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Our history

For decades, granite has always been Mount Airi

In 1927, a mining industry publication stated that the Airy Mountain Quarry employed more than 750 employees with an annual salary of US$900,000. Craftsmen make gorgeous works and building blocks in several finishes, but so far, the more common products are ordinary items such as street curbs. In the harsh northern winter, salt and freeze-thaw cycles continue, and concrete curbs deteriorate within a few years. Granite is not affected by this destructive force. In 1914, in one of the sheds, there were a large number of photos of quarry workers.

U.S. Census records show that the quarry has an impact on regional diversity, with a large number of residents gathering in European mining centers near the quarry. Sculpting rock is a professional skill that takes decades to master. Here are the three most famous in the 1940s. From the left are Marcelino San Emeterio, born in Santander, Spain; Vincenzo "Big Jim" Alfano, from Salerno, Italy; and Palmiro Rossi, from Cremona, Italy. Their works include Mount Airy Post Office, the Wright Brothers Memorial and Fort Knox.

Working on the rocks is hard work. no doubt. But for those who are willing to do this and brave the heat of reflected sunlight in the summer, this is a good job, and in the south of Jim Crow, one of the few places where blacks and whites work together One. On the right side of this quarry photo is a photo of JD Sargent, the owner and president of the quarry, taken in the 1930s.

Fairs and world fairs were very popular in the declining years of the 1800s and the first half of the 1900s to promote geographic location and the development of participating companies and states. Woodruff sent an impressive specimen of granite, demonstrating the uniformity of color and size. The 25-foot-long, 8-foot-high, and 25,000-pound mass is heading to the Jamestown Exposition in 1907 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the settlement.

The beauty of the granite of Mount Airy is not the only aspect that has attracted national attention. The skills of the craftsmen employed by the quarry are equally important, as more than 4,000 trains of granite steam can be discharged from the quarry every year. This postcard from the UNC series shows four men engraving in front of the carved capital letters (complex top to building column) in the Manhattan Municipal Building in 1913.

"A train carrying tourists from Wilmington arrived here on Tuesday evening. We extend a warm welcome to the tourists from the seaside city and hope everyone enjoys his trip. After visiting the White Brimstone of Mount Airy After the springs, the Blue Ridge Mountains, Granit Quarry and other attractions, the party began." According to a report in August 1896 by "Mount Airy News". In the years before the popularization of private cars, this type of travel was a popular way of traveling. County residents see this as an opportunity to promote regional businesses and products. Of course, the locals have been picnicking, concerts and playing ball on the "rocks" for decades.

The Wright Brothers' National Memorial was built in 1932, close to its famous flight location, and is made of sparkling Airy Mountain granite. This monument is part of the Project Progress Administration project of the United States and was refined by Surry craftsman with Peter Rossi as the main engraver. Other monuments include the Pennsylvania Memorial in Gettysburg, the Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, the Carolina Honors Stadium, and the World War Memorial Tower at North Carolina State University.

In fact, many buildings that appear to be constructed of granite are actually constructed of other materials and face granite. When it was renovated in the 1920s, one of the most interesting buildings on Mount Airy Street was the former Workers Federal Savings and Loan Corporation. Granite is considered to have greater durability, which is especially important for financial institutions, especially during the Great Depression. Owl and squirrel, right? Symbol of wisdom and thrift. Those days are also important.

In 1872, a farmer in Guildford County bought a large piece of land east of Mount Airy. Surry County is growing rapidly, and agricultural and commercial issues line up along important transportation routes to the northern and western markets. John Gilmore (or Gilmore as more commonly used here) is just one of the residents of Greensboro who wants to take advantage of the opportunities available in the area.

He focused on the soil, but not the potential of the rock below.

When he found 40 acres of bare granite in the middle of the parcel, he asked for a reduction in the price to reflect "valueless land."

Ten years later, when Thomas Woodruff took the Cape Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley Railway to Mount Airy, he focused on granite.

His job is to find the best locations for tracks and warehouses, and to help find materials to make them. When he was called "flat rock" by the locals, he realized its value as a construction material and bought the land himself for $5,000.

Geologists and architects referred to it as Mount Airy White and won the prize for its impeccable beauty. It was formed millions of years ago when the tectonic plates of North America and Africa collided with each other, trapping a magma bed between them.

As the mineral cooled, the mineral formed a white rock seven and a half miles long, full of quartz spots and scattered with dark mica fragments, forming a gleaming, uniformly light gray finished product, which is similar to any other in the world The mineral deposits are different. The fragments harvested from the quarry today look exactly the same as those excavated when operations began in 1889. There are no seams, cracks or composition changes from one end to the other.

JD Sargent recruited people from a granite quarry in Vermont in 1910. Director Quarry started work, he moved the company to produce more finished products, and finally started his own cutting and finishing operations on site. He finally bought out Woodruff all. Sargent was followed by John Prather Frank (John Prather Frank), who had just joined the Duke University and the Army as an assistant payroll officer at the quarry. He was promoted from an ordinary soldier until 1945 when he was elected president of the North Carolina Granite Company (NCGC).

NCGC has always owned the deposit, but over the years, other companies such as JD Sargent Granite Company, The North State Granite Company and Mount Airy Granite Cutting Company have mined and processed the granite.

The quarry produces all kinds of things, from building blocks to curbstones, to gravel to gravel, which can be used as chicken feed. Nothing was wasted.

It became one of the county's largest employers, which included highly skilled jobs and attracted a large number of immigrants from mining areas in Italy, Scotland and the United Kingdom.

The list of monuments, buildings and public works using Airy White Mountain is impressive: countless churches, including the Main Street Church of Airy Mountain, Friends House, Presbyterian Church, Trinity Bishop, First Baptist Church, Holy Angel Catholic Church Disciple and Grace Moravia. Founded in 1950 at the Flat Rock Youth Center; Surrey County Courthouse; Raleigh National Legislative Building and Law and Justice Building; Guildford County Courthouse in Greensboro; Arlington Memorial Bridge in Washington, DC; and in New York Franklin Roosevelt Four Freedom Park in Hudson City, it uses tens of thousands of tons of granite.

NCGC announced its new owners in Quebec, Canada earlier this month. It will be exciting to see what they have for this ancient rock. We wish them all the best and hope to see Mount Airy White shine in the new and equally beautiful place.

