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Fort Dobbs 'soldiers' to march for governor
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Published: January 9, 2009
There is a pretty good chance of rain Saturday afternoon in Raleigh, but provincial soldiers have had to deal with much worse than a little precipitation.
OK, they're not really soldiers, and North Carolina is no longer a province, but the 15 uniformed men who will appear in the parade celebrating the inauguration of Beverly Perdue as the state's first female governor will be marching.
And the re-enactors will be representing Statesville's Fort Dobbs as one of only four historic sites asked to participate in the event.
Site Manager Beth Hill said Fort Dobbs was chosen from among 27 historic sites in the Tar Heel State.
"I think it's important for us to be in the parade," Hill said. "It gives us a chance to represent our site to the new governor and to all of North Carolina."
It's also kind of full-circle thing. The Statesville fort, which figured in the French and Indian War, is named for Arthur Dobbs, who was a colonial governor of North Carolina in the mid-1700s.
The theme of Saturday's parade — which kicks off at 12:30 p.m. at the corner of Davie and Fayetteville streets in Raleigh — is "North Carolina: The Future Starts Now."
Other participants in the parade include those from the N.C.Transportation Museum in Spencer, Tryon Palace & Gardens in New Bern and the Roanoke Island Festival Park in Manteo.
According to a news release issued by parade organizers, the four historic sites "highlights (North Carolina's) rich past."
But Hill also thinks the parade can shine some light on the present and future of the fort.
"This is a great honor for Fort Dobbs and for Statesville," said Hill, who will also march in the parade in the role of a camp follower for the troops. "The parade is a great opportunity to showcase the fort and we are all excited about it and looking forward to it."
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