MITCHELL COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY - One CMS | Your ...
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MITCHELL COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY SECOND QUARTER NEWSLETTER 2019 HARRIS MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS CREATE MITCHELL COUNTY BOOKS Eighth grade students at Harris Middle School recently ended the year with a reception, before their 8 th grade awards and graduation ceremony, in celebration of the completion of a very challenging project. The reception was in honor of each of the 83 students completing a personal, hard-back Mitchell County history book. The books were displayed for parents, family, and friends to see. These books, literally put together from scratch, were a collaborative project between Penland School of Crafts and Harris Middle School 8 th Grade North Carolina History teacher Chris Hollifield. Hollifield is also a member of the board of the Mitchell County Historical Society. The project began in September 2018, when Penland teaching artist Meg Peterson came into the classroom and began explaining the project to the students. Many of the students were familiar with the process, but not with the complexity of the content that was expected from them. Peterson visited the classroom twice before the students actually went to the Penland Campus in October to start making the books. When the students were not actually making the physical book, they worked on the contents of the book, which would cover the history of Mitchell County from the Native Americans that traversed the area to the first European Explorers and early settlers.
Transcript of MITCHELL COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY - One CMS | Your ...
MITCHELLCOUNTYHISTORICALSOCIETY
SECONDQUARTERNEWSLETTER2019
HARRISMIDDLESCHOOLSTUDENTSCREATEMITCHELLCOUNTYBOOKS
EighthgradestudentsatHarrisMiddleSchoolrecentlyendedtheyearwithareception,before their 8th grade awards and graduation ceremony, in celebration of thecompletionofaverychallengingproject.Thereceptionwasinhonorofeachofthe83students completing a personal, hard-back Mitchell County history book. The booksweredisplayedforparents,family,andfriendstosee.
These books, literally put togetherfrom scratch, were a collaborativeproject between Penland School ofCrafts and Harris Middle School 8thGradeNorthCarolinaHistoryteacherChris Hollifield. Hollifield is also amember of the board of theMitchellCountyHistoricalSociety.
TheprojectbeganinSeptember2018,when Penland teaching artist MegPetersoncameintotheclassroomandbegan explaining the project to thestudents. Many of the students werefamiliar with the process, but notwith the complexity of the contentthat was expected from them.PetersonvisitedtheclassroomtwicebeforethestudentsactuallywenttothePenlandCampusinOctobertostartmakingthebooks.
When the studentswere not actuallymaking the physical book, theyworked on thecontentsofthebook,whichwouldcoverthehistoryofMitchellCountyfromtheNativeAmericansthattraversedtheareatothefirstEuropeanExplorersandearlysettlers.
Some of the other major topics included were The Revolutionary War and theOvermountain Men, The Creation of Mitchell County, The Civil War, Mitchell CountyCommunities, Minerals and Mining, Spruce Pine, Roan Mountain and the CloudlandHotel,TheNCMuseumofMineralsandtheBlueRidgeParkway,LucyMorganandthePenlandSchoolofCrafts,Bakersville–theCountySeat,aswellasmanyothers.
After a snowy December,studentsscrambledtogetalotofwriting,drawing,andcoloring completed on thebooks.The6sectionsofthebooks had to be sewn tothe hardback, soMeg onceagain, trudging throughsnowdelays, came into theclassroom and taught thestudents how to sew thesections into thebook.Thework continued frantically
untilJune5;thelastdayofschoolwasJune6!Thesebookswillhopefullybeareminderofourcounty’srichheritageandakeepsakeofalifetimeforthesestudents.
MCHSSUMMERSCHEDULEOFEVENTSMCHSishalfwaythroughits2019programs,withgreatpresentationsinApril,May,andJune.• OnJuly15th,we’llvisitCalvinHallinSprucePineforalookathisamazingcollectionofMitchellCountyartifacts.
• OnAugust19th,RhondaGougewillgiveusanotherwonderfulprogramonMitchellCountymusicians.
• RegularprogramswrapuponSeptember16thwhenKathyHuiepresentsaprogramonLydiaHolman,nursepractitionerinMitchellCounty.
MarkyourcalendarsforthethirdMondayeachmonthJulythroughSeptember!
MacieStaffordReceivesHistoricalSociety’sMcRaeScholarshipMitchellCountyHistoricalSocietyisexcitedtoannouncethatMacieDanielleStaffordistherecipientof itsThirdAnnualInezMcRaeScholarship. Macie, thedaughterofTomandMichelleStaffordofSprucePine,isa2019graduateofMitchellHighSchool.
