Sunday, August 16th 1896A small church in the northern part of Iredell county called Smith Chapel is having several “protracted meetings”, or what southern congregants today would call a multi-day “revival”. Edward Clinton Van Hoy and William T Bolin are first cousins, and the two men must have been attending the revival that night.What passedContinue reading “The Murder of Will Bolin”
Tag Archives: north carolina history
A little vaccine humor from the distant past.
The Santer
In 1890, near Statesville and in the surrounding counties, residents started noticing chickens, cats, dogs, calves, and if the reports are to believed, even “negro children” going missing.Eyewitness accounts claimed some sort of mystery beast was carrying them away, and newspapers quickly jumped on the story. The “beast” became known as the Santer, and itContinue reading “The Santer”
Is Marshal Ney of France Buried in North Carolina?
Sitting out of place among the modest headstones of Third Creek Presbyterian Church in Cleveland, NC is a grave that has been enclosed by a brick structure. No one is quite sure who the man buried beneath truly is. However, locals believed he was a famous French soldier. Michel Ney was Napoleon’s “Marshal of theContinue reading “Is Marshal Ney of France Buried in North Carolina?”
The Apparent Ghost of Warren Bridge
Tucked away on a rural road at the very northernmost extent of Iredell county is a small, nondescript bridge over the dark waters of Hunting Creek. While the bridge is in Iredell county, crossing over it heading northbound means entering Wilkes on the other side.It’s a rural area, and always has been, with a smatteringContinue reading “The Apparent Ghost of Warren Bridge”
Alexander County’s Healing Springs Hotels
If you go searching for info about sulfur (or “sulphur” as you’ll see it spelled most commonly in the past) springs resorts in NC you’ll have tons of information to wade through. About the turn of the century, there was a definite fad for bathing in sulfur saturated water for apparent health benefits, and resortsContinue reading “Alexander County’s Healing Springs Hotels”
The Ore Knob Mine Murders of Ashe County
Ashe might seem like a sleepy, rural county on the west end of the state, but back in the early 80’s there was some big city style intrigue going on there. It’s a tale of dirty cops, drug running, motorcycle gangs, and mafia style hits that culminated in a flashy stuntman from Nashville being loweredContinue reading “The Ore Knob Mine Murders of Ashe County”
Alexander County Hospital
The story of the Alexander County Hospital is a fascinating one. While many hospitals are dreamed up by individual doctors or else corporations, the Taylorsville hospital was something different. And the best people to tell that story are the ones who lived it, the ones who made it. The residents of Alexander county: The hospitalContinue reading “Alexander County Hospital”