2,008 research outputs found
sj-pdf-1-pps-10.1177_1745691621997530 – Supplemental material for The Rise, Demise, and Reprise of the Increasingly Protracted APA Journal Article?
No full textSupplemental material, sj-pdf-1-pps-10.1177_1745691621997530 for The Rise, Demise, and Reprise of the Increasingly Protracted APA Journal Article? by Gregory D. Webster, Val Wongsomboon and Elizabeth A. Mahar in Perspectives on Psychological Science</p
Teamroom Caverns: Looking at Learning in a Whole Language First/Second Multi-age Classroom
No full textHistoric Webster Vol. 1 No. 3
No full textHistoric Webster is a newsletter of the Webster Historical Society, Inc., created at the Society’s founding in 1974. The publication helped to serve the Society's mission of collecting and preserving the history of Webster, North Carolina. Webster, established in 1851, was the original county seat for Jackson County.'VOLUME I NUMBER 3
Cook6ook Will Be
Ready 9n o lie :Jall
A cookbook containing mouthwatering local recipes,
pen and ink drawings of Webster, and "Growing Up
in Webster" sketches will be on sale in the fall.
Tho rocipe book1 which is being compiled by Florence
and Joe Parker Rhinehart , will have a hard
cover with a color picture of Webster as the dust
jacket. Joe Parker estimates that it will have approximately
200 pages, The book will be printed
in brown ink on off white paper, and will have a brown
cloth cover with a sketch of the former Jackson County
courthouse,
Original sketches of people and places in Webster
will be featured at the beginning of each of the II
divisions of the book, as well a throughout the 250
odd recipes.
A short history of the town accompanied by a
sketch of the courthouse will begin the book, Then,
in addition to the delicious recipes, the cookbook will
feature character sketches of some of the donating
cooks and several "growing Up in Webster" stories
written by Webster women of different generations,
Mildred Cowan, Mary Morris and other women who
grew up in Webster will be contributing their accounts ~
The book will conclude with a feature menu for
Christmas dinner with recipes, accompanied by a
story about Old Webster at Christmastime,
The recipes in the book were collected from cooks
in the area by Joe's mother, Kate Rhinehart, Florence
Rhinehart will draw the pen and ink sketches.
The price of the book has not yet been determined,
but it is estimated at 5 or be placed in a makeshift
"jail" on the school grounds, .
other harpenings at the July event will include
board splitt'ng lessons, booths of all sorts, sales of
cookies and cakes, old fashioned bonnets, a varied
display of mountain cr afts, and of course entertainment.
If you have suggestions for additional activities at
the Independence Day fest, contact Paul and Linda
Cowan, co-chairmen of the Special Events. and Projects
Comm ;:tee,
Webster, North Carolina
EDD DOUGLAS DAVIS
olie :Jirst Sheriff
of ~ackson County
Edd Doug Davis, known as Doog Davis, became in
1853 the first sheriff of Jackson County, With the
exce~ti.on of the period he lived, while sheriff, in
the Jail at Webster, he spent his adult life on his
large farm located between Webster and Cullowhee
Today this area is called Rolling Green, '
Sher iff ~Alvi s and his wife Nancy Allen, daughter
of Nathan Allen of Webster, were the parents of
seve~ sons and two daughters" Mro Davis, who died
at h~s home August 25, 1911, is buried in the family
P!ot m Webster Cemetery along with his sife, two of
his sons, Nathan A, and Joe W, and other members
of later generations of llivises,
The copy of the JACKSON COUNTY JOURNAL
from which the article is reprinted, and the tin-type
picture of Mr , ~Alvis reproduced here ar e are owned
by Cather ine ~Alvis of Big Ridge, Catherine is a
granddaughter of Sheriff Doug ~Alvis,
The following article was taken from THE JACKSON
COUNTY JOURNAL dated January 29 1906 - Webster
N,C, - Mr, E, D, ~Alvis ' '
AUTOBIOGRAPHY
The author of this article was born in Buncombe
County <now Transylvania) Sept, 4, 1827, My father
lived where the late George C, Neil lived to the time
of his death, on what was then known as Lamb's Cr rek
which was a tributary of Fr ench Broad river, It~
head waters were near where llividson's river has
its source, with which it ran parallel, but being much
smaller, It was then known as Ben llividson's river
but of late years the "Ben" has been dropped,
Ther e has been a postoffice at this place for more
than seventy years" Davidson's River postmaster,
Ben .lli vidson, was my great-grandfather.
When I attended school the course embraced
reading, writing, and arithmetic, My teachers were
Turn to page four , , , •
~ ·'We6ster 9s ~ackson County's Hometown"
April 1974
A fetter
:Jrom the President
Dear Friends,
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with one
step" and that step in compiling and collecting the
history of Jackson County has resulted in 5,000 copies
each of three newsletters of the Webster Historic
Society; nearly 300 members and ll3,500 to the Jackson County Board of Education
for the old Webster Elementary School because an
an idea whose time has come can't help but succeed.
The school will become the Jackson County Museum
of Living History. The fund-raising committee needs
your help with the Webster idea. If you know wher e
money is a·.11ilable - from individuals, corporations
foundations, etc. - tell us - we'll contact theU.:'
Many grants have already been applied for from foundations
and other sour ces such as the Bicentennial
Commission in N.C. and the America the Beautiful
Fund,
We are hopeful that the County budget for the
1974-75 fiscal year will include a generous donation
toward the effort to preserve Jackson County's History,
But for many of these potential grants we need
non-federal matching funds, '
Th.e next newsletter will be sent only to the membership
of the Webster Historical Society, If you
have not joined but are "infected by the contagious
~n?'usiasm" as the honorable Hamilton Hayes wrote,
JOm. no:v, Send 5.00 yearly
Associate (outside Western N.C.): 10.00 yearly
Supporting: 30.00 yearly
Life: 1.00 a day to begin with) for her little family,
During the thirty-four years that mother was postmaster
the Post Office was in three locations: first,
in a little building where Mr. Baker's shop and apartment
are now located; next in the old Masonic build·
ing between our place and the home of Mrs, Nancy
Ensley Potts; then back to the Baker Upholstery Shop
location; and last to the little building in the corner
of her yard across the lane from the Monteith home.
Because of the necessity of having the office convieniently
close to our home, the location changed as we
moved, The family moved from our old home (built
by Dr. C.Z. Candler's father at about the time of
the civil war) to Uncle Andy's house , then to the
Aunt Hicks Wilson house <now owned by the Potts)
later to the old jail <Mrs, Margie Penland's place)
which was the principal's home when my sister ,
Mrs. Ruth Allison Morris, was principal of Webster
High School, and finally to mother 's new home, built
after the old Candler house was torn down , on the
same lot which she had owned since my father's
dea.th,
When my mother was postmaster she loved her
work (though it did get aggravating at times she said)
and it enable her to make a living in her own yard
for the most part. She could keep an eye on Ruth,
Uln and me as we grew up, and grandpa too when
he was sick, while she looked after the post office
which was the social, as well as news center for the
community. Sometimes when we all gathered to watch
little Oscar Coward buck dance in the post office
vestibule things would get too noisy and we would
all be sent outside so my mother could do her work,
She wrote and read letters and orders for a few of
the patrons who could neither r ead nor write, and in
emergencies would open up the post offic e at night
and on holidays to better ser ve the community, Service,
honesty, integrity and independence wer e virtues of
great value to her, as they had been to her Godfearing
pioneering ancestors,
During the thirty-four years that my mother
was postmaster she was assisted to some extent
by the following : George Self, grandpa Moor e, my
sister Ruth, Mrs, Margie Penland, Mrs, Evelyn McKee,
Mr. Dan Cowan. When I became old enough I was
officially made assistant, or r eplacement, so I could
substitute occasionally when she was sick or away,
Dear to all of our hearts was the mail carrier, Arthur
Allman, who was always kind, cheerful, accomodating
and generous with rides to and fr om Sylva in his
truck for all of us.
HISTORIC WEJ~STER April 1974 Page 3
The Webster "Mail Box"
Some people have called the Webster Post Office
the "Mail Box" and frequently someone laughingly
remarks that it is surely the smallest post office
in the United States, They seem disappointed when we
tell them there are other smaller. We enjoy our
rather unique building, However, the size of the
building does not designate the size of the Post Office
housed therein.
