Record #:

8407

Author(s):

Padgett, James R.

Abstract:

Whitehouse Mountain is located along the Jackson and Macon county border. It's highest point is known at the “Devil's Courthouse.” Along the path up to the courthouse is a rock chiseled with a Spanish inscription. No one knows who carved this. One theory is that one of DeSoto's men carved the phrase when they traveled through the Highlands area in 1540. Appalachian historian T. W. Reynolds argued that a local citizen, Herman Wiles Alley, carved the inscription around 1925. This theory has been questioned by others who remember seeing the carving before Alley's birth. The mystery remains unsolved.

Source:

The State (NoCar F 251 S77), Vol. 52 Issue 12, May 1985, p10-11, il

Subject(s):

Curiosities and wonders--Whitehouse Mountain

Record #:

8419

Author(s):

Cahill, Carl

Abstract:

Built in the 1790s, the Dismal Swamp Canal connects Elizabeth River in Virginia to the Pasquotank River in North Carolina. George Washington and five associates began the canal to transport juniper and cypress out of eastern North Carolina. Later, Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal, built in 1835, competed against the Dismal Swamp Canal. Traffic along the Dismal Swamp Canal peaked around 1900. Since 1928, the canal has been under the control of the Army Corps of Engineers. Today, the canal is facing a cut in federal funds. Congressman Walter D. Jones is heading the fight to keep the canal open. He expects a tough road over the ensuing years owing to large federal deficits.

Source:

The State (NoCar F 251 S77), Vol. 52 Issue 12, May 1985, p12-14, il

Subject(s):

Dismal Swamp Canal (N.C. and Va.)

Record #:

8420

Author(s):

Krochmal, Connie

Abstract:

The Cherokee Indians used blowguns to hunt birds, squirrels, and rabbits. Blowguns varied in length from three to ten feet. The blowgun was made from the giant cane, Arundinaria, while the darts were made from the bull thistle, Carduus. Both plants are indigenous to North Carolina. The blowgun's accuracy enabled hunters to hit targets up to sixty feet.

Source:

The State (NoCar F 251 S77), Vol. 52 Issue 12, May 1985, p15, il

Subject(s):

Cherokee Indians--North Carolina--Hunting

Record #:

8421

Author(s):

Skipper, Tom F.

Abstract:

The Baltimore Orioles spent the month of March 1914 in Fayetteville. Although the Orioles were still a minor league team, they had a talented rookie on their roster named George Herman Ruth. While in Fayetteville, Ruth hit his first homerun, pitched his first win, and earned the nickname “Dunn's Babe.” The name “Dunn” referred to Orioles manager, Jack Dunn. It soon disappeared, but the name “Babe” stuck. Ruth hit his first homerun on March &, 1914, during his first game as a professional player. On March 24, 1914, Ruth pitched against the Philadelphia Athletics, the reigning World Series champions, and won 6-2. Ruth spent free time in Fayetteville watching trains and riding elevators, because he had never before experienced either.

Source:

The State (NoCar F 251 S77), Vol. 52 Issue 12, May 1985, p16-18, il, por

Subject(s):

Ruth, George Herman (Babe), 1895-1948

Record #:

8422

Author(s):

Goodwin, Jack

Abstract:

The author recalls family trips to visit his grandparents in Buxton. Goodwin's grandfather, James Oliver Casey, was a keeper of the lighthouse. Among his responsibilities was maintaining the light, which included carrying five gallons of kerosene to the top of the lighthouse each day. Goodwin remembers catching ferries across the inlet and driving across sand to Buxton. There were no roads at that time, and drivers were careful to avoid quicksand. If travelers were in trouble, the Coast Guard offered quick assistance. At his grandparent's home, Goodwin enjoyed large family meals that usually included seafood, such as fresh-caught fish, crabs, oysters, and scallops. The Outer Banks have changed since Goodwin's childhood. During the Great Depression, for instance, the Civilian Conservation Corps built dunes along the island and planted trees to stabilize the island's continuously shifting sands.

Source:

The State (NoCar F 251 S77), Vol. 52 Issue 12, May 1985, p19-21, il, por

Subject(s):

Outer Banks--History; Outer Banks--Description and travel

Record #:

8423

Author(s):

Conway, Bob

Abstract:

The Homespun Museum was recently opened on the Biltmore Estate in Asheville. The museum focuses on Biltmore Industries, which was founded in 1901 by Mrs. George Vanderbilt. She organized the business to produce traditional handmade mountain crafts and to provide employment for those living on the estate. Mrs. Vanderbilt sold Biltmore Industries to Fred Seely in 1917. Seely moved the company to his Grove Park Inn in Asheville. Seely's firm produced high-quality, hand-spun woolens that were worn by three different First Families: the Coolidges, the Hoovers, and the Roosevelts. In addition to its display on Biltmore Industries, the Homespun Museum exhibits other mountain arts, such as Cherokee Indian crafts, mountain baskets, Appalachian folk art, blown glass and pottery.

Source:

The State (NoCar F 251 S77), Vol. 52 Issue 12, May 1985, p22-23, il

Subject(s):

Museums--Asheville