15,884 research outputs found
Pioneer home of Fred Lambrecht, Webster County. L - R: Fred Lambrecht; daughter Elsie Lambrecht Skjelver; son Herbert Lambrecht.
No full textPioneer home of Fred Lambrecht, Webster County. L - R: Fred Lambrecht; daughter Elsie Lambrecht Skjelver; son Herbert Lambrecht
Mrs. R. L. Webster Home Below Owl Creek Reservoir #4
No full textPhotograph of Mrs. R. L. Webster pointing to roughly the estimated maximum height of the rising waters from an intense rainfall on the morning of May 11. People shown in photo go as followed from left to right: 1. Mrs. R. L. Webster, 2. Mills Webster. The back of the photograph proclaims, "Mrs. R. L. Webster who lives below Owl Creek Detention Reservation No. 4 points to level of water on morning of May 11 during intense rain in the watershed. Son, Mills Webster, 14, looks on. Websters believe water would have risen two feet inside home had it not been for dam. Livestock in barn nearer creek had narrow escape but none was lost.
Lewis Webster Jones
No full textJones and Dr. Robins, dressed in graduation regalia, standing beside Mrs. Robins. On verso: Augusta College Picture (l to r): Dr. Robins. Mrs. Robins. Dr. Jones.Lewis Webster Jones (1899-1975) was President of the University of Arkansas, 1947-1951
Historic Webster Vol. 1 No. 4
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 1 Number 4 a newsleffer of 16e we6sfer 6isforical sociel!: Summer 1914
Historic Webster Days
Celebration
Historic Webster Days will Swan, and Bill McinTyre will
provide a truly old fashioned gtve us a night of good listening
Fourth of July celebration for and square dancing. Music
Jackson County dur ing the four begins at 8: 00 on Thursday
days of festivities at the old night, 9:00 on Friday and SaturWebster
Elementary School. day nights.
~~~s~~~n~i~~oik~fSo~~e~: ~~~ Mr. & Mrs. Webster
the Sylva Jaycees, as a benefit
~or the ~ebst~r Historical Soc- The two oldest residents of
tety. It ts hoped that the e~en~ Webster' Arthur Allman and
c"!-n be ~n an!lual <:elebrati?n, Lilly (Nanniehart) Rhinehart,
wtth an espectally bi_g occast?n will be honored at the Opening
planned for the Bicentenmal Ceremonies of the first annual
year of 1976· . . . " Historic Webster Days Fourth
;<\mong,the many acttvtltes at of July Celebration." They will
th.ts year s. July 4th at Web~ter be named "Mr . and Mrs . Hiswtll
be dtsplays of old . tJ!lle toric Webster" in an official
crafts such _as. blacksmithmg proclamation presented by the
and boardsphttmg, manned by Mayor of Webster, Mr. Roy
Jack. Hoy!~ ~nd Gene Thorn- Baker. The proclamation will
burg! a spmnmg ~bee~ demon- be inscribed on a hand decorstrat!
On b~ Sophie. ~t.shop ; a ated scroll made by Elizabeth
broommakmg exhtbitlon ar.td Keys. Mr. and Mrs. Historic
broo!"" sale as wei~ as a qu!It Webster will then reign over the
~~M~"~~~~~~Jtr:;~~~ean~~~~l! four days of festivities.
~ ~~~~i~~~it i~~ffiu~.ut~~~~W~~ Opening Ceremony
Eldredge and Margo Crawford
are in charge of the STI exhibit. The Mayor of Webster, Roy
Handmade crafts such as bon· Baker , will ride into town in a
nets and wood carvings, signs horse drawn buggy provided by
burned in wood, and other items Dr. Ralph Morgan, to open the
will be sold at var ious booths to first annual Historic Webster
be set up on the school grounds. Fourth of July Celebration . A
Gracia Slater, Susan Morgan, dinner catered by the Canter·
and Judy Coyle are setting up a bury Inn and served by the
Country Store where they will women of Webster will begin at
sell locally prepared foods such 5:00p.m. on Thursday, July 4th,
as homebaked bread and followed by the flag raising
chcrned butter , honey, canned ceremony, courtesy of the Webfruits
and vegetables, and fresh ster Boy Scout Troop No. 903. A
produce. The Store will be cons- Readers Theatre production ditructed
inside the school house. reeled by Kathy Carr will be
On the grounds for the Fourth presented during the dinner.
will be baked goods and sand- Mayor Baker and Bruce Wike,
wiches sold .by the East Sylva C~ai~man of .the County ComBaptist
Church Dorcas Sunday !lllSStoners, wtll make the openSchool
Class; a lemonade stand mg remarks.
Horse Show set up by the Webster Home·
makers, who will also be selling
handmade bonnets; and a booth
selling watermelon slices. The first annual Webster
Some of the old fashioned Horse Show will be held on
games and contests planned Saturday, July 6, on the grounds
include a greased pig chase, a o~ the old Webster School begingreased
pole climb, a tug~f- nmg at 1:00 p.m. Show Secrewar,
and gunny sack races for tary. Diana Nicholson and Show
all ages. James Roper is in Chairmen Dean Allman and
charge of games, which begin at Johnny Watson have been larg-
2:00 p.m. on Friday and Satur- ely responsible for planning the
day. Also at 2:00 on Satur- show. The Judge for the show is
day is the tubing iace, under the Tommy Lucas of Franklin.
super vision of Jerry and Laura Woody Hampton, Sylva, will be
Coffey. While the games and Ringmaster, and Jon Danencontests
ar e in progress, David bower of Dillsboro is Master of
Purser will be offering buck- Ceremonies. Duggan Ledford
board rides around Webster, from Franklin will serve as
and the Jaycees will have all Farrier .
their tra ditional entertainmeQt Entry fees for the twenty·four
booths open. Paul Cowan, J r ., different events planned will
Buddy Lane, and Richard Tay- range from 2.50,
half the regular yearly dues.
The new membership year will
begin in January, 1975, when we
hope that all old members will
renew their memberships and
continue to be active in the work
or the Society.