The Webster Post Office is the oldest office in Jackson
County, It was established as Scott's Creek
(Haywood County) April 5, 1828. Jackson County
had not been established at that time, The Haywood
County and Macon County line was at that time the
Tuckaseigee River at Webster, The first postmaster
was Ulniel Brisson, appointed April 5, 1828, He
was succeeded by Samuel B, -Bragg December 17,
1828, The office was later discontinued for a brief
time and reestablished May 24, 1832 as Scott's Creek.
At that time William Thomas was installed as
postmaster serving till January 27, 1843, Thomas
was succeded by Allan Fisher.
When Mr. Fisher took the office he had a store
in Lovesfield, said to have been located near the
intersection of what is now highway 107 and ll6,
Presumable the post office was operated in his store,
The name of the post office was changed to Webster
on November 28, 1857 while Mr, Fisher was still
postmaster, He ser ved the office for 22 years which
was the longest time any postmaster served until
Mr s, Eugenia M. Allison was the postmaster in later
years. The second court held in Jackson County
was held also in this store. A great-grandson of his,
Mr. Allen Bergin Fisher, Sr .. , now lives in Addie
Community, Route I, Sylva, N, C.
On September 21, 1865 a Mr. George w. Stake
became postmaster and served until April 15, 1873,
Postmaster Cannon was the father of the late Lewis
Cannon of Webster . He was the grandfather of James
~ann?n of Cannon Brothers Gas and Oil Company
m Dillsboro and other descendents of Dillsboro and
the state of Washington,
Succeeding Mr, Cannon was Martin H. Lovelady
who ser ved thre
sj-pdf-1-psp-10.1177_01461672221139086 – Supplemental material for Stigma Toward Consensual Non-Monogamy: Thematic Analysis and Minority Stress
No full textSupplemental material, sj-pdf-1-psp-10.1177_01461672221139086 for Stigma Toward Consensual Non-Monogamy: Thematic Analysis and Minority Stress by Elizabeth A. Mahar, Louis H. Irving, Allison Derovanesian, Abigail Masterson and Gregory D. Webster in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin</p
Historic Webster Vol. 12 No. 2
No full textHistoric Webster is a newsletter of the Webster Historical Society, Inc., created at the Society’s founding in 1974. The publication helped to serve the Society's mission of collecting and preserving the history of Webster, North Carolina. Webster, established in 1851, was the original county seat for Jackson County.HISTORIC
WEBSTER
Vol. 12, Issue 2 Summer 1987
Features
3
From Blue Horses to
Spencer Clark
In December 1986, the Webster
Historical Society honored the
Spencer Clark Trio for its production
of the cassette, "Summer
Evening in Webster." The author
remembers his early days with a
radio.
by Gary Carden
4
A Special Trio
The "Summer Evening in Webster"
cassette continues the village's
affair with the arts. The story
is told in a Sylva Herald story.
by Angela Griffin
6
Freedom is a Dream
Webster celebrated an old-fashioned
Fourth at "Miss Lucy's.
A speech makes us proud.
by John E. Fobes
8
A Tribute to Woodford
Davis
A friend remembers his childhood
days with Wood Davis
by Dale Coward
The Cover:
The Spencer Clark Trio, Spencer and Mary
Clark and Hoyte Roberson, Jr. have issued
a cassette of their summer performances
for the society.
SPEAKING EDITORIALLY
HISTORIC
WEBSTER
President
Midred Cowan
Box 186
Webster, NC 28788
Vice President
Dale Coward
Norton Road
Cashiers, NC 28717
Secretary-Treasurer
Margaret and Jim Simpson
Box 126
Webster, NC 28788
Membership Chairman
Kate M. Rhinehart
Box 145
Webster, NC 28788
Editor
Joe P. Rhinehart
Box 356
Webster, NC 28788
The Webster Historical Society, Incorporated,
is a non-profit organization founded
in 1974 to study and preserve the history
and culture of the area. The annual
membership fee is 5.00 paid to the membership
chairman, Box 145, Webster, NC 28788.
The society publishes Historic Webster
quarterly, and it is mailed to the members.
The editor welcomes material for publication
and will give consideration to any submitted
articles.
It's Summer Time In Webster And The Town Is Celebrating -The W ebeter ru.t.orical Society
Pre.stntJ
111111111 DDIIID WDiftl
~._t:
Ella Richardt and Robert Lee Maddon
JWy , , l2, 19,U
~o'dodl
ThoW ...... U.u.iM.doodiMCh• ldl
W.t.m-,Nonhc..n.un..
It's summer in Webster, and it couldn't be a more exciting time to be here.
We are in the middle of our fifth season of "Summer Evening in Webster." We have been royally entertained
by tenor Patrick McGuire and his son Logan with a beautiful varied concert of his favorite music;
actress Sue Monroe who performed professionally in her husband, Ben Glawsons play "Bunny Tracks; "
and Mary Clark, pianist, returned for her second solo show as she honored George Gershwin. And we still
have the final concert to look forward to. It will, as always, be done by our own Spencer Clark Trio. Spencer
has picked a program that presents George Gershwin and his friends. The church has been packed every
week, and the July 26 concert will, as usual, be standing room only.
Jeff Ginn has done his second painting for the society, "Summer Evening in Webster, II." His first print,
given by the society to its summer performers, has been exhausted . The print can be had only by perform-
~--~-· ing for the society and its guests. The painting hangs in some of the area's final artists' homes.
f~~~~;:g A good crowd joined Carol and Gerald Karcher on the lawn of the Hedden House for the society's annual
--:::.:::::::•- . .::....,___ "Miss Lucy's Picnic." It was Webster's usual Fourth of July tribute, and we were pleased to hear Jack Fobes.
NMMM¥M!!!I'!W'Iil!~ He and his wife, Hazel, are former owners of Hedden House. Jack is a former director of the United Nations
Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization 8.50. It features the best of the past four Clark concerts. It will
bring back those wonderful summer memories. You can also get copies of the society's prize winning publication, The Poems of Robert
Lee Madison. The book was named North Carolina's best 1986 book of poetry. The cost is 14.00. The tape and the book may be ordered
from Box 145, Webster, NC 28788- both prices include postage and handling.
2 Historical Webster Summer 1987 ~-
From Blue Horses
to Spencer Clark
"For a moment, it all comes rushing back ... the movies, the dances, the songs,
and the glowing light of my pink radio
When I was eight years old, I bought a Blue
Horse notebook. For those of you who are not
familiar with this school accessory of the 40's,
the company that manufactured Blue Horse
notebooks and tablets gave away marvelous
prizes. All you had to do was save the Blue
Horses ... cut them out and save them I did! I
begged them from school mates, bought them,
swapped for them and went through garbage
cans searching for them. You couldn't stick
them in a book like Green Stamps, so I packet
them, 50 to a stack in shoe boxes until I had
enough to send in. What came back changed
my life.
It was a radio ... or to be more specific, it was
a pink " table-model" cheap radio, and I had
dubious motives for wanting it. The situation
was like this: At the age of six, two years before
I started hoarding Blue Horses, I had become
a radio junkie. Beginning at 3:30 each afternoon,
I would camp in front of the big Silvertone
radio in the living room and launch a nonstop
listen-in that would last through dinner (or
supper, as we called it) and well into the night.
I listened to Jack Armstrong, Captain Midnight,
Sargent Preston of the Royal Mounties,
Dick Tracy and The Lone Ranger. Things went
well until I decided to initate my own story hour
at school. Each day at recess, I would recount
all of the stories from the previous afternoon
for my classmates, complete with cliff-hanger
endings. When my second-grade teacher heard
about my little recitals, she asked me a lot of
strange questions .. .like, "Is it true you act out
all the people in the story?" Oh, yes indeed, I
did that. "You do realize that these are radio
programs ... just a lot of people talking over
microphones?" No, I did not realize that and
did not want to realize it. So, my second-grade
teacher came for a visit, and told my grandparents
that they should not allow me to listen
to the radio since the line between the real
world and make-believe had become somewhat
blurred for me. My second-grade teacher told
my horrified grandparents that I could become
unable to tell the difference between the real
and the unreal. She was wrong there, of course.
by Gary Carden
I knew the difference very well. It was just a
matter of preference. In addition to curtailing
my radio listening, my teacher also suggested
something should be done about my addiction
to Saturday westerns and comic books ... two
other factors that contributed to disorienting
my youthful mind.