Appointed partner of Ailishan locals

North Surry JROTC won

January 3, 2021

On Sunday, May 6, 1759, a man and a child rode to the Moravian settlement of Betabara. A series of destructive agreements by British military leaders angered Cherokees throughout the region. Someone attacked homesteads, horses and food stores, and occasionally someone was killed.

The record of this unknown man bringing the child he found alone in the empty house to the Moravians is one of the earliest records of Hollow as we know it, and Hollow is today known as Mount Airi ( Mount Airy). At that time it was a sparsely populated virgin forest, full of natural resources, stalked by wolves and black panthers.

In February 1760, an attack was launched on Fort Dobbs, and then in March, William Fish and his son were killed on the farm in Hollow. Today, families from all over Surry County flock to the fortifications of Bethabara and Bethania.

Moravians often hunt in the hollow, collect herbs and fungi, and make granite into whetstones and grinding stones. They cleared the truck road from Bethania to Hollow in 1762, which is roughly the road on US Route 52 today.

In 1770, a petition was submitted to the Royal Colony Government to create Surrey County by the greater Rowan. However, due to growing tensions between regulators at the time, no action was taken until January 1771, 250 years ago this month.

When we bid again (collectively relieved) to 2020, let us see how Hollow Valley has changed.

1761-Andrew Bailey, a veteran of Irish immigrants and French and Indian war captains, registered one of the oldest land deeds in the eastern part of Mount Airy in what is now Surry County.

1771-April 1st-Surrey County was established. It includes all the counties of Forsyth, Stokes, Surrey and Yadkin today.

1789-Stokes was founded from the eastern half of Surry, just in time for the first census in the United States.

1790-Surry County (including today's Yadkin) had a population of 7,192.

1801-Every year, the postal highway is announced in accordance with the Congress Act, this highway is the route for transporting young national mail. Mount Airy is listed as a weekly route from Salem and Bethania to Grayson Court House in Virginia. In the same year, Thomas Perkins bought a farm on the Ararat River near the current location of the middle school and named it "Mount Airy." The intersection of Hamburg and Südstraße was the commercial center of Airy Mountain until around 1900. So far, no evidence has been found to determine which came first. The name of the farm or the name of the baby town.

1811-Professor Hickman established the first school in Mount Airy near the theater. Until Rockford Street School became the seat of the Surry Arts Council in the 1970s, there would be a school on this land.

1840-Jacob Brower established a cotton spinning mill in the Hamburg area. The census counts 15,079 people in the county (including Yadkin). In 1935, historian Jesse Hollingsworth (Jesse Hollingsworth) identified today's Surrey County, which has 3,925 farmers and 294 manufacturers, merchants and their families.

1849-Forsyth was created from the southern part of Stokes, and Yadkin County was created along the southern half of Surry along the river in 1850 , Left Surry as it is today.

1850-The census totaled Surry County (even if Yadkin lost) to 18,443 people.

1870s-Winston Fulton, James H. Spager and others established several tobacco factories in and around Mount Airy. The first newspapers in the area, "Mount Airy News" and "Surry Visitor" began to publish.

1880-The population record of Mount Airy was 519.

1885-Merge Airy Mountain

1888-The arrival of the railway ignited the explosive growth of the manufacturing industry, which in turn caused a surge in population. The quarry began operations in 1889. The first furniture factory opened in 1896.

1890-Mount Airy had a population of 1,768, an increase of 240%. Surrey has a population of 19,281.

1892-Public and privately owned businesses began: 1892, electricity; 1893, telephone; 1895, water

1899-Fire and police department was established; municipal waste collection started

1912-Mount Airy (Mount Airy) began paving. Cement sidewalks came earlier and are usually installed by companies.

1914-built the first hospital

1916-established the first high-level public school

1920s-The textile manufacturing industry began to become a major economic driving force, such as the Mount Ailey Knitting/Spencer textile mill, Renfrow Hoisery and other factories, and other tobacco warehouses and factories were converted into Garment production factory. In ten years, the population of Mount Airy exceeded 6,000, and the population of the county was close to 40,000.

1926-Ai Lishan established the Public Health Office. Surrey County in 10 years.

Today, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that Surry has a population of 72,000 and Mount Airy has a population of only 10,000 (the official numbers for the 2020 count will be released in the new year). The change is still continuing. Some good ones. not good

However, what has not changed is that no matter what happens, people here have the ability to pick up, dust and reshape themselves.

In the Airy Mountain Regional History Museum, we wish everyone a happy new year and all the best, and we hope to collect new stories created by the people who live in the area as we move forward.

December 29, 2020

Mount Airy City School is proud of its decades of hard work. The result of public schools is to ensure that all children grow up to become productive adults. They need to find their own path in life, set goals, and work hard to achieve those goals. Every child has unique gifts, talents and talents. The sooner we discover these and help children better pursue their passions. Mount Airy City School is committed to supporting every child because they decide whether they need a high school diploma, a two-year degree or a four-year degree in order to pursue a career specifically designed for them.

Our courses have received a lot of praise for their achievements in workforce development. In this three-part series of articles, I hope to show how we can provide students with K-12 opportunities to prepare them for the workforce. We will share our focus on high-risk students through a program called NextGen, a focus on developing middle school students commonly referred to as vocational and technical education programs, and finally our Burroughs Wellcome Fund / NASCAR program, which includes some of our Workforce development of top academic students in high school.

The first program is the NextGen program led by Poly Long, which has won the favor of eight national development organizations and associations. The program has been implemented for decades to provide support to students and ensure that they can be employed when the program ends. The program is funded by WIOA, which is the Workforce Initiative and Opportunity Act, and works closely with the Fletcher Foundation. Its main focus is to help students with personal barriers overcome these barriers and acquire employment skills. In the past three years, the program has affected 150 students. During this period, 98% of them were employed in fields related to their chosen occupation. 80% of these students attended Surry Community College, where they obtained 33 OSHA certifications (Job's Connect) and 54 certificates. Just last year, each of these 50 students completed an average of 524 hours of work experience.

