McDowell Quilt Trail

By Ginger Todd

The McDowell Senior Center, 100 Spaulding Drive in Marion and the A.C. Bud Hogan Community Center, 909 East Main Street in Old Fort, shared a special day of celebration on Tuesday April 24, 2012.  Each center became home for quilt blocks specially designed to include the shape of McDowell County and a special focal point for each.  Quilt Trail volunteers Mike Lucas and Jack Raker installed both the blocks. 

Director Waylon Prebor relates that the Focal Point Advisory Committee worked for quite some time in deciding on the patterns and how the blocks would relay the importance of the    heritage of our county and its arts.  A “crazy quilt” design was settled upon and the county map was depicted in a conglomeration of randomly shaped and placed “patches” in a wide array of colors.   

First popular in Europe during the 1700’s, crazy quilts were popular in the United States from the 1800’s to around 1910 during the Industrial Revolution. It is not a specific kind of quilting but a specific kind of patchwork, lacking repeating motifs, but became an accepted artistic form of needlework.  The crazy techniques in the jigsaw puzzle patterns were especially fashionable as a pastime during the Victorian Era.  

It was in 1850 when Isaac Singer invented and introduced the first handle-free treadle sewing machine that the fad really took off.  Thrifty housewives used everyday scraps and irregular shapes of fabric left over from other household sewing projects, as well as often using scrap material from local mills and factories.  It became popular to embellish the work with such things a buttons, lace, ribbons, beads and embroidery.  The finished product was often used in fundraisers for churches or other worthy causes and it was not unusual to write a famous person asking for a small piece of their clothing to incorporate and provide incentive to purchase. 

There was no limit to the creativity and imagination of the seamstresses as they pieced together their asymmetrical and abstract designs to be used as bed covers and lap robes. It was because of the random, haphazard-looking riot of patches and stitches in contrast to the careful geometric design in traditional quilting that the pattern received its name.  The finished product appeared to be the work of a lunatic!  Indeed the designs were crazy, however mental balance does not need to be in question!

The current Marion Senior Center was opened in 2003, when a new facility was completed and it moved from the previous Crawford Street building.    Block #116 was put in place over the entrance of the Marion center and is entitled “Serving McDowell Seniors from the Heart”.   Within the patchwork replica map of McDowell is the embellishment of a red heart on a background of white placed approximately where Marion is located.  The block is placed on the diagonal, shades of green fields leading to shades of  blue mountains, a background of bright yellow highlighting the many colors of the map. Jill Lucas presented the Certificate of Authenticity to Director Prebor and several other co-workers. 

Block #117 was installed on the A.C. Bud Hogan Community Center which opened in the Spring of 2009, the original Senior Center having been in the First Presbyterian Church for 32 years.  The block faces Main Street and is entitled “McDowell County Pioneer Spirit”.   It is almost identical to the Marion block with some variation in the background shapes and colors.  The Old Fort block also has a meaningful embellishment located near where the city would be on the map.  It is a replica of the landmark arrowhead monument located in the center of town.   

The monument, which stands around 30 feet high, was hand chiseled from a large slab of granite and sits upon a stone base near the junction of I-40 and Highway 70.  This focal point, put up July 27, 1930, serves as a symbol in celebration of peace between the native American Cherokee Indian tribes and the early pioneers who had settled in the area.  The dedication ceremony of the statue had over 6,000 in attendance, a photo of which may be seen at the Gateway Museum.  Employees Thelma Messer, Jeanette Grindstaff and Cheryl Woody were presented the Certificate of Authenticity by volunteer Jill Lucas. 

Both senior centers provide lunches, limited transportation by appointment, a variety of classes, programs and activities, as well as home delivered meals.  Information on Medicare, taxes and other subjects of importance may be found at the centers.  A  newsletter, Focus, is sent out monthly detailing current menus, trips and other trivia concerning seniors.  Director Prebor encourages use of services the centers offer and invites seniors to come out, make new friends, learn new skills and improve physical fitness.  He is available to speak at clubs, organizations and churches outlining all the many services of the centers and welcomes any questions or suggestions you may have.

By Ginger Todd

Monday, April 16, 2012 was a beautiful mountain spring day and additionally a day of celebration for Betty Broadway of Spruce Pine, Mitchell County.  Not only was it her 80^th birthday, but also the presentation of a quilt block purchased from the McDowell Quilt Trail as a gift to honor her and in memory of her late husband Jack. 

Mrs. Broadway’s niece, Margaret Bowman a resident of McDowell County, wished to support the Quilt Trail and contacted personnel about acquiring the block as a gift to her aunt.  Upon the death of Mrs. Bowman’s mother, she and her siblings “adopted” their aunt, Betty Broadway, as their mother.  Mrs. Broadway guided her sister’s children while raising her own son, Mark.   Mrs. Broadway is well known and recognized as a loving and gracious woman in the community,  The block is the fifth that has been placed by the McDowell Quilt Trail outside of the county. 