So, I lost a goodly part of my radio listening
privileges. No more long sessions in front of the
old Silvertone. That is why I went after the Blue
Horses. And I acquired a pink radio. And that
is how I become a secret, nocturnal radio
junkie. Alone in my bedroom after my grandparents
were asleep, I would turn on my pink
radio which lit up the whole room like a
surprise-pink night light, and I would listen. Of
course, this was a different kind of radio. No
Lone Ranger. No Jack Armstrong. Indeed it
was late-night music. I heard things like,
'' ... And now, for your listening enjoyment, Jack
Teagarden from the Roosevelt Ballroom in
downtown New Orleans." I heard Lanny Ross
singing "Moonlight and Roses," and Rose Murphy
the "Chee-Chee" girl singing "Mean to
Me." I heard Lionel Hampton and Fred Waring.
Sil Austin and Carmen McRae. Margaret
Whiting and Oscar La vent. By the time I was
twelve, I could recognize hundreds of songs and
composers. I knew the lyrics to Gershwin, Gus
Kahn, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and Hogie
Carmichael. I never knew why I did this, and
I don't know to this day. It was as though I
thought that somebody ... God, the President or
my English teacher would give me a test. They
would say, "Who wrote 'Old Buttermilk Sky'?"
and I would say, ''Hogie Carmichael.' ' Or they
would say, "What was Buddy Hackett's theme
song?" and I would say, "Embracable You."
I memorized song lyrics as though they were
sacred writ; as though I could ward off sickness
or evil by quoting them like charms. To this
day, when people quote philosophers or
Shakespeare, I have a tendency to answer with
lyrics by Jerome Kern or Hammerstein. "That
government is best that governs least," they
(Continued on page 7) Historic Webster Summer 1987 3
HISTORIC
WEBSTER
SUMMER 1987
LOVELY SOUNDS FROM
A SPECIAL
TRIO
Spencer and Mary Clark
The Clarks have spent 38
years sharing music
together. Music actually
brought them together in
1948 and they have been
perfectly compatible since.
4 Historic Webster Summer 1987
1 ,
The historical society
is trying to recapture
the leisurely fellowship
of friends and neighbors
coming together
by Angela Griffin
Combining the mellow, easy listening music of the Spencer
Clark Trio with the cool and quiet summer evenings of Webster
was a brilliant, and successful, idea of the Webster Historical
Society. Not everyone has had the opportunity to attend one of
the Summer Evening in Webster series where the Trio, for the
last four years, has given the finale performance of a series of
performing arts featuring local artists with ties to the area.
Summer Evenings in Webster are evenings in July set aside
to enjoy the arts. The events are held outside unless it rains (then
things are moved inside the Methodist Church). A crowd of as
many as 200 have been known to gather in a local meadow for
one of these events. The Spencer Clark Trio - a trio made up of
well-known musician Spencer Clark on the tenor saxophone, Mary
Clark on piano and Hoyte Roberson, Jr., on drums- play, with
very little electronic assistance, a wide-range of musical selections.
These multi-talented musicians play for the love of it and
as they play, their sounds are recorded on tape.
When people began to request recordings from the group,
Webster Historical Society member Joe Parker Rhinehart
asked Spencer to edit some of the music recorded on site over the
last four years into one full cassette tape. It took Spencer two full
weeks to go through all the old tapes and select the pieces with
the best sound.
Mary Clark said the whole idea of producing a Spencer Clark
Trio tape came from requests from the people attending the Summer
Evening in Webster series.
"Every year, people would ask for tapes," said Mary.
"Everyone seems to like what we play. We were too busy playing
to worry with the tapes, so out of four years, we got enough
to fill one tape."
The result is a very pleasing selection of 35 of some of the world's
favorite songs. The tape has been presented in the limited edition
of 250 copies which sell for 8 each. Some of the selections
come from a solo performance done by Mary.
The tape begins with the theme song for A Summer Evening
in Webster with lyrics written by well-known local writer Sue Ellen
Bridgers, music by Spencer Clark and sung by Boyd Sossamon,
Jr.
Spencer said the theme song was derived from a request by
Rhinehart. But Spencer is not a lyricist so he engaged the
assistance of Sue Ellen who came up with "lovely lyrics" which
Spencer says "captures the whole meaning of this thing."
"Once I heard the lyrics," said Spencer, who plays almost any
instrument entirely by ear, "I could hear the music coming and
I sat down and wrote the music."
The lyrics convey what the Historical Society is trying to recapture
and that is the leisurely fellowship of friends and neighbors
coming together to share their heritage. Such evenings were once
shared by the beloved Professor Robert Lee Madison who frequently
entertained the village of Webster with his front porch
concerts on his flute. Mrs. Madison was the town music teacher.
And although it is one small town's attempts to preserve their
heritage, the series has drawn attention from counties all around.
The Clarks have spent 38 years sharing music together. Music
actually brought them together in 1948 and they have been perfectly
compatible since. Spencer may be best known for his abilities
on the bass saxophone, a standard instrument of bands of the
1920's and 30's better known as the "Jazz Age."
As a member of the Lud Gluskin Orchestra for two years,
Spencer Clark did a lot of recording. He later recorded some solo
jazz albums such as "Spencer Clark - Master of the Bass Saxophone,"
and "Spencer Clark and His Bass Sax Play Sweet and
Hot." He says he has probably appeared on some 20 jazz recorders
since his retirement in 1971 when he moved to Webster.
Area folks picked up right away on the talents of Spencer and
Mary. Forming a trio, they began to play dinner music at such
places as the Courthill Inn and the Maggie Valley Country Club.
Their first trio drummer was Tom Jenkins, a talented local who
was majoring in music at Western Carolina University. When Tom
moved on, the Clarks used various talented drummers from the
area until they met up with Hoyt. Hoyt shared the Clarks' love
of music and the three hit it off right away and have been together
for several years now playing at wedding receptions and private
parties on a part-time basis.
The Clarks do not wish to book the Trio too heavily. But they
have a love for music and enjoy sharing that love with others
through a broad selection of songs.
"We like a lot of types of music and that is probably why
people like us so much," said Mary. "We play selections a lot of
people like to hear and we aim our selections to the age of the
audience. We're fortunate in liking so many types of music."
Spencer noted that on the newly released tape, a variety of selections
can be heard. Each year the Evening in Webster series is
given a specific theme and the music is geared toward that theme.
In 1987, the theme will be based on music by George Gershwin.
The Clarks have enjoyed music since their childhood. Mary had
formal training in piano since age 10. But Spencer, although he
had no formal trining except some music in high school, has just
picked the music up "naturally." But he also taught himself to
read music.
"He reads very well, but his ear is so good, he doesn't bother,"
said mary, only a tiny bit enviously.
Spencer explains his ability as being based on mathematics.
He says he can hear the music and find the relationship of notes
mathematically, in intervals. It is like using a type of singing
called "solfeggio."
Mary can understand exactly how Spencer does this.
Every scale is do-re-me or 1-2-3, no matter what the key," she
says. "Most musicians use numbers so it doesn't matter what key
the music is in."
A program to announce the issue of "A Summer Evening in
Webster," a cassette recording by the Spencer Clark Trio, was
held recently at Western Carolina University. Jim Simpson,
"Hoyt shared
the Clark's
love of music
and the three
hit it off right
away and have
been together
for several
years now. ''
Hoyte Roberson, Jr.
mayor of Webster, made the opening remarks. Julian Hirt
commended the Trio on the sound, which they accomplis with
almost no electronic equipment. Spencer says the Trio does not
need electronics to get the sound they desire. It is pure music flowing
out to the ears of an audience seated in a green meadow in
a lovely mountain town. It is music which does not call for
loudness. It is sweet and mellow and soothing to the ears.
It is the music of the Trio that people wish to capture on tape
to listen to while relaxing at home. It is the coziness of the music
that brings to mind the lyrics written by Sue Ellen - It's Summetime
in Webster, and we are home again.
Tapes can be purchased at Riverwood Craft Shop in Dillsboro
or at Jim Simpson's The Christian Shop.
Historic Webster Summer 1987 5
Our Declaration of Independence started a vast movement on
this planet. American independence became the sign, the symbol,
the standard, a dream which has spread around the world.
I have been fortunate to work
and travel in other countries and
to spend time with, listen to and
learn from thoughtful persons in
all parts of the world- persons
who are sensitive to problems, to
feelings, to commonalities of life
on this planet. They are individuals
who are seeking meaning
to life, who actively search
for solutions to the world's
predicament.
From these experiences, I
have tried to distill thoughts appropriate
to our coming together
on this Independence Day. I have
put them in the form of an old
fashioned Fourth of July oration
which can make us feel proud,
yet humble; local, yet part of all
humankind; strong, but not complacent;
ready to accept and
meet challenges of the future.
Please try to imagine that I am
speaking from a village bandstand
bedecked with red and blue
banners.