Our community welcomes these students and agrees to support our students. Forty-four companies have signed agreements to support the plan (such as Surry Medical Department, Cibirix, Carport Central, Smith Diesel Shop, Wally's Pharmacy, Mt. Airy Drug, Smith Rowe, Northern Hospital, Dr. Gravitte, DDS, etc.), and we can’t do without With the support of Ai Lishan's industry and community partners, our plan is difficult to do well. We are very grateful for their willingness to provide training for students who are striving to achieve their goals. The NextGen program has played a role in meeting many of the basic needs of these students, enabling them to participate and find employment.

The plan provides: all tuition fees paid by SCC; books paid; fees paid; support services provided (tires, laptops, graduate cars, etc.); work in their career interests; guidance and future employment channels.

The program enrolls students between the ages of 16 and 24 and provides services to many students in the county, but the focus is on employment in Mount Airy. Every success story starts with the structure of the success plan, the experience of working with industry partners, and the outstanding leadership of Polly Long and his team (including Amber Tankersley).

One such story is that a single mother came to NextGen to seek advice, guidance and help on how to get a job in the education field, and have an education/degree to achieve this goal. This is her lifelong dream. She was able to receive a scholarship, continue her education at Lees-McRae College, and receive support to ensure her success. The employment plan provided by NextGen helped her define her goals and create a career path, including working in a public school while earning her degree. When she is engaged in education in the future, this experience will be invaluable. Under the guidance of Dr. Philip Brown, she participated in the Aspiring Teacher Program of Mount Airy Urban School.

Mount Airy City School was able to develop our own teachers through this aspiring teacher program, while also supporting our bilingual immersion program with additional personnel. She must pass a resume, fill out a job application form, and participate in mock interviews to win the position. These are the successful skills all students need, and everyone who participates in this program will get these valuable opportunities.

She affectionately referred to them as Polly's children, and returned after they succeeded and gave back to children like them. Many of these current students need help to reach their goals. An anonymous donor has become a multimillionaire through his entrepreneurial talent. He graduated from college, thanks in part to the support connection established through Long and the program, and he kept in touch with Long to give back to current students. They return every year to give funds to students at risk to pay for needed items, such as funds for universities, supplies, and even cars.

Every year, Lexus is provided to children in need who work hard in the program and cannot go to college. This shows how deeply the program affects alumni who graduated from the program. NextGen is changing every day because the children may never have a successful method before and show them the steps to get full employment in the profession they love. Our NexGen program is an important part of our school’s work. We are forever grateful that we change our lives for a living.

December 28, 2020

Imagine a tree-lined path through the forest. The team leading your coach is working hard on steep slopes and rough terrain. In winter, the terrain becomes harder and harder. Your carriage is bumping, eyes wandering from side to side. There must be a better way.

These are the exact thoughts of the young Ira Coltrane, who was a local teammate sometime in the 1830s. The statements are different, but at the age of 14 or 15, he knew that the steep stagecoach road was not the best way to cross the Blue Ridge Mountains near Fancy Gap, Virginia.

Ella announced to his companion that he saw an area deep in the gap that might provide a better travel path, and said that it would be a "right ideal path."

The town of Fancy Gap is about 12 miles from Mount Airy, and the highest elevation in the town is 2,894 feet. Imagine that there is no "fancy gap" way to go to the gap. Some documents show that it takes three days or more to get from Piedmont to the top of the Blue Ridge, depending on your cargo and load.

Initially, the way to reach the plateau along steep cliffs was based on natural and animal paths, while some were expanded or modified to allow horses or potentially small carriages and wagons. They were not built to withstand the assaults of the numerous people and merchants who entered Carroll County. Walking around is a problem. If your load is not adjusted accordingly or the load is too light, the descent to Piedmont may be dangerous. Companies such as hotels, restaurants, and hired personnel occasionally pop up along these paths, taking advantage of unfortunate experiences and tired of multi-day travel.

These early roads were created by volunteers, and their accuracy varied-only depending on each person's working hours. The creator took advantage of these gaps-low points and spurs between hills or mountains, ridges or small outcrops. These geological formations help to cross the mountains. Flower Gap Road and Good Spur Road (originally in 1786) are two roads passing through Fancy Gap town before Fancy Gap Hwy and US 52.

The "fancy road" dreamed by Ira Coltrane has never left his ideas, and 19 years later, "his" road is becoming a reality.

Colonel Ira Coltrane, 38, laid the place for the new road through the summit of Blue Ridge, which he named "Fancy Gap".

As of 2010, there are 237 people living in the Fancy Gap community and it is possible to use famous roads every day. Although the community is small, it has a long history, artistry and entertainment opportunities. The road from Piedmont to the plateau was once hard and difficult, but later became open and beautiful, opening the way for new trade and relations. The Fancy Gorge Highway brings these two geographical areas closer together.

Thanks to the eyes of the 14-year-old homeless, the town and its amenities are now easy to reach.

Nowadays, when driving along the Fancy Gap Highway, there are several shops along the way, and it is easy to go to Blue Ridge Parkway, the second most visited national park unit in the United States. To learn more about all the activities in Fancy Gorge, as well as more historical information about the area, please visit https://www.virginia.org/.

December 27, 2020

We know what the challenges of 2020 are, but do we remember the victory in the first semester? We want to make sure to thank all the great events that have happened and the great people who stepped up their efforts this fall.

From August 17, we were able to safely bring more than 1,700 students and more than 250 faculty members back to the school. We return 5 days a week and provide families with multiple options to return to campus. We thank the frontline staff for making this possible. If you see these people, please tell them how they affect your students (administrators, teachers, staff, custodians, bus drivers, cafeteria staff, and coaches). If they have been to school this fall, they will wear a lot of hats to ensure the safety and full participation of students.

Our family can choose the option that suits them best. Our students (about 85%) choose face-to-face communication. Our managers and staff have prepared health check sheets with certification forms and temperature checks. Our guardians, maintenance staff, and administrative staff set up six-foot-high rooms for all students. We also have custodians and facility workers who clean all day and make sure to clean high-contact areas frequently. Our nurses and CNA workers ensure that everyone in our building is healthy. They often communicate with families who may be isolated to ensure that we are ready for them to attend school at home. Some students feel they want to choose our distance learning option. We have assigned teachers to these students, and they (almost) meet with these students every day as if they were in class. Our students completed 18 weeks of virtual courses or face-to-face courses, which is equivalent to 90 days. That is a celebration.