School Grounds Are
Shaping Up For Fourth
Spencer Clark and his Build- and for l<.. .o urth of July decor·
ing and Grounds Committee ations.
have been getting the Webster The Bwldmg and Grounds
School in shape for the big Committee has also had the
Fourth of July festivities. Under help of eight young people
Spenc~r 's supe~vision and the working under the auspices of
direction of thetr Scout Master the Neighborhood Youth Corps.
Al Byers, the Webster Boy They are Davis Wood, John
Scou~ Troop No. 903 has been Houston, Dale Stiles, Billy Friz·
mee~mg at the school and zell, Joyce Hammerly, Pamela
helpmg to clean up. Bobby Ray Bradley, Kathy Powell, and ,
and Gail. Wtl~on , Paul Cowan Geneva Donaldson . Joyce
Jr. a~d Jtm Stmpson have been Hammet;Jy is answering the
workmg on the grounds, land· telephone at the Historical Sociscaping
and getting. the grass ety Offic~ and keeping the office
mowed. ~e School ~s surroun- open ft:om 8:00 to 3:00 daily,
ded by mne ~aubful acres. Monday through Friday. The
Buddy and Margaret Clark other ~YC workers ha.ve ~n
have donated plants for the scrubbmg floors_, washmg winbeautification
of the _gr'!unds ~~~~it~~~ cleanmg away trash
Attention, Artists!
Artists, please come for the artists who wish to commence a
hanging on July 3 and 4 at lively career in the Art World to
Webster, N.C., to be held in the enter their work. We will man
gray stone building on the hill the Art Gallery for the full four
(at one time, the School !) We days of the Webster Historical
expect to exhibit works of Society Festival July 4, 5, 6, 7.
celebrated artists who live or Any volunteers for duties in·
visit in our beautiful world of valved in conducting an art
the Smokies. gallery are welcome. Please
advise us by phone or come by
Any work to be sold will pay to the Webster School. Telephone
the Webster Historical Society Elizabeth Keys, 586·5988, Chairfifteen
per cent of the sale price. man of The Webster Art Lea-
There will be a Grand March History. DeSoto's people in- We also invite all aspiring gue.
and Judging of costumes, eluded the Gentleman of Elvas,
beards, and moustaches at the DeSoto's Portugese Scribe, as
Webster School Building Sun- well as men of the clergy,
day evening, July 7, '74, at 7: 00 scouts, and probably cooks and
p.m. (Men who arrive with dish washers, too. Later on,
Society Business Meeting
clean shaven faces may be fined there were British Red-Coats, The members of the Webster
or sent to the local jail"!) French Voyageurs from the Historical Society will meet at
and to make plans for the
future. Come and exchange
ideas .. You can have a large
share m determining the future
of Webster.
Whatever century, era, or Mississippi in quest of Furs, 7:30p.m. on Monday, July 15, at
occasion for the costume you then the proud military families the Webster School. The main
wear , try for authenticity first. who migrated after the Battle business of the meeting will be
For example, if you portray a of the Boyne, and the Revolt of to hear a report on and to
Croquet Buff of the Summer of the Irish Earls. There were the discuss the current status of
Music and square dancmg D · Th 1910, remember not to wear plantation aristocracy from effor ts to buy the old Webster This Fourth of July edition of
will be provided mght1y at Inner ealre nylons! The Spanish Conquista- South Carolina and Georgia; Elementary School. Officers of Historic Webster is being sent to
Historic Webster Days 4th of . . dares at the other end of our the American frontier settlers; the Society and members of the al~ m~mbers Of the Webster
J~y celebration. On Thursday t As /jart ~~ th~ ~tsto~:c "teb: tim~ ~ spec.trum did n~t sport loggers; miners; mail carriers Town Council will be meeting Htst?n~al Societ¥. We will be
mght the Webster Cloggers,ser ays e mverst¥ urn cham mail. OK? Durmg the on fast horses; doctors on withtheSchooi Boardon J uly 10 pubhshmg four J.SSues a year
directed by Ken Cabe, will ~;~ ~he~r~ Cpr~ct;ctdo; . ~~ time lapse between these two horseback or in buggies--depen- and will report the results to the from now on-Fall, Winter,
perform, fo11owed by music and .
11 ~ or 0t d a~ th a~ ~r[ extremes, there are possibili- ding on terrain to be covered. membership at the July 15 Spring, and a special Summer
square dancing for everybody WI presen e a e e s er ties for a wide range of fancy meeting. Members will also issue for the Fourth of J uly.
provided by Wallace Swan. On Schr l on J uly .1~ tnd. 6· ~~~ dress, as Webster History in· Also, there were the elegant begin planning the 1975 Fourth Starting with this issue, the
Friday nigh.t "Train" will sup· ~r ormanc.e WI egm . eludes it all. Huguenots who may have at- of J uly and looking ahead to the Summer edition will be sold to
ply the mustc; and on Saturday n!g~ts. at ?1i3~ p.m. c;:: :r~day We will have highly compe- tended church in Parisian bon- Bicentennial in 1976. non-members during Historic
night Ralph Lewis and the mg t It w~ e ~rec e Y a tent J udges, also prizes. nets, with lace parasols. There This will be a good oppor- Webster Days at fifty cents per
Piney Mounta in Boys from ca~ered dmner 10 the school Surplfise us all and wear were brides, and judges and tunity to get acquainted with copy. Members will continue to
Asheville, Earl Cowart and the something colorful, original, or blacksmiths. What else? Plenty other members of the Historical receive all four issues as a
Blue Grass Four, W~llace Tul'n To Page Two beautiful, all Authentic Webster more. Surpr ise us? ! Soci~ty, to join a committee, me.mbership privilege.