The Broadways lived in Jack’s family home for decades, where he had a small red barn-like building for his woodworking crafts and on which the block found its home.  Jack passed away in 1999 after retiring from Carolina Power and Light Company.  Before the funeral there was a fierce thunderstorm. Upon exiting the service a beautiful rainbow filled the sky, the mourners taking this as a welcome sign and symbol of God’s promise to mankind.  It was the barn and rainbow that served as inspiration for the design of the block. 

The 4’ X 4’ block “Memories” was installed by volunteers Mike Lucas and Jack Raker on the front of the small barn craft shop. The block depicts the red barn itself, with shades of farmland and green mountains in the background.  A colorful rainbow arcs over the building, with white clouds floating on a sky of blue.   

Jill Lucas, Chairman of the McDowell Quilt Trail, presented a Certificate of Authenticity to Mrs. Broadway.  A host of family members and friends were present for the event, as well as the Pastor and Associate Pastor of Grassy Creek Baptist Church.  In recognition of the block dedication, each attendee wore a different color shirt, representing the hues of a rainbow and the wonderful “memories” they have of good times.  An 80^th birthday party for Ms. Broadway followed in the home complete with a cake iced and decorated with an exact duplicate of the block.

By Nora Worthen

As you travel west on Interstate 40 past Marion, take exit 75, Parker Padgett Road, and turn right onto Greenlee Road.  Continue for a couple of miles and you will round a curve.  Right in front of you, just to the side of the road, sits a red-roofed barn displaying an 8-foot by 8-foot Rural Heritage quilt block called “Starburst.”

Mike Lucas of the McDowell Quilt Trail, with the assistance of Jack Raker, installed the block, while the hosts, Allan and Sharon Baker, along with other family members and Quilt Trail volunteers looked on.  The Baker horses, Buddy and Moose, kept the onlookers entertained until the project was finished, after which Jill Lucas presented the Certificate Of Authenticity to Sharon and Allan.

“Starburst” is the second Rural Heritage Quilt Trail block to be installed.  Jan Zimmerman, who is a paint volunteer, assisted Mike with the painting of this optical illusion block.   The eight-point star is made up of multiple diamonds in different colors that transition into four three-dimensional cubes as they burst forth from the star.  As you gaze into the center of the four cubes from whence they originate, you then see the eight-point star.  The foreground or face of each cube has a miniature eight-point star framed by a border of blue and pink.

This very unique star pattern is taken from a quilt in Sharon Baker’s quilt collection that was pieced by her grandmother, Eunice Parker.  Sharon’s mother, Edna Parker Johnson, was on hand for the installation, and reported that the quilt top was pieced using feed sack fabric that was then commonly used.

Edna says of her mother, “Nothing was wasted.”

Taking a closer look at the quilt, some of the diamond shapes that made up the star pattern consisted of two or more different pieces of fabric, which attests to the habit of this generation’s putting everything to use and not wasting anything.

Sharon Baker’s mother grew up on a farm in the Fairview community of McDowell County with her parents, Marion and Eunice Parker, where the family raised the requisite farm animals.  The animal feed came in printed cotton feed sacks, which was a bonus for the wives and mothers of the 1930s and into the 1960s.  They put this material to many uses in everyday life, for everything from clothing to quilt tops.

Sharon, however, grew up in the Greenlee community of McDowell County, where her grandparents had, by 1946, sold the farm in Fairview and bought a 300-acre farm on Greenlee Road where corn and wheat crops were raised, and various family members built homes and lived.  Located on this property is the barn, built by her grandfather in 1947 that sits on the same foundation that once was the home of a John Lanning, who farmed this tract of land dating back to the early 1900s.  Lanning continued to live on and work the farm for many years after the Parkers bought it.  Sharon and her husband of 39 years eventually bought property from her grandparents where they raised their two sons, Todd and Joseph, and continue to live there today.

Sharon’s grandfather Parker owned and operated Parker Grocery on Baldwin Avenue, which served the residents of the mill villages of East Marion and Clinchfield during the 1930s and 1940s time period.  Marion Parker was on of the founding fathers of Greenlee Baptist Church and a prominent citizen of the Greenlee community.  Parker also owned City Barbershop, on Main Street in Marion for a time.  He was still working as a part-time barber in Old Fort in 1973 at the time of his death.

Sharon related some fond memories about going to the barbershop with her Grandmother Eunice.  You see, all the stores, banks, and businesses in Marion, as in most small towns in western North Carolina, closed their doors at noon on Wednesdays.  Sharon and Grandmother Eunice would go to work with her grandfather and wait at the barbershop for the stores to open at 10 a.m.  While waiting, Sharon would stare at the calendars adorning the walls around the barbershop with pictures of Roy Rogers and Gene Autry on their horses, and daydream about someday owning horses of her own.