Our bus drivers and school nutrition workers take students (six feet apart and wearing masks) to the school gate and provide meals at the school. These front-line staff also delivered meals to remote students. Since the August 17 pandemic, these important employees have prepared more than 100,000 meals and more than 300,000 meals since August 17. We are very grateful to this group of people. They triumphantly took the meals home in a safe and effective manner, delivered the meals to the classroom, and the students to the school. We have a staggered start, with elementary school students arriving first, and middle school students arriving later in the morning. We have discovered that this is a victory over the challenge and has become a blessing. There is less waiting time for buses, more students choose our school district (almost 100 more), and the schedule allows our employees to have meetings and complete important training, which creates some creativity.

Our students are also facing challenges because our courses are meeting on campus, communicating with teachers remotely, taking place at Surry Community College, and moving forward with our business partnership. Our students are not lagging behind. In fact, we provide a wealth of internship opportunities and work-based learning opportunities for all students. This fall, about 75% of senior students participated in the Surry Community College course and obtained a college diploma. Our industry partners have stepped up their efforts to continue to allow students from their companies to participate, and we are deeply grateful.

Innovative courses that require face-to-face teaching continue. Some of these classes, such as woodworking, health sciences, dual languages ​​of Spanish, art and Chinese, require students in the classroom. Fortunately, we were able to do this for Ailishan students instead of leaving them behind like the rest of the country. As our incredible staff and students stepped up their efforts, this victory was amazing. Our competitive sports have resumed. Although we put safety first, which means that we may have some isolation measures to ensure that students and coaches remain safe, we are very happy about these activities. Our middle school has just completed the fall courses for all sports. This is great for students.

Duke University's ABC partner organization used our data to show school districts across the country how to return safely. Their information recently told the CDC how safe the school is if the health and wellness procedures are followed. The CDC wrote: “Because closures are critical to all children, and school closures may have a disproportionate impact on children with the lowest incomes, after all other mitigation measures have been taken, it will not be until the 12th grade kindergarten Kindergartens should be closed. The CDC has clearly pointed out that other risks such as depression, suicide, negligence, and academic failure are far greater than the risks of returning to school. We believe that this is a victory that puts education first, and has shown to the society that The value of education in this difficult time.

There are many challenges, and we are very grateful for the victories that come with these, which once again show how resilience and collaboration can push the movement forward. We are forever grateful to our community, because we are very happy to enter 2021 and continue to support Mount Airy City School.

December 21, 2020

The autumn and winter seasons remind you of holidays, family gatherings, decorations and food! As the weather gets colder and the days get shorter, people tend to want warm and comfortable meals. In my humble opinion, the food in these seasons is the best of the year. The depth of flavor created and the love instilled in the food are so obvious and uplifting.

However, local recipes can also shed light on the history and complex traditions of food preparation. Who is cooking, what ingredients are used, why are they used, and how much attention is paid to the food itself, whether for special occasions or daily consumption? This article begins to explore recipes in this field. I will use the recipes in the museum collection, choose a recipe, study its author and ingredients, make and review it.

I learned to cook from watching and helping my grandmother, who rarely used recipes. They have cooked dishes many times, and they "stare" at the ingredients, only knowing when they are right. At first, this frustrated me; I needed all the guidance I could get. Over time, I learned that cooking is about the processes and memories you make during your journey.

The first recipe I will try is Nora Ousley Glover's famous hot roll. I will not be shaken, because the delicious reputation of these breads predates them, so I am nervous to make these breads, and I have never made bread from scratch.

Nora Ousley Glover and others published this recipe in her book "Favorite Recipes." In the preface, Nora described the process of growing up in a large family and learning to cook for her own family and the children she cares for. Her cooking skills quickly became famous in Mount Airy, and people encouraged her to share her recipes, so she also shared her book. She admitted that she did not use measuring utensils in cooking, but undertook the task of testing all recipes in the kitchen and recording the ingredients in the book. Nora owns Nora's Café (previously known as Nora's Place), which was called Needmore at the corner of South Street and Virginia Street in the 1950s and early 1960s.

The ingredients in this recipe are very simple. All-purpose flour, buttermilk, baking powder and baking powder, sugar, salt, shortening, butter and yeast. Since the bread must be proofed twice (the dough can stand still and rise due to the action of yeast), this recipe requires patience and time. Kneading and kneading the dough is really disturbing. If there is too much or too little bread, the bread will not rise properly and the bread will thicken.

I made a pan of bread and a piece of bread (I was a short pan at the time) and it turned out great! The top and sides are golden brown, the outer layer is buttery, and the inside is soft and fluffy. When I tasted them, I almost cried, because how good they are and reminds me of my grandmother's rolls. I will definitely use this recipe again, I can only hope I make Nora's Rolls justice and make her proud.

Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups buttermilk (room temperature)

2 tablespoons baking powder

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking soda

2 kg dry yeast

3 piles of tbs. shorten

¼ pound butter

Mix the flour, baking powder, baking powder, salt and sugar together, then add shortening (while dissolving the yeast in warm water according to the instructions on the package. Add the flour and buttermilk to the flour mixture and mix into a soft dough . After covering it, put it in a place.) Increase the amount of dough to about three times and you can start kneading. Knead a small amount of flour from a cup of flour until the dough becomes soft and soft, being careful not to knead too much flour. Melt the butter with your hands, cut into small pieces, cut it into small pieces, put it in the pot, cover the pot to double it, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, the normal cooking time is 15 minutes. In this recipe, you must omit the baking soda, you can freeze these small rolls for a few months, and then you can double them as needed.

December 14, 2020

December 7, 2020

A memorable holiday...

On December 5, 1941, the front page of "Mount Airy News" wrote: "Christmas Bundle Day is scheduled for December 14." The town and surrounding counties are full of festive cheers and generosity. Local toy and food drives are collecting items to help the community. Despite the strong storms overseas, the situation this season is still very similar to the past Christmas.

Due to shopping, cooking, cleaning and celebration activities, urban residents cannot understand the events that will spread in just a few days.

"On a notorious day, the United States of America will be suddenly attacked by the Imperial Japanese Navy and Air Force."