Page Z
r~-~- .. ·- ~ -· .• .. . ·~
=••~::: ~~~~~: .~~ ~:~~· . ~ :0;e::: ::::k I ~~= Tickets for the dinner and play ment of Speech and Theatre fashioned hog barbeque, Web- · t
are available in advance at the Arts at Western Carolina Uni- ster is the place to' see one on . . t
Little Theatre Box Office on the versity is the director. July 6. . . The Webster Cookbook is and mk drawmg of Webs_ter 's ~
WCU campus at the Webster planned for publi ca tion landma rks--the covered bndge,
Post Office, o~ at Cowan Insur- Novef!lber I. The book features ~h~ old Webster school , the
ance Agency in Sylva. Tickets Gospel Sing fa voni('S of famous Webster J<u l. _lh_C' l'hurchcs, homes.
will be sold at the school on the Art Show cooks I rom over one hundred _It IS JUSt a good boo~--on_e you t
days of the performance. Cost year s. \\:Ill want to keep not JUSt m the t
for dinner and theatre is 3.50 for children Under the chairmanship of is invited to attend old fashioned _F~J a large dmner try _Mr~ . l{(~ llH'Ill?(' r Chnst rna ~ IS t
under 12. Theatre tickets alone Elizabeth Keys and with the church services in Jackson f~ 1 ~ 1 e , . C ow~ rd En J:?: lJ ~h s e~Hmng : 1 here. a re weddmgs, i for Friday or Saturday night help of Francois Cla~tier, the County and then to bring a .1 l<i nl .t t J,on Supper··a. n ~ h , birthdays. all kmds of reasons
are 3.50 for adults, $1.50 way. For Historic Webster Days School grounds and join in on a c ot n. meat · and noodles. ht•s Jdcs thoS(' you want for t
for children. Reservations may there will be an exhibition and " eatin' and singin' on the yours('lf. t
be made by calling the Depart· sale of paintings at the Webster grounds". Gospel music will be l\1 r s . Ed ith Moore Hal I 's t
ment of Speech and Theatre School, with 15 per cent of the provided by Mike Clayton, Bill (;arlic Grits will li ven a meal. ORDER t
Arts at WCU, telephone 293· sale price going to the Webster Deitz, and the Redeemed' Quar- any meal. It is just grits with t
This play, compiled and a- the show will begin on July 3. garlic. Sprinkled with YOUR
dapted by Norman Corwin, Ham Dinner .:ornflakes, it can be served for
covers the works of Carl Sand· Barlieque supp<·r at night and easily
burg from the cradle to the On Sunday night, July 7, the \\·arm<'d for the next morning's COOKBOOK
grave. It is a compilation of women of the First United hJTakfast.
song, prose, and poetry display· Monroe Lindsey will begin Methodist Church of Sylva will
ing Mr. Sandburg's sense of earlySaturdaymorning,July6, sponsor a ham dinner to be There arc cakes Mrs. Sally AT THE
MOTOR
COURT
Color
Television
Air
Conditioning
Your Bo•ll
Mr. 6 Mrl. A. T. Marroy
Tel. 586-2123
7491. Historical Society. Hanging of tet from Statesville, N.C. th(' lash' of cheese, and a hint of I
humor, sense of beauty and preparing a gigantic open pit served at the Webster School. 1\ ld 'onn('II'S old ' fa shioned
sense of tragedy. , barbeque on tht; Webster ~hool Afte_r the din!ler there will be a pound cak<·, known all over
. The players are Nancy Ham- grounds. He will be roastmg a closmg bonfire and a . vesper town . A hig spice cake has been FOURTH OF JULY + SYLVA, N- C. +
f!1111 of Brevard.' James E1ch· pig ~nd ftfty chickens all day for servtce conducted by the Rev. deH•Iop(>d by Mrs. An nit• Louise t , i hog of Pumpkm Town, and a dmner to be served at 6:00 Gene McCants of Webster. ~ t adi son Heed called War Cake- CELEBRATION + Ma•• St.
-it is (•nough for an army. t Get Involved In Helping ·············'
'
S<ilads, Mrs . Stella Broyles ••••••••••••••••••••-.
llall's Twt•nty Jo'our Hour Salad
Preserve And Restore Webster 1nadl' with (•ggs; brt·ads,
1\kxinlll Cnrnbr('ad , rolls: a
\\onderfu llv ril'h Coffp(• Punch··
Are you looking for a way to
get involved in the Webster
Project? Good! Join the more
than eighty people who are
already sel_'ving on committees.
Call any of the committee
chairmen, officers or directors.
Special Events··Fourth of Ju.
ly: Paul and Lynda Cowan
te~und Raising:Judy Carpen-mon
· and 'mo re··2:~7 recipes in
Tell them you want to help. Board of Directors: Roy Ba·
There's plenty for everyone to ker, Spencer Clark, Dick Iobst, all -- in a 1xlok that a cook who
do, fun in the work, and fine John Parris and Joe Rhinehart. has s<'<'n it ca lls "a readable
people to ~et ac9uainted with. Officers: Betty Pric~, Presi· i n t e r t' s t i n g , p r a ct i c a i
The followmg officers and com- dent ; Manlyn Jody, VIce Pres- cnokhnok." Pradical seems to
mittee chairmen are waiting to ident; Jim Simpson , Treasurer; be a good word for th('S(' times.
hear from you . and Mary Morris, Secretary.
Committees
Museum and Archives: Dick
lobs!
\lusic and Community
But lhNe is more than
rl'l"i pl's: l\ lrs. Lilly Hhinehart ,
1\liss Dorothy l\1ourc, Miss
1\lildrl'd Cowan, Mrs. Louise
Restaurant: Jerry Ewen and i\ lad_ison !~edford , _Mrs. Pat
Edna Beck l\ll'Kee 11lle-y. l\1 1ss Mary
1\Jnrris, and 1\Irs. Janice
i\lontipth Ulanton. all Webst<'r
Country Store: Gracia Slater girl s. talk ~1hout . food as they
and Helen Cowan ).!. l'l' \\" up m \rV(•bstl'l'. Mrs.
House Tours and Hospitality Tht'atcr: J .C. Alexander
Margaret Simpson
Louise B. Da vis has written
Wehs!('r's hi story.