When the stores opened, Sharon and Grandmother Eunice would walk across the street to Rose’s Five and Dime, commonly called “the Dime Store,” to shop.  The old Rose’s building is now home to McDowell Arts Council Association.  Sharon and Eunice would then make their way up the street a few doors to shop at Belk Broom in what was commonly known as “Belk’s basement” in the “yardgoods section” where bolts of fabric could be found.  They would lunch at Rose’s lunch counter and soda fountain and be ready to go back home with “Granddaddy” when the stores closed at noon.

Sharon and Edna report that the quilt, from which the quilt block is patterned, was quilted in about 1950 on a quilt frame that once belonged to Edna’s grandmother.  The quilt frame was the “hang-from-the-ceiling” type that was modified by adding legs and a base to become a stand-alone floor model.  The Parkers’ dining room table was moved aside to make room for the frame where both Mr. and Mrs. Parker quilted the “Starburst” quilt.  Edna says she quilted a few stitched on it as well.

By Nora Worthen

The McDowell Rural Heritage Quilt Trail is about preserving the rural history of McDowell County by telling the stories of times past and a simpler way of life once enjoyed. Barns continue to dot the countryside, representing a way of life that the children of today’s technological generation will find very different, but nonetheless is part of this heritage. The McDowell Quilt Trail, of which the Rural Heritage Quilt Trail is a part, has raised funds to provide grants for the Rural Heritage blocks through its own fundraising activities. If your building meets a few simple requirements it may be eligible for a Rural Heritage quilt block. The quilt trail volunteers invite you to call MACA at 828-652-8610 for more information, or you can download an application on this website by clicking on Host A Block. What better way to preserve a barn than by placing a traditional quilt pattern in the form of a quilt block on your barn.

Two quilt blocks have now been placed through this grant process, with the first block located in the Glenwood community.

Read our blog and see pictures of these two blocks on the Rural Heritage Trail. If you have what it takes to qualify for a grant, the McDowell Quilt Trail committee would like to talk with you.

By Ginger Todd                  

On Friday, March 30, 2012, Nebo Elementary School had a full day of festivities celebrating the arts.  The students, kindergarten through the sixth grade, moved from station to station each manned by teachers, with pre-assigned numbers as assigned by the computer staff.  The children were provided with a special bag lunch which they could enjoy in the spring outdoors and learned more about movement (physical education), dance, chorus, drama, the arts, music and more as they visited each site.

One special activity was dividing a blank canvas into 4 squares and going to different art stations to fill in each, as a Quilt Block.  There were several mediums that they could choose from including crayons, markers, paper, chalk and other options, creating their own designs in each square of the block.   Highlighting the Arts Day was the installation of McDowell Quilt Trail Block #114 entitled “A Child’s Heart”.

The history of Nebo Elementary School is interesting and unique beginning with the early settlers to the territory.  It is believed that a community center and gathering place was first developed in the early 1800’s.  The name Nebo was derived from Mount Nebo, an elevated ridge in Jordan, mentioned in the Bible, where Moses first viewed the Promised Land.  The original Nebo Meeting House is now an area known as Cemetery Road off Highway 70 East.  It was in this general building that the first school was held and the Nebo area was included in the eastern part of the McDowell Country boundaries in 1842.

In 1904 the first high school building was erected, the only accredited high school in McDowell County at that time. As smaller schools consolidated, students were transported by wagon from throughout the county, often staying in a dormitory built for that purpose during the week.  The letters in Nebo were represented by:  N-new friends found here; E-efforts glowing;  B-bonds that bind; O-onward going.

By the early 20’s wagons were replaced by busses and the dormitory was torn down in 1940.   The humble beginnings boosted by community involvement to make the school more successful, resulted in Mr. Jack Kirstein becoming principal in 1969.  Mr. Kirsten was primary in transitioning the school in the Fall of 1972 to an elementary school after a fire destroyed the older part of the building.    This was during a period of time when North Carolina was undergoing educational awakening and taking on more school matters and aid students in fulfilling the best of education and many renovations and additions took place at the school.  Mr. Kirsten remained principal for 27 years, continually upholding the traditions of strong academics as well as good citizenship, courtesy and respect of others.

Today, Nebo Elementary School has a preschool class, a Head Start class and grades K-6 with an average student population of 545. Programs exist for both advanced students and those who may need additional help or special needs.  Principal for eleven years, Joyce Poplin states the mission goal is ”to provide a safe and caring place where all children acquire the skills necessary to become responsible and productive citizens in a global society” believing that there is a strategy or method of instruction that works with each child.  The end objective is for the community and parents to work together and the school is greatly indebted to the support of the local churches and businesses as well as the Nebo PTO, Alumni Association, Fire Department, Post office, and other organizations vital to the success of a productive school.

