration of the
Pullen Park carousel. In pursuing this
project, the club assisted the Raleigh
Fine Arts Society and the City of
Raleigh.
5,184 Hours
School
Raleigh
The Skewarkians
Bear Grass School
Bear Grass
Conducted an oral history project and
assisted the Greenville Tobacco Show
with a display booth. Also, work was
begun on their Youthgrant film
project.
1,653 Hours
The Malcolm Blue Junior Assisted the historical society with
its annual Malcolm Blue Crafts and
Skills Festival.
1,590 Hours
Historians
Malcolm Blue Historical Society
Aberdeen
Yadkinville Tar Heel Junior Assisted the Yadkin County Historical
Society with their restoration of the
Old Yadkin Jail.
400 Hours
Historians
Yadkinville School
Yadkinville
Total 8,827 Hours
7
VISUAL HISTORY
Joy Harrison
Couratucke
Currituck County High
School
Barco
ORAL HISTORY
Jackie Hammond
Waccamaw Wanderers
Waccamaw Academy
Whiteville
Libby Sanders
Waccamaw Wanderers
Waccamaw Academy
Whiteville
Compiled a comprehensive photographic essay entitled
"Bits and Pieces from the Past In and Around Currituck."
The essay treated distinctive architecture, furnishing, and
landmarks of Currituck County.
Interviewed Mrs. Pinky Hammond, eighty-year-old resi-dent
of Fair Bluff, about her childhood.
Interviewed her grandfather, Raymond B. Mallard, who
served as a chief judge of the North Carolina Court of Ap-peals.
Awards Day activities include club recognition
with a roll call of clubs (above). During the roll call,
members respond with great enthusiasm and everyone
present knows that they are proud to be Tar Heel
Junior Historians.
T
A)
Awards Day activities include workshops. The
1979 sessions included "Quilts, Customs, and Super-stitions,"
"Tobacco and Duke Homestead," "Research
New Hanover County History," "Carousels," "Life
Saving Stations of the Outer Banks," "Cherokee
Indians" (above), and "Doing it the Hard Way—Tools
and Implements from Our Past." In this view, Sherry
Keister is seen during her presentation of "Cherokee
Indians." Mrs. Keister often presents this subject as a
"Touch Talk" for students visiting the North Carolina
Museum of History.
ADVISER HONOR ROLL
The annual contest would not be the outstanding event that it is if it were not for club
advisers. They are the ones who work closely with the students and guide them in the comple-tion
of literary projects, art entries, and media presentations. Not only do they promote the
contest but they involve club members in writing for the magazine, community service work,
visual history, oral history, the state history quiz, and the artifact search. The association is
indeed proud of its energetic and dedicated corps of advisers. In this column we wish to honor
those advisers whose students participated in the association's 1978-1979 program.
Lucy Walker
Rickey Williamson
Eloise Armstrong
Blanche Moose
Nelle Manning
Maxie Warren
Glenn Jernigan
Barbara Snowden
Wilma Craig
Lillie Dial
Connie Carnes
Pam Myrick
Don Saunders
Peggy Johnson
Connie Yarbrough
Mary Pass
John Meyer
Susan Wellborn
Wade Worley
Pat Seay
Mack White
Dimple Newsome
Helen Parker
Sandy Puckett
Sue Miller
Shirley Pardue
Elizabeth Roberson
John Pappas
Doris Blue
Johnell Respass
Edna Black
Rozelle Wicks
Dennis Miller
Karen Mercer
Mary Sharpe
Jackie Little
Faye Creegan
Anne Smith
Vicki Dillon
Ward Triche
Jatana Mabe
Brenda Pruitt
Sylvia Sloop
Peggy Branch
Jean Young
Barbara Creech
Shirley Powell
Lords of Beaufort
Free Americans
Venable School Junior Historians
Leona B. McEachern Chapter
Chief Rockahock Junior Historian Society
Armstrong Junior Historians
Couratucke
Belmont Cardinal Tar Heel Junior Historians
J.B. Page Super Tar Heels
James Mendenhall Junior Historian Association
Greensborough Junior Historians
Albemarle Tracers
Flat Rock Junior Historian Club
Ahoskie Middle School Junior Historian Club-D
Harmony Junior Historians
Past Finders
Junior Cardinals Chapter
The Skewarkians
Hornets Best
The Malcolm Blue Junior Historians
The Adventurers
Onslow Academy History Club
Trexler Junior Historian Club
E.C.J.H. Junior Historian Jackets.
Piedmont Pioneers
History Unlimited
Rambling Rams History Club
Madison-Mayodan Junior Tar Heels
Wentworth Junior Historians
Madison-Mayodan Junior Citizens
Bostian '79ers
Plain View Junior Historians
Mountaineers
East Cary Junior Historians
Washington
Bladenboro
Asheville
Concord
Edenton
Fayetteville
Barco
Belmont
Belmont
Jamestown
Greensboro
Edenton
Flat Rock
Ahoskie
Harmony
Whittier
Sanford
Williamston
Charlotte
Aberdeen
Swansboro
Jacksonville
Richlands
Elizabeth City
Greenville
Greenville
Hamlet
Madison
Wentworth
Madison
China Grove
Dunn
Pisgah Forest
Cary
9
Anne Kennedy
Mary Jackman
Fred Hunt
Lois Wiggins
Ralph Smiley
Steve Dollar
Lloyd Pardue
Mary Vestall
Barbara Holcombe
Anna Rogers
E. Nelson Kelly
Martin '76ers Raleigh
Lead Miners Raleigh
Charger Historical Club Goldsboro
Mt. Olive Junior Historians Mt. Olive
Springfield Historical Society Lucama
Yadkinville Tar Heel Junior Historian Association Yadkinville
Boonville Junior Historians Boonville
Hillbilly Hikers Burnsville
Waccamaw Wanderers Whiteville
Candler Citizenship Club Candler
MAGAZINE CONTRIBUTION TILE RECIPIENTS
1978-1979
Belmont Cardinals:
Harmony Junior
Historians:
Martin '76ers:
Hornets Best:
Greensborough Junior
Historians:
Angie Warren
Keely Sherrill
Tony Knight
Scott Shankle
Paul Beezley
Rosann Tung
Frank Vagnone
April Rose
Darrin Whitener
David Washam
Andria Cartner
Ellen Chism
Heather Franklin
David Volz
Steve Ray
Kevin Nichols
David Jordan
Richard Chapman
Ada Shaw
Margaret Moore
Awards Day activities include getting projects
ready for viewing and judging. Sometimes, final as-sembly
must be completed or damage done in trans-porting
must be repaired. It is the time when everyone
learns what projects have been entered by others.
Here (left to right), Michael Hargrove, Joe Baldwin,
Darrell Smith, and Michael Hester of the Free
Americans, Bladenboro, are seen carrying projects to
the exhibit area.
10
ADVISER OF THE YEAR
Mrs. Elizabeth Roberson, adviser for The Skewarkians, Bear
Grass School, in the community of Bear Grass near Williamston,
was chosen Adviser of the Year for 1979. Mrs. Roberson came to
Bear Grass in 1974 and decided to try her own self-styled form of
what is known as "experimental education."
Five years and many awards later, Mrs. Roberson has tem-porarily
left Bear Grass School to coordinate an $85,374, six-county
program to incorporate her method in thirty North Caro-lina
public schools.