Macie’sacademicachievementsincludeStudentof theYear inAmericanHistory I and II and2018 JuniorMarshall. ShewasVarsity Cheerleading Captain, MHS Yearbook BusinessManager, and was involved in FBLA and the Aviation Clubactivities.Maciewasalsoa2018participantintheMarthaGuySummerInstituteatAppalachianStateUniversity.SheplanstoattendASU,withamajorinComputerInformationSystemsandaminorinGraphicArtsandImagingTechnology.
TheMCHSscholarshipisawardedtoahighschoolseniorfromMitchellCountywhodemonstratesan interest inAppalachian
studies, including, but not limited to history, music, art, folkculture, and economic or community development. Thestudent selected should also exhibit a desire to pursue thisinterest at a higher educational level and express a desire to
eventuallyliveandworkinAppalachia.
The scholarship honors Inez McRae, foundingmember, anchor, and guiding force ofMitchell County Historical Society. Inez taught school for many years in MitchellCounty,soitisquitefittingthatourannualscholarshipbearshername.InezcurrentlylivesinWinston-Salem.
DELLINGER’SMILL
Dellinger’sMillhasbeenafixtureofMitchellCounty’sHawkCommunitysincethemid1860s.TheMill is currentlyownedandoperatedby JackDellinger,who is the fourthgenerationofDellingerfamilytogrindcornonthatsite.The mill was founded by Reuben Dellinger and was originallylocatedinpresentdayAveryCounty.Reubenmovedthemilloverto the present site after his wife was killed in a mill relatedaccident.JackDellingerleftMitchellCountyasayoungmanandreceivedanEngineeringdegreefromNCStateandwenttoworkforIBM.JackhadalongcareeratIBM,butthehighlighthastobetheworkJackdid on the US program to land a man on the moon. Jack wasdeeplyinvolvedinprogrammingthecomputerfortheSaturnVmoonrocket.
Brandon Dean Pittman, MCHS Board Member, presents Macie Stafford
with the 2019 Inez
After retiringfromIBM, Jackreturned toMitchellCounty, rebuilt themilldamandbroughtthemillback to operation. Jackhasbeen grindingcorn for almost20 years. Themill is currentlyopenonFridayandSaturdayfrom10AMto4PMandSundayfromnoonto4PM.Jackisnowinhismid80sandrecognizesthathecan’toperatethemillforever.Moreover,sincethemill is theonlygristmillof itskindleft inNorthCarolina, it isa treasuredassetofMitchellCountyandmustbepreserved.ForthatreasonJackhasagreedtotheformationofanon-profitcorporationcontrolledbytheDellingerfamily.Theformationofanon-profitis theessential firststepto insurethecontinuedoperationofthemill.Equallyimportantistheneedtomobilizethecommunitytohelpkeepthispricelessjewelinoperation!Jack and several of his friends believe the answer is to establish a Friends Of The Millorganization. While the exact nature of Friends Of The Mill is still to be determined, hecontemplates recruiting volunteers to help keep the mill in operation as a fully functioninggristmill. Theywill also need volunteers to help keep themill in goodmechanical condition.Equally important will be the need to help keep the mill afloat financially. As a non-profit,contributionswillbetaxdeductibleandthehopeisthecommunitywillenthusiasticallyembracetheopportunitytosupportthemill.InthenearfuturetherewillbeanorganizationalmeetingofFriendsOfTheMill. Thedateandlocationofthemeetingisstilltobedetermined.TheMitchellNews-Journalwillhaveinformationaboutthemeetingonceit’sscheduledandTheMitchellHistoricalSocietywillsendoutanalerttotheemaillist.WehopethatthecitizensofMitchellwillembracetheopportunitytokeepthisover150yearoldhistoricalartifactinoperation.Inthemeantime,Jackwouldloveforyoutovisit,tourthemillandperhapsbuysomegrits,cornmealorpolenta.
WENEEDYOURMEMBERSHIPDUES
TheMitchellCountyHistoricalSocietyhasimportantworktodo,andweneedyourhelp.The MCHSMission is to collect, preserve, protect, and publicly display material that ishistoricallysignificanttoMitchellCounty,NC.TheSocietyalsostrivestomakethecitizensof Mitchell County aware of their heritage. Please help us accomplish these goals bysending inyourmembershipduesnow. Membership feesare$20 foran individualand$25forafamily.
