Vollis Simpson’s Bicycle Whirligig

A whirligig is a charming contraption frequently used as a decorative garden ornament. It spins when the wind blows, with parts that whiz around, creating a delightful visual and often audible spectacle. Whirligigs are a popular folk art created from rustic hand-carved wood to brightly painted metal designs.

Vollis Simpson’s Whirligigs Always Amuse

The town of Wilson, NC, has created a Whirligig Park to honor these whimsical creations of Vollis Simpson. This place is the heart and soul of Simpson’s legacy, a local legend & folk artist who turned scrap metal and worn-out machinery into works of art – his whirligigs. The New York Times referred to Vollis Simpson as “The Junkyard Poet of whirligigs and windmills.”

My dad told me that at one time Wilson was the largest tobacco market in the world. Even little Williamston had six warehouses. When the tobacco market declined, Wilson embraced a new idea –  a park honoring a local man. The Whirligig Park was born.

As you walk in, you’ll see them – a mighty, colorful forest of metal spinners dancing in the breeze, each one rigged up high to catch the light and the wind. Simpson built these pieces from old machine parts, broken fans, old toasters, and whatever scraps he could get his hands on, piecing them together with an eye for imagination and a whole lot of heart.

He originally had these whirligigs on his farm in Lucama, but as the years went by, he was no longer able to look after them. One day I was peeping in the chain link fence that he had around his shop, thinking he couldn’t see me – well, he did see me, and he invited me to come in. ‘so glad I did.

Whirligigs in Vollis Simpson’s Field in Lucama, NC

He asked me if I had heard the urban legend about why he did this art? Legend was that he built it in honor of his daughter who died. Well, he told me, it just wasn’t true.

When you see the whirligigs, you will see the way they shine with reflective tape when the sun hits or how they glow a little magically under the moon. And let me tell you, in the evening light, this place becomes a sight that sticks with you.

Whirligig Repair in Warehouse

You’ll hear the sounds too—a creak here, a whir there—the hum of these giants as they dance with the breeze. Each whirligig has its own tune, like a metal symphony carried on the Carolina wind. It’s more than just folk art; it’s a whole experience that brings folks together. And if you close your eyes, it’s almost like you can feel Simpson’s spirit in the air – a craftsman who didn’t follow the rule book, but poured himself into each piece.

Restoration of the Whirligigs

So, don’t wait until you happen to be in Wilson – just go to this whirling patch of wonder and color. Snap a few photos, breathe in that Carolina air, and let the whirligigs work their charm. And don’t forget to visit the Whirligig Station, a converted tobacco warehouse that now serves as a visitor center and event space.  And sometimes they are repainting and repairing the whirligigs, so you get to see them close-up.

Vollis Simpson, The Junkyard Poet, in his Shop

BTW – I bought a whirligig that I couldn’t really afford, but I am so glad I did. I bought the helicopter that Vollis Simpson is signing.

You’re not just seeing some sculptures; you’re stepping into the story of a man who saw the beauty in the worn-out and the cast-off. Whirligig Park is a reminder that sometimes the most dazzling things come from the humblest beginnings.

Located at 301 Goldsboro Street South, Wilson, NC, the park is open daily and free to the public.

A  great day-trip from:
Big Mill B&B Extended Stay in Williamston, NC  55 miles
     Raleigh, NC – 49 miles
     Greenville, NC – 36 miles
     Outer Banks – 172 miles

Big Mill Bed & Breakfast Extended Stay 

Quiet rentals for traveling nurses & professionals in eastern North Carolina 252-792-8787

Looking for extended stay lodging in Eastern North Carolina? Big Mill Extended Stay offers quiet, fully furnished rentals ideal for traveling nurses, medical professionals, contractors, and guests relocating to the area. Our accommodations provide comfort, privacy, and Southern hospitality, perfect for short-term and long-term stays. We also have three RV rental spaces.

READER BEWARE: Popcorn had a smart mouth and made some lewd signs depicted in the photos that he sent to me.

He was born Marvin Sutton; folks knew him as Popcorn. The story is that Marvin was in a bar and became agitated with a popcorn vending machine. He attacked the machine with a pool cue. I don’t know who won that fight, but thereafter he was no longer Marvin, he was Popcorn.