Experimental education is a teaching method still considered
in its pilot stage. It requires students to transform what they learn
into a book, film, or other similar product. "Psychologists agree
that kids at the junior high school level need to be producing some-thing,"
according to Mrs. Roberson. "It shows them that what
they're doing is not just for play—it's for real."
The $85,374 grant to extend the project to other schools was
secured by the Alliance for Progress, Inc., a nonprofit group of
public officials from six northeastern North Carolina counties.
During the summer, Mrs. Roberson trained teachers in the six
counties and is to help keep the program running through this
school year.
During 1977-1978, The Skewarkians researched the tobacco
trade in Martin County and published a book entitled Smoke To
Gold. The book contains numerous illustrations, much written
material, and a glossary of terms. The book won a Special Achieve-ment
First Place Group Literary award from THJHA.
Last year, The Skewarkians spent much time interviewing
the elders of the community for a collection of ghost stories. The
students sometimes even visited graveyards in the pursuit of in-formation.
A narrated slide presentation entitled "Wierd Tales of
Martin County" is the result of that work. This project won for
The Skewarkians a Special Achievement First Place Group Media
award. For the fifth consecutive year, Mrs. Roberson's junior his-torians
had won a first-place award.
"She's a good teacher," said one student. "She knows how to
get us involved in something so well work."
Mrs. Roberson (left, above), re-ceived
her Adviser of the Year plaque
from Anne Kennedy, Adviser of the
Year for 1978. Mrs. Kennedy is a co-adviser
with Mary E. Jackman for the
Martin 76ers, Raleigh.
Psychologists are experts in
psychology, the science of the
mind which trys to explain why
people act, think, and feel as
they do.
Alliance. A joining of interests;
union formed by agreement.
11
THE PROJECTS
Editor's Note: The illustrations and articles in this of award-winning projects of the 1978-1979 year,
section represent only a part of the total number Space limitations must exclude full representation.
Robert Gouge of the Hillbilly Hikers, Burnsville,
received an Individual Literary Honorable Mention for
his "Ballew and Silver Family Genealogy" (right).
An Individual media First Place award was won
by sixth-grader Chris Brown, Mt. Olive Junior His-torians,
Mt. Olive, for his slide presentation "Charles B.
Aycock Birthplace." A view of Chris receiving his
award from Dr. Larry E. Tise, director, Division of
Archives and History, Raleigh, appears at lower right
on the front cover of this THJH issue.
Regular Contest
Also a winner of an Individual Arts Honorable
Mention award was "Symbols of North Carolina," by
Natalie Keeton of Greensborough Junior Historians,
Greensboro. This project (at right) was executed in
embroidery and framed.
A third winner of an Individual Arts Honorable
Mention award was Dennis Lowe, Wentworth Junior
Historians, Wentworth. A view of Dennis and his model
"Wright Tavern" appears at upper right on the front
cover of this THJH issue.
Individual Arts First Place was earned by Frank
Vagnone (at left) of Hornets Best, Charlotte, for his
model of the Gibson House which stands in Charlotte's
Fourth ward. Here, Frank is seen receiving his award
from Dr. Tise. Frank appears again, photographed with
his model, at upper left on the front cover of this THJH
issue. (For more information about the Fourth Ward,
see Frank's article on pages 12 and 13, Winter, 1979,
THJH. )
An Individual Arts Honorable Mention award was
presented to Ted Clark, (above) of the Yadkinville
Tar Heel Junior Historians, Yadkinville, for his intricate
working model of the Tarboro cotton press (at left).
A model of Richlands Academy (left) won a Group
Arts Honorable Mention. It was constructed by
members of Trexler Junior Historians, Richlands, and
has a lift-off roof and interior furnishings.
"A Pictorial History of the Greenville Rescue Squad
Kimberly Cox
History Unlimited
E. B. Aycock Junior High School
Greenville
On Wednesday, August 10, 1948, at approximately 3:30 a.m.,
a man named Billy Russell Waters, who was a Raleigh truck driver,
swerved off the road to keep from hitting a gray mule and hit an
oak tree. The location of the accident was one mile west of Green-ville
on US 264.
Mr. Waters stayed in the cab of his twisted bread truck for
For this project entry, Kimberly over an hour while members of the Greenville Fire Department
Cox was awarded Individual tried to free him from the wreckage. The firemen could not use
Literary First Place. acetylene torch cutting equipment because of possible gasoline
leakage. A fire truck stood by but Waters's truck did not catch fire.
Fortunately, Mr. Waters escaped the fire-threatened vehicle with
only lacerations and abrasions.
After this incident, Fire Chief George Gardner saw the need
for rescue squads. Chief Gardner sent a Greenville man to Rich-mond,
Virginia, to observe their rescue squad. There he received
advice on how to get a rescue squad started. Within a few weeks
the Greenville Rescue Squad (GRS) was organized.
The first vehicle the squad owned was a 1948 Chevrolet panel
truck. It was given to the city of Greenville by a Chevrolet dealer.
Local businesses and private citizens donated money for the squad
to purchase four stretchers, oxygen equipment, small tools, and
other emergency supplies.
In the beginning, only one man answered all calls. This man
was Jesse Ray Smith, who is now a retired chief, having served the
Greenville Rescue Squad for many years.
The first call came about a month after the Waters truck in-cident.
A little girl had fallen into a well and was drowning. Smith
retrieved the child from the well and she survived. After that, the
public began to rely on the squad. The squad soon had three to
four calls a week and it was not much longer before it had ten to
twelve. It became necessary to hire additional rescue workers.
Calls now come in at an average of seven a day.
Greenville became the very first rescue unit to have paid men
on duty twenty-four hours a day. The squad continued to add to
its equipment and to grow in influence, as demonstrated by many
other area squads being formed within a few years. (The Bethel
Rescue Squad was formed in 1949 and Grifton organized a squad
in 1963.)
In 1960, squad members won the first aid competition in the
North Carolina Association of Rescue Squads competition in
Burlington. This qualified them for international competition in
Philadelphia in November, 1960. Members of the squad
participated, but did not receive awards at this time.
The squad then sent Captain Claude Christopher and Daw-son
Nethercutt to the U.S. Civil Defense School and to the
Canadian Rescue School.
In 1962, in Montreal, Canada, the team won the Heavy Duty
World Championship. They were the very first United States
team ever to win this honor. Previous winners had been
Canadians. The winning Greenville squad consisted of the follow-ing
members: Harold Ross, Tony Brannon, Sam White II, Stewart
Savage, Bob Blanton, Robert Briley, Billy Woolfolk, Captain
Claude Christopher, and Co-captain Dawson Nethercutt.
In the 1960s, the squad was given two aluminum boats which
they still use for dragging operations. The two aluminum boats
are on a trailer which is pulled by a 4-wheel drive pickup.
The boats both have two fanlike instruments used for dragging.
The instruments have outstretched spikes which hold hooks.
They are thrown over the boats with ropes connected to them
during which time the boats zigzag over the water until a rescue
worker feels something. Then they pull up the lines.
In the 1970s, progress continued in the GRS. It became one of
the first squads to hire female workers. The first two were Sharon
Atwell and Marie Olchovik, hired in 1974. Over the years, three
additional female members have been hired.
The present squad consists of thirteen paid workers and of
that thirteen, five are women. The squad has thirty volunteers.
In the 1977-1978 world competition, the squad finished
number one in St. Louis and for the first time there was a trophy
given for the team which used the most safety in the heavy duty
competition. Greenville won this honor, also.