The curriculum includes involvement in service projects, after school groups such as 4-H, track, clogging, choral and science club and tutoring and visiting artists and programs such as MACA during the year.  Each year the student is given a blank note book wherein they write their individual thoughts, stories or pictures throughout the term.  This is a keepsake to parents and a chart of the child’s progress  each year he brings another book home.

“A Child’s Heart”, a 6 x 6’ McDowell Trail Quilt block was placed on the northwestern wall of the school over the offices around 12:30 P.M. by volunteers Mike Lucas and Jack Raker. Recently, several school staff members had voiced an interest in placing a quilt block, wanting to participate in the Quilt Trail along with other schools.  The School Improvement Team desired something special, involving class support.  They discussed a pattern and colors with Mike Lucas, who designed and painted the block that represents whole child compassion and support of each other.

The design consists of 12 children in various postures all holding hands and dressed in bright colors. The background is comprised  of squares in 5 shades of blue and white, the school colors of the Bears (school mascot). The center of the Block is a heart shape, the children crisscrossing it, bringing together the compassion that supporting each other can accomplish for each individual child.  Jill Lucas presented the Certificate of Authenticity to a representative group of the school population as they all held hands together showing their support of each other.  Principal Poplin says that the students themselves had a great part in funding the block and are very proud of their building and deserved much of the credit.

For further information on hosting a McDowell Quilt Trail Block and to become a part of McDowell County’s interesting historical stories, visit www.mcdowellquilttrail.org or call MACA at 652-8610 where personnel will be happy to provide information and  assist you with any questions.

By Ginger Todd                 

As one enters Marion from the north, you can not help but notice the newest quilt block on the left of Main Street, “Futures Dawning”.  The brick building on 32 North Main Street was built in 1934 by W. Ray Smith and housed Smith Furniture Company for many years.  It is said that the Asheville Citizen noted them at the time as the most modern furniture store in western North Carolina.  The business closed in 1996-97 and the structure was rented out for a period of time, then remained empty.   In 2000 it was purchased by Joe Davis who believed it would be a good location for his company, Joe Davis Financial Associates, an independent firm, family- owned and operated with the assistance of associates Michael Daye, Debra Mace and Robert Gay.  The purchase of the building would provide Joe an opportunity to take part in the downtown revitalization project as well as housing his business. 

Joe and his wife Kerry had discussed for a few years on how they could dress up the large area on the side of the building and finally decided a 6’ x 12’ foot quilt block would be perfect.   Hosted by Joe and Kerry Davis and sponsored by the Joe Davis Financial Associates, Block #113 on the McDowell Trail is a whimsical interpretation of the Bulls and Bears stock market logo. With the aide of volunteers Mike and Jill Lucas, they utilized “image search” on the computer and decided on an eye-catching design. 

Have you ever wondered where the bull and bear market symbols came from?  One of the most frequent explanations given is that bears are sluggish and bulls are spirited and burly.  When attacking its opponent a bull will thrust its horns up onto the air, while a bear will swipe down with his paws.  Metaphorically if the market trend was up and prices rising, it was considered a “bull market”, and if the trend was down, with prices declining, it was referred to as a “bear market”.  The Davis firm specializes in investment advisory services of all sorts, including, but not limited to, stocks and bonds so the bull and bear design was perfect to fill the void on the wall. 

The decisions regarding the design, size and colors of Futures Dawning was a family affair.  Twins Ben and Eliza had a first-hand opportunity to actually see the process involved in assembling  a block and the work that goes into it.  They even participated in painting parts of it, Ben proudly stating he got to paint the bull’s nose-ring.  Although older son Joseph was not available to participate in the painting part, he was greatly involved in the choice of design.  The children were impressed with the precision involved in developing a block design and enjoyed visiting the Quilt Trail shop, housed in part of the McDowell House.  Kerry states it was a great learning experience for them and they are all now always on the lookout for other quilt blocks and learning the history of each. 

The block was installed around 3 P.M. on Wednesday, March 7, 2012 by Mike Lucas (who painted the block), Jack Raker and Alan Scholl, all volunteers of the McDowell Quilt Trail.  Jill Lucas, Chairman, presented the Certificate of Authenticity to the Davis family standing proudly beneath the large colorful bull and bear representation.  The block depicts a brown bear, its mouth open wide in a roar and its clawed paw sweeping downward on the left.    The black and grey bull is on the right, horns lifted high, hosting a pair of white horns, a gold ring through its flaring nostrils and tail lifted high behind him.  The background of green squares depicts graph paper often used in charts to indicate shifts and patterns in market trading.  The ever-changing up and down trends are indicated by erratic spikes outlined in brilliant red with shades of dark purple ranging through pinks, yellows and orange radiating upward.  It truly is a stand-out quilt block entering the downtown area of Marion. 

