Few things intrigue me as much as old maps, and the 1886 chart of Catawba County is no exception. Recently I came upon the copy I purchased from the Museum of History in Newton. The poster-sized drawing was rendered by Rev. R. A. Yoder and sponsored by the county school board. They wanted a good visual of boundaries for new …
How we’re helping hungry kids
Since January, I’ve been a volunteer with the backpack program, one of several affiliated with The Corner Table. It’s not that big of a deal on my part. I show up at the building off Tate Boulevard on a weekday morning or a Sunday afternoon and spend an hour or so filling plastic bags that are tied shut and stacked …
You know. . . where the such-and-such used to be
Forty years ago my husband Tym and I moved to Catawba County. We had both grown up in in rural Illinois, a land platted in a grid. Directions were given by the compass. Go a mile north, turn left and go three miles west. But in this booming place with a gentler climate, we learned that locals navigate by where …
War casualties represent more than numbers
On May 26, I joined a small crowd at the Memorial Day ceremony in Eastview Cemetery in Newton, NC. I hadn’t been to such a ceremony in several years, and for me, it was a solid reminder of the phrase “freedom isn’t free.” We honored American service men and women for their sacrifice in the line of duty. There was …
Looking back on the way I worked
If you’re like me, you’ve spent most of your working life in Catawba County. I hadn’t thought much about that until I attended docent training at the Museum of History on the Square in Newton. That’s where “The Way We Worked” will be exhibited from Aug. 10-Sept. 18. I will be one of the volunteers helping to guide visitors through …
Saluting Billy Graham, a real American hero
I don’t remember a time before Billy Graham. And so I stood with the 300 people gathered on Feb. 24 at the Startown overpass on US 321. It was unseasonably warm, and many of us waited for an hour or more, watching the traffic whiz by as oversized American and Christian flags flapped from the overpass, waiting for North Carolina’s …
The curious tale of Isaac Wise
Recently my book club discussed A History of Catawba County by Charles Preslar. In 1954, Preslar, a local reporter, wrote the county’s story including the legend of a local patriot, Isaac Wise. The Wises are said to have lived at the head of the South Fork River. On a modern map, that’s near the intersection of Highway 10 and 321 …
Talking herbs at Hart Square
I received an invitation to time travel last month and of course I jumped at the chance. For several years now, Judy Sigmon and I have portrayed 1840s herbalists during the fall festival at Hart Square, Dr. Robert Hart’s complex of log cabins. It’s the largest collection of original historic log buildings in the United States and it’s right here …