ReCreation: James Roper The Webster Cookbook is
illustrated with d('licate pen
Newsletter: Alice HarriH and
Building and Grounds: Spen· Louise Davis
cer Clark
Scrapbook and Bulletin
Board: Mildred Cowan
Cookbook: Joe and Flossie
Rhinehart
Membership and Correspon-dence:
Kate Rhinehart Finance: BiH Fisher Town Planning: Roy Baker
Youmt Historians: Lucille
Bryson and Marilyn Jody
THE
NORTHWESTERN
BANK
Member Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Contributors:
Editors :
Louise Davis
Alice Harrill
Marilyn Jody
Mrs. Maurice Carlton
Mrs. Jennie Lou Hunter
Mrs. Elizabeth Keys
Ms. Mary Morris
Mr. John Parris
Mr. Joe Parker Rhinehart
Mr. Jim Wells
Western Carolina
Universi9'
Typeset and Printing by Herald
Printing Co., Sylva
HOOPER'S
DRUG STORE
Bob Kelley
KRISMART
FASHIONS
Wishes the best of luck to the
Webster Historical Society, Inc.
in its efforts to preserve and restore Webster
-.
Mountain Folks Are A Musical Lot
\
by John Parris
AFAMILYREUNtON
1905
Last Monday, J une 12, was
the anniversary of the birth of
Mountain folks are a musical Mr. Nathan Coward and the
loi. regular day of the Annual
Even the poorest cabin away Reunion of the Coward Family
off back of beyond will boast a including all of Mr. Coward's
banjo or a fiddle hanging on a children, grandchildren and
nail. grea t-g r a ndc hildren . It has
Neither the phonograph, ra- been a custom for several years
dio or television has caused the now for the Cowards and their
hillsman to part with his banjo rela tives to meet on their
or fiddle, albeit many a cabin ancestor's birthday every year
has one or all three. at the horne of himself and his
And when it comes to mountair.·- children taken in rotation
music--well , it 's right there at meeting first a t the father's,
the top in popularity. ·next the oldest child's and so on
Tunes that never knew any . around . This year the
instrument but a fiddle , broom- celebrat ion took place at his
straws, and a banjo have won own home. Mr. Coward was on
popularity with big orchestras · thC' occasion eighty-seven years
as program spicers. old being born just a bout six
Hillbilly bands are in demand years a ft er the War of 1812. <He
and mountain folk song sym- was born in 1818 l. We hope to
phonies have received acclaim give the story of his life in the
in recent years. journal soon .
ThEl mountain songs boast a There was not as large a
proud lineage for the most part. proport ion of the family present
Many of the ·tunes and words ,as usual, the families of Mr. Kit
can be traced to Elizabeth Z<t<:harv and Mr. Oscar Coward
England. tx•ing barely represented and
For this reason, students and that of Mr. Hobert Coward , who
collectors have been interested li vt•s in Piedmont being ent irely
in them for years. But it's only absPnt. Mr . Coward was also
comparatively recently that the vt'ry sick but in spite of a ll , the
sometimes lilting, sometimes Fiddle made by the tate Rogers Coward of Webster. Don.ated to the Webster Historical Society n·umon was very successful
~~~~~ulof~~!i~e~!~af~~t~Jc.the Museum and Archives by Elda Coward of Norton Commumty. ~~~~~'~1~~·~:·gf~!~~:~f~e:i~~~;
Even Broadway has it 's hill - Tht• di nnPr was served picnic
billy singer. So does Park fa shion : the eatables, whi~h
Avenue, the street .of milk and Several years ago an old-ttme Usually, they are folks who " I could sell ten times as W<'I'P many and good, being
millions. fiddle-player was discussmg fmd pleasure m domg a btg of many,"shesatd, " tf ihad them. spn·ad on two ta bles while the
But for the pure, unadulter- fiddles with a city feller and fidd1ing themselves. Sometimes BesJt:les bemg fme mstruments, gu<'sts all helped themselves
ated stuff, you've got to get off the city feller mentioned that they'll make two or three they are beautifully made and standi ng.
the main roads and plunge into the finest fiddles in the world fiddles a year and hide them would be something just to look Afl <•r di nner they all occupied
the out-of-the-way places back were those . made by a man around the house. And then at even if they never were th<'ll iS{'I\"PS with conversation
in the hills. named Stradivar ius. · they'll go a year or so without played." nnd otlwr amusements . All the
It 's ther
Lewis Webster Jones
No full textJones taking with Davis and Reid. On verso: 1-'48. Land Grant College meet in Washington, D. C. fall q '47. L. - Dr. Jones. M. - T. Roy Reid, Pers. Dir. Dept. of Agri. R. - Ray E. Davis, asst. Pers officer. F.H.H. [?] USDA [?] class of '27. [engr. Instr.].Lewis Webster Jones (1899-1975) was President of the University of Arkansas, 1947-1951
Historic Webster Vol. 2 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.IICII!IHIIL IIIli
Dear Webster Historical Society Members:
Beginning now, Jackson County will be alive with
American Revolution Bicentennial activities which are
part of those being planned nationwide to "strengthen
the approaching third century of American
independence." The Bicentennial commemoration will
preserve the past and promote the future through the
action areas of HERITAGE, HORIZONS and
FESTIVALS. Jackson County, Webster, Sylva and
Western Carolina University are eligible to official
designation as Bicentennial communities. This means
that each of these communities will be planning special
projects and programs within the areas of
HERITAGE, HORIZONS and FESTIVALS.
The master plan for the North Carolina American
Revolution Bicentennial celebration is divided into
four phases:
Phase I --Overture, 1972-1976
Phase 11--Year of Declarations, 1976
Phase III --Competition 200, 1976-1989
Phase IV-··Finale, 1989
The Jackson County American Revolution
Bicentennial Celebration will be planned by a steering
committee and a community council composed of
representatives from all organizations in the county.
The committee and council, appointed by the county
commissioners, will be announced soon. The Webster
Historical Society's past efforts have been a
meaningful beginning to J ackson County's celebration
of the Bicentennial and will be a significant part of the
exciting years to come. The Webster J uly 4th
celebration of 1975 will include the county's
designation ceremony and will be the first event in a
series of bicentennial celebrations county-wide.
"BE A PART OF SOMETHING GREAT."