If interested in hosting a quilt block or for more information, go to www.mcdowellquilttrail.org or call MACA at 652-8610.  Quilt trail maps and stories of the blocks along with other quilt items are also available at the McDowell Arts Council Association shop.

By Ginger Todd

On Thursday, March 1. 2012 the McDowell Technical Community College and the McDowell County Chamber of Commerce hosted Block #112 on the McDowell Quilt Trail.  The joint venture revolved around the McDowell LINC program offered yearly to a limited number of participants.  LINC, an acronym for Leadership, Involvement, Network, and Community, was initially discussed and planned in 2007 at a Chamber meeting, with the first program put into action in August 2008.

The LINC education program is spear-headed by Shirley Brown, Vice President of McDowell Tech; Rod Birdsong, Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce; and Bobbie Young, Coordinator of activities.  LINC is described as a “comprehensive leadership development program designed to help participants acquire a better knowledge and awareness of our community and our future.”  The goal is for participants to gain insight as to all the many facets there are in maintaining a productive, thriving and successful county.  LINC involves all-day education in the workings of such things as Law Enforcement, Environment, Human Services, History, Government and Business, to name a few classes included in the program.

The program is possible through the partnerships of Duke Energy Corporation, City of Marion, McDowell County and McDowell County Schools, all providing generous gifts through funding and materials.  The McDowell High School activity bus is used to transport participants to the various locations visited, and each tour, be it of a dairy farm, lake or public offices, provides an opportunity to learn and understand more about our county, encouraging involvement and leadership.

Enrollment forms for LINC will be available mid-summer with a kick-off luncheon in August and orientation program in September.  The nine months following each includes a combination of tours, events throughout McDowell County and some classroom discussion.  The classes meet the second Wednesday of each month, 8:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. October through May, gathering each morning at the parking lot of the Chamber of Commerce.   Lunches and snacks are provided, as well as resource materials.

Upon successful completion of the LINC 96-hour program, a Leadership Certificate with the official seals of both the College and Chamber will be presented at a graduation program in June.   If applicable, Continuing Education Units will be awarded by McDowell Technical Community College and the North Carolina Department of Community Colleges.  One make-up day will be announced if needed.  LINC leadership participation is open to the public on a first-come basis and a company or organization may sponsor an employee either by funding the tuition or allowing release time to attend the seminars.

At the end of the year LINC participants choose a project, and “LINC to Our Past, Present, and Future” is the result of that project.  Mike Lucas, Jack Raker, and Alan Scholl, volunteers of the McDowell Quilt Trail, installed the 6’ x 6’ block.  It faces southeast and is viewed on the auditorium entrance wall to McDowell Technical Community College.

The design and colors of the block were discussed and voted upon by the program participants, including input from the College and Chamber.   It represents Lake James in the foreground, bordered by mountains and a sky of blue with white clouds in the background.  The mountains, in various shades of green, are reflected along with the clouds on the darker shades of blue waters.  The entire scene is encircled by chain links representing the continuing strength of community leadership and involvement and incorporating the logo of the LINC application brochure.  The four corners of the block are in black, accentuating the golden chain surrounding the mountains and lake.

Jill Lucas, Chairperson of the McDowell Quilt Trail committee, presented a Certificate of Authenticity to LINC participants, and other college and county representatives gathered for the ceremony.  Both the Chamber of Commerce and McDowell Tech received a framed copy to display.

This quilt block is an appropriate reminder to McDowell County of the impact and strength that linking leadership and community involvement can have in forming a smooth-running and lucrative county.  All aspects intertwine as a chain, including business, government, environment and history, as well as each individual to maintain a county we can be proud of – past, present and future.   A modified version of LINC is offered to McDowell High School for two weeks during the summer, tempting students to participate in leadership roles and community involvement.  For further information contact Bobbie Young at 442-6918.

If you or your business is interested in receiving further information on the McDowell Quilt Trail, contact the McDowell Arts Council Association at 652-8610 or visit the website at www.mcdowellquilttrail.org.

By Ginger Todd

Eastfield Elementary School, grades kindergarten through eighth (pre-k is available), operates on a year-round schedule and enrolls approximately 480 students. School bus

PTO President Brad Taylor and Principal Susan Pool

transportation is available to the surrounding area, however if private transportation is available, any student residing in the McDowell County School District may attend.

