The Arctic provides Jones with his annual 'escape''
from southern history. Here he laces the midnight
sun at picturesque Pangmrtung F|ord on Canada s
Battin Island The massive Penny Ice Cap covers the
mountains in the background, sending dozens ol
glaciers into Pangnirtung Pass which separates
Cumberland Sound Irom Oavis Strait A thousand
Eskimos inhabit the isolated community.
While running ihe collection and the
society. Jones continues his prolific
writing, including his weekly "In Light
of History." the longest running unpaid
historical column distributed by the As¬
sociated Press. He hasn't missed a Wed¬
nesday deadline since 1969.
His most recent book. North Caro -
Una Illustrated. 1524-1984, is a prodi¬
gious achievement. It proves as almost
no other illustrated book has done that
pictures are documents. When one up¬
start criticized Jones for reproducing
some of the pictures so small, he was
as usual nonplussed. H. G. simply
pointed out that with small reproduc¬
tions. serious researchers would be en¬
couraged to visit the holding institutions
to examine the originals!
Loves The Arctic
H. G. serves as adjunct professor in
the history department at Chapel Hill.
Trained as a teacher and often employed
as one. his whole career has been an ef¬
fort to educate others, whether students,
fellow professionals, or politicians. One
of his students. Jim Holshouser. be¬
came governor of North Carolina.
While at Archives and History. Jones
established and taught through N. C.
State University a two-semester archival
administration course, only the fourth
such program in the United States. Last
summer he conducted a short course for
local officials at the University of
Alaska in Fairbanks.
If H.G.'s first love is North Carolina,
his second is the Arctic. For fifteen
years he has made annual trips to
Greenland. Arctic Canada, or Alaska,
and he has gathered an impressive col¬
lection of Eskimo (Inuil) art and ar¬
tifacts. Many Tar Heels look forward to
receiving his annual Christmas card
17
featuring him posing at the ice or
reproducing one of his pieces of Es¬
kimo art.
And if his love of the Artie carries
H. G. to the far reaches of the North,
his love of history makes him a nation¬
ally respected spokesman for the coun¬
try's records. His testimony was sought
and listened to by Congress in the
movement for independence for the Na¬
tional Archives and by the court during
the turmoil surrounding the ownership
of presidential records and the Water¬
gate scandal. As a Commissioner of the
National Historical Publications and
Records Commission since 1979. he has
pressed for national attention to the
plight of county and municipal records
all over America, and he has inspired
a generation of younger archivists and
historians to think that local history is
as important as international history.
But make no mistake about it: De¬
spite his national stature. H. G.'s first
love remains his native state. Like his
predecessors — Connor. Newsome,
and Crittenden — H. G. Jones wears
the mantle of history in a decidedly Tar
Heel fashion. And for him. "Tar Heel"
is always written as two words. Further¬
more. it encompasses all North
Carolinians — not just those who wear
pale blue and go around singing "Hark
the Sound." Appropriately, his ever¬
present lie-clasp is a foot with a tarred
heel.
Clear Track For
The Aberdeen
And Briar Patch
Л
I'aniily-nwned railroad Ihal knows
wlioro it's going'.
By BETTY LOU BRUTOY
It's not a rail buff s hobby, nor a
speculator’s game. It's a family busi¬
ness.
On January 2. 1984 the new Aber¬
deen and Briar Patch Railroad's first run
brought snickers and skeptical com¬
ments. but it was never a joke w ith the
Formyduval family. When Willard For-
myduval. a Columbus County native
with twenty-two years experience in
railroading, bought the shortline form
Southern Railway, he was confident it
would succeed. Southern had made ar¬
rangements to abandon this no-name
branch because of operating losses.
Now. two years later, this 34 mile rail¬
road has 14 customers and is well into
a SI. 2 million dollar track rehabilitation
project.
"It's a serious business." says son.
Davy Formyduval. "Dad is the presi¬
dent. I'm vice-president, and general
manager. My sister. Kimberly, is sec¬
retary. and my mother is treasurer."
Donnie Yeargin. the engineer, is not
related, but he has been with the For-
mvduvals from the first run of the Aber¬
deen and Briar Patch. He fulfills all the
duties of railroad engineer, including
blowing the whistle at crossings and
waving to children.
First In 50 Years
As of December. 1983. there were ten
privately owned shortline railroads.
There have been others since, but at the
time the Aberdeen and Briar Patch was
chartered, it was the first new railroad
in about fifty years.
The railroad’s name, which many
find amusing, makes perfect sense.
From Aberdeen the line goes through
Pinehurst. West End. Candor, and Bis-
coc. It ends in a rail yard just north of
Star. For years this yard has been
known as the "Briar Patch". The name
puts it at the lop of the alphabetical list¬
ing in the Official Guide to American
Railroads.
The company's only locomotive, a
used one purchased from Seaboard Sys¬
tem Railroad, proudly sports a new coat
THE STATE, AROL 1986
