Hi, Folks! Growing up, one of the treats we experienced was traveling the nearly seven miles down Highways 212 to the intersection of Highway 208 and US 25-70, near Hot Springs. At that intersection stood a small café, The Old Mill Wheel. The chuck wagon sandwiches there were to die…
Hi, Folks. For those who have never visited Madison County, if you turn onto NC Highway 212 East and travel its entire length you will log about fourteen miles. You will have traveled right through the heart of a community known as Shelton Laurel. The majority of my life has…
Hi, Folks! Last August, I was charged with an assignment to shoot some photos for Plough to Pantry, a local magazine. Although it didn’t pay anything, I was pretty excited to be given a chance in proving my photography skills and getting a little exposure. The shoot wound up being…
“Uncle Steven? Can you make sure no one blocks the driveway when they park”? I heard my niece Delilah pose that request from behind me. As I turned to tell her I would, my jaw gaped in stunned amazement. There she stood in a Mossy Oak camouflage jacket, blue jeans…
Hi, Folks! Meet Miss Dorothy & Miss Charity, two sisters who live on the outskirts of Mars Hill, North Carolina. I came to meet Miss Dorothy Coon & Miss Charity Ray through efforts to interview former students of the old Rosenwald School, a smaller structure that served as the education…
Hi Folks! Last week, I told y’all the legend of Celia Sams Tweed beauty. This week, I am going to give you the reality of her life. Although I do not know much at all about her childhood, I can tell you that she was born on June 20, 1822…
Hi Folks! For this week I am going to do something am little different. I want to do a two part series on Celia Sams Tweed, my great-great grandmother who was born in 1822 and died in 1883. Growing up in these mountains we love, most of our history has…
Hi, Folks! Meet Miss Mildred Shelton. It’s actually Mrs. Shelton but holding true to southern culture and respect, everyone just calls her Miss Mildred. I have known Miss Mildred the majority of my life but only from afar, as I went to school with her son, Shannon. Miss Mildred’s daughter,…
Hi, Folks! It’s good to be back home! I’m going to be all over the place a little bit with this one. If y’all would, please bear with me on this one. First off, I would like to thank each and every one of you for your heartfelt thoughts, prayers…
Hi, Folks. Meet Ealy Franklin Banks. She was the oldest child of William Duckworth Franklin & Nancy Bowman Franklin, having been born on January 17, 1827 in the Shelton Laurel Community of Madison County, North Carolina. I’ve heard that she was actually fathered by legendary silver counterfeiter Duck Shelton but…