In 1978-1979 the squad won again in heavy duty competition
in Houston, Texas, and placed in first aid. GRS has over forty
trophies and three are international competition trophies.
The rescuers are Emergency Medical Technicians or EMTs.
The EMT course is an eighty-one hour course. After taking this
course, the rescuers must take a test to demonstrate their abilities,
and they must prove they are able to function on duty. After pass-ing
these tests, they are certified by the state.
The squad practices six months of the year for heavy duty
competition. They start late in April or early May and practice up
to the last minute of competition.
Common rescues the GRS perform involve traffic accidents,
drownings, poisonings, heart attacks, delivery of babies, and
victims of fires.
Future plans of the squad include buying a new building to
house their equipment and trucks. Presently, the two trucks, the
$11,000 disaster truck, a 4-wheel drive pickup, and trailer with
two aluminum boats are all held in an $8,000 annex to the Green-ville
Fire Department. The main building was erected in 1938 and
the annex was built in 1948.
Future plans also include the purchase of additional rescue
vehicles. It costs $25,000 to equip a truck for rescue. There are
many times when two trucks have been receiving four or five
calls at the same time and additional squads are needed to relieve
this problem.
In the future, the members of the GRS will be taking courses
to become paramedics. They can then give intravenous injections
and other emergency care that they are not allowed to do as
EMTs.
Jenness S. Allen officially replaced Jesse R. Smith as chief of
the Greenville Rescue Squad on January 1, 1979, after serving as
Chief Smith's assistant for years.
15
Kimberly Cox
Annex. An added part.
Paramedics are individuals who
assist a doctor, or who are
licensed to perform certain
limited medical services.
Intravenous. Within a vein or
the veins.
16
The History of Wright Tavern
and of the Wright and Reid Families
Michael Perdue
Wentworth Junior Historians
Wentworth Junior High School
Wentworth
The oldest existing part of the tavern was probably built by
William Wright about 1810 or 1816. This section was a two-story
four-bay framed addition to the west side of the earlier one-and-one-
half story structure. This new addition contained as a main
For the paper about the Wright entrance an open center haU with an arched frame This entrance
Tavern and the Wright and Reid v , , , „ , c
families Michael Perdue received an was sometimes known as a dog run and was a well-known feature
Individual Literary Honorable Men- of Wright Tavern. The original part of the tavern, built between
tion award. Segments of the paper 1790 and 1810, was discovered during an archaeological excava-are
reproduced here. tion.
. . .When Wright was constructing the tavern, the town
consisted of a "Tollerable Wooden Courthouse, painted and a
common Goal [jail] built of wood and stone." The goal was
complete with its stocks and whipping post. There were either
two or three public houses [taverns], probably law offices, the post
office, and several private homes. . . .
. . James Wright was born March 24, 1788, in Rockingham
County. James married Ella Wall, the daughter of Claborn Wall (a
tavern keeper in Wentworth) on the twenty-ninth day of January,
1823, and the following sixth of December his father conveyed the
tavern to him. For the next fifty-three years James (often referred
to as "Jimmy") Wright operated the tavern, the longest period any
one person did so.
In the first years after becoming the tavern proprietor, James
Wright had a one-and-a-half story building moved to his lot and
added it to the northwest corner of the existing building, thereby
creating an additional public room. This room was used as the
dining room. It contained fine exterior and interior trim, finer
than the main tavern building. Because of the quality of the wood-work
and the time that the room was placed there, it is believed to
have been a section of the first courthouse in Wentworth—which
was replaced in 1825.
The half story or attic of the building could be entered on the
second floor by the back bedroom in the northwest corner of the
tavern. The entrance was later closed off and for years the room
was forgotten.
About 1840, the oldest part of the tavern, which Robert
Williams possibly had constructed as a home before he sold the
property to William Wright, had deteriorated to such a degree that
James Wright had it demolished. He replaced it with a two-story
framed structure. This part harmonized with the west part of the
tavern and gave the structure the front that it has today. . . .
. . James and Ella Wright had nine children by 1850. In
August, 1846, their eldest daughter, Ann E. Wright (1823-1869)
married Numa Fletcher Reid (1825-1873) and they lived in a
building on the tavern lot. To this marriage were born two famous
sons. James Wesley Reid was the most noted. He was a United
States congressman from 1884 to 1886, an attorney, and a famous
l
r7^0
e $ .
1
i
?-
With a series of seven sketches, Michael diagrammed the progression
of construction of Wright Tavern as it is believed to have occurred. The
sketches were taken from those appearing in a 1970 report prepared by
members of the Division of Archives and History. Two of the sketches
are reproduced here. Period I (left) shows the building plan as it was
first built—either of framing or logs. It had a sleeping garret. During
Period IV, the Period I dwelling was demolished and replaced by a two-story
construction. The diagram Period VI (at right) illustrates the
probable plan of the tavern during the period 1875 to 1900.
orator. Frank L. Reid (1851-1894) followed in his father's and
grandfather's footsteps and became a Methodist minister. He was
also president of Louisburg College and Greensboro College (then
known as Greensboro Female College). He was also an editor of
The Christian Advocate. . . .
. . .Many people of Wentworth still remember the Wrights
and the Reids of the Wright Tavern. Miss Nannie Wright (a
daughter of James Wright) was a spinster; she dipped snuff as
many women did in those days. She wore a partial wig and is re-membered
as a kind lady. When she died on March 17, 1930, she
was ninety-six years old. On the day of her funeral, county court
was recessed so that people at court could attend her funeral. She
is buried in an unmarked grave in the Wentworth Methodist
Church cemetery. . . .
. . .The Rockingham County Historical Society, responsible
for the restoration of the Wright Tavern, was founded on June 18,
1954, and was incorporated on August 3, 1967. . . .
. . .It is the hope of the society, and the people of Wentworth
and Rockingham County, that the tavern will be opened soon for
the benefit of the public.
J r
'5 F$EE AMERICANS IN ACTION
BLADEN.
Group Media First Place was awarded to the Free
Americans of Bladenboro for their project "Free Ameri-cans
in Action." Seen here (left to right) are Stacey
Walker, Melissa Singletary, Lee Ann Benton, Vicki
Kinlaw, Michael Hester, Darrell Smith, Joe Baldwin,
Michael Hargrove, and Randy Pait.
Wentworth Junior Historians won the Group
Literary First Place award for their "A Historical Look at
Wentworth School." Seen here with part of their
project are members Tony Carter (at left in view) and
Tony Chapmon.
Special Achievement Awards
19
20
"Wierd Tales of Martin County"
During the past school year, students of the eighth grade class of
Bear Grass School who are members of The Skewarkians were involved
in a project to collect Martin County folklore and ghost stories. These
junior historians interviewed people in the county and recorded their
conversations on tape. The recordings were used to write a script of each
story that was collected. Next, costumes were designed for characters
that were a part of each story and the students staged various scenes
representing important developments in the individual stories.
Photography of the scenes was then done for a slide program.
Finally, The Skewarkians produced a narrated slide program with
background music. "Wierd Tales of Martin County" was the title given
to this presentation that includes eighty-two slides and runs for thirty-five
minutes.
"Baby Chile"
It was on a warm summer's night while I was at the clothes-line
that I saw "him" for the first time. He was a small Negro boy
who appeared to be about five years old and he was wearing a
white sailor suit and white knee socks. He had a small white
sailor's hat on his head. There was a gush of hot air coming from
around him and he motioned for me to go back away from him. I
moved back instinctively from the heat. As I did I saw a large
rattlesnake that likely would have bitten me had I stepped any
further, moments before. The little boy disappeared when he saw
that I was out of danger.