Popcorn was a legend – the ultimate Bootlegger and maker of Moonshine likker. I have a bottle he gave me – apricot brandy and it really is good. I am selfish with it and only let folks have a teaspoon to taste.

I never met Popcorn but I know folks who knew him. I never asked why they went all the way to Maggie Valley to see him, but I can guess! I was asked to go and visit – now I wish I had done it, along with other things I should have done.

My mother and father taught me not to waste and to recycle everything. I cannot, in good conscience, throw away a mayonnaise jar. I had collected boxes of Duke’s Mayonnaise jars. When I heard my friend was going to visit Popcorn, I sent my jars along with her to give to Popcorn. He was appreciative and sent me a bottle of Apricot Brandy and these photos. The bottle was dark brown and had POPCORN Apricot Brandy written on it.

Popcorn wrote a book that he sold for a while, but I think the revenuers made him stop selling it. The book was called Me and My Likker and in it, he gave recipes for how to make his brews. The New York Times called it a “rambling, obscene and often hilarious account of his life in the trade.”

PBS and other stations loved Popcorn. There is even a movie about his likker-making called The Last One.

In Sky Sutton’s book, Daddy Moonshine, she says, “Popcorn had a hand-written will and was very specific about what to do when he died — “Haul me on the Back of A Pick up Truck to the Grave yard and get Drunker than Hell while they bury my Ass…I do not want No viewing or Preaching or Singing or nothing when they Bury me.”

The feds finally got Popcorn and he was going to have to spend time in prison. For a mountain man, death was a better alternative. On March, 2009, Popcorn ended his life, rather than go to a federal prison.

Going out like he lived, his epitaph read:  “Marvin Popcorn Sutton / Ex-Moonshiner / October 5, 1946 / March 16, 2009  Popcorn Said f***k you.” I bleeped the last word!

Chloe Tuttle & Ed Gavit at Robbie’s in Islamorada, FL

Popcorn looked like a friend of mine we called Old Mr. Ed. They are both gone now and even though I didn’t know Popcorn, I miss them both. Rest in Peace, you one-of-a-kind characters.

Big Mill Bed & Breakfast, Williamston, NC 252-792-8787

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Oden’s Store and Antiques is chock full of treasures: depression glass, old tools, furniture from the turn of the last century, old doors, some junk, but all of it is interesting. It is the kind of place where you have to poke around in all the corners; if you don’t, you might miss something. If you are lucky, some of Lynda’s buddies will be there around the pot-bellied stove talking in that wonderful down-east brogue.

In 1904, Lynda’s grandfather built this store on Tankyard Creek near historic Bath, NC. Then the road moved so they had to move the store. It was rolled on logs to its current location on Highway 264.

If you are in eastern North Carolina near Bath, don’t miss Lynda and Oden’s Store and Antiques. You can then head on east to Belhaven. I love to shop at Oden’s Store for some of the fun tools and furniture for Big Mill Bed and Breakfast, not far away in Williamston, NC.

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DISTANCES FROM:

121 miles east of Raleigh, NC
122 miles south of Norfolk, VA
181 miles southeast of Richmond, VA
34 miles southeast of Big Mill Bed & Breakfast in Williamston, NC 252-792-8787

Pat Nixon, Ginny Tuttle (Chloe’s Mother-in-Law) & Richard Nixon in Atlanta during the Eisenhower campaign of the 50’s

Back then, I had decided that if Nixon was re-elected, I was moving to Africa. Remember, this was the sixties.  I can’t remember where in Africa — either Ivory Coast or Liberia. Made sense to me at the time.

T.S. Applegate, physics professor, built a 96′ steel four-masted barkentine in a corn field in Lynchburg, Virginia. He then hauled it by truck to Belhaven, North Carolina and tied it to a dock. 

I was working in Belhaven teaching weaving and spinning at a small art gallery, EEII’s Little Korners of the World, owned by a fabulous woman Effie Raye Bateman. So it was no problem for me to meet Mr. Applegate. He was an unusual man and so was his boat theW.J. Eckert.

The W.J. Eckert had barrels for hatches, fine for Mr. Applegate to descend, but he was really short. I had a rough go getting my legs to work in that narrow barrel opening.

