"Tales from Old Iredell County" by O.C. Stonestreet (2012)

Thanks to author O.C. Stonestreet I will never look at the local roads, such as route 115, 21 and 150, in the same light again. They say that the only thing new is the history you don’t know, and Mr. Stonestreet has managed to gather all of the local folklore into this delightfully entertaining, quickly read, 200 page book.

Mr. Stonestreet was speaking at the DAR meeting last Saturday in Mooresville, and Sue; who is a member; bought a copy of this book which details all of the local legends in the county. Some are suspect, but others ring very true, even explaining some of the things I see; or wonder about; as I travel the local roads each day.

Among the stories related here, which vary from Tom Dooley’s hanging, which made a great folk song; to some more important; although not fully proven tales. We also can boast that Iredell County was the birthplace of Kit Carson, the legendary pioneer, and North Carolina’s version of Daniel Boone. Remember, these events took place when North Carolina was the western frontier of our nation.

I especially liked the story about Abraham Lincoln, whom I have written of several times here and is one of my favorite Presidents. It seems that Abraham Lincoln may have been fathered by a man named Abraham Enloe in Rutherford County; about 60 miles from here; who had a maid named Nancy Hanks. She became pregnant by her employer; and although he was already married with kids; he did the honorable thing by paying Tom Lincoln $500 and a wagon; with a team of oxen; to claim the child was his. Tom Lincoln was on his way to Illinois and just passing through, so he readily agreed to the arrangement. Moreover, Tom Lincoln; who was never overly fond of his son; was short and stocky; while Mr. Enloe was tall and lean, just as Abraham Lincoln was. Even pictures of Mr. Enloe’s son bear a striking likeness to the President. This story has never been definitively disproven, with even some of Lincoln’s own words alluding to the uncertainty of his parentage.

From crimes and punishments, lynching’s and murders; with a bit of mayhem thrown in; there are some truly colorful stories in this book. Along with some stories concerning gravestones; the book is a wonderful thing to have in the car as you go about your daily business. It will enable the reader to expand upon the little tidbits of tales which he may have heard about, but thus far been unable to verify. So much of local history has been lost to the ages, and Mr. Stonestreet’s little book may go a long way in stopping some of that loss. 

Old Roads - "Any Road Will Take You There"

Old, abandoned roads have always held my interest. I like to imagine what was there, if anything, before the new road came in to pass it by. This is International Drive,in Statesville, just past the barrier which separates it from the existing road. I was looking for a different road, which is visible from Interstate 77, but no one seems to be able to remember how to get there! So, I'm going to keep looking for it. It's my current "El Dorado". But while I was walking, I was thinking of this song by George Harrison, which was recorded live on MTV sometime in the late '90's. I thought I'd share it with you here while I continue to look for the other road.



"Any Road Will Take You There" by George Harrison

But I've been traveling on a boat and a plane,
In a car on a bike with a bus and a train.
Traveling there, traveling here,
Everywhere, in every gear.

But oh Lord, we pay the price.
With the spin of the wheel, with the roll of the dice.
Ah yeah you pay your fare,
And if you don't know where you're going
Any road will take you there.

And I've been traveling through the dirt and the grime,
From the past to the future through the space and the time.
Traveling deep beneath the waves,
In watery grottoes and mountainous caves.

But oh Lord we've got to fight,
With the thoughts in the head, with the dark and the light.
No use to stop and stare,
And if you don't know where you're going
Any road will take you there.

You may not know where you came from,
May not know who you are,
May not have even wondered,
How you got this far.

I've been traveling on a wing and a prayer,
By the skin of my teeth, by the breadth of a hair.
Traveling where the four winds blow,
With the sun on my face, in the ice and the snow.

But oooeeee it's a game,
Sometimes you're cool, sometimes you're lame.
Ah yeah it's somewhere,
And if you don't know where you're going
Any road will take you there.

But oh Lord we pay the price,
With the spin of the wheel with the roll of the dice.
Ah yeah you pay your fare,
And if you don't know where you're going
Any road will take you there.

I keep traveling around the bend,
There was no beginning, there is no end.
It wasn't born and never dies,
There are no edges, there is no sides.

Oh yeah you just don't win,
It's so far out, the way out is in.
Bow to God and call him Sir,
But if you don't know where you're going
Any road will take you there.
And if you don't know where you're going
Any road will take you there.
If you don't know where you're going
Any road will take you there.