President Franklin D. Roosevelt's famous words summarized the brutal attack on Pearl Harbor, a naval base near Honolulu, Hawaii. The attack occurred on December 7, 1941, before 8 am, and shocked the Allied forces and the United States. The attack killed 2,403 American personnel, including 68 civilians. Declare war the next day.

There are many stories that record the current events-some deaths, and some gratitude. The Airy Veterans Memorial in the air downtown commemorates those who lost in battle. On the monument, 185 names are listed in the Second World War alone.

Charles Witt, a man on Mount Airy in the air, survived the attack because he decided to attend the church that morning and consolidated God's power as his saviour in many ways. Another resident of the area eats pancakes in the cafeteria. Everyone is heartbroken, but thank them for their safety.

Pain and urgency can be felt in the United States and abroad. For many citizens, this is a call to action.

Mount Airy is no different from the surrounding county residents. Men and women joined the army voluntarily; organizations were formed to assist in the war. Propaganda posters and propaganda were distributed to inform people of war events and warnings. Advertisements such as Boeing shown in the picture above were printed to raise the awareness of the American public and at the same time arouse pride in the "genius" of American engineers. It was thought that it would be helpful if citizens could identify friendly and enemy aircraft.

The American Red Cross launched the "Emergency Relief War", hoping to raise $7,500 in Surrey County. The famous Elkin textile manufacturer Thurmond Chatham led the special committee. Mr. Chatham called for voluntary donations, "Our soldiers and sailors at the American Democratic Outpost and our fellow citizens need our help. We cannot, and we will not fail them."

The proliferation of patriotism aroused new recruits, who continued to grow in the two years after the attack. Mary Elizabeth Partridge is a local sports and sports enthusiast. She used her education and experience in warfare. Helen Ceasar was also accepted as the Women's Auxiliary Corps.

This attack and war are frightening in many ways. However, this did not stop the citizens of Mount Airy and surrounding areas from intensifying their fighting. Whether in the wild or at home, the outstanding people in our small town have played a role.

As we commemorate the lives lost on December 7, 1941, please do not forget the many men and women who continued to fight when others could not resist.

Even the smallest act or act of serving a friend or compatriot is worth it. I have to say that these amazing fighters will agree.

November 30, 2020

Small shop. Shop locally.

This is a buzzword, and many people nowadays do not really consider the importance of basic truths, but our grandparents know this idea very well.

As the old saying goes, all ships rise with the tide. If the business is done well, the community will do well. If the community does well, the company will do well. When people work with companies, it is much easier to do. This is also well understood by our grandparents.

The business owners of Mount Airy have cooperated with organizations such as Granite City Land Improvement Company, Mount Airy Business Club, Merchants Association, Business and Professional Women's Club, Chamber of Commerce for more than 150 years, and projects that benefit everyone in many areas. With the efforts of shops and business owners in and around towns, things such as railways, destination hotels, and public services (such as water, electricity, telephones, and paved streets) have become possible to some extent.

However, all companies rely on a stable and reliable customer base.

In most cases, opening and running a business successfully is a challenge for most people. No matter how good your product or customer service is. No matter how important your business is to the community, an accident can cause the business to fail.

In 1918, when so many families were hit by the flu pandemic, the school was closed due to a shortage of students and staff. Because diseases leave people at home and in bed, businesses are on the verge of crumbling, but they still serve the community. An orchard gave them a truck as an ambulance. The commercial club opened a banquet hall and used it as an emergency hospital.

Sarah Elizabeth Merritt recalled in an interview in 1981: "1-2 people die there every day." As soon as he left the university, the teacher was in the hospital rented by the business club, the predecessor of the chamber of commerce. As a nurse.

According to a report in Mount Airy News in 1905, the club’s mission was to “promote and cultivate a sense of generosity among its members and safeguard the commercial interests of the community”.

And they seem to have a deep interest in these two tasks. Dances and dinners are held regularly, attracting more members and tourists to the town. They also worked tirelessly to stabilize the rail service here, and in 1909 proposed a rail connection to the northern market through Roanoke, Virginia.

The business owners sponsored the town celebrations of the Christmas parade and organized a community Christmas tree on "Renfro Hill" where the post office is now located. For many years, "News" sponsored the Christmas decoration competition.

During the two world wars, merchants were primarily responsible for the promotion of war bonds, which was a vital source of income for a country that did not have much standing army. In 1944, the Mount Airy Merchants Association raised $128,150 during a two-week campaign. According to "News", the best-selling item was the employee of the Poore grocery store, which sold a total of $27,025 (equivalent to nearly $400,000 today). The Jackson Brothers Department Store is just behind them.

Companies across Surrey have sponsored sports teams, scouts, and the award-winning Tar Heel Junior History Club in the award-winning museum (thanks, Chick-fil-A!!).

The Rotary Club, the American Association of Women Entrepreneurs, Lions Clubs, Kiwanis, Peculiar Researchers and Masons, and many other fraternal groups, represent business owners who give them time, energy, experience and (of course) money to feed the hunger Another way is to help provide heating, housing and medical expenses, and to ensure that children in trapped families have warm clothes and toys under the tree on Christmas morning.

The times are difficult now, Amazon may have become too easy. But this is a fact. Our local restaurants and shops have a long tradition and are dedicated to local affairs. We need our helping hand this year, especially during the holiday season.

Small shop. Shop locally.

November 29, 2020

There is no doubt that this year has been difficult. However, I believe we can focus on the hardships and challenges we face, and we can also focus on the positive aspects. Focusing on positive factors can help us improve our mental health and stay healthy.

Our mentality is a choice. We make choices for everything in life. Even if we did not make a choice, we also made a choice. Therefore, I chose to focus on gratitude. I choose to focus on what I am grateful for and for whom, and encourage you to spend some time doing the same.

As the holidays approach, I thank my family, friends and the people I work with in this community every day.

I am grateful for the leadership and support of the Education Committee, as well as our central office staff for their tireless support to the school. We are lucky to have a common vision, mission and goal to guide our work and support our hardworking parents and students engaged in learning.

I thank our hard-working staff, they know that I work hard every day to change the lives of students. I would like to express my sincere thanks to the excellent teachers, teaching assistants, support staff, school nurses, custodians, bus drivers, maintenance staff and school nutrition staff who make up Surry County Schools. I realize that in this pandemic, each of our employees has surpassed themselves and made great sacrifices, putting students first. I will not easily make promises to students, families, each other and our school system.