We are celebrating Independence
Day of 1987 with friends and
neighbors. It is well to record
that our Declaration of Independence
of 21 years ago
started a vast movement on this
planet. "American independence"
became the sign, the symbol,
the standard, a dream which
has spread around the world.
Only 42 years ago, at the end
of a terrible war, that dream was
re-invigorated and reflected in
the United Nations Charter, signed
at San Francisco. That document
took its inspiration .from
the Four Freedoms of Franklin
D. Roosevelt, from the Atlantic
Charter of Roosevelt and
Winston Churchill, from a 1943
Declaration of the nations
fighting fascism. I've just been
reading the unpublished letters
of one of my professors, written
while he served at the San Francisco
Conference which adopted
the UN Charter. On the spot, he
recorded the inspired spirit of
that gathering of 50 nations.
Reading his letters was a
valuable reminder of recent
history. They brought to mind
the statement of a young aviator
who died in the war. He wrote:
"Civilization does not rest on the
6 Historic Webster Summer 1987
enjoyment of its inventions but
solely upon the fervor which goes
into the winning of them." There
was inspration and fervor at San
Francisco.
Since 1945, more than 100
peoples have declared themselves
to be nations and have
claimed their independence. The
message that I bring here today
is that they are still striving to be
free of dependence in its many
forms. In fact, we are all thus
striving, looking for more selfreliance
in what has become an
interdependent world. It is well
to recall that we, the industrialized,
developed, privileged countries
of the North and West gave
the world the flame of independence.
But we also helped to
create the interdependent world
through our inventions - expecially
the electronic ones of the
computer, the satellite and
television.
In fact, of course, the planet
and all the peoples on it have
always been one. We only made
it more so. We created new
forms of dependence by projecting
a particular image of that
oneness - full of ideas of liberty,
yes - but also colored with impossible
picture of affluence and
waste.
We are in a global mess. What
should we do? The answers are
in Webster and in every local
community. The answers are in
America. The answers are
everywhere and they are many
and diverse. That is what my
friends around the world are telling
me. Let me explain.
The image and dream which
America evoked are in our
history. -The Declaration of In-
Freedom
is a Dream
by John E. Fobes
dependence is part of that story.
Our Constitution - 200 years old
this year - has been used as a
model by many. But the true
greatness of America came from
a combination of factors which it
is well to remember on this day
of celebration. Those factors
include:
• The natural resources of a continent
for which we should be
grateful and more respectful;
• The challenge of the frontier of
the 18th and 19th centuries, accepted
in the spirit of that young
aviator- " the fervor which goes
into the winning of inventions";
• The vigor of small communities
based on trust;
• The diversity and richness of
the peoples who came to our
shores; never before nor since
has the world seen a greater
diversity of talents in one nation.
Conscious of these strengths,
what shall we do now? I think
that we need a new frontier. Not
the frontier of more ease and
more products on the shelves of
the supermarkets and the discount
stores. Perhaps our very
un-ease, and that of the whole
world, points to a new I old frontier.
The frontier is the search for
human dignity and human rights
for all on this planet. It demands
that all men and women can
walk upright and free. How can
they do so in an increasingly
crowded world? How can they do
so without basic human needs of
food, water, housing, health,
education? I believe that it is by
working together, by mutual
assistance, by allowing for a
great diversity in this striving
and by helping to build local
self-reliance.
You may have heard the
phrase, "Thinking globally, acting
locally.' This slogan may
have greater meaning than is
generally realized. Thinking
holistically, of all, globally, is
what America has tried to do.
Acting locally is a hallmark of
the American tradition.
Here I must recall the words of
a philosopher-poet-religious
thinker: "Home should be the
center but not the circumference
of the affections." Have we not
America has a great responsiblity as a leader and a servant of
humanity. It would re-dedicate itself on this Fourth of July to the
frontier, the challenge of the 21st century.
ofter seen the outpouring of those
affections toward others by an
America which treasured the importance
of home and wanted to
help others to preserve or re
Historic Webster Vol. 11 No. 1
No full textHistoric Webster is a newsletter of the Webster Historical Society, Inc., created at the Society’s founding in 1974. The publication helped to serve the Society's mission of collecting and preserving the history of Webster, North Carolina. Webster, established in 1851, was the original county seat for Jackson County.Dickson Sl ater
Box 164
Davi dson, NC 280J6
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HISTORIC~
••••••••••••••••••---"_;e_w_;s:.:,le::.t.:te:.:..r of the Webster Historical Society, Inc.
VOLUME XI, NUMBER 1 WEBSTER, NORTH CAROLINA SPRING, 1985
The Cowan_s, Webster __ C_itizens
On a late spring afternoon in
1927, Mary BridgerS, a first
year teacher at Balsam Elementary
School in Jackson
county, spotted a dapper
young man on the Rolling
Green Golf Course near Webster.
He was wearing knickers,
fashionable at the time,
and an English-style cap
typical of the "roaring '20's."
She was impressed. Louise
Parker, a fellow teacher and
roommate at Balsam, soon introduced
Mary to the young
man who was Claude Cowan of
Webster. After a short courtship,
Claude Cowan and Mary
Bridgers were married at the
Bridgers' home in Macclesfield,
North Carolina, on
Christmas Day, 1928. They
soon returned to Webster
where they have made their
home for the past fifty-five
years. Claude and Mary have
two sons: Claude Jacob
Cowan, Jr., of Fairview Road,
Sylva, and William Joseph
Cowan of Tucker, Georgia. Claude and Mary Cowan's lives have been spent in and for Webster.
Madison poems will bEf published in
Summer by Society
The Poems of Robert Lee
Madison, a compilation of
poems, some known and many
being published for the first
time, will be released by the
Webster Historical Society in
the summer.
Professor Madison, a Webster
resident, founder of Western
Carolina University, and
a classical scholar, wrote hundreds
of poems in numerous
styles. He often shared these
verses with his friends through
little printed cards that he
distributed, through greeting
cards, or through his lectures.
It has long been a goal of the
historical society to preserve
these literary pieces. With the
permission of Mr. Madison's
family, the professor's poetic
works have been edited by Joe
P. Rhinehart ami a beautifully
printed volume is in
publication.
Larkspur Press, an art press
in Monterey, Kentucky, is
printing the book. Gray Zeitz,
the owner, is a master printer
and a former student of the
world famous Victor Hammar.
Zeitz and Hammar's
work have been exhibited in
many galleries, including the
Golier Club in New York.
Then, by hand, he will stitch
the books in soft covers in the
chapbook style. The chapbook
was developed in western
Europe in the nineteenth century
and, at that time, was a
cheap method of making books
available. Zeitz has revived
the style and has made it an
art form.
The Poems of Robert Lee
Madison, printed in a limited
edition, will appeal to Madison's
friends and students, collectors
of art, historians, and
readers of all sorts.
Professor Robert Lee madison wrote poems on many
subjects and in many styles.
They also have two granddaughters,
four grandsons,
two great grandsons, and a
great granddaughter.
CLAUDE JACOB COWAN,
SR. was born on September 9,
1902, on the Cowan farm bordering
the banks of the Tuckasegee
River near Webster.
He was the fourth of eight
children born to William Lee
and Luthena Wild Cowan.
After high school he held a
number of jobs related to his
interest in the field of electricity.
This was during the era
when electrical power was
first being introduced to residents
of Jackson county. After
a short time as an electrician's
apprentice, Claude Cowan
became an electrician and installed
the electrical wiring for
many of the old landmark
buildings and houses in Sylva,
Webster and throughout Jackson
county. He briefly worked
for the Dillsboro Power and
Light Company before opening
his own electrical shop in
Sylva.
As the Great Depression decreased
the demand for electrical
services and appliances,
Mr. Cowan closed his shop and
took a job with the Mead Corporation
where he worked for
several years as an electrician
and turbine operator. Then,
desiring to establish his own
business, he left the Mead Corporation
and built the Webster
Grocery Store which he managed
until 1951. During this
time he also served as Jackson
county's electrical inspector.
In 1951, Claude Cowan sold
his business to accept an appointment
with the North Carolina
Department of Agriculture
as a state regional inspector,
an appointment not alt()gether
unexpected since, in
addition to his qualifications,
he had successfully managed
the gubernatorial campaign of
Governor Kerr Scott in
Jackson county in 1950.