He next appeared to me one evening as I was rocking in my
bedroom. This time he walked over to me and laid his head on my
lap and looked up at me with a very sad expression on his face.
Within minutes, the phone rang. It was a call from the hospital
telling me that my brother was seriously ill. As soon as I hung up
the telephone, the little boy vanished. This is when I began to
realize that this child was like a guardian angel who would protect
me from harm or warn me of danger. It was that night that I began
to call him "Baby Chile."
Other people in my family cannot see him as I, but they can
hear him running through the house. After a while we all began to
accept the fact that he was here to stay and no one feared him.
One evening as I lay dozing in my room I awoke to see Baby
Chile standing at the foot of my bed. He had the same sad
expression on his face that he had before, and in a short time I got
news that my aunt had a bad fall and was seriously hurt.
Since I am a nurse, there are many nights that I have to go out
and tend to sick people in the town where I live. One night as I
went to my car, Baby Chile was standing in front of the car door
and motioned for me to go back. He would not move and let me get
in so I laughed and went back into the house. My son went out to
see what was the matter and Baby Chile moved aside and let him
get in the car. My son checked it over carefully and found that I
"He was wearing a white sailo
suit and white knee socks."
21
"It was almost as if he had just
appeared on the scene."
had no brakes. If I had driven it out of the yard, I could have been
killed!
There are times when he appears with a happy look on his
face. He smiles at me and seems so pleased to be with me. It seems
that I can tell by his expression whether my day will be good or
bad.
His most recent visit to me came just a few weeks ago after we
had a bad storm. I was walking from my neighbor's house back
into my yard when he loomed up ahead of me while motioning for
me to go back. By now I had learned to do as he bade and I moved
back. Just as I did, a large limb from the pecan tree fell where I had
been standing!
I have often wondered who this little boy could be and why he
has come to me. Some of the old folks tell of a little black boy his
age who once lived here many years ago. They said that they had
heard that he had been murdered and buried somewhere in my
yard. Maybe he is that little boy. Whoever he is, I'm glad to know
that he is here.
"The Restless Spirit"
Phil Hodges
Bear Grass Township
On a cold February night in 1973, a friend and I were parked
in front of the general store in Bear Grass. I was a high school
senior and my friend was home from college for the weekend. We
hadn't seen each other in a long time and we were sitting there
talking when suddenly I saw "him"!
At first, it was almost as if he had just appeared on the scene.
Since the entire area was lighted by a street light, and I had been
facing in his direction as we talked, I thought it strange that I
hadn't noticed him when he was yet twenty or thirty yards farther
down the road.
He was a slender young man probably not over eighteen years
old and had short blond hair. He was wearing light-colored
trousers and a long-sleeved white shirt that seemed very different
from the current fashions. The most surprising thing about him
was the fact that he was wearing no coat and the weather was
bitterly cold.
He was walking at an incredibly fast pace and it seemed that in
only a matter of seconds he was at the crossroads intersection,
very close to our car. Neither my friend nor I recognized him, and
since the two of us knew everyone in the area, it really seemed
strange.
As he got closer to the car, I got out and asked him what he
was doing out on such a cold night. He answered in a very low,
strange voice, "Just walking." I asked if we could give him a ride
somewhere, but there was no answer. I got back into the car,
shivering from the extreme cold. My friend and I gave each other
the same puzzled look about this whole affair.
As the stranger walked behind the car, I lost sight of him. We
decided immediately to investigate to see where he had gone and
what he was up to at such an hour in Bear Grass. We backed the
22
car into the road, but there was no one in sight! We were
speechless. He should have been near the empty lot across from
the store, but he was gone. For about twenty minutes, we drove
around in vain looking for some trace of him, but we knew that
what we had seen was gone; vanished into thin air!
The next morning, I was still puzzling over this turn of events
and mentioned it to my mother who reminded me of something
that had happened at that same corner in 1957. Three young men
had come speeding through Bear Grass at a terrific rate of speed.
Their car went out of control. It struck a large tree in front of Mrs.
Ida Harrison's house, killing all three of the boys. Their bodies
were flung into the air, one of them landing on Miss Ida's porch.
The tree that they hit was about twenty yards from where I had
first seen the boy the night before.
After a while I forgot about this strange incident, but five
years later it all came back to me when someone showed me a
picture of the driver of the car who had been killed in the wreck.
He was a slim, young man with short blond hair; the same
mysterious fellow I saw that cold night in February five years ago!
The News Account From The Enterprise, February 3, 1957:
"Three boys killed on the night of February 2, 1957; Hubert Earl Smith,
16; William Roberson, 21; Joseph Gurganus, 18. The driver was thrown
35 feet into the air and landed on Mrs. H.D. Harrison's porch. The impact
tore out two posts and smashed the porch roof gutters."
Editor's Note: Junior historians should remember that the theme
of the spring issue of TH]H is to be "North Carolina Myths and
Legends." Members should participate in this issue by submitting
their own stories that have been collected in their local
communities.
Sketches might be done to illustrate events in the stories and
these should accompany the written material. Be sure to give the
proper sources of the information gathered. This should include
the name of the person who told the story and his town or
community of residence.
23
Special Awards
A Bloomsbury Book Award
was presented by the Blooms-bury
Chapter, Daughters of the
American Revolution, to The
Malcolm Blue Junior Historians
for the best Community Service
entry. Present at Awards Day
1979 to accept the award, a
copy of The Civil War in North
Carolina, were: (front row, left
to right) Sally Stone, Selena
Hamnill, Melissa Smith, Laura
Wilson, Tootie Barnes, Martha
Smith, and Kim Butler; back
row, Johnny McNeil, Doris Blue
(adviser), LoJuanna Blue,
Philip Garrison, and Patrice
Blue.
Joy Harrison of the club
Couratucke, Barco, won a
Bloomsbury Book Award for
her photographic essay "Bits
and Pieces from the Past In and
Around Currituck. As her award
she received a copy of The Civil
War in North Carolina.
Three junior historians received savings bonds from the North Carolina
Literary and Historical Association for their winning scores in the Christopher
Crittendon State History Quiz. Jamie Sharpe (left) of Onslow Academy
History Club, Jacksonville, won a $75 bond; Erik Johnson, Armstrong Junior
Historians, Fayetteville, won a $50 bond; and Phyllis Fair of Hamlet Junior
Historians, Hamlet, won a $25 bond. Joan Lashley (right), secretary-treasurer
for the North Carolina Literary and Historical Association, presented the
bonds.
Certificate of Appreciation
"An Interview with Judge Raymond B. Mallard"
Libby Sanders
Waccamaw Wanderers
Waccamaw Academy
Whiteville
This is an interview that I had on February 28, 1979, with my
grandfather Raymond B. Mallard, retired chief judge of the North
Carolina Court of Appeals.
My first question was, "What courts did you serve on, and
when?"
He answered, "I served as a resident superior court judge
from July 1, 1955, until 1967 when I was sworn in as chief judge of
the North Carolina Court of Appeals. I served on the appeals court
until 1973 when I was compelled to retire due to my health."
Next, I asked him to briefly explain the present court system
in North Carolina. He replied, "The supreme court has jurisdic-tion
over all the other courts. Seven judges serve on this court.
Neither the supreme court nor the appeals court are trial courts.