I would like to express my gratitude to our business partners and community leaders for enabling us to provide students with unique and personalized learning opportunities. The investment of business and community partners directly affects the high-quality guidance our students receive, enabling them to apply what they learn in class to work and life.

I thank my friends and neighbors who support Surry County School. I thank the Surrey County School Education Foundation and the Foundation Board of Directors for their support to our students. The foundation has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in the past ten years to enrich and expand educational opportunities for our students.

I am grateful to the "Give Children a Christmas" foundation, and also to those who donate free to students in need. In the past 25 years, the group has set a special Christmas for our students through unremitting work and dedication.

I am grateful that we have students in our buildings and classrooms. I thank the principal, custodians and maintenance staff for all the hard work and dedication to ensure that we have a safe school and a safe place for students and staff. I am also very grateful that we are renovating three elementary schools: Dobson Elementary School, Franklin Elementary School and Mountain Park Elementary School. These much-needed additions and renovations will create beautiful and practical learning spaces that our students deserve. I thank our county commissioners for funding these projects and investing in the future of Surry County students.

I thank all medical service providers who have been on the front line to keep our community safe and healthy. Thank you for your guidance and concern for all of us.

Gratitude is a state of mind. Each of our educators, parents and community members are proud and grateful for themselves. We are committed to ensuring that students have the best educational opportunities. The focus and enthusiasm unites us to a common goal. It makes us us. Together, we can support each other, survive and grow during this holiday. Together, we become stronger!

November 23, 2020

On a hot day in August 1903, "Jesus suddenly announced that [Sarah Elizabeth Merritt] was tired of "father's house" and many mansions."

Such an unexpected loss prevented her son Cullen from being found before the funeral. She traveled to work in South Carolina.

"Indeed, he would really be sad when he learned that his beloved mother so dearly loved was dead!" wrote the editor of "Mount Airy News" that week. "May the Lord help him with great grief."

Sara (Sarah) and Abram Haywood Merritt (Abram Haywood Merritt), called AH, moved to Mount Airy just a year ago. They left the farm near Pittsboro in Chatham County to get close to the children who had moved here.

Ally Mountain is in a period of economic prosperity, and their eldest son William Edward "Edward" took advantage of this advantage several years ago. After he settled here, except for one brother and sister, all the other brothers and sisters eventually joined him.

Usually, this new blood injects vitality into and benefits from the community when establishing or leading several major businesses. Merritt Hardware, Renfro Socks, Mount Airy Furniture Company, Merritt Machine Shop, Piedmont Manufacturing Company, Floyd Pike Electrical, North Carolina Granite Company, etc. Several family members have served as town commissioners, city engineers, the Surrey County Selection Committee, the County Commissioner's Committee, and members of the U.S. Navy and Army.

Perhaps more importantly, they serve the community through charitable activities, which seems to be learned on the knees of their parents.

Sarah Elizabeth "EB", Ed and Carrie Merritt's daughter, was interviewed by her niece Mary Louise Merritt in 1981 as part of the oral history project. The transcript of the conversation is in the archives of the museum.

EB remembers the compassion of her mother, especially when the baby was born in a needy family.

She recalled: "Mom and Dad were poor, just like they were when they were married. I am a fast growing baby." But when a woman came to the house with a baby, she had no clothes because "Mom Let me go to bed until she arranges the clothes that work for me, and then... gives it to the woman who needs it."

Carrie had sent soup, buttermilk and ice cubes to the jar a few days before the refrigeration. These were rare and valuable commodities and sent them to the sick family. She used bed sheets to make blankets and face towels, and sent them from home to impoverished families with new babies.

EB continued: "Mum is very willing to give away blankets, so that when I come home, I have to buy some new blankets for the bed." "Because this is one thing she has always realized, people are very cold, if you can If you do, she will always help."

Such stories are something to be cherished in the family. They bring back warm memories for people we know, and enrich our ancestors we have never met. They are the basis for our family concept.

I have to admit that we are worried that we will lose those stories. The constant connection between society and mobile phones and the development of streaming entertainment on screens have eliminated the long tradition of chatting with family members. Listen to their memories and learn our collective family stories.

As I enter the holiday season, I challenge you to make conscious decisions to break this cycle. Through Zoom or Facetime, your family can get together in any way during holidays or gatherings, and ask questions about family history in person or by mail or old-fashioned telephone. Not only can you listen to the answers, you can also write down the answers or record them.

The National Genealogy Society provides various forms and good suggestions to help you record and track your ancestry on https://www.ngsgenealogy.org/free-resources/charts/.

Take out that box of photos and write the name and date on the back (lightly with a pencil or the edge of a pen) so that our family will not lose their memories, we can make the 2020 holiday a positive event that benefits future generations Not yet born.

November 22, 2020

What you do every day can determine whether we can stay in school, start physical education, participate in arts and extracurricular activities, and return to a certain sense of normalcy.

While we wait for the promising vaccines produced by Pfizer and other companies to reach our frontline workers and our most vulnerable family members, we cannot give in. It is important that when we reach the end of the pandemic, we must stay strong, as the scripture says: "Don't make us tired, because we will reap in due course, if we don't faint." For children. Said that being able to participate in school and other activities is very important. We want to outline some practical decisions you can make that will make a big difference.

Schools, serious businesses, churches and meeting places do this every day. The school conducts temperature checks every morning to check for symptoms. We make sure that family members fill out a certification form that they have no COVID symptoms and are not with a COVID patient. If the family has symptoms similar to COVID, they cannot take them home from school, church, and practice until they are sure they are not infectious.

We do not have large gatherings. We minimize the movement in the building by keeping K-5 students in one classroom, keeping middle school students in a corridor, and providing lunch in K-12 classrooms. We also provide a comprehensive cleaning program that takes place throughout the school day. This has resulted in less than 1% of our population being affected by COVID. We must learn this to ensure that we can return to school safely and are running. These ideas will be effective for you and the organization/group that you work with.

Before spending Thanksgiving with family and friends, it’s important to consider testing. Even if you or your child have no symptoms, testing is important. After the test, please do not participate in group activities unless you receive an echo of the test result. Many of these tests are returned on the same day or a few days later. During the upcoming holidays, a little patience will go a long way in protecting your loved ones.