Poking Around Fort Dobbs

It's a beautiful time of year in North Carolina. The stifling heat of the summer has given way to a glorious autumn, with the trees changing colors faster than the squirrels scampering to hide food for the winter. Sue and I love to ride around and find things to look at. We have passed by the Fort Dobbs sign so many times in our 13 years in North Carolina, that state law now required us to make a mandatory visit. Well, that's not quite true, but we did decide to visit the Fort yesterday. It was closed.

Now, that's not as bad as one would think. Having arrived at the site of the Fort, we were greeted by an empty parking area and a deserted site. Fort Dobbs has no walls, or fortifications, it is simply the remains of the fort grounds, with a reconstructed homesite, and no gates. So we roamed around, soaking up a bit of sun while we did.

The Forts history dates back to 1755, when Governor Dobbs requested that a fort be built at the Western "frontier" of the state. It's hard to imagine that this was about as far West as most of the settlers from the East had come in 1755, but it is true. There were many settlers beyond that frontier, but they were strictly on their own. The area beyond this point was Cherokee country. The Fort was built for defense against Indian attacks from the Cherokees, who had aligned themselves with the French, in what became known as the French-Indian Wars.

The Fort was built in 1756 and stood as a garrison on the site. It was more like a big box type of wooden structure, with a roof, than a conventional fort. It housed 50 men.

The fort came under attack late on the night of February 27, 1760 by more than 60 Indians. The settlers suffered two casualties, and one death, while the reports indicate that 10-12 Cherokee were killed, or wounded.

Not much remains of the Fort, just some outlines in the earth where the garrison once stood. By 1761 the garrison was moved further West, and by 1766 Fort Dobbs was in total ruins. The land is pristine and virtually untouched since the days of the fort. I hope it stays that way.

For a quick overview of the site, and the role it played in local history, this link will take you to the official web site for Fort Dobbs;

http://fortdobbs.org/history-fortdobbs.htm

The Vance Hotel - Statesville, N.C.

The Vance Hotel is closed. The six story, 85 room hotel, completed in 1922 quickly became the place to go during the heady days of the 1920's and Statesville was in it's boom.

Located in the heart of downtown Statesville, which is the county seat of Iredell County, the hotel has closed after almost 90 years as the town's principal place of lodging. It was often said that "there are a lot of rooms in Statesville, but only one Hotel."

With a restaurant and a bar on the ground floor, as well as a swimming pool, this building was the height of luxury during the 1920's through the 1970's. Statesville was largely an agricultural place back then, surrounded by the many farms that raised cotton to supply the mills which were still in operation during those years before NAFTA closed them down.

As the character of the town changed, so did the need for a luxury hotel. But the building itself is still a monument to the times in which it thrived. Go a few blocks east, or west, and you will find all of the "cookie cutter" type motels that dot the land from coast to coast. Looking at them, you can see why people wanted to stay here.

Now, the best part of any old building is the legend that may go along with it. This building comes complete with a legend all it's own. The girl pictured in this lithograph, which hung in the Vance Hotel restaurant for many years, is said to have drowned in the swimming pool years ago.

During the 1970's, and on through the filming of "Leatherheads", (thanks L!) with George Clooney a few years ago, there have been numerous accounts of a young girl, who in appearance resembles the girl in the picture, standing in the hallways, dripping water. Shades of the two twins in "The Shining."

Whether you believe in ghosts or not, it's a great story. And the starting bid for the picture, at $800, is well worth owning a piece of that story.

The film, "Leathernecks", lent a new perspective to the building. The hotel, which had been closed for some time before the film began shooting, came back to life while the film crew was there. The electricity and water were turned back on, and the swimming pool was filled again. The building is still structurally sound and there are tentative plans to refurbish it and recreate the old elegance which once inhabited the Vance.

And no self respecting hotel would be complete without the tales of the rich and mighty people who have stayed there over the years. The Vance is no exception, and has had it's share of luminaries as guests. Over the years many well known politicians and actors have frequented the place.

Ronald Reagan stayed there during his swing through North Carolina in the 1980 elections. Sue bought this vase, which was a fixture in the room where the future President lodged while visiting the town. It was in the largest room in the hotel, which was often referred to as the "rich folks" room by the hotel staff.

No matter what fate befalls this elegant little building, I am glad to have known it in it's final years. Sitting across from the Statesville Permit Office, as well as the County Planning Board, gave me many an opportunity to observe the place. It's declining years notwithstanding, the simplicity of the building is precisely what gives the Vance it's unique beauty. And no matter what happens, Sue and I will always have the vase.