They are appellate courts. That is, people being tried do not nec-essarily
appear in these courts. The cases are heard based upon
the records from the trial courts. Superior courts try all cases in
which property, money, and damages are involved in any amount.
Superior courts have jurisdiction over all criminal cases up to and
including those for which the punishment is death.
"District courts have both civil and criminal jurisdiction. Dis-trict
courts try those criminal cases in which people are charged
with misdemeanors, and such civil cases as are prescribed by the
legislature. The magistrate's courts cannot determine the guilt or
innocence of anyone in a criminal case, but can accept pleas of
guilty in such cases. Magistrates can try only those simple and
minor civil cases that are permitted by law to be tried in it. Magis-trates
used to be called Justices of the Peace."
Next, I asked him to explain the difference between civil and
criminal cases. He said that civil cases are concerned with money
and property, while criminal cases involve someone charged with
a crime.
I asked about the formation of the appeals court. He said,
"The North Court of Appeals was formed after the people of the
state passed a constitutional amendment providing for such a
court to be established. Under the constitution, the legislature
established how it should be set up. Our present appeals court
was established in 1967 and I was the first chief judge."
I asked, "How many judges are on the North Carolina Court
of Appeals and how are they chosen?"
He answered, "The appeals court began with six judges. In
1968, three more judges were added and that made nine. Since
1973, there have been three more judges added and now there are
twelve members. It should be noted that a woman is the chief
justice of the supreme court, and also a woman is the chief judge of
the appeals court. The members of the appeals court are elected by
For her interview, Libby
Sanders received an Oral History
Certificate of Appreciation.
Jurisdiction means right or
power to give out justice.
Appellate Courts have the
power to examine again and
reverse the decisions of the
lower court.
Misdemeanors. Breaking of the
law, not so serious as felonies
25
Raymond B. Mallard with granddaughter Libby
Sanders.
Designated means pointed out; the people for a term of eight years and the chief judge is desig-marked
out. nated by the chief justice of the supreme court."
My next question was, "What kind of cases does the North
Carolina Court of Appeals usually hear?"
He replied, "The appeals court hears cases that are appealed to
Agencies are offices that have it from certain agencies of the state. Cases are heard by the state
the authority to act for the supreme court and the appeals court just to determine if parties
public within a specific field. who were tried in the trial courts and other trial agencies of the
state were tried according to law." He also said that a person who
appeals, that has been sentenced to death or imprisonment for
life, is heard by the supreme court and not the appeals court.
On July 20, 1979, Judge Mallard died. He was seventy-one years old.
He had begun practicing law in Tabor City in 1931 and gone on to be-come
one of North Carolina's outstanding judges. During its 1939 ses-sion,
he served in the state House of Representatives. He was the first
resident superior court judge in Columbus County when the Thirteenth
Judicial District was established. That district included Columbus,
Bladen, and Brunswick counties.
The Editor
Keep your back issues of this magazine together so
that you can build a valuable reference library. Tar Heel Junior
Historian can be the beginning of your personal North Caro-lina
history library.
2c
Associates' Artifact Search
W. Osborne Lee, Jr., president of North
Carolina Museum of History Associates,
Inc., presented awards to the winning
participants in the first Associates' Arti-fact
Search. Recipients of savings banks
included Timothy Gordon, Richard Led-better,
and Ted Clark, members of Yad-kinville
Junior Historians.
Dado. A woodworking hand
tool designed to cut a
rectangular groove.
During last school year, a number of junior historians par-ticipated
in the first Associates' Artifact Search, a new project
sponsored by North Carolina Museum of History Associates, Inc.,
the support group for the NC Museum of History.
The program was begun because thousands of items which
are part of the North Carolina story lie hidden almost every-where.
They are in places such as attics, barns, and basements.
Many such items have been lost forever because no one realized
their potential value. Junior historians can do much to prevent
such losses.
Five clubs participated in the first search; they photographed
and described more than seventy artifacts. The participating clubs
were: Citizens Club, Candler; Harmony Junior Historians,
Harmony; Onslow Academy History Club, Jacksonville; Past
Finders, Whittier; and Yadkinville Tar Heel Junior Historians,
Yadkinville.
Each junior historian who participated in the artifact search
received a certificate of recognition. Each club represented re-ceived
a copy of Underfoot: An Everyday Guide to Exploring the American
Past (See "Adventures in Reading," pages 50 through 52, Spring,
1978, TH]H). Next year, these clubs can go armed with a valuable
guide book as they search "underfoot" to unravel the "mystery of
history."
During Awards Day 1979, nine junior historians were
recognized for entries considered most outstanding. Each of these
members received a metal savings bank decorated with the images
of our state seal and State Capitol.
Recipients of the savings banks were: Past Finders Tommy
Wachacha—for a Bible printed in the Cherokee language, JoAnn
Ward—for her grandmother's ninety-year-old handmade shawl,
Larry Elders—for a pre-Civil War gown, Warren Enloe—for a
seventy-five-year-old table scarf and ninety-year-old woven
coverlet, and Dewey Messer—for a business ledger used during
1876 through 1893 by a store. Yadkinville Junior Historians Ricky
Wishon for a circa 1829 corner cupboard; Ted Clark—for a primi-tive
dado, a molding plane, and egg separator, a draw knife, a snuff
jar, and auger, and a lemon squeezer; Richard Ledbetter—for soda
pop bottles; and Timothy Gordon—for a McNews pop bottle and
ribbons once used by the Junior Order of United American
Mechanics.
The Bible published in Cherokee lan-guage
during the nineteenth century. A
Cherokee named Sequoya invented the
Cherokee alphabet in 1817. The accom-plishment
was one which was never
achieved by any other Indian tribe. This
artifact was introduced by Tommy
Wachacha of the Past Finders.
27
("Charter Charlie," cont'd, from inside front cover)
helped open the Northwest Territory to settlement. (An article by
Miss Wilburn appears in this issue.) Elizabeth Roberson, club
adviser, and members of The Skewarkians, Bear Grass School,
Bear Grass, participated in a national meeting of Foxfire groups
in St. Louis, Missouri, August 9 through 11. The North Carolini-ans
explained their study of tobacco and publication of Smoke To
Gold. From August 1 through August 4, junior historian directors
from fifteen states assembled in Springfield, Illinois, to discuss
their programs and share ideas. Davis Waters, executive secretary
to THJHA, learned a great deal about other state programs.
Activities that have been successful in Indiana, Kentucky, New
Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania will be discussed with club
advisers. Possibly, these activities can be included in the North
Carolina program.
The association's field representative, Tom Belton, is plan-ning
to visit schools, clubs, and social studies supervisors in the
piedmont and mountain region counties in the coming months. To
date, Mr. Belton has visited more than half of our 100 counties. He
and Mrs. Anne Kennedy, a Raleigh club adviser, appeared on a
Raleigh-Durham area television show to promote the junior his-tory
program. Slides from Awards Day 1979 and a prize winning
model were included in the interview.
The association is still searching for a motto and a song. Motto means a brief sentence,
Motto suggestions that were submitted last year include "Pre- worcJ . or phrase adopted as a
serve the old, enhance the new," "History teaches us the lessons rule of conduct -
of life," and "We shall work, research, and learn to achieve." What
suggestions would you like to offer? For the song contest, the
Martin '76ers have submitted lyrics for consideration. Their pro-posed
song is sung to the tune of "Y.M.C.A." Each club may sub-mit
one motto entry and one song entry. The club submitting the
best motto will receive a check for $35, and the club submitting
the best song will receive a check for $50. Don't forget that your
club's entry should be submitted to: Motto and Song Contests,
THJH Association, 109 East Jones Street, Raleigh, NC, 27611. The
association hopes to make a decision by May.