One week before Thanksgiving, the Ministry of Health does not provide Airy Mountain's cost test. This free test event will be held at the Four Way Volunteer Fire Station at 116 McBride Rd. In Airy Mountain. The test date and time are as follows:

●November 19: 2:30 pm – 8 pm

●November 20: 12 pm – 8 pm

●November 21: 7 am to 2 pm

●November 22: 12pm-8pm

●November 23: 7 am to 2 pm

In addition to this free testing activity, the Northern District Hospital also has a testing site at 810 Worth Street, opposite the hospital’s emergency room. The site is open from Monday to Friday from 7 am to 11 am. This site accepts insurance; however, there are some options for those who do not have insurance.

Some of the large spreaders you might not think of are churches, small family gatherings, and student gatherings, because many students have no symptoms. You can continue to participate in these activities, but wear a mask, eat in outdoor activities that can be dispersed, and provide meals in a single lunch box. Some preventive measures can prevent one COVID case from becoming multiple COVID cases.

This is some precautions before the holidays. Consider the community level at which COVID is spread to understand where it is safest to hold a party. If people travel from high-spread communities, they need to be tested before coming, or may skip this year for safety reasons. The meeting place is very important. Is it a position where there are more opportunities to spread outside and fewer opportunities to spread? If the venue is inside, is there a strong ventilation system and can family members sit at separate tables?

Think about the number of participants, maybe a whole day instead of grouping them all at once. The behavior of participants before participating will be important. Is it possible for participants to spend time in isolation before the holidays and minimize interaction before participating? In addition, cover up and social distancing is necessary during gatherings, as this is the best way to ensure that everyone is present safely. (Https://files.nc.gov/covid/documents/guidance/education/NCDHHS-K-12-Holiday-Packet.pdf)

"Surry County is at a critical stalemate in the fight against COVID-19, and we thank the local school system for its support and continuous efforts in promoting family safety measures in the community," said Surry County Health Director Samantha Ange. She continued: "In our efforts to protect and promote the health of all citizens of Surrey, it is essential to faithfully practice 3W: wear, wait, and wash."

We all know people who have COVID, and most of us know people who end up in hospital. Now that the vaccine is so close, it's time to double up on preventive measures and control our spread. If you are required to isolate and have close contact, it means that you must stay at home, separate from others, and only go out in an emergency. Regarding the spread of this disease, your age is not important. We have many different ages that are negatively affected, and we want to protect everyone.

Compared to any other place in the community, our school is the safest place for your students and our employees. However, COVID was introduced to our school from outside. We need your help to reduce these cases. The mitigation measures we take in school can ensure our safety, and we need you to contribute to these mitigation strategies outside the school. Together we can ensure everyone is safe and continue to advance our school year.

November 19, 2020

The fifth graders in the classes of Billy Pell and Melissa Varney at Westfield Elementary School have been busy learning about human body systems.

The students recently participated in hands-on activities to understand the composition of blood. Each student uses a bottle and some food to make his own blood model. The students used water dyed yellow to represent plasma. They used red oatmeal to represent red blood cells and marshmallows to represent white blood cells.

Finally, the students added small strips of purple paper to represent platelets. After creating the model, each student drew and completed a support diagram to list all parts of the blood.

November 16, 2020

We never know when we do something or say something will have a profound impact on the lives of others.

This is the case with Vodabrim.

Miss Woda was born in 1908 on Westfield Farm where Jay and Alice Cook Gammons are. She is married to Romney Brim. Romney Brim has served as the pastor of Mount Airy Church of God for many years. When she died in 2005, after nearly 80 years of marriage and 78 living offspring, she was regarded by many as the backbone of the community.

I am sure that she has had a great impact on the lives of many people, but the story of this lady in the museum can be traced back to a Sunday morning in the mid-1900s. Young Yvonne Vaughn sang her father's favorite hymn "The Mansion on the Top of the Mountain", and Miss Voda was sitting behind her.

Yvonne recalled in an interview in 2003: "Well, in the middle of the song, Miss Voda yelled and scared me half of it, but I kept singing." "I went home the next day in the church and said :'Dad! Daddy! Voda Brim yelled when I sang, but she didn’t yell when others sang. Therefore, when I looked back, I had to wonder if the yelling was not It makes me feel anointed or some kind of nourishing dream of becoming a singer."

It will take some time, but few Yvonne or her well-known Donna Fargo have realized their dreams to a large extent. In 1969, the Country Music Academy named her the "Best New Female Singer", and in 1972 awarded her the best single and annual album of the "Happiest Girl in America" ​​through the song awarded to her, and named her Top female singer.

This album and crossover single also won the best single of the year from the Country Music Association, the Billboard Awards for Best All-around Female Singer and Lyricist and the Grammy Award for Best Country Female Voice Performance.

For a shy girl from Slate Mountain, east of Mount Airy, this is an unlikely career. She is the youngest of four children born to Ramey and Ada (Hendricks) Vaughn. Her older sisters make her shine, especially her brother Gayle.

She may be shy, but she was named the "most school spirit" and "most popular girl" by senior classmates of Mount Airy High School. She is also a head teacher, a cheerleader, a member of the Glee, the Miss Mount Airy high school in her sophomore year and the homecoming queen of her junior year.

While visiting her brother in California, she met her future husband Stan Silver. Silver (Silver) engaged in the music industry, taught her to play the guitar, and instructed her to write songs, and became another encouragement in her career. He has always been her only manager.

From 1967 to 1987, she released 15 original albums and dozens of singles, of which 18 ranked in the top ten charts, and seven albums ranked first. In 1998, she was elected to the International Hall of Fame of the North American Country Music Association.

Prior to the release of "Stay" by Jennifer Nettles in 2009, Donna was still the only female artist with the ACM song of the year (written and recorded by her).

She toured for USO, performed in the famous Carnegie Hall (Carnegie Hall), and hosted her own variety TV show. She was discussed in recordings with record masters Lynn Anderson, Roy Clark, Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn.

In 1978, Donna was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, which resulted in a significant reduction in her appearance, but she vowed that this would not stop her, and it was not because her six albums were released after the diagnosis. In recent years, she has transferred her writing skills to other genres and has become the author of many inspiring books of poetry and prose and a series of successful greeting cards.