Betty Price, Chairperson,
Jackson County American Revolution
Bicentennial Commission
President, Webster Historical Society
:;:;:::::::::::::;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;::;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:
Webster Cookbook Is Selling Well
Requests for copies of lhe Webster Cookbook are far
exceeding expectations. Thanks go to the many Webster
Historical Society members and cooperative businesses who are
participating in these sales. In truth , the cookbook is selling
itself as fr iends of friends and even strangers catch sight of it.
The publishers, Edw.ards and Broughton of Raleigh , North
Carolina have placed full page advertisements in State
Magazine, the Tar Heel Ba nker. and North Carolina Education.
These have already brought favorable response. WMSJ of
:::: generously adding the cause. Great credit goes lo the local sales ::::
:::: chairman, Joe and Kate Rhinehart of Webster who house the :;::
:::: cookbooks, do the bookkeeping, and sell, deliver, package, and ::::
::;: mail copies on request. ::;:
:::: In addition to the Rhineharts, copies of the Webster Cookbook ::::
:::: may be obtained from any of the following individuals or places ::::
::::of business: Betty Price and Marilyn Jody, Webster; Mildred ::::
·:::: Cowan, Webster; Archie and Ruth Crawford, Webster ; and ::::
::::: Mary Morris, Library WCU, Cullowhee; Mrs. Vernon Stroupe, ::::
::::: Sr., Asheville; Joe Parker and Florence Rhinehart, Bethesda, ::;:
::::: Maryland; Anne-Margaret Cloth Shop, Highlands Road, ::::
::::: Franklin, North Carolina; Cheddar Box Cheese and Gourmet ::::
::::: Shop, Dillsboro, North Carolina, Scotties Discount Store, ::::
::::: Simpson Chevrolet, Continental Beauty Shop, all of Sylva, North ::::
:~1:~:;:~:~~:;::::~::;::~;::~:;:::~;~::;:::~:~:::~;:~::;:~;:::~;::~:;::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::~~~~
WEilSTEH. :\OHTH CAROLINA
First Jackson County
Court Formed In 1853
Asheville Citizen
May 22, 1932
The first court was organized
by Judge John W. Ellis, afterwards
governor of the State, at
the residence of Daniel Bryson,
Sr. on Scott's Creek, Monday,
March 3, 1853.
J. Newton Bryson was appointed
clerk of the court, and Allen
Fisher, c lerk and master in
equity . •
The sureties of these officials
were such men as W. H. Bryson,
John B. Allison, R. V. Welch,
John W. Dav is, Thaddeus D.
Bryson, and E. D. Brendle.
The second Superior Court was
opened Monday, September 19,
1953, at Allen Fisher's store
house, with Judge Dav id F.
Caldwell presiding. (Judge Caldwell
was the grandfather of Fred
C. Fisher, of Swain county, and
Miss Frances Fisher, author of
"The Land of the Sky"). E. D.
Davis was sheriff and J. Newton
Bryson, clerk of the court.
First Jury System
The first grand and petit juries
were composed of such familiar
pioneer names as Keener, Con·
' ley , Queen, Bryson, Brown,
Hooper, Dills , Alley, Allison,
Gibson, Wilson, Smith, Wood ,
Zachary, Hall, Norton, Shelton,
Hedden, Monteith, Sutton, Sherrill
, Henson, Allen, Buchanan,
Farley, Watson , Wike, Enloe,
Owne, Ensley, Ashe, Long, Dillard,
Davis , Parker, Parris,
Painter, Coward, Rogers, Hyatt,
Henderson, Moss , Middleton,
Potts, Parks, Shular, and Gunter.
The first case was placed on
docket for trial in the Superior
Court was State versus Adam
Mathis. The second was John B.
Allison and Woodford Zachary
versus Elisha Holden. The nature
of neither case is stated in the
record.
David Rogers, among the
youngest of these first county
officials, 40 years younger than
some of them was the last to pass
away. He died in the late Twenties
at his home in Cullowhee. At
the age of 94 he was as young and
sprightly in spirit as he was on
that autumnal morning in 1855
when he moved into the new
courthouse at Webster, as the
county's first clerk of the court.
The first State cOurts were six in
number and the judges and
lawyers proceeded from one to
another on horseback. For several
years prior to 1778 there
were no courts in North Carolina
unles they were single magistra·
cies which had jurisdiction of
petty offense and civil actions.
In 1868 these time-honored
though somewhat antiquated
courts were abolished and a
different procedure was adopted
by the state. Jackson county now
has the Superior court, and the
courts of the justices of the peace.
SPRING, 1975
Ottis Self ,
A Distinguished Citizen
By Mildred Cowan
Rubert Ottis Self, eldest child of Dr. William and Octavie Cowan
Self, was a distinguished citizen of Webster, of Jackson County, and
the entire stale of North Carolina. He was born at Franklin, North
Carolina in 1884. His parents returned to live at Webster where Ottis
attended public school. He was later a student at Cullowhee Normal
School, now Western Carolina University, and finished in the class of
1904.
He taught in the public schools of Jackson County in 1005; was
principal of Wakelon High School, Zebulon, North Carolina, in 1906;
and taught at Calvert in Transylvania County in 1907. He was
superintendent of public schools in Jackson County in 1908 and 1909.
During 1910 he was southern representative for the American Book
Company.
In 1911 Mr. Self became Clerk of the North Carolina Senate in
which office he served u,ntil19l9. During this period and until1940, he
held a number of Important positions in civil life and state
governments. He was active in the Kiwanis Club 'the Masonic
Knights of Pythias, and Odd Fellows Orders. Mr. Self's life and
career are further reviewed in a letter written by his daughter, Mrs.
Lura Self Tally, to me, her father's cousin.
Mrs. Tally is presently serving in the North Carolina Legislature
as 20th District Representative from Fayetteville, North Carolina.
Her letter follows:
North Carolina General Assembly
House of Representatives
State Legislative Building
Raleigh, 77611
Lura S. Tally March 18, 1975
20th District
Home Address: 3100 Tallywood Drive, Fayetteville, N. C. 28303
Miss Mildred Cowan
PO Box 116
Webster, North Carolina 28788
Dear Mildred:
Thank you very much for writing to me about my precious father.
shall try to write down a list of information for you.
