The Minish Axe Murder

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”-Jeremiah 17:9 1883 was a bloody year in Iredell county. It’s another one of those spots in history where unseen forces conspired to display mankind’s depravity in uniquely awful ways. In addition to the story we’re going to look at today, thatContinue reading “The Minish Axe Murder”

September, 1975 in Statesville. Murders, rape, and a John Doe.

Humans seemed naturally wired to look for patterns in life. Sometimes coincidences have meaning and sometimes they are statistical improbabilities. Either way, the mind naturally wants to create order from chaos, and the more we do that, the more likely we are to refute the randomness of events that share the same space and timeContinue reading “September, 1975 in Statesville. Murders, rape, and a John Doe.”

Zion School

It always pays to notice your surroundings.On a trip through the back roads of Iredell county while dropping off a family member at a friends house, I happened to spot what I thought to be either a school or church hidden in brush and brambles. What became confusing was the interior of the building. DespiteContinue reading “Zion School”

Clio, North Carolina

It’s only fitting that this story is about a place called “Clio”. If any of you reading this are students of or familiar with Greek mythology, you might know Clio as the muse of history, with the responsibility of calling to remembrance things past. In this case, the muse strikes in a rather crafty manner,Continue reading “Clio, North Carolina”

Why did the bridge of Siloam fall?

Monday, February 3rd, 1975James C Venable, a real estate agent from the Winston Salem area is driving his white Ford Thunderbird down Siloam Rd near the town of Siloam, NC. The night is dark, foggy, and there’s on and off drizzle and damp in the cold night air. At about 10 PM, Venable begins toContinue reading “Why did the bridge of Siloam fall?”

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”

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”