All club members are strongly encouraged to prepare articles,
poems, puzzles, and sketches for the magazine. We look forward
to receiving your contribution. The editorial staff will assist you
in getting the material ready for publication. Students who have
their material published will receive an attractive blue-and-white
"Magazine Contribution" tile which has the association emblem
on it. Please review our statement of editorial policy that appears
on page one and have your adviser review your contribution be-fore
submitting it. Student magazine contribution deadlines are
October 22 ("Local History") and February 4 ("North Carolina
Myths and Legends").
Please take time to complete the club report. The association
depends upon club secretaries to keep us informed of meetings,
special events, field trips, guest speakers, number of new mem-bers,
and publicity that has appeared in local newspapers. The
reports are used to compile "Going Things" and longer separate
articles in issues of this magazine. Black-and-white photographs
of club activities are always welcome.
National History Day, a youth project, partially funded by the
National Endowment for the Humanities, will bring national
recognition to history students. The theme for this year's com-petition
is "The Individual in History." The contest is open to stu-dents
from sixth grade through twelfth grade, and entries may be
historical papers, projects, or performances. The competition is
scheduled for May 27 through 29, at Georgetown University in
Washington, D.C. Those students who win in the state contest
will advance to Washington. Information will be released soon
through your school social studies department. Some of you may
wish to participate.
Best wishes to advisers, club officers, and the entire member-ship
of the Tar Heel Junior Historian Association. We hope that
this coming year you will be active in your community, support
club activities, and learn more of our state's history.
MARTIN '76er GOES TO INDIANA
Donna Wilburn (right, above) with a
new friend in Vincennes.
Symposium. A meeting or
conference for the discussion
of some subject.
During Awards Day 1979, a drawing was held to select a
junior historian to represent North Carolina at the George Rogers
Clark Symposium, June 19 through 21, at Vincennes University,
Vincennes, Indiana. (See announcement of symposium, pages 26
and 27, Winter, 1979, THJH.)
Donna Wilburn of the Martin '76ers, LeRoy Martin Junior
High School, Raleigh, had her name drawn and was able to accept.
She was accompanied on the trip by Mary Jackman, an adviser for
the Martin '76ers. Mrs. Jackman's transportation costs were gen-erously
provided by the North Carolina Museum of History Asso-ciates,
Inc.
Upon their return, both gave enthusiastic reports about the
symposium. Not only were the meetings informative, but they
provided a number of good ideas for North Carolina clubs. Mrs.
Jackman and Donna also got to see historic sites of Vincennes.
A key function of the symposium was the presentation of
papers on various periods of the life of George Rogers Clark.
These reports were prepared by students from states in which
Clark was active. Though the original plans were to involve
students from such states, the program was expanded and
students from other states were invited to attend.
Among the ideas acquired, Donna believes that the following
junior historian activities were most interesting. She learned that
junior historians in Kentucky are involved in archaeological digs
and surveys. One club in Nebraska has had its members trace their
roots to see if members of their family were buried in a cemetery
that they did not know about.
Indiana has clubs with students of many ages. There, retreats
are held in various parts of the state. At one, the Little Hoosier
Camp, older students serve as counselers for elementary age
children.
Donna inspected a Texas publication entitled Loblolly that
contained interviews with people who do things "the old way."
Conducting interviews for such articles would provide
information for interesting stories.
Donna feels that her trip was a valuable and exciting learning
experience. THJHA staff members would like to see more such
opportunities and benefits for North Carolina's junior historians.
A SURVEY OF ABANDONED
CEMETERIES
A Worthy Project for Tar Heel Junior Historians
MANY SITES ARE ALMOST FORGOTTEN
In 1977, a Committee for the Study of Abandoned Ceme-teries
in North Carolina was formed by the General Assembly. At
that time, seven counties were selected for an intensive survey of
the number, location, ownership, and condition of abandoned
cemeteries. The counties selected were Lenoir, Halifax, Ruther-ford,
Moore, Hyde, Guilford, and Madison.
Due to popular demand, the state committee has expanded
the survey to include all interested counties. To be included, a
county must have a coordinating committee and a county coordi-nator
to insure that a complete and accurate survey is made. Each
local survey must be conducted in cooperation with local govern-ment
officials; historical, genealogical, patriotic, and service or-ganizations;
and citizens of all ages who are interested in the
preservation of the memory of those interred therein. For each
county, the state committee will provide essential supplies for the
survey and such instructional help as can be arranged through a
state coordinator.
All surveys must be conducted so that the full and complete
results of the survey may be known not later than the fall of 1980.
The results of the survey will be used to recommend to the Gen-eral
Assembly measures that should be taken to preserve and pro-tect
the thousands of local and family cemeteries throughout the
state. The state committee will report its findings to the 1981
session of the General Assembly.
Presently, there are active county cemetery survey commit-tees
in Alleghany, Carteret, Halifax, Hyde, Iredell, Moore, Ran-dolph,
Rutherford, Stanly, and Yancey counties. Durham, Ala-mance.
Guilford, Madison, Lenoir, Sampson, Wake, and Colum-bus
counties are expected to soon have theirs.
Members of the state committee are: Rep. Gordon H. Green-wood,
Black Mountain; William C. Reeves, Weaverville; Phillip I.
Ellen, Southern Pines; Lucy Greenwood Miller, Hendersonville;
Ruth Allen, Henderson; Mrs. Newman A. Townsend, Jr., Raleigh
Carson C. Foard, Asheville; Mrs. Henry E. Kendall, Raleigh; Mrs.
Robert M. Leary, Raleigh; Neill A. Jennings, Sr., Greensboro;
Clyde M. Norton, Old Fort; Dr. Lloyd Bailey, Durham; Max
Bauguess, Purlear; Marvin 1. Davis, Jr., Elm City; and Frank D.
Gatton, Raleigh.
Persons and organizations interested in participating in the
study are requested to contact Michelle F. Lawing in the Depart-ment
of Cultural Resources, 109 East Jones Street, Raleigh, NC,
27611. By telephone she may be reached during the morning
hours at (919) 733-3068.
PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST
NORTH CAROLINA'S HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE
Buildings of various styles dot the landscape of North Caro-lina.
From rustic country barns to skyscrapers, these structures
reveal much about the people who live and work in this state.
Architectural styles serve as visible records of our past.
To make junior historians more aware of North Carolina's
architectural heritage, the Archaeology and Historical Preserva-tion
Section of the Division of Archives and History announces
an architectural photography contest for members of the Tar
Heel Junior Historian Association for the 1979-1980 school year.
The purpose of the contest is to introduce young people to
elementary photography, help them acquire an appreciation for
buildings within their community and state, and illustrate the
value of photographic documentation as a research tool.
WHO CAN ENTER?
Any member of the Tar Heel Junior Historian Association is
eligible to enter.
REQUIREMENTS:
All photographs must be taken by junior historians. It is to be
solely their work. Each student may enter as many photographs as
he wishes. Photographs must be black-and white. An 8" x 10"
format is preferred. Photographs should be mounted on card-board
or some other lightweight, rigid material for protection
during display. On the back of each entry place: (l) the name,
address, and home telephone number of the junior historian who
took the photograph (2) the name, location, and pertinent in-formation
such as construction date, architectural style of the
structure, and builder, if known.