Before concluding his adult
working career, Cowan accepted
an appointment by the
Jackson County Board of Edu-
Continued on page 2
Page 2, HISTORIC WEBSTER, SPRING 1985
Mary and Claude Cowan have shared 55 yt
Continued from page 1
cation as the county's attendance
counselor, a position he
held until his retirement in
1967. Although he enjoyed a
variety of work experiences
throughout his adult life, his
first love was politics, as
evidenced by his successful
management of numerous
political campaigns for state,
regional, and local candidates.
He is most proud of the campaign
he managed for his
brother, Roy, who was elected
clerk of the Jacksdh County
Superior Court in 1938. Roy
was re-elected without opposition
each term until his death
in 1946.
In 1962, Claude Cowan was
elected to the Webster Board
of Aldermen, a position he
presently holds at age eightytwo.
As alderman, he takes
great pride in the many improvements
made on the
water system which was little
more than a small spring-fed
reservoir a few years ago. Of
equal pride to him is the fact
that Webster boasts a zero
crime rate, a fact that he attributes
to good neighbors
watching out for good
neighbors.
In addition to Claude
Cowan's many years of service
as an alderman, he was
an active member of The
Woodmen of the World, a
fraternal organization dedicated
to community service. He
is also a member of the
Fraternal Order of Masons
and was elected Master of the
Dillsboro Masonic Lodge by
his brother Masons in 1948.
Claude is a member of the
Webster Baptist Church where
he was active in promoting
building improvements and
acquiring a new parsonage.
During his retirement, he
enjoys keeping abreast of
local, state, and national
political events, serving on the
Webster Board of Aldermen,
and keeping his yard well
groomed. In the past, he spent
much time transporting elderly
friends and neighbors to
church, doctor's appointments,
the supermarket, the
drug store, and, as he says,
"just about anywhere else
they need to go."
When asked how he feels,
one is likely to get the standard
answer, "Well, I'm still kicking,
just not quite as high!" He
continues to maintain that
great sense of humor which
has characterized his personality
for eighty-two years.
Some would say that the one
thing Claude enjoys more than
hearing a good joke is telling
one. But most of all he is
known to his neighbors as an
accommodating friend, always
willing to help those in
need of his assistance.
MARY BRIDGERS
COW AN was born on April 1,
1905, in Macclesfield, North
Carolina. She was the sixth of
twelve children born to Joseph
Caswell and Nancy Owens
Bridgers. She was graduated
from high school in Edgecombe
county and attended
Farmville Women's College in
Farmville, Virginia for one
year before transferring to
Cullowhee Normal and Industrial
School (now Western Carolina
University) in Cullowhee,
North Carolina, where
she studied to become a
teacher. Upon graduation
from college she accepted a
teaching position at Balsam
Elementary School in Jackson
county. The following year
Mary Cowan accepted a teaching
position at Webster School
where she continued to teach
until her retirement in 1965.
Much of Mary Cowan's adult
life was centered around the
classroom and the children
she taught. As a teacher she
was best known for her ability
to "teach the unteachable."
Her fellow teachers have described
her as a master teacher
who was applying unique
methods of motivating children
to learn as well as techniques
of behavior modification
long before these methods
and techniques were written
about in the textbooks. And
yes, if this didn't work, she
was not above bribing a child
with food, money, extra privileges,
or just about anything
else that worked if that was
what was required to teach the
vowel sounds or the multiplication
tables.
Although the 3 R's came
first, Mrs. Cowan's appreciation
and love for music, art,
science, and social studies
were what made her classroom
a fun place to be. Her
students produced more musical
programs (operettas)
than any class in the school.
Her love of music was contagious
and her students responded
enthusiastically by
singing, dancing, acting, and
playing in the rhythm band.
Mary Cowan's personal enjoyment
and participation in
these activities with the
children kept her young short
Cowan and Rhinehart were
always on call for town
By Joe W. Rhinehart
Claude Cowan and I grew up together in Webster, but
because Claude was my senior we did not become close
friends until we were older. As boys we attended Webster
School, but Claude was ahead of me.
Our relationship has been close since we married and
Claude moved over the river. Claude was indeed a friend
in need for any time I needed help Claude answered the
call.
We are both interested in our town's welfare and to be
of service we both became aldermen. Our biggest job as
aldermen has been taking care of Webster's water works.
If the water "went off," a neighbor would call either
Claude or me to ask what the trouble was. We would get
together and search for the problem. Many times it would
mean digging up a pipe line or cleaning out the springs
on Kings Mountain. The springs, for many years, were the
source of Webster's water. When a major problem came
up we met with the other alderman and the mayor to
discuss the problem.
Now in our mature years and since we are among the
few native Websterites left, we enjoy sitting on the porch
in the sun talking about the "Good Old Days."
Joe Rhinehart and Claude
Cowan visit at the post office.
of her years.
In the spring of each year it
was not unusual to see Mary
Cowan and her entire third
grade assembled in the Cowan
garden or on the lawn catching
everything from butterflies to
the praying mantis. At other
times of the year they might
be seen collecting rocks,
leaves, flowers, or just about
anything of interest which
could form the basis for a
scientific nature study. These
activities, she believed, provided
welcomed relief to the
children from the rigors of
mastering the 3 R's and also
motivated them to develop a
sense of inquiry about their
environment.
It was mastery of the basics
plus the many enjoyable
educational experiences which
endeared Mrs. Cowan as a teacher
and as a person to four
generations of students. Her
service spanned thirty-six
years.
In addition to the three-plus
decades as a teacher in the
Jackson County Public
Schools, Mary Cowan was also
active in various church and
community activities. Prior to
her retirement, she was an active
member of the Webster
Baptist Church where she
served for many years as a
Sunday School teacher and a
member of the choir. She was
active in the Women's Missionary
Society and participated
in numerous other church
activities and charitable
causes.
No review of Mary Cowan's
accomplishments would be
complete without some mention
of her more subtle attributes
which are no less important
than her impressive
career as a teacher. As a wife,
mother, and individual, her
life has exemplified a love and
concern for others, especially
those less fortunate than she.
Her many acts of kindness to
those who found themselves in
a state of misfortune will long
be remembered by the many
whose lives she touched. Their
need of food, clothing, medical
attention, or sometimes just a
word of encouragement, never
went unattended if Mary
Cowan was aware of the
circumstances.
There is yet another side to
Mary Cowan's personality.
She must believe that
"laughter is the hand of God
on the shoulder of a troubled
world." Even today, her sense
of humor is equalled perhaps
only by that of her husband,
Claude.
CLAUDE AND MARY
COWAN have shared fifty-five
years together in Webster.
Summer, 1985, Claude
Spencer Clark Trio "Su
concert.
Among their most treasured
memories are the many good
neighbors and friends whose
lives have touched them over
the years.
Among their most 1
the many good neigh
lives touched them ov
Together they have shared
the good times and the bad
times . They endured the
poverty and deprivation of the
Great Depression. They
shared the grief and sadness
associated with the many
relatives, friends, and
neighbors who were wounded
or killed in World War II,
Korea, and Vietnam. They
EdUCI
By Joe P .
In 1956 I had earned the ho1
address at the Webster Sci
what I wanted to say to the c
it would be good to recall hi!
Webster was a stable com
thirty-nine seniors grown up
years together, but so had m
unusual for the whole famil
studied under the same tea,
In my memories of those d
ly more like family than im
not only qualified to instruc
highlighted the highlights.
What I wanted to say abou
said about a dozen more wl
lives. But there were things 1
our third grade teacher diff
obvious. After years of heari
into Mrs. Cowan's room and
made an impression- soft,
to do what she wanted?
Educators, in more recer
the "whole child." In 1946 t
Cowan. She had us performi
SPRING, 1985, HISTORIC WEBSTER, Page 3
~ars with Webster Claude Cowan has
always been interested in
politics. He helped with the
rechartering of Webster
and has served on the town
board for thirty years. He
has managed many a prospective
office holder's campaign
- always successfully.
When Roy Taylor of
Asheville became a candidate
for the United States
Congress, Cowan took over
his Jackson county campaign
and from his Webster
home helped elect Taylor to
Congress for several
terms.
and Mary Cowan attend the
mmer Evening in Webster"
have sympathized with and
assisted their many friends
who fell victim to the
devastating flood of 1940 as it
ravaged homes and other pro-
;reasured memories are
bors and friends whose
er the years.
perty along the banks of the
Tuckasegee River where the
Cowans lived at the time.
But all in all, they agree on
one thing as they share their
memories with frequent intervals
of laughter and good
humor: that is, they have been
richly blessed and have seen
more good times than bad.
Claude Cowan (center) helped Roy Taylor (left)
plan, with Gerald Hardy, his 1960 congressional
campaign.