In the early 1970’s Eastfield Elementary School’s motto was “Lighthouse for Learning”, however two years ago the learning institution became a Global Magnet School and the mission statement was changed to “Lighthouse to the World”.  The goal is to develop a broader understanding, appreciation, and respect as to the diversity of other cultures. Students are encouraged to become thoughtful, inquiring learners and ultimately a broader understanding of the many various ethnic differences will help create a more peaceful world.  The global education begins with each specific grade studying two different countries during the school year, such as Australia, Japan, China, France, etc.

Eastfield was one of the first schools this side of Charlotte to incorporate an optional Spanish immersion program.  The program begins in kindergarten and presently runs through third grade, with only Spanish spoken in the classroom. Another class will be added to the program with each subsequent year through eighth grade.  Taught by South American native Spanish-speaking instructors, the primary education in reading, writing and arithmetic skills are taught, while an early mastery of a second language is provided.

Another interesting highlight of Eastfield Elementary School is its participation in the Singapore Math Pilot Program. Eastfield was one of only six North Carolina schools to be chosen to participate in the program and the only one in the western part of the state.  The Burroughs Welcome Grant, an independent private foundation, in partnership with the Department of Public Instruction and State Board of Education, provides funds for teacher training and the purchase of the Singapore Math workbooks and manuals.

The Singapore Math concept uses concrete examples to explain processes such as addition and subtraction and is also easier for parents to follow along and help their children.   Pictures are a special use in describing and explaining mathematical problems as the younger ages can understand and visualize the problem quicker than a word problem.  First developed in the early 1980’s, Singapore Math has been shown to offer elementary students a better understanding of numbers and form a solid education of mathematics.  This form of learning has been proved to produce higher math scores.

All of the above programs describe “Lighthouse to the World” Quilt Block located at 170 Eastfield School Road.  Volunteers Mike Lucas and Jack Raker put the 6’ x 6’ block, #111 on the McDowell Quilt Trail, in place the afternoon of February 21^st 2012.  It brightens up the front office entrance of the school, facing the southeast parking area. Each of the four corners of the block have a yellow and gold structure representing a lighthouse with white rays of light radiating from the center on each side.  Boys and girls of all cultures and skin pigments are united hand to hand dressed in bright clothing on a background of black.  Their feet are all based around the world in the center of the block, the globe representing land, sea and white clouds in a blue sky.

Principal Susan Pool is proud of the expectations the block name suggests and credits the Parent Teacher Organization for funding

Pictured L-R: Angelia Wilkerson, Jennifer Blake, Kim Presnell, Leesa Robinson, Sonia Elledge, Melissa Elliot and Allison Styles with Jill Lucas of McDowell Quilt Trail

the project.  The teachers, PTO and School Improvement Team all took part in discussing colors and design of the block and were eager to be a part of the Quilt Trail recording McDowell County’s history by incorporating their school motto within it.  Quilt Trail volunteer Jill Lucas presented the school with a Certificate of Authenticity featuring their block pattern along with others throughout the county.

Anyone having an interest in hosting a quilt block may download an application from the website at www.mcdowellquilttrail.org or call MACA at 652-8610 for more information.

By Nora Worthen

As Mike Lucas used a rag to make the last swipe across the quilt block to wash off the dust and fingerprints, one could almost see the rustic old feed shed stand up a little taller and proud, as if to say, “I may have some age on me, but just look at me now!” Even the aged roof with the copper and red rust colors in the tin seemed to gleam in the sunlight.

Prior to the quilt block being installed, the 84-year-old building’s real usefulness was a thing of the past. Some might think it needed to be razed, with all its well-used farm equipment and plunder stored inside going with it…. But not any more. That feed shed now has a new purpose. It, like people who are given a second chance, with its new look, seems to stands straighter on its foundation, showing off all its features from top to bottom, telling an important story about a way of life in rural McDowell County in the early part of the twentieth century.

This feed shed was an essential part of the Reid Holland General Store and Grocery for forty years. It stored everything from canned foods to nails to chicken, cow and horse feed to fertilize, and other supplies needed in all the farming communities surrounding Glenwood. This building, with its quilt block, tells a story of multi-generational families that is representative of a way of life in rural McDowell County during the early 1900s.

The McDowell Rural Heritage Quilt Trail installed its first quilt block named “Scrap Quilt” on February 13, 2012, a cold February afternoon at the family home of Ruby Holland, where she and her sister Lorene and two brothers Alvin and Harry grew up in Glenwood.

Placing quilt blocks on these rustic buildings is also a way to reminisce about a way of life that was void of today’s technology with the hustle and bustle of the twenty-first century: A time when horses and/or mules pulled the plow, water was drawn from the well by manpower, homes were heated and meals were cooked using coal or wood stoves, the toilet was located out back, and folks went to town on Saturdays and to church on Sundays.