Mount Airy’s darling Miss Donna (Donna) lives in Nashville most of the time, but went back to visit family and friends. In 2015, she opened the Donna Fargo Highway and served as the town’s Christmas Festival Parade Grand Marshall (Grand Marshall), and in 2010, will open the official Donna Fargo exhibition here at the Mount Airy Regional History Museum.

Her birthday is November 10. Although we all know that life brings both heartache and happiness, we all hope that Miss Donna will have the best time! Thank you for all the joy and encouragement you have given us, and many happy rewards.

November 9, 2020

From October to December in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the streets of Mount Airy were lined with carriages and trucks filled with bags of tobacco: mild, beautiful and aromatic Brightleaf tobacco.

This is a crop very suitable for the poor soils of Surrey, where thick, sticky red clay is mixed with granite sand and loam.

Before the development of Brightleaf in 1839, tobacco was grown on the barren land of the county, but it was not the main crop in the area by any means. However, since then, the tobacco industry has rapidly developed into an important part of the local economy.

By 1850, there was a factory producing cigarettes. This is important because Mount Airy was still a small and isolated community at the time. By the 1860 census recorded such information, five embolization factories had employed more than 50 workers.

This trend continued into the 20th century. Unlike most small cities where only tobacco warehouses transport the harvested raw materials to big cities, there are at least eight tobacco factories in Mount Airy that produce cigars, stuffed tobacco and snuff, and provide strong employment opportunities in the region.

Today’s successful businessmen have established partnerships, which led to the establishment of huge wooden warehouses in Mount Airy and Elgin, and later brick warehouses. They accepted the leaves from the entire county to Virginia.

Ai Lishan has Banner at the corner of South Street and Dongsong Street. The globes on South Avenue and Worth Avenue; the Spager brothers on Willow Street; the tomb is at the corner of Southern Maine and Rockford; the planter on the west pine, the Freedom Park on the east pine, this example is still there carry on.

The prosperity of the tobacco industry was so remarkable that when the focus shifted in April 1896, the editor of "Mount Airy News" quipped: "We have stopped the construction of tobacco factories, warehouses and hotels and went to build churches. It made us pay a greater price. If we started studying it a long time ago."

The McNeill Tobacco Warehouse was built in 1913 as part of the Elkin Hardware Company. In Elkin, the factory has a 30,000-square-foot sales area and a barracks. The crops harvested by farmers can sleep peacefully and relatively comfortably before returning home the next day.

Elkin Tribune also reported that they have "automatic scales" that are not only highly accurate but also attractive.

From October to Christmas, the warehouse is full of tobacco bales. Farmers want to sell at high prices, while buyers want to sell at low prices.

But for most of the other time of the year, the large buildings were empty. During this time, they held many activities such as dances, fraternities and civic meetings, basketball games, and the June 1896 "Mount The devout people reported by Airy were moved by the "weight of the Holy Spirit". They lost consciousness or lay in a trough-like state for hours.

The tobacco industry continues to maintain its dominance, as the King of Economy encourages the rise of the hotel industry to accommodate buyers and sellers from larger companies peddling tobacco with sub-optimal fertilizers, plowshares, tractors or flues.

Many local inventors have patents related to the tobacco curing process, such as the flue door developed by Porter Wall of Eldora Township in 1923. Tobacco has increased family income in the area, which of course provides nourishment for other businesses, but also enables more families to send their children to schools and universities based on tuition.

As tobacco consumption in the United States has fallen, funds from tobacco company settlements have been used to help tobacco farmers transition to other crops, such as grapes or small grains, thereby cutting production. Even so, as of 2014, ten years after the start of tobacco purchases, Surrey County was still the state leader in burley tobacco production, and flue-cured tobacco production exceeded $15 million, ranking among the best in the state.

The monumental buildings built on Mount Airy and Mount Elgin are home to this industry, which defines most of the city’s skyline. In the early 1900s, empty tobacco factories (such as the Sparger Building) were transformed into textiles or wholesale production enterprises. Some items, such as the Free Warehouse on East Oak Street in 2018, have been destroyed by fire. Recently, they discovered that new life is like apartments and apartments, such as Globe, Sparger Brothers and Robert Rufus warehouse.

Therefore, we see them being reinvented, and a new world where tobacco is no longer the king remains to be discovered.

November 2, 2020

Wilcher Banner and Cordelia Hines are privileged in many ways. They were all born into wealthy grower families, and they migrated among the elite circles of business and political influence in Surrey and Stokes counties. Although the losses of the civil war caused them to retreat, their family recovered financially and maintained a conceited position throughout the 20th century.

But death does not recognize status, nor will it be postponed for wealth, beauty or innocence.

Wilcher and Delia married in 1872. One year later, Annie (Annie) was born. That chubby fat little girl cherished her and made a photo portrait for her when she was three or four years old.

In September 1880, an energetic child contracted streptococcal laryngitis, followed by a very common accompanying disease, scarlet fever. By the end of the month, their smart little girl was gone.

At some point, the whole family used hand-painted photos to highlight Annie's rosy cheeks and long brown hair. The lace details of her white dress and pink satin ribbon were also embellished.

A bunch of blue forget-me-nots lay on her calf. These symbols were almost certainly added after her death. They symbolized the unremitting love of the parents for their children and promised to never forget her.

Judging from our place in history and the ever-improving health care and safety regulations, it may be difficult to grasp the reality of our ancestors’ lives. People realize that they may have buried several children before the age of 20.

Until the 1950s, only about half of children born in Europe or the United States survived to their 15th birthday. This is a reality. The experience of the banner family is very vivid, because they lost 4 of 12 children but were still very young, and lost two more in their 20s.

Every culture on the planet has traditions and celebrations to help people remember those who have crossed: Central Plains, China’s "Hungry Ghost Festival," where they burn paper offerings and set up empty seats during meals; in Japan Obon, they placed lanterns to guide ghosts to bring family gatherings; Middle East Secret Thursday was created by the great Saladin in the 12th century to bridge the gap between Christians and Muslims, and to serve the poor and children on Mendi Thursday Serving food to celebrate.

According to local newspapers, Surrey County has celebrated American Halloween with "passion" and "passion" for more than a century. In 1909, a two-day series of carefully planned Halloween par