"Claude Cowan is more like a brother"
By Mildred Cowan
Claude J. Cowan is a cousin of mine, though he is more
like a brother. He is a son of the late William Cowan, my
father's brother, who lived next door to my family.
In this day and time my mother would be called a
workaholic, and she sometimes would call on Claude to
babysit me. He was a good entertainer. He taught me
games such as jacks tones, hop scotch and jump rope. He
even tried to teach me to make tatting lace, but all I could
do was tie knots that would not slip to make a loop. He read
stories to me and taught me children's songs.
At school he was several grades ahead of me, but he
would still look after me. Then I went to boarding school
and after that moved to Asheville where I lived for four
years. In the meantime Claude married Mary Bridgers
of Macclesfield and they began to raise a family. Those
years we were not as close as we had been.
After my father's death, my mother and I sold the old
home place and bought a lot in Webster from Claude's son,
Billy Joe. When we became next door neighbors again we
took up where we had left off and again resumed our
brother-sister relationship. He is my adviser, my handy
man, and my confidante. I feel wonderfully blessed to have
someone like Claude for a friend.
Claude Cowan operated a service station on
Sylva's Main Street in 1951.
ate the whole child Mary-Cowan's philosophy:
Rhinehart
10r to deliver the salutatorian
tool graduation. In deciding
:lass and its guests I thought
:blights of our days together.
munity, and not only had we
together and spent our school
any of our parents. It was not
y, parents included, to have
cher.
ays, teachers, who were realtructors,
teachers who were
t but also knew how to love,
tone teacher could have been
to passed through our young
hat made Mrs. Mary Cowan,
erent, and the first was very
ng our mountain twang, to go
hear her soft down east drawl
gentle- who would not want
t days, talk about educating
his was nothing new to Mrs.
ng in a rhythm band. She had
Mary Cowan's third graders dance in Webster School's
annual May Day Celebration, 1958.
us keeping poetry notebooks. We did molding clay
sculpture.
Mrs. Cowan was a great believer in good manners, including
eating habits. Once she had the home economics
students appear during our lunch period, and, for several
weeks, they taught us the correct eating form: napkins and
one hand in the lap and of course, a clean plate alwaysthe
clean plate was sometimes hard to come by, but we
were graded, and so we ate correctly.
Mrs. Cowan was a thorough teacher in the academics.
Every activity tied into another. In a social studies class
we made a list of community helpers- teacher, police,
minister. These words became a spelling list. Then one
leader became the theme for a composition. Then the subject
became a clay sculpture for art class.
I knew twenty-eight years ago the value of good
teaching, and I wanted to let my commencement listeners
know the value of a good teacher, and so I recounted these
same events and those of other teachers to the audience.
Now, after twenty-four of my own years spent in a
classroom, I know even more the value of education, and
though forty years have passed since those third grade
days of being forced to each cafeteria spinach, I still eat
with one hand and I still clean my plate.
Generations of Webster citizens owe much to Mrs. Mary
Cowan.
Page 4, HISTORIC WEBSTER, SPRING 1985
From The Cowan Scrapbook ...
Claude Cowan in Webster, 1918. The
photographs were taken in the Madison yard
and the R. L. Haskett house is in the
background.
Mary Bridgers Cowan, summer, 1928. A photograph by
Donahue Studios in Sylva.
Mary Cowan and her son C.
Mary Bridgers was a native
of Macclesfield, North Carolina.
She was about nine or ten
when she and her friend Rev a
Phillips took a buggy ride. J., about 1933.
Mary Bridgers and her
friends at Western Carolina
University. Louise Parker is
left center and Mary Bridgers
is beside her.
"Summer Evenings . . . "
Summer, 1985, will be an
exciting time to be in Webster.
The Webster Historical Society
is planning its third
season of "Summer Evenings
in Webster" for July and it invites
natives and visitors to
attend the events.
Scheduled for Sunday evenings
at 5:30 in the Webster
United Methodist Olurch, the
program this year celebrates
the theme of "Anniversaries."
Stephen Hamilton, the artist-
in-residence at So'lthwestern
Technical College,
will open the season on July 7
with a concert of vocal and instrumental
music by Johann
Sebastian Bach and George
Frederick Handel, both of
whom celebrate their 300th
birthdays this year.
Harry Cagle, the leader of
"Harry Cagle and the Country
Cousins," will present a
concert on his violin on July
14. Cagle, who is known
across the South for his traditional
playing, will be
presented in a solo performance
which will include
dance music, hymns, and traditional
mountain music.
John Parris, author, editor,
and columnist, will read his
" Webster Stories ;" stories
set in Webster or about Webster
people on July 21. This
year marks the 35th anniversary
of the publication of Parris'
first volume of collected
pieces, Roaming the Mountains.
The series will end July 28,
with the third appearance of
the Spencer Clark Trio.
Clark, his wife Mary, and
drummer Hoyle Roberson,
will feature the music of
Jerome Kearn, whose centennial
is celebrated this year,
and his friends . This
popular program will be presented,
as usual, on the lawn
of Hilda and Huck Hoffman
on North Main Street and
Buchanan Loop.
A reception follows each
program to honor the performing
artists.
Madison Poems In Sunset Program
A long planned e~ent of fhe
Webster Historical Society
will be realized on July 5,
when the Society releases it's
latest publication, The Poems
of Robert Lee Madison.
Webster Mayor James
Simpson will preside over the
outdoor program set for the
back yard of Court House
Square at sunset, eight
o'clock.
Chancellor Myron L. Coulter,
Western Carolina University,
Kate Moore Rhinehart,
and Louise Madison Bedford
will speak on the professor as
educator, community leader,
and family man. Society president
Mildred Cowan will
present the Madison family
with the first numbered copy
of the book. Jim Gray, editor
of The Sylva Herald, will read
selected Madison poems. The
program will open with guitar
music and end with Dr. Alexander
A. Lesueuer on the
flute.
Sunset was Professor Madison's
favorite time and the
village was often entertained
by his front porch guitar and
flute concerts.
All are invited to attend this
special event to celebrate the
hundredth anniversary of Mr.
Madison's arrival in Jackson
County.
Miss Lucy's Picnic
Planned For July 4th
The second annual "Miss
Lucy's Picnic" will be held on
Thursday afternoon, July 4, at
4:30 on the lawn of Castalia,
the former home of Miss Lucy
Hedden, now the home of
Hazel and John Fobes.
Last summer the Webster
Historical Society revived the
picnic which Miss Lucy originated
years ago as a community
celebration of the nation's
birthday.
Only once, just after the end
of Worl
Historic Webster Vol. 8 No. 2
No full textHistoric Webster is a newsletter of the Webster Historical Society, Inc., created at the Society’s founding in 1974. The publication helped to serve the Society's mission of collecting and preserving the history of Webster, North Carolina. Webster, established in 1851, was the original county seat for Jackson County.newsletter of the Webster Historical Society, Inc.
VOLUME VIII, NUMBER 2 WEBSTER, NORTH CAROLINA SUMMER, 1982
W. N. Cook Served Town's Needs
By Joe P. Rhinehart
For years, a familiar
figure on the roads and hills
of Webster was the
Reverend W. N. Cook, the
minister of the town's Baptist
Church. Not only did he
minister to his own flock at
the church by the river, but
he was a minister to the entire
village. Not a person.
was ill, not a person died,
not a disaster struck that
Mr. Cook was not called in.
He was a partner to the joys
and sorrows of the village
for sixteen years.
William Newton Cook was
born June 28, 1878, in
Caldwell County, North
Carolina. His parents ,
farmers in the county's
Globe Township, were
Margaret Hartley and
WilliamS. Cook. W. N. Cook
was one of eight children,
six brothers, Mack, Todd,
Dan, Charles, Gaither, and
Jacob, and one sister Cora
Ann.
The Cook family lived the
life of the mountain farm
family, working the hillsides
for food to eat, sell, or
barter, raising cattle, providing
for most of their
physical needs through their
own hard work. For their
spiritual needs, as with most
of their neighbors, they attended
the Wilson Creek
Baptist Church. The father
was a deacon of Wilson
Creek and W. N., as the rest
of the family before him,
was baptized by the Minister
J. M. Payne into the faith on
a cold winter afternoon,
December 15, 1893, when he
was fifteen years old.
The Reverend W. N. Cook began his service in Webster as
leader of the Baptist Church in 1917.
Within years W. N. Cook
was licensed to preach by
Wilson Creek, made a
member of the Caldwell
Baptist Association, and on
December 20, 1903, at
twenty-five, just ten years
after he joined the church,
he was ordained a minister
of the Southern Baptist Convention.