“Scrap Quilt” is the first such quilt block to be placed on the Rural Heritage Quilt Trail, and it can be found at the intersection of Old Highway 221 South and Glenwood Baptist Church Road on what was once the feed shed just behind the Reid Holland General Store and Grocery.

In the latter part of the 1800s, Glenwood, being six miles from Marion, was a prosperous little village boasting a school, its own flour mill, a depot for the Peavine passenger train service, a post office, a general store where one could also buy a casket, a Woodman of the World club house, with freight train railroad tracks bordering the village to the east. The village, laid out in a city block fashion, had a good many two-story frame homes, and enough parishioners to fill two churches.

Reid Holland had a dream of being in business for himself. He left his childhood home in Glenwood, like many other young men in the early nineteen hundreds, and went to Detroit, Michigan to work in the automobile manufacturing industry. He lived in a boarding house and “saved every dime he made,” according to Ruby and Harry. After two years, he returned home with his savings, and in 1927 married a Harmony Grove girl named Josie Pyatt. With the popularity of the automobile, and U.S. Highway 221 South becoming a major north/south corridor, Reid Holland, the young entrepreneur, recognized an opportunity and capitalized on it.

By 1928 Reid had bought property alongside 221 South and built the store building and feed shed, with the three rooms in the back providing living quarters, until he could earn enough money to build a home and begin his family. The Hollands were living in those three rooms and operating the store when the first baby was born. Interestingly enough, after purchasing the land and erecting the store and feed buildings, he had to borrow $500.00 from a neighboring family in order to stock the store.

After several years of prosperity selling gas, groceries, hardware, feed, fertilizer, overalls, cloth, etc., hauling wood and farming, the loan was paid back, and by 1931 he was able to build a proper house for his family where the other three children were born and where Ruby lives today.

Reid had a lot of credit business, and once took in a sewing machine on a bad debt and made a space in the store where Mrs. Holland could sew while minding the store if no customers were about. She often used feed sack material to make their clothes, and many, many quilts to keep the family warm. Ruby remembers her grandmother Susie Pyatt living with the family, cooking and helping with the household duties. One of these quilts made by Ruby’s mother and grandmother was used for the pattern for the quilt block design called “Scrap Quilt.”

The entire family worked in the store. Ruby remembers when her grandmother came to live with the Holland family; she brought with her a milk cow. Bantam chickens were raised in an enclosure underneath the feed store. The Holland children’s college education was paid for with eggs, milk and butter money that Josie Holland and Susie Pyatt saved by placing it in a jar earmarked for that very special purpose.

Ruby taught sixth grade in the Charlotte/Mecklenburg School System for 39 years. Harry served in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Korea for a period of time. He worked at Broyhill Furniture Company in the Rutherfordton and Marion plants for a total of 41 years. Upon reflection, Ruby says, “One of the things I am most grateful for is that I grew up in a family where we were taught to work, and if you needed something, you knew you had to work for it. If you didn’t have the money for it, you didn’t need it.” This philosophy was taught in many homes and is reflected by the offspring of those families in McDowell County today as a result of those hard times.

Reid and Josie Holland were married for 65 years and both lived into their ninth decade. Everything was saved and used, with nothing being thrown away. The scraps Josie Holland saved from her dressmaking were used in her quilts. These particular scrap quilts were made using various scraps of fabric cut into wedges sewn together to form a hexagon, with a disk of red fabric appliquéd over the center points of the wedge. These quilts were made for warmth, but today are heirlooms to be treasured.

The Rural Heritage Quilt Trail is a part of the McDowell Quilt Trail and gives those that might have been considering hosting a block another avenue of obtaining a block if their building qualifies. This Rural Heritage Trail is funded by grant money coming from private and business contributions, raffle proceeds and other fundraising activities. The main goal of this trail is the preservation and promotion of the rural history of McDowell County by installing quilt blocks on barns and other farm-type buildings using the traditional quilt patterns used by quilters whose families farmed and lived off the land.

The Rural Heritage Trail is a testimonial about hardworking farming families throughout McDowell County. The contrast of colorful quilt patterns on the weathered and rustic structures transforms the appearance into a thing of beauty as opposed to a sad relic. The quilt trail project has now expanded into 30 states, as well as into Canada. The Rural Heritage Trail, through its grant-funded program, is seeking applications of folks interested in having a quilt block on your barn.

Visit the McDowell Quilt Trail’s website at www.mcdowellquilttrail.org to download a Rural Heritage Trail application, or call McDowell Arts Council at 828-652-8610 or stop in at 50 S. Main Street, Marion, NC for more information about the grant application process to host a block.