CATEGORIES:
1. Houses
2. Architectural details (doors, woodwork, gates)
3. Barns
4. Institutional or public buildings (hospitals, courthouses,
churches, or schools)
5. Industrial or commercial buildings (railway depots, banks,
factories, warehouses, or market places)
All photographs should be of subjects which are at least 50
years old. The photographs will be judged on overall quality and
suitability of subject matter. If the photograph is of an architec-tural
detail, an overall view of the subject structure should be in-cluded
also even if the overall view is not to be judged.
Upper left: Public building— First Presby-terian
Church, New Bern. Left: House-ceiling
medallion and stair detail, Maxwell
Chambers House, Salisbury.
31
MAILING:
Package photographs so that they will not be damaged. The
photographs should be placed between heavy corrugated card-board
pieces (cut slightly larger than the photographic print) to
prevent bending or tearing. Clearly mark the outside of the pack-age:
"PHOTOGRAPHS—DO NOT BEND." (Be sure to keep the
negative in case of damage to the original print during shipping or
while it is on display.)
DISPLAY:
The photographs will be exhibited in the Archives and His-tory/
State Library Building in Raleigh until they are judged.
DEADLINE:
All entries should be received by March 3, 1980.
JUDGING:
Judges will meet in March to determine the winners. The
decision of the judges is final. The right is reserved to make no
award in instances where entries in any category fail to meet the
high standards of the sponsors.
PRIZES:
Three prizes will be offered in each category: first prize will be
a $75 U.S. Savings Bond; second prize will be a $50 bond; and the
third prize will be a $25 bond. Each person entering the contest
will receive a certificate for participating. Winners will be an-nounced
in May during THJHA Awards Day 1980.
All entries should be sent to:
Commercial Building— Battery Park
Hotel, Asheville.
N.C. Historic Architecture
Photography Contest
Tar Heel Junior Historian Association
109 East Jones Street
Raleigh, North Carolina 27611
Lower left: House—The Hermitage,
Halifax County. Below: Round Barn,
Forest Home, Lincoln County.
32
ADVENTURES IN READING
North Carolina Legends
Would you like to read a legend about Virginia Dare and the
White Doe? or a mystery about the ship that burns but is never
consumed? or the love story of Kickowanna, the beautiful Indian
princess? or a tale about the ghost at the Governor's Mansion?
You would like them all and can find them among the eighty-four
wonderful yarns collected by eiditor Richard Walser and put into
one volume entitled North Carolina Legends.
Mr. Walser wrote many of the stories himself; others were
written by such well-known persons as Paul Green, Manly Wade
Wellman, F. Roy Johnson, ex-Governor Robert W. Scott, and
Adelaide L. Fries. Original illustrations by Bill Ballard have been
used throughout North Carolina Legends, which is being published by
the Historical Publications Section, Division of Archives and His-tory,
109 East Jones Street, Raleigh, NC, 27611.
Richard Walser, the author, was born in Lexington. Since
1971, he has been Professor Emeritus of the Department of Emeritus means retired from
English, N.C. State University. He is a past president of the N.C. active service, but still holding
English Teachers Association, N.C. Literary and Historical Asso- one s rank and title
ciation, N.C. Folklore Society, and N.C. Writers Conference. In
1976, he received the North Carolina Award for Literature. Be-sides
numerous articles, both popular and scholarly, in various
journals, he has edited, written, or prepared for publication about
twenty-five books.
Since the theme of the spring issue of THJH is North Carolina
myths and legends, many junior historians will be working to
gather stories in their local communities. No doubt, Mr. Walser's
book will be found to be extremely interesting. Likely, too, Mr.
Walser will be looking closely at what junior historians gather for
publication.
Pig in a Poke
As long as the supply lasts, you can buy $10.00 worth of
North Carolina publications for only $3.00. Each Pig in a Poke
includes one copy each of Civil War Pictures (4th ed.), Guide to NC
Historical Highway Markers (6th ed.), NC in WW 1 (1st ed.), Young
Readers' Picturebook of Tar Heel Authors (3rd ed.), and Green Leaf and
Gold: Tabacco in NC (1st ed.).
For your Pig in a Poke, send a check or money order to His-torical
Publications Section, Division of Archives and History,
109 East Jones Street, Raleigh, NC, 27611. (Include 50<t for post-age
and handling on orders under $5.00 and $1.00 on orders of
more than $5.00.)
Arbitrarily. At will; not going
by any rule or law.
Illustration . of locomotive which
was operated by the Raleigh and
Gaston Railroad. This photograph,
published in the new Guide to North
Carolina Highway Historical Markers,
was taken about 1850 and the presi-dent
of the company, W. R. Vass, is
seen standing on the engine.
33
For Your Bookshelf
Mary Reynolds Peacock
Historical Publications Editor I
Historical Publications Section
Division of Archives and History
Raleigh
North Carolina has good roads and Tar Heels like to travel by
car to revel in the majestic scenery, to loll on our famous beaches,
and to explore historic places in between; but with gasoline be-coming
an increasingly precious commodity, even a short automo-bile
trip must be planned with extra care. Along with the road map
you need a little book just published by the Division of Archives
and History, the seventh edition of Guide to North Carolina Highway
Historical Markers. You won't believe how much history you will
learn just by reading this handy little four-by-nine-inch book, and
to have it in your hand on a trip is even better.
For the traveler's convenience, there are seventeen sections
in the book, one for each of the seventeen historical districts into
which the state is arbitrarily divided. At the beginning of each sec-tion
is a map of the district, and then there comes a listing of all the
historical markers found within the counties of the district. Each
inscription is reproduced in the Guide exactly as it appears on the
marker. In all, there are 1,200 markers in the state. Sprinkled
liberally throughout the book are appropriate illustrations, such
as the one depicted on this page. Marker E 22, located on "US 158
east of Littleton, [in] Halifax County" has this inscription: "Raleigh
and Gaston Railroad. Chartered 1835, completed 1840. Gaston,
its terminal town, now extinct, was 3 mi. N.E." Even if you can't
actually visit the sites of Beard's Hat Shop, Babe Ruth's first pro-fessional
home run, and all the others, you can read about them in
the Guide for a mere $2.50.
Students in Edgecombe County will be especially pleased to
know that Edgecombe County: A Brief History by Alan D. Watson
($1.50), is now available. Written in a sprightly style and filled
with good pictures, this little 109-page book is remarkably com-prehensive
and accurate. Off the press this fall is Burke County:
A Brief History, by Dr. Edward W. Phifer, Jr. Five other county his-tories
in the series have been published: Annals of Progress: The Story
of Lenoir County and Kinston, North Carolina, by William S. Powell (504);
Dare County: A History, by David Stick ($1.00); Davie County: A Brief
History, by James W. Wall ($1.50); New Hanover County: A Brief His-tory,
by E. Lawrence Lee ($1.50); and Rowan County: A Brief History,
by James S. Brawley ($1.50). All these publications can be ordered
from:
Historical Publications Section—JH
Division of Archives and History
Department of Cultural Resources
109 East Jones Street
Raleigh, North Carolina 27611
Be sure to add 50<t for postage and handling on orders of $5.00 or
less and add $1.00 on orders of more than $5.00.
34
COURTHOUSE CONTEST
Can You Identify This Building?
An important and prominent
county is the county courthouse. It is
the place where local justice is
administered and where deeds, wills,
and other legal papers are procesed
and recorded. It is the seat of county
government.