Continued on Page 3
Historic Webster, Spring 1975, Page 2
Probable Date, the late Eighties
By Eliza beth Keys
Miss Margaret Anne Hunter,
our good neighbor on Caney Fork
Creek, is indeed an extraordinary
lady of 94 years <come May 3) ;
much kin d ness and a lov ing
heart. Also, Miss Mag twinkles
with bright wit in recounti ng
marvelous stories which are fond
a nd wonderful memories to her .
For ma ny, many yea rs, Miss
Mag has been a Special Person to
this writ er , but last week was our
firs t li te r a ry e ncount er in a
formal interview, for the "Webster
Hi s toric a l Soc ie ty News·
letter. "
Miss Mag emanates s trength ,
integrity, and in telligence. Her
delightful sophis ticat ion did not
spring from a ttending the Wo·
mens' College of Greensboro. Her
own nat ura l intellectua l curiosity
has kept her current and cognizant
with day to day events
local a nd world wide. Also, she
was an aware and observing li tt le
girl. Her brown eyes da nced as
she said that she and her younger
brother . Ra lph. were not greatly
im pressed with Sylva upon their
a r r iva l from Texas. 80 plus yea rs
ago. Texas. even in those days.
was known as " Big Country". so
the Smoky Mounta in hollows may
The hot el. a t this time. was the home and to right a re the servants Major Wells and Aunt have seemed cramped at first
business of Felix and Annie Ca rt er Leatherwood. Zelia Wells. The next three men are unknown . arrival. " The old g ray ho rse
The latticed banni ste rs and supp.crt-!!'!g cc!~mns.-cf-- Sca-:iX! neao. tli·c--c-o-:umu ·~ .1r-s-:-f' :·i :.: ::.ea ih-er --h~:ch cd :an pas: :ocn; by. n;od r;-o:
the porches were typical. at that time. of a number wood. with daughter Ethel and Ellen on each s ide . many houses in Sy lva then---!"
of houses in the Webster area. Standing as a group are her three older daughters. sti ll last in ~e r me.mo r~.
This picture was published in an early edition of May. Lee. and Belle. Leaning aga inst a column is The beauuful white . f1 ve ga ~l e
llis to1·ic \\'c bs tt·,·. but we th ought it wor th daught er Annie.Seatedwithpropped up fee tis Dr. Hunter H ~ m es t ea d,. where M1ss
1·epubli s hing beca use of the information furn ished Will Tompkins. The ot her people on the porch Mag has lived dunng her years
about the occupants of the porches b~· Mrs. Vernon cannot be identified. here. sta rted as a one room
Strou pe, Sr. , grandd a ughter of the F . H. In close proximity. about twenty fee t away, and cabin. bu ilt before her Daddy
Leatherwood's. Mrs. St roupe says. from what her back of the picket fence on the r ight ca n be seen a went West. That one-hundred-mother
Mrs . Lee Potts told her. most of the people portion of the Coward Hotel. home of Nathan year old cabin , pegged door and
can be identifi ed. Coward and hi s family . Both hotels were a ll. is st ill intact to see as pa rt of
To the left on the ups ta irs porch are Mr. and destroyed in the 19 10 disastrous fire which the Big House w ~ ich was .later
Mrs. Schreiber. On horseback. ha lf hidden by the originated in the Mount a in View. added by the builder , En cson
fence. is Joe Sher rill. On the lower porch from left Lovedahl from Sweden . Some of
:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:::::::;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;:;::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::=:::::=::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::=::::::::;:;:;:
Robert lee Madison
Education in Western
North Carolina,
Nineteenth Century
By .Joe Parker Rhin eha rt
Educa tion 101 A
December t2. 1 !)5~
At Sylva, a Mr. Page from
Ma ine ta ught the first part of the
t887-1888 year and Mr. Madison
took over at the mid-term . A
sudden and serious illness prevented
hs fini s hi ng the year.
After a recovery trip to Alabama
a nd Tennessee, he returned to
SUi f
Editors :
Mrs. Louise Davis
Ms. Alice Harrill
Dr. Marilyn Jody
Circulation
Mana ger :
Mrs. J ennie Lou Hunter
Typists:
Mrs. Sar ah Barrell
Mrs. Jennie Lou Hunter
Contr ibutors:
Mrs. Elizabeth Keys
Mr. Claude Cowan
Dr . Richard W. Jobst
Miss Mildred Cowan
Mrs. Vernon Stroupe , Sr.
Ms. Belly Price
Sylva in time to teach the
t888-t889 term.
The public money of the distr ict
had been spent on patent desks,
(the first in Jackson county), so
the school operated as a subscri
ption school.
Here Professor Madison had
forty pupils, ages 6 to 23, in
classes ranging from ABC's to
F'rench.
The grading system was different
from present day methods.
A one merit card was issued to
each student for being present, on
time, good behavior, good lessons,
and abstention from dis·
turbing others. Five one-merit
cards were exchanged for a
five-merit card ; five five-merit
cards were swapped for a twenty
five-merit card; a nd four twenty
five-marit cards were traded for
a hundred merit certifica te. A
student could acquire a hundr edmer
it cer tificate every month if
his record was excellent every
day of the four school weeks.
After Mr. Madison assumed
duties as editorr of the Tucka·
seigee D emocrat~. in January 9,
1889, he divided his day between
classroom and newspaper duties .
All nights except Friday were
spent in school work . Friday
nights were given to the literary
society at the public hall.
Al the beginning of the fa ll of
1888, Madison had subscribed to
several leading educational jour·
nals. including Sc hool Journa l
and the Teac her's Inst it ute. and
had several leading educa tor 's
writings. Before the fa ll term was
over he had organized a group of
practice teachers. " As fa r as I
know th is was the first attempt
ever made to practice teaching in
this county." It was on a sma ll
scale and participa tion was voluntary
.
Madison stayed at Sylva, but
with an intention of starting a
public school. Here he became
impressed with the needs of a
perm a ne nt in s t it ution for this
mountainous section. The inst i tu~
tion would not only give the young
people better pre pa r at ion or
foundation for their future voca·
tions , but would a nswer the acute
need for preparing teachers for
the county and village schools.