By Ginger Todd and Nora Worthen

Jim and Willie Williams, both native to McDowell County, are the hosts of quilt block No. 110 they call “Ecuador.”  Willie’s interest in hosting a block was generated by her daughter-in-law Janet Williams, who has been a member of the McDowell Quilt Trail committee from its inception.  However, after searching through countless quilt patterns and not finding anything to her liking, their son Aaron created a design that would both please his mother and honor his father.  Jim and Willie decided it would be an appropriate gift to each other in celebration of their upcoming 66^th wedding anniversary.

The quilt block represents an American tuna boat named Ecuador, the first tuna boat on which Jim worked as Chief Engineer for approximately 15 years out of San Diego, California.  His job was to keep the engines running, keep the temperature at an appropriate level in the big freezers where the tuna were stored, and to keep the boat and crew safe while at sea, making sure the boat returned to port with its precious cargo.  

The tuna industry was a booming industry in San Diego that supplied most of the U.S. with canned tuna during the 1960s and 1970s.  Prior to the process of netting tuna, the boats were equipped with big poles and hooks, and while sitting over a school of tuna, men would hook the tuna and throw them into the boat.  

While her husband was at sea for two to four months at a time, Willie worked at home where she developed her skills at sewing, gardening and decorating.  Today, Willie expresses her creativity through fused glass, making, among other things, dishes and bowls, and has made some glass quilt blocks, which can be found in the MACA Gift Shop.  Willie remembers during her early days in Marion being employed at Hensley’s Hosiery Mill.

Jim served in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II, two of those years being spent with the 6^th Marine Division formed in Guadalcanal in September of 1944 and disbanded in April 1946.  Although short lived, this elite division, known as the “Raiders,” was highly decorated and participated in the combat action against the Japanese at Okinawa.  This is the only Marine Division that, as an entire unit, holds the distinction of never spending as much as one day in the Continental United States. 

During World War II, for his service in action in the Pacific, Jim was awarded the honor of the Purple Heart.  The Purple Heart award, with a history going back to the American Revolution, is given to those servicemen and servicewomen who were killed or wounded in combat, risking their lives fighting for the United States of America.  Jim believes he may be one of the last surviving members of the 6^th Marine Division.

The Ecuador was among an elite group of boat and ships that carried supplies to the allies in the Pacific Islands during World War II.  They were refrigerated, therefore, could carry the kind of provisions that were needed. 

The “Ecuador,” a 3’x3’ quilt block, located at 810 Old N.C. 226- S, was installed on the north-facing wall of the Williams home on February 7, 2012 by Mike Lucas and assisted by Jack Raker.   As always, the Certificate of Authenticity was presented to Jim and Willie Williams by Jill Lucas, Chairperson of the quilt trail committee.  

The boat that is depicted in the quilt block represents an American tuna boat, which is a thing of the past out of San Diego, ranging in size from 250 to 300 feet long.   These boats brought in 40 to 60 tons of tuna, fishing with a large heavy net, called purse saner, that could be extremely dangerous, especially in the unpredictable seas.   

The Ecuador is depicted in the quilt block as a white tuna boat with the cabin detailed in navy blue, showing the engine smoke stack in red.   The radio/radar tower is in black atop the upper decks.   An American flag, that was always flown, is in full wave, attached to the crow’s nest, which is the tallest part of the boat.   At the rear of the boat, the winch holds a full purse of tuna, which looks like a black bowling ball, as it extends out over the skiff that is depicted in red.   

Jim related the process of netting tuna as follows:  Upon the call from the man in the crow’s nest that a school of tuna is spotted, the netting and the skiff are dropped into the water.  The net that is hooked to both the tuna boat and the skiff drops down to forms a wall in the water.   These two boats turn in opposite directions encircling the tuna and capturing them inside the net.  The Chief Engineer then starts the winch, which hauls the net up out of the water, with the top acting like a drawstring, drawing the net up into a purse – thus the name purse saner – holding tons and tons of tuna.  The winch rolls the tuna up into the back of the boat where men begin dumping the fish down slides that lead to refrigerated holding wells in the bottom of the boat.  The temperature in these holding wells is dropped instantly to freeze the tuna.   This procedure is repeated until the boat is filled and it then returns to port. 

Shown on the quilt block are the waves and wake of the ocean that are represented in white, and colors of a light blue and ocean blue.  Overhead are the requisite sea gulls on the sky blue background, with eight yellow stars in the sky representing each member of the Williams family:  Jim and Willie, son Aaron and wife Janet, daughter Ann and husband Dave, and granddaughter Shannon and husband Bill.

The quilt block “Ecuador” relates yet another interesting story about the lives and history of residents of McDowell County, an American tuna industry, and also historical events during the World War II era.   

For more information about the McDowell Quilt Trail, contact MACA at 652-8610 or visit www.mcdowellquilttrail.org where you can download an application to host a quilt block, as well as trail maps to aid your visit to many of the blocks installed around the County.