Post Office Murals – Depression Era Art
All across North Carolina there are some hidden art gems on the walls of old post office buildings.
Post office mural of First Flight in Williamston, NC
Here in eastern North Carolina, in this small town of Williamston, we have a real art jewel. The First Flight mural was painted in 1940 on the wall of the post office on Main Street, and it is still there for all of us to see.
The artist was Phillip Von Saltza. He entered a contest with 1, 475 other entrants and won the commission. He was paid $725 to paint this oil-on-canvas mural. That was a sizable sum during the Depression. Read more about WPA Post Office murals
The 3 Lives of Bodie Island Lighthouse
Bodie Island Lighthouse – a Beacon for Seamen since 1848
Picture perfect Bodie Island Lighthouse, NC Outer Banks
Bodie Island Lighthouse was constructed in 1848 on North Carolina’s Outer Banks near Oregon Inlet – but it had to be abandoned in 1859 because the foundation was shifting.
And for those who don’t know – it is pronounced body, like all the bodies that wash up on the shore. That really is an old yarn, but folks still tell it. Read more about Bodie Island Lighthouse
Ram Albemarle – Ironclad Warship of the Confederacy
For Civil War buffs, April belongs to Plymouth, a small town on the Roanoke River in eastern North Carolina.
On April 18 & 19, you can be a part of Living History in Motion “Odyssey of an Ironclad – The Incredible Journey of the CSS Albemarle.” This 2-day trip on the Roanoke River retraces the route taken by the Ram Albemarle Ironclad Confederate warship from Scotland Neck, NC to Plymouth, NC. I have some fascinating facts to share with you too. Keep reading … [continue reading…]
Stone Ground Grits – It’s a Southern Art
Did you know that Grits are made from corn? And stone ground grits are the best.
Atkinson Milling Company in Selma, NC produces some of the best grits. I’ve tried many kinds and theirs are the best.
I was looking for local stone-ground North Carolina grits to serve at Big Mill Bed & Breakfast and I found them at Atkinson Mill in Selma, NC. Joseph Wheeler, whose grandfather owns the mill, gave us the grand tour of this fascinating and quite extensive mill. You could just tell that Joseph loves this business and he loves the mill and its history.
Wandering around in the mill there is a yellowish haze everywhere. We had corn dust all over us! [continue reading…]
Making Pull Candy – the Old-Fashioned Way
Pull Candy Recipe – Old Time Stewed Sugar
Old Fashioned Pull Candy is still the best!
My mother called this wonderful confection pull candy or stewed sugar. Some folks call it taffy. When she described a child’s pretty blond hair she would say it was the color of stewed sugar — a gorgeous translucent white color with a faint golden tint.
Making this recipe during the holidays or in the New Year seems appropriate for me – it brings back memories of winter on the farm in the kitchen with my mother who was also named Chloe. She told me that when she was growing up, folks in the neighborhood would have a Candy Pulling party and they had so much fun. Click to read more about Pull Candy
Farm Heritage Fair in Williamston NC – Old Tools & Old Farm Equipment
We folks in eastern North Carolina celebrate our farm heritage
Every year since 2003, we have a big Farm Heritage Fair at the Senator Bob Martin Ag Center in Williamston, NC. Sadly, this fair happens no more, but it was fun while it did. Our “old timers” who knew how to bale hay, make cracklins and old farming techniques are no longer able to participate.
It wasn’t just about tractors. It wass about how life on the farm in eastern North Carolina used to be. Early on Saturday morning, there was a hog killing. And you can see how sausage was made on the farm up until the sixties. You would see parts of the hog you might not want to see. [continue reading…]
Civil War Battle of Fort Branch
Every year on the first weekend in November the Yankees and the Rebels fight the Battle of Fort Branch on the banks of the Roanoke River near Hamilton in eastern North Carolina.
Click to learn about the bloody Battle of Ft. Branch
Sans Souci Ferry – A Fun Way to Cross the Cashie River
The Sign Says it Best: “Blow horn for ferry.”
See the tiny house across the river? That is the other ferry dock.
The San Souci Cable Ferry crosses the Cashie River in eastern North Carolina near Windsor in Bertie County.
Lest you ever try to tell anyone about this ferry, first — you must have a language lesson. Forget the Southern part, that is a given. The local part is more important. [continue reading…]
Lost Colony Outdoor Drama – what Happened?
The mystery – What happened to the Lost Colony? Are they in Manteo or maybe still in eastern North Carolina?
In 1587, a colony of 120 souls established the first English Colony in this new world on North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Three years later when John White returned from England with supplies, the colony had vanished. He found only the word “Croatoan” carved into a tree. Recently researchers have found a clue that the colonists may have moved to Bertie County — to what is now an Arnold Palmer Golf Course. [continue reading…]
Hand Drawn Map of Big Mill B&B
I love our new hand-drawn B&B farm map – made just for Big Mill
I love the outbuildings here on the farm – they are almost 100 years old. We have the Smoke House where my folks cured sausage and hams and stored the lard and fatback to feed five families; the Wash House where my mother heated the water with wood to wash the clothes; the Pack House where the mules lived; the Sweet Potato House where they cured the sweet potatoes; the Chicken Coop where we had chickens – my job was to gather the eggs. [continue reading…]
