-
Brothers weathered Great War together
Jim Sloan, 71, a U.S. Army veteran, was kind enough to show me some memorabilia he has from World War 1: a gas mask cover, a French bugle, a magazine printed by the 81st Division, a bugler's cloth insignia, some photographs and a letter.
Advertisement
-
LOOKING BACK: Hundreds of Iredell veterans died in Civil War
Last Tuesday, April 12, was the sesquicentennial — the 150th anniversary — of the beginning of the American Civil War, perhaps the most tragic event in our nation's history.
-
A visit to the past at Jennings Store
It is a great thing that there are still places like the old Jennings Store. It is an even greater thing that such a place should be located in Iredell County. Let us count our blessings.
-
Biscuits make things all right, most of the time
While in the shower one morning, I noticed my used Dirty Hippie soap bar (Ashbury Street) looked like the state of Virginia, which reminded me of Smithfield hams, and suddenly, I wanted homemade biscuits.
-
The Dare Stones: Hoax or history?
North Carolina, like all the states, has its share of historical mysteries. The Tar Heel State’s oldest mystery concerns the fate of what would become known as “The Lost Colony of Roanoke.”
-
The county fair: A step outside the norm
The county fair marks the end of summer, frivolity and sweet corn and the start of school, algebra homework, bed-time schedules and what we in the South call “long sleeve weather.” Like trimming your hair, the fair doesn’t change much, and it’s a personal experience.
-
Fort Hamby: Bushwhackers in the backwoods
Many Americans believe that when Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia to the Union’s General U. S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, Va., on April 9, 1865, that the Civil War just suddenly ended.
-
The military -- our service center
Remember Richard Reid? On Dec. 21, 2001, he attempted to set his explosive shoes on fire on a Paris-to-Miami flight and now we all try to remember to wear a pair of socks without holes in them when we go to the airport. Now in stockings or bare feet we sashay past security people who can see our bunions or gnarly yellow toenails. What a testament of one person’s ability to ruin it for everybody.
-
Child labor helped build area cotton mills
Mooresville and many other towns in the Piedmont were cotton mill towns until fairly recently and proud of it. Textile mills in Mooresville have all closed during the past 20 years, with the old Burlington Industries Denim Plant on South Main Street — formerly Mooresville Cotton Mills — closing in the summer of 1999, having run almost continually for 105 years.
-
Confessions of an empty nester
A beautiful morning — the first day of school — and nervous, talkative children huddle in clusters waiting to board a yellow school bus. Their mothers hug them and give last-minute instructions and assurances of love. These kids from decent homes are being sent off to the world of state-managed education and God-only-knows what. The mothers watch their kittens board the bus; some mothers dab tissues at their eyes. A thousand thoughts go through a parent’s mind. Has the driver had a background check? Does he have a license? You suppose he’s a serial killer? Sober? What about stray meteors? Are the axles on tight? Should we kick the tires? Anybody checked the lug nuts? I sympathized.
-
A trip to the International Civil Rights Center & Museum
Downtown Greensboro is about an hour and a half drive, 71 miles, from downtown Statesville. Several months ago I wrote two articles on the beginning of the civil rights movement in Statesville, with reference to the sit-ins at the Statesville Woolworth’s, then located on Center Street.
-
Flat interesting
A while back, author Thomas L. Friedman wrote probably the most influential book ever on the "interconnnectedness" of the planet's inhabitants. He named it “The World Is Flat.”
-
Pawleys Island and the Ghostly Legend of the Gray Man
Hurricane season began June 1st with one hurricane, Hurricane Alex, having hit the Gulf of Mexico already.
-
Carolinas Aviation Museum Is Worth the Drive
I like airplanes, always have. When other boys my age were building model cars, I was building model airplanes, both of plastic and the more difficult balsa.
-
The Springs at Barium, Part II
We continue the story of the springs located at what we now call "Barium Springs," with the story of the springs apart from the Presbyterian Orphanage.
-
Visits to Iredell's "Poison Springs" in 1882 and 1883
The story of "Little Joe" Gilland (or Gilliland) saving his pennies to build a "church with a porch on it" for himself and his fellow orphans is a well known and charming part of Iredell's history.
-
Brothers-in-law Generals Wore Confederate Gray
This is the story of three men who married sisters, all daughters of the Rev. Robert Hall Morrison, the first president of Davidson College.
-
Take a Day Trip to Valdese
Not many of us would think of pioneers coming to North Carolina in the late 1800s, a little more than a century ago, but such is the case.
-
A visit to the N.C. Vietnam Memorial
The North Carolina Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park is located beside Interstate I-85 just south of Thomasville. The Park was dedicated on Memorial Day 1991, 19 years ago tomorrow.
-
Ratcliffe a member of elite Navy unit
Aviation Machinist Mate Airman Steven R. Ratcliffe, USN, joined the ranks of an elite group of 200 sailors a little over a year ago, in March 2009, following a stringent training program. Ratcliffe is a member of the United States Navy Ceremonial Guard, and is stationed at our nation's capital.
-
Bond, James Bond
Recently, I picked up a hardback book with three of the original James Bond novels by Ian Fleming at a used book store for the price of a cup of coffee. I'm sure you've heard the titles of the three, as each has been made into a successful movie: "Thunderball," "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" and "You Only Live Twice."
-
Sit-ins in Statesville: Part II
Last week, I related the story of a sit-in that took place in Statesville in March 1960 involving four black college students who were doing their student teaching at the old Unity High School in Statesville.
-
Spanish flu rampant locally in 1918
There have been frequent references to the "Spanish Flu Epidemic of 1918," or "The 1918 Pandemic" recently in the news when mention has been made of the H1N1 "swine flu" epidemic.
-
A moment in history forever remembered
In my mind, it is like it was yesterday. I was in the Algebra II class on the second floor of Mooresville High School. It was a few days before we got out for Thanksgiving. George sat in front me, Freddie sat behind me and blond Barbara sat across from me.
-
Grave of Iredell judge found in Lumberton
James Coleman, a retired public school history teacher and now the principal and history teacher of Antioch Christian Academy in Lumberton, e-mailed the R&L the other day.Coleman had come across a large tombstone in the Meadowbrook Cemetery in Lumberton while working on a project for his students. He was intrigued by the headstone's size (5 feet tall) and inscription, which he says, "generated more questions than answers."
Deal of the Day
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