Have you ever visited your
county's courthouse and observed a
court session, or talked with a court
official or the registrar of deeds?
Your social studies teacher might
arrange a student tour for you. The
trip would be enlightening and
enjoyable.
The Contest
The construction of the Neo-Classical Revival courthouse
illustrated here was completed in 1912. It was designed by a
Washington, D.C., architectural firm that also designed several
other North Carolina courthouses. The structure still serves its
Coastal Region county.
Can you identify it?
The junior historian who sends in the earliest postmarked,
correct answer will receive a copy of the book Guide To North Caro-lina
Highway Historical Markers. Give your club name and full return
address when writing.
THJHA PROJECTS ON EXHIBIT
Earlier this year, a number of THJH
annual projects were installed in a dis-play
window in the new North Carolina
Association of Educators (N.C.A.E.)
building in Raleigh. Clubs from Raleigh,
Fuquay-Varina, Aberdeen, Bear Grass,
Hendersonville, Landis, and Mount
Olive were chosen for the exhibit. Ms.
Marion Stallings, N.C.A.E. official, com-mented
that ".
. . hundreds of visitors
have viewed the projects and have been
impressed by the talents of junior his-torians."
The THJHA display is part of a
larger exhibit that commemorates the
United Nations International Year of the
Child.
GOING
THINGS
THE SEEKERS, Carrboro Christian Academy, Carrboro
The Seekers met on May 14 and discussed two artifacts that
had been brought to school by the club's adviser. One artifact
was a butter mold and the other was an old gas meter.
William J. Bednar, adviser
JUNIOR HISTORIAN JACKETS, Elizabeth City Junior High
School, Elizabeth City
This spring the Junior Historian Jackets held a successful his-tory
fair at their school. On May 5 the club went to Raleigh on
a field trip and visited the museums and other interesting
places.
Deborah Moore, assistant secretary
J. B. PAGE SUPER TAR HEELS, J. B. Page Elementary School,
Belmont
Members of this club helped to present a special program
April 27 in celebration of North Carolina Heritage Week. A
program entitled "A History Book Lesson" reflected the peo-ple
and culture of North Carolina. In addition, projects were
entered for competition and awards given to the most out-standing
ones. The day's activities left all with a better under-standing
of the history of North Carolina.
Lillie B. Dial and Connie W. Carnes, advisers
HILLBILLY HIKERS, South Toe Elementary School, Burnsville.
On May 14 the Hillbilly Hikers of South Toe Elementary
School held an awards day at their school to commemorate
the end of a successful year of researching the history of
Yancey County and tracing their family genealogies.
Twenty-eight students competed in the contest. Ribbons
were presented to Robert Gouge, first place for genealogical
research; John Simmons, first place for his paper on the his-tory
of Celo United Methodist Church; Kurt Johnson, sec-ond
place for genealogical research; and Karen Simmons,
third place for genealogical research. Tammy Harrison, Becky
Leigh Huskins, Vickie Bellew, and Donald Smith all received
honorable mention recognition for their genealogical work.
Several club members attended Awards Day 1979 at Mere-dith
College in Raleigh. Mrs. Barbara Holcombe, club adviser,
and members Robert Gouge, John Simmons, Karen Sim-mons,
Becky Leigh Huskins, Tammy Harrison, and Greg
Shufford traveled to Raleigh for the activities.
Barbara Holcombe, adviser
35
While in Raleigh for Awards Day 1979,
Hillbilly Hikers saw some of the interesting
places. Seen here before the memorial
commemorating three presidents are (left
to right, front row) Greg Shufford; Barbara
Holcombe, adviser; Robert Gouge; Karen
Simmons; and Becky Leigh Huskins. Back
row: John Simmons and Tammy Harrison.
Photograph courtesy of Phillip Holcombe.
PAST FINDERS, Qualla Elementary School, Whittier
On April 27 the Past Finders held a Heritage Day at their
school. All club members dressed as mountaineers and
brought artifacts to be photographed for the Associates' Arti-fact
Search sponsored by Museum of History Associates, Inc.
The club is also collecting local ghost stories for a book we
want to publish.
Sandy Puckett, adviser
CANDLER CITIZENSHIP CLUB, Candler Elementary School,
Candler
This club held five meetings during the months of April and
May. A trip was made to the Cherokee Indian Living Village
which gave all club members an opportunity to gain a greater
appreciation for the cultural heritage of minority groups.
Club members were encouraged to locate artifacts for the
Associates' Artifact Search and bring them to club meetings.
E. Nelson Kelly, adviser
Past Finders as they appeared for
Heritage Day at their school. Seated at
left front: Robbie Cabe. First row, left to
right: Terry Martin, Tom Wachacha,
JoAnn Ward, Debbie Amster, Robin
Benzel, Dawn Nichols, Kristi Harding
(hand on hat), and Gina Plunkett. Third
row: Larry Elders, Flint Griffin, Mike
Holt, Chris Taggart, Chris Bailey, Dewey
Messer, Linda Tushka, Marlene Tee-sateskie,
Albert Arch, Milly Bradley,
Renee Ballew (gallused), David Grant
(arm visible), and Sandy Puckett, club
adviser.
Members of Candler Citizenship Club.
Left to right, front row: Jimmy Garland,
Michael Kimber, Wesly Warren, Doug
Parris, Chris Reese, and Rany Trull.
Back rwo: Bruce Elliott, Danny Ward,
Nevin Penland, Kevin Harris, Cobey
Jones, Tony Hamlin, and Nelson Kelly,
1979 Heritage Day at Harmony
One event of harmony's Heritage Day was sack racing. Here, posed before
another contest, (left to right—and half sacked!) are: Shelba Redmond and
Andria Dalton; Audrey Ramseur and Kim Dalton; and Robert Morris and
Maurice Nichols. Onlookers included Kennard Houpe, Jeff Dalton, and Debra
James.
Two Harmony Junior Historians
made soap the old-fashioned way:
Pam Lentz (left), and Beth Lundy.
On June 1, the student body of Harmony Elementary School,
Harmony, seemed to step back in time. Early in the day students,
dressed in historical and comical garb, walked past the judges.
Their parade opened Heritage Day activities. Later, the eighth
graders presented an inspiring musical drama, "America in
Music." Craft demonstrations illustrated soapmaking, corn
shucking, churning, clothes washing, and quilting. There was
plenty of student participation in old-fashioned games such as
sack racing, horseshoe pitching, hopscotch, and greasy-pole
climbing. The main attraction for primary grade students was a
horse and wagon ride on the baseball field.
Several artists that are members of the Iredell County Arts
Council displayed their talents: James Huff did charcoal draw-ings,
Jack O'Conner worked with stained glass, and Kathy Gibbs
and Betsy Collins demonstrated pottery making.
Colorful and interesting displays were located in hallways
and classrooms. Antiques, old school yearbooks, needlework,
quilts, wooden toys, and soapstone sculpture attracted visitors'
curiosity.
The annual event, organized by Helen Parker, club adviser for
the Harmony Junior Historians, was well attended by guests from
Iredell County. Dr. W. T. Poston, school superintendent, and
members of the county school board joined the festivities. The Tar
Heel Junior Historian Association was represented by Davis
Waters, executive secretary; Tom Belton, field representative;
and Bob Winters, editor of Tar Heel Junior Historian. John H. Powell,
extension services coordinator of the North Carolina Museum of
History, was in attendance as well.
Heritage Day 1979 was an exciting day for all—students and
guests alike.