During these ten years the
young Cook had spent four
years attending the Lenoir
Baptist College and
Dear Frie nd :
Your sympathy and co-opera
ti o n durin g our soj o urn amo n g
you has been hi gHy a?pre ciated
for which y o u have o ur thanks.
May b!euin gs r e s t upon you
t his e ntire year .
Let us know your j oys, your
sorr ow s, y our n e e d s that w e
may b e able t.o h ~ lp y o u at any
time. Yo ur humble pas t o r,
W. N. COOK.
Business Institute and had
on October 13, 1898, married
Mary Lezinka Bean, the
daughter of E. C. and
Emeline Bush Bean of
Burke County.
The Cooks were soon immersed,
not just in their
church work, but into the job
of raising a family, and
within the years that followed
they became the parents
of nine children. They were
the twins, Dan and Margaret
(Applewhite), three other
sons, John Earl, William
Lee, and James Judson, and
three four more girls, Mary
Ann (Briggs J, Minnie
Elizabeth (Nipper), Grace
Pauline (Mathis), and Eula
Beatrice.
The early churches that
the Reverend and Mrs. Cook
served , and it was a
cooperative effort, with
Mrs. Cook serving as
organist, Sunday School
teacher, and missionary
society leader, were rural.
In those days, in the mountain
area, a minister did not
pastor just a church, but he
traveled to several ,
preaching several Sunday
sermons and leading
numerous church and community
events.
The early Cook churches
were Mountain Grove,
Blanes, Fork, and Sardis in
Carta. By 1911 they were
working with the Hickory
and West Hickory, the
Penelope, and the Brushford
Baptist Churches, all in
Caldwell and Catawba counties.
In 1916, the Cooks moved
to Jackson county and they
took over the leadership of
the Scotts Creek Church.
During this first tour of the
county, the Reverend Cook
not only served the Scotts
Creek Church, but from
September 1917 to December
1918 he ministered to the
Baptists of Webster.
The Webster Baptist
Church had been founded in
December 30, 1854, only
three years after the county
and its county seat,
(
Webster, had been established.
The years 1917-1918
would be Mr. Cook's first
(Continued on Page 4)
Mrs. Cook Helped
Minister Husband
By Mildred Cowan
"Miss Lillian" Stillwell
Coo was born March 28,
1874. She was one of two
daughters born to Richard
Siler and Martha Allman
Stillwell of Webster. She
died May 8, 1948.
Miss Lillian was educated
at Cullowhee Normal
School , now Western
Carolina . University. She
taught for many years in the
Jackson County public
schools system. Most of
those years, and possibly all
of them, were in the Webster
Elementary School. According
to records in the Jackson
Cuonty Board of Education
she retired in 1922. "Miss
Lillian" was a strict
disciplinarian, but she did it
in such a manner that her
students respected and loved
her.
"Miss Lillian's" first love
was her church. She taught
the adult ladies Sunday
School class for years ; they
would have no one else for
their teacher . She also
organized one of the first
Women's Missionary Society
at Webster and was president
of that organization until
she could no longer carry
on the work. After she
became too ill to attend any
church services she would
sit in the living room of her
home and watch, and even
count, the people coming to
church.
After " Miss Lillian's"
teaching experience she
married the Reverend W. N.
Cook, who came to pastor
the Webster Baptist Church
and had become a widow
some two years before. She
was his faithful wife and a
good mother to his young
children, James and the
twins, Dan and Margarget.
The older Cook children
were able to care for
themselves by that time.
The Reverend Cook was
pastor of the church sixteen
years and they lived next
door to the church until her
death.
Mrs. Cook had four
brothers . They were
Ephrim, a lawyer ; Edgar,
who taught in the history
and English departments at
Western Carolina University
; and Charles and Iverson
who were farmers . Her
sister was Hattie Stillwell
Bryson who moved with her
husband to Alabama.
Page 2, HISTORIC WEBSTER, Summer, 1982
Mr. Cook's Hymns
IN HIS NAME
THE PREFACE TO
IN HIS NAME,
BY REV. W. N. COOK
Published By
The Teachers Music
Publishing Company
Hudson, North Carolina
strong in the Lord, and in
the power of His might,
and that all who sing
these songs may be stirred
to a pure devotion to
the glorious gospel of the
Son of God.
This little song book,
"In His Name," is respectfully
dedicated to
all workers in the spiritual
harvest.
It is hoped that whereever
it may go and into
whose hands it may fall,
that it will be "In His
Name."
The chief desire of the
author is that it may be
the means of leading a
part of the teeming millions,
to the foot of the
Cross, and of helping any
who are weak to be
This little work is sent
forth In His Name, may
the Lord accompany it
with His divine blessings,
and God shall have all the
praise.
Hickory, NC 1916
FOLLOW JESUS
Follow Jesus at His word
Oft His mandates you have heard
With an humble heart fill the truth today
In life's pathway walk anew
As it is revealed to you
Be baptized since all your sins
He's washed away.
Chorus: Follow Jesus, follow Jesus, let His wondrous
Mercy, be no more disguised
Follow Jesus, follow Jesus
In the presence of the world
Oh be baptized!
Follow Jesus and obey
Ne'er from His example stray
If you're grateful for His mercy
Make it known
Wondrous blessing you will lose
If His bidding you refuse
Be baptized. Your gracious Savior
Gladly own.
Follow Jesus pardoned one.
Sacred duty never shun
If you love Him as you should
No longer pause
Felling 'til a solemn rite
With a spirit now contrite
Strong in faith go be baptized
As Jesus was.
THEY ARE WAITING FOR ME
They are waiting for me, o'er the shadowy sea
In the home on the deathless shore
There I'll meet them again, free from trials and pain
When my journey 'mid earthly scenes is o'er.
Chorus : They are waiting for me over there
Cherished friends who have gone from my side
They are waiting for me over there
Where the ransomed with Jesus abide.
They are waiting in light, on which falleth no night
In the beautiful land of God
And with them I shall sing praise to Jesus
Our King, who to save us a path of sorrow trod.
We shall speak no farewell by and by when we dwell
Where no parting is ever known
And there be no alloy in our infinite joy
When united we stand before the throne.
Pages from th
The Reverend W. N. Cook married Mary Lizinka Bean in 1898. They
came 1o Webster in 1917 for one year and returned in 1929. Mrs. Cook was
the daughter of E. C. and Emeline Bush Bean.
Mr. and Mrs. W. N. Cook were the parents of nine children. The family is shown with four of them (
right) Mary Ann, Minnie, John, and William Lee.
Summer, 1982, HISTORIC WEBSTER, Page 3
reCooks' Family Scrapbook
left to
Mr. Cook's second wife was Miss Lillian Stillwell, the
daughter of Martha Allman and Richard Siler Stillwell of
Webster.
You Are Co rdially Invited
To The Service•
:11 the
HAMBURG BAPTIST CHURCH
Preachi n-g Ench lsi and 3 rd Sunday Morcing
Sur.day Sobool Each Sundaoy , 10 A.M.
W . N . COOK. PASTOR
Elinor Cleveland West was the Reverend W. N. Cook's third
wife. Miss Nellie was the daughter of W. B. and Estelle Bailey
Cleveland. She was a teacher, banker, and Highlands
postmaster. In 1960 Mrs. Cook was the Macon County
representative to the North Carolina General Assembly.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
LOWELL BAPTIST CHURCH
Sunday School
Men's Bible Class
(Redmen's Hall)
10:00 a. m.
9:45a. m.
Worship Every Sunday 11:00 a. m.
Evening Worship 7:30p.m.
Prayer Meeting Wednesday 7:30 p. m.
W. M. S. Thursday 7:30 p. m.
(Before the Fourth Sunday)
Other Services Announced From The Pulpit
AIM-- Three Hundred in Sunday School
Page 4, HISTORIC WEBSTER, Summer, 1982
Reflections
by Janice Monteith Blanton
Mrs. Pearl Madison
Neatness and pretty
clothes, a beautiful smile,
piano playing, and a prim
walk are among the characteristics
that come to mind
when I think of Mrs. Pearl
Madison, my former neighbor,
teacher, friend, and
supporter.
My first recollection of
Mrs. Madison is that every
time Nell (Ensley Bryson)
and I saw her come out of
her house to walk up the
street to the post office or
store, we made every effort
to fall in behind her, at a
reasonable distance , of
course, to mimic her walk.