"Fortunately fo r me and for
the educationa l future of th is
region , the genera l assem bl y of
t889 had abo lished the then
existing eight normal schools and
had provided in their stead the
money previously set apar t for
them should be expended for
teacher's ins titutes to be held
annua lly for the duration of a
week or more in each county in
the state.
The teacher 's insti tute lead to
the turning point in Professor
Madison's li fe.
the sta tely trees. as well as the
immense silo, were vict ims of
high wi nds in the past. There is
litt le need now for the ca ttle
fee ding s tation as Miss Mag no
longer continues Ra lph Hunter 's
registered Hereford herds since
his demise two yea rs ago. Ra lph
Hunter was the greatest a uthori
ty on Hereford cattl e and blood
lines in th is region. His da ta and
papers would be a prime acquisition
for the Western Carolina
University Archi ves.
Miss Mag knows so ma ny
things; such as, it is a fact tha t
Caney Fork Creek was so named
because the Master-Cra ftsman
Basket Weavers of the Cherokee
preferred the Caney r vi'k canes
above a ll others for their art
work. The superio rity of these
canes lies in the clim ate of the
Ca ney Fork Valley which is a
therma l pocket tha t protects the
canes from becoming brittle with
heavy freezes. Th us the ca nes
respond in flex ibili ty in working
into the exquis ite des igns and
techniques of basketry of the
Cherokee.
Miss Mag's Daddy, Mr . J ohn
Hunter , was the fi r st Caney Fork
resident to pay for posta l delivery
to his home. Then, the mai l came
by way of the new ra ilroad to
Sylva , was waggoned to Cull owhee
and East LaPorte , and
forwa rded by horseback up Caney
Fork, John 's Creek, and the
Rich Mounta in Section.
Earlier , John Hunte r had removed
to Texas a fter four year s '
active duty with the Confederate
Army . With his young wife ,
Minerva Brown Hunter , he esta·
blished his home is Sage, Texas,
where their three children were
born. The cat tle bus iness prospered
and all was well until Miss
Minerva came down with " Deser
t Feve r ". So, her hu s ba nd
brought her home, with their
little ones, to the beautiful Blue
Ridge to recover. For Minerva , it
was too late , but her three
children flouri shed - . the two
daughters pa ssed 90 years each,
a nd the son, Ra lph, atta ined 86.
Miss Mag reca lls her Grandmother
Brown's food preserving
from those ea r ly years. Little
gray, glazed ceramic jars were
the con ta iners. Hot cooked food
was poured into the hot. scalded
jars . and sea led with tissue pa per
soa ked in hot bees wax . This was
snugged down ta ut ov er the
mouth of the ja r with a str ing
winding a round the wa xed paper
overha nd at the top of each jar .
Sounds delicious. doesn't it ?
Miss Mag has greeted me so
oft en a t he r ever- hos pit ab le
home. I ca nnot count the times. It
is mostly the summer season
though. when I ride horseback up
that \Vav a nd vis it with my
wonderflil fri end. But. never unt il
our recent int erview. had Miss
I\ lag shown me the anc ient. hand
appliqued quilt. a fam ily heirloom.
It so im pressed me tha t I
inq uired about it at the Tryon
Pa lace Sympos ium which I re-
•ti a-ii cnded i11 '~c ' Be .
Nor tli Ca rolina . The discussions
of the Sympos ium we re con cerned
with Eighteenth Cent ury
deco r a ti ve Art s in the Early
Ame ri can Homes . T he Celebrated
a utho rity on Eight eenth
and Nineteenth Century Text iles.
Miss Mil dred B. Lan.icr of the
\Vill iamsburg Hcst orat ion Staff.
gave marvelous lec tures on Textiles
in the Southern Homes in the
sevent eenth and eighteen th centuries.
As I descr ibed as fully as
possi ble 1\liss Mag's qui lt. Miss
La nier and the class were very
much interested . Miss La nier .
without hav ing seen it. could give
only an educat ed guess rega rding
the. qui lt. However. it seems to be
one of the priceless sur vivors of
the age when glazed cott on chintz
was sti ll being imported from
Engla nd . The Rose Madder. and
brown India P rints were pre-cut
for quilting and a lso expor ted to
Ame ri ca f rom England. Miss
Mag's quil t is enha nced in value
on account of the hand woven
linen back ing. the " Mint Condition"
(a ter m meaning extremely
va luable J and " Made in Amer ica"
. A conservat ive guess would
place the quilt as t20 to t30 yea rs
old. Perhaps Webster Histo rica l
Society can help us to further
identify this ma rvelous treasure.
a nd oth ers which a re tucked
away in brides ' chests from long
ago. We need photographs in
detai l to submit for appraisa l.
We are certa in ly indebted to
MisS Mag for the interview---.
maybe there will be more.
Hlsloric Webster, Spring 1975, P age 3
The North Carolina Senate Is Pictured In Session in 1917. The inset is Robert OHis Self.
The Felix H. Leatherwood Family at Webster, North Carolina
September, 1891
Left to right and standing: Mrs. F. H.
Leatherwood, who before her ma rriage was Annie
Lavenia Cartsr ; da ughter Laura Belle, (Mrs.
Marcellus Buchana n, Sr. ), daughter F lorence
May (Mr s . J . E. Divelbiss, Sr .), daughter Lillian
Lee <Mrs. R. P . Potts. Sr. ), seated : daughter
Ellen Elvira (Mrs. G. C. Picklesimer), daughter
Ethel La vinia <Mrs . Coleman Cowan ), daughter
Anna Carter <Mrs . M. Donaldson Cowan ). In
front : only son, Roy F . Leatherwood.
Absent from the picture is the husband and
father, Felix Ha rrison Leatherwood, who was a
tra veling salesman for Sanford, Chambers, and
Alber s, drug wholesalers of Knoxville, Tennessee.
This family group picture, evidently made by a
traveling photographer (quite common in that
era) was taken just below the Mountain View
Hotel, home of Felix and Annie Carter Leatherwood.