We made our plans to sail – I had all my shots and so did Jackson, We arrived at the dock in Belhaven. I guess I wasn’t really ready to move to Africa — Nixon or no Nixon. So I bailed and Jackson sailed without me. Did I mention there were no through-the-hull fittings? That means no bathroom. We were expected to hang over the side of the boat.

Off I go back to our house in the woods on the Pamlico River. In just a few hours, Jackson showed up. Turns out, the boat sailed out into the Pamlico Sound and it would not come about. In other words, it was not maneuverable. Captain Jack comes from a long line of watermen, and that just wasn’t acceptable. So he flagged down a shrimper and came home.

Last I heard of the boat it was dismasted and hauled into Bermuda.

Isn’t it a miracle we made it through our youth alive?

Big Mill Bed and Breakfast  252-792-8787

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Barney’s Killer Salsa

This original salsa recipe is a crowd-pleaser and a cook-pleaser - It only takes 5 minutes to make. 

Course Condiments

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword barney's killer salsa, killer salsa recipe

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 47kcal

Author Chloe Tuttle

Ingredients

• 28 oz diced tomatoes not petite diced tomatoes
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons jalapeno slices in a jar
• 1 Tablespoon juice from the jalapeno jar
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 cup fresh loosely packed cilantro
• 1/4 medium onion
• Few drops lemon juice

Instructions

• Put half the tomatoes and their juice, jalapeno slices plus the Tablespoon of the liquid, sugar, cilantro, onion, and lemon juice into a blender or food processor. Blend well.
• Add remaining tomatoes and pulse several times.
• Chill before serving. Serve with tortilla chips. Recipe will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 47kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 126mg | Potassium: 416mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 610IU | Vitamin C: 20.7mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 2.1mg

Need a gluten-free, vegetarian appetizer to take to the party? This is perfect – tasty, easy to make and inexpensive.

This salsa is quite piquant, so if you want a milder taste, hold off on some of the jalapeno.

Barney and I spent an idyllic childhood growing up together here on the farm. We rode mules, fished and wandered all over picking blackberries.

Barney and Chloe in the yard of Big Mill in the late forties. (Note the Pack House in the background). Barney is back in North Carolina now and on the farm almost every day – he is a great asset to Big Mill Bed & Breakfast. Heritage is a wonderful thing, isn’t it?

Chloe now lives at Big Mill Bed & Breakfast (the same place she and Barney played)

Big Mill Bed & Breakfast, Williamston, NC 252-792-8787 

Miss Sadie & Chloe at the Store.

In the 1940’s prior to when she and her husband, Columbus, bought it, it had been a water-powered sawmill. It was converted to a grist mill, the stones to grind the corn were shipped over from England.

Sometime later in the night, the dam was blown up. After that there was a long pulley attached to a tractor that powered the mill. It was a fascinating place where you could get the best ground corn meal ever.

The Old Mill in disrepair – sadly it is gone now.

I rode my bicycle there every day. Sometimes I played in the creek behind the mill, but more often I just talked to Miss Sadie. Often nephews Barney or Monk went with me – at times we rode a mule or drove an old pickup truck before we were legal.

Miss Sadie also had a small country store and sold things like penny candy and small Coca Cola in a bottle – she kept her drinks in one of those box-type coolers.

She lived in the store too. And she had a big gun…folks tried to rob her several times; but they were foiled.

Kristie, Chloe & Miss Sadie in Miss Sadie’s Store

Other folks thought she was odd, but not to me. She had one light bulb and no running water. She cooked on top of a pot belly stove, she wore her dead husband’s shoes. Fine with me.

Ben Roberson bought the mill and moved it to his farm. He and his wife Mary resurrected a great mill. It has all the parts, but it is different – still wonderful.

The mill had such fascinating parts.

(New photo, guess you can tell by the WD-40)

Ben’s Mill on Holly Springs Church Road in Williamston – made from gears and parts of Miss Sadie’s Big Mill

P.S. thanks to all the Chloe’s Blog readers who told me that I can’t spell “Dam.” Too funny.

from Innkeeper at Big Mill Bed and Breakfast 252-792-8787