We were just kids - preschool
and early elementary
- and we thought she had
the most fascinating walk of
anyone around and that if we
could just learn to walk a little
like her, we'd have it
made. We thought she never
knew why we were shadows
in the distance as she went
up and down Webster's main
street; I wonder now if she
really did.
Aside from Mrs .
Aside from teaching, and
she did an excellent job, she
also played the role of
"social and music chairman"
for both elementary
and high school activities.
Any time the weather was
too bad to go outside, Mrs.
Madison always vivaciously
found " inside fun" for us.
She was a fantastically energetic
pianist and we could
always depend on her to
play lively songs for us to
sing. The nicest thing about
her was that she always
seemed to have as much fun
as we did. With bubbling enthusiasm,
she always sang
along and could be easily
persuaded to "sing another
one." We'd even dance once
in a while ; however, that activity
was apt to be quickly
followed by a visit from one
of the local preachers who
would promptly point out the
error of our ways and
there'd be no dancing for a
few months.
beauties of algebra with us.
But there was just no way
she convince me ; to me,
"pie are round, cornbread
are square."
Over the years, in various
psychology courses, I've
studied "Modeling" - that
is, that young people tend to
model themselves after certain
adults whom they admire.
Obviously, Mrs. Madison,
as did many others of
my Webster acquaintances
about whom I've written,
had a significant positive influence
on my life as I grew
up in Webster. Truly, she, no
doubt, served as a motivator
in my interest in art, music,
pretty clothes and many
other things. She was a good
role model for me and many
other Webster young people.
As I was growing up,
Webster was full of excellent
role models after whom we
could pattern our lives. We
were very lucky to have
around us adults who believed
in us and encouraged us
in every possible way. I hope
the present generation of
Webster youngsters are
equally fortunate .
Minister Guided
By Mr. W. N. Cook
By Ernest A. Fitzgerald
Nearly forty years ago I
arrived in the lovely
Webster Community as the
new Methodist minister.
Still in college and i!.l my
teens, I knew so little about
my task. Down the hill from
our parsonage lived a
remarkable man , the
Reverend W. N. Cook. Mr.
Cook was the Baptist
minister but was known and
loved across the mountain
country as one of God's
great souls. I sensed in him
a friend who would guide a
boy preacher on his way. We
spent many hours together.
Somehow we never knew
that we were separated by
denominations. We worked
side by side, and I profited
by this man's great wisdom.
To Mr. Cook I am a debtor.
An Old Testament write
once said, "And a man shall
be as a hiding place from the
wind, a shelter in the
tempest, a covert in the
storm, and as a rock in a
weary land." I once knew a
man like that. His name was
W. N. Cook.
Dr. Fitzgerald is now the
senior minister of West
Market Street United
Methodist Church ,
Greensboro.
Be Thou My Guide
By W. N. Cook
Be Thou my guide, 0 Jesus
mine,
The waves of sin, are
whirling fast.
And threaten to o'er power
me.
Be Thou my guide, til strife
is past.
T'is all that I ask be Thou
my guide,
0 keep in paths, where
Thou hast trod.
And bear me safely, o'er
death 's cold tide
Grant this, 0 Thou,
eternally God.
Madison's interesting gait,
we thought she had to be
about the prettiest lady
around ; she was always
very neat and had lovely
clothes. I don't think I ever
saw her, even in the early
hours of the morning, when
she wasn't dressed like
she'd come out of a mind
box, immaculate from head
to toe. Her hair always looked
as if she'd just come from
the hair dresser, and her
dresses, or skirts, were always
meticulously clean
and pressed. She represented
my and Nell 's idea of a
model whom we'd like to
look like when we grew up.
The Webster school
chorus functioned under the
leadership of Mrs. Madison.
She was both director and
pianist, which, to anyone but
her, would have been an impossible
task. Those in the
chorus never observed any
frustration on her part about
the dual role. With a bright
smile and a gleam in her
eyes, she could encourage us
to do about anything. I know
she was a master of persuasion
because one year she
talked me into singing the
high soprano of the "Lord's
Prayer" in a duet for a baccalaureate
service - all of
you who know me personally
know that my voice is so low
and deep I should have been
singing bass instead!
Cook Served Webster
In later years, when we
were students at Webster
School, Mrs. Madison continued
to play an important
role in our lives. She was the
eighth grade teacher there
as long as I can remember.
When the Sylva-Webster
High School was built she
taught there until she retired.
At school, no doubt,
she influenced many young
girls to take pride in their
dress and appearance, as
she did Nell and me.
There was one thing
though that Mrs. Madison
never did manage to persuade
me to believe. and
that was 71' r ... In the eighth
grade I had my first introduction
to algebra, and
I'm afraid I was a source of
woe to Mrs. Madison. I
argued a lot over the logic
(or lack of logic as I saw it)
of algebra . Mrs. Madison
even asked Mr. Ernest
Penland, our principal, to
come in and discuss the
(Continued from Page 1)
term in Webster but he
would return for two other
tours with the Webster Baptists
and fix himself almost
permanently in the town's
life.
During the years 1916-1921
Mr. Cook became the first
missionary of the
Tuckasegee Baptist
Association. A missionary
for a local association is, in
effect, the director of the
complete activities of the
association. As part of his
work with the churches he
founded The Tuckasegee
Baptist, the association's
newspaper, to keep the far
flung and hard-to-get-to
church's information.
During the same years the
Reverend Cook did not limit
his missionary work to
Jackson county, but he served
Western North Carolina
as a member of the State
Mission Board. The Cooks
also founded the area's first
Baptist Training Union.
Mrs. Cook passed away in
1921. Mr. Cook moved to
Murphy for a year and in
1922 he married Miss Lillian
Stillwell of Webster, the
daughter of Richard S. and
Martha Allman Stillwell.
Together the Cooks moved
east to Lowell. Again Mr.
Cook had found a perfect
partner for his profession
and his life. "Miss Lillian"
managed his home, reared
his children, and assisted his
ministry. In pamphlets and
church notices her picture
appeared beside his as his
equal in the operation of
their churches. Mter three
years in Lowell and four
years in Kings Mountain,
the Cooks returned to
Webster, familiar ground
for Mr. Cook and home to
Mrs. Cook. The Cook would
not leave the mountains
again. From 1929 until 1943
they led the congregation of
the Webster Baptist Church
and ministered to the
physical and spiritual needs
of the village. The Reverend
Cook gave up the Webster
Church after fourteen years,
in 1943, but the Cooks did not
leave Webster. For the next
five years they served churches
across Jackson and
Haywood counties, including
Webster, 1945.
In May of 1948 Mrs. Cook
died and in December Mr.
Cook married Macon county
businesswoman Nellie West.
Mr. Cook closed his Webster
home soon after that and
moved to Mrs. Cook's home
in Franklin. He no longer
held a pulpit but he continued
with his lifelong profession
of the ministry. He
led revivals, taught classes,
performed ceremonies,
always involved in the life of
his church and community.
He passed away in Franklin
in 1958.
/'Y'\. HISTORIC~
WEBSTER
Summer , 1982 Webster, North Carolina 28788
Editor : Joe P. Rhinehart
Contributors : Janice Monteith Blanton, Mildred Cowan,
Ernest A. Fitzgerald, Jenny Hunter, Minnie Cook Nipper ,
Florence S. Rhinehart, Joe W. Rhinehart.
Published quarterly by the Webster Historical Society and
printed by the Her ald Publishing Company, Sylva, North
Carolina
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No full textsj-xlsx-4-hpq-10.1177_13591053211064986 for Examining commonsense epidemiology: The case of asthma by Gabrielle Pogge, Erika A Waters, Gregory D Webster, David Fedele, Sreekala Prabhakaran and James A Shepperd in Journal of Health Psychology</p
sj-docx-5-hpq-10.1177_13591053211064986 – Supplemental material for Examining commonsense epidemiology: The case of asthma
No full textSupplemental material, sj-docx-5-hpq-10.1177_13591053211064986 for Examining commonsense epidemiology: The case of asthma by Gabrielle Pogge, Erika A Waters, Gregory D Webster, David Fedele, Sreekala Prabhakaran and James A Shepperd in Journal of Health Psychology</p
sj-csv-7-hpq-10.1177_13591053211064986 – for Examining commonsense epidemiology: The case of asthma
No full textsj-csv-7-hpq-10.1177_13591053211064986 for Examining commonsense epidemiology: The case of asthma by Gabrielle Pogge, Erika A Waters, Gregory D Webster, David Fedele, Sreekala Prabhakaran and James A Shepperd in Journal of Health Psychology</p
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