In the background and enclosed with a fence
is the rose garden of Mrs. Leatherwood. On the
opposite side of the street is the home of Dr. W. C.
Tompkins, and above it is the Spake house, later
occupied by Garey and Ellen Picklesimer. and
still later by the Andy Allisons.
Picture and information furnished by Mrs.
Vernon Stroup, Sr. of Asheville, North Carolina.
Mrs. Stroup is a granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. F.
H. Leatherwood.
Ottis Self, cont.
-Continued irom page I
As you probably know, after his father died, my father taught in
the one-room school house there in Webster. - He received his
education from Western Carolina, during which lime he often ta ught
since a school master was needed; and he, evidently. was a most
alert and intelligent young man.
He later worked with the Wachovia Bank in Wilmington, often
commuting on weekends back to his beloved mountains and to his
widowed mother. A little later, he served with Wachovia Bank in
Statesville, North Carolina where he mel my mother , Sarah Cowles,
who was the local teacher of music. They were ma rried on the
Cowles family farm in the summer of 1918. During this lime, my
father was also serving in the Nor th Carolina Stale Senate as chief
clerk.(! have his gold cane). I am now having a picture copied which
included him in the legislative body of 1917. He was chairman for the
entire Stale for the sale of Liberty Bonds from 1917 through the end of
the war. Aboull920, he and my mother came to Raleigh. He, to begin
his career with the old North Carolina Corpora tion Commission
Oa ter, the North C~"oli na Utili ties Commission) with which he
stayed 30 years.
He and my mother had five children, of which four a re living. My
older brother, Bobby, died in infa ncy. My s ister s a r e Eleanor Self
McCall (Mrs. J. A. McCall) of Stone Mountain, Geor gi a and Mrs.
Nancy Self Stanley (Mrs. Lester Stanley) of Smithfi eld , North
Carolina, my brother is Capt. USN William Cowles Self, of Panama
Canal Zone and, of course, me, Lura Self Ta lly, from Fayetteville,
North Carolina. There are 14 grandchildren a
Historic Webster Vol. 1 No. 5
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.WCU's Founders Day Celebration
Of Special Interest To Webster
Western Carolina University's
Founders Day Celebration and
Inauguration of Dr. Harold F.
Robinson as Chancellor on October
26 promises to be an important
event for Webster as well as
the university. The all day celebration,
which marks WCU's
eighty-fi[th birthday, is planned
to be a tribute to the men and
women who built the past, and
many of those to be recognized
had strong ties with Webster .
Websterite Robert Lee Madison
, founder and first president of
the institute in Cullowhee, will be
the focal point of a pageant
entitled ''Dream A Long Shadow,"
to be performed at 2:30
p.m . in Memorial Stadium. The
dramatization depicts the growth
of WCU from an Indian valley to
the present university with an
e~rollment of 6,000. The empha SIS
of the pageant is on the early
days of the institution with Professor
Madison as the most
col?rful character. The pageant ,
wh1ch was written by Lillian
Wyatt Hirt , public relations director
at Southwestern Technical
Institute, will be narrated by two
WCV ):!r~dUdles, David and Betty
Iiin. Approximately fifty persons
":ill be involved in the acting,
d•rected by WCU English faculty
member William Paulk.
The theme for the day-long
celebration will be "The Progress
Of An Idea ," a phrase
taken from the title of a history of
the university written by Presi dent
Emeritus W. E. Bird. The
phrase was employed in earlier
times by Professor Madison to
capture the spirit of how and why
the institution was begun.
The Inauguration and Founders
Day Steering Committee is
chaired by Dr. Marilyn Jody,
WCU English faculty member
and vice president of the Webster
Histo rical Society. Under her
direction, committees have been
working on the celebration since
last spring.
The formal inauguration of Dr.
Harold F. "Cotton" Robinson as
WCU's new chancellor will take
place at 10:30 at Reid Health
and Physical Education Building.
The new chancellor is himself a
mounta in man. A native of
Bandana in Mitchell County , Dr.
Robinson is interested in fostering
an appreciation of the culture
and hi story of the region and the
university .
Delegates from colleges and
universities throughout the country
are being invited to the
formal inauguration. Dr. William
Friday, president of the University
of North Carolina, will
preside at the inauguration and
conduct the formal installation of
Dr. Robinson .
Governor Jim Holshouser is
scheduled to attend, bringing the
official greetings of the state to
the new chancellor. Delivering
the inaugural address will be
Clifford R. Hardin, former U. S.
Secretary of Agriculture and now
chairman of the board of Ralston-
Purina Company.
Special greetings to the chancellor
will be brought by Clifford
Lovjn , the vice chairman of the
Faculty-Administration Senate ;
Donna Clemer, president of the
Student Body ; Keith R. Hundley
of Washington , D. C., president of
the WCU Alumni Association;
James H. Glenn, chairman of the
board of trustees and William A.
Dees, Jr., of Goldsboro, chairman
of the board of governors.
A formal academic procession ,
in which all visiting delegates
and the Western Carolina faculty
will take part will be a part of the
ina uguration . All university students
are invited to the inauguration
and have been urged by
Dr. Jody to attend. Special
invitations have been sent to
honor students , and they will
receive recognition after the
procession.
An inaugural luncheon will be
held in Dodson Cafeteria for
visiting delegates and special
guests including retired faculty
and staff members and members
of the families of the founders.
Because of limited seating, the
luncheon will be by invitation.
Congressman Roy A. Taylor will
be the luncheon speaker.
At noor. , the " Hallways of
Time," an exhibition of historical
artifacts, pictures and other displays
depicting the growth and
development of the institution
will open in Belk Building. The
exhibition will remain opened
until 2:00 and then will reopen
from 3:00 until 10:00 p.m.
" Hallways of Time" will present
a capsule history of WCU. On
hand ~viii be displays consisting
of artifacts and memorabilia of
Western's four founders, Robert
L, Madison , Alonzo C. Reynolds,
H1ram T. Hunter and William E.
Bird. A portrait of Madison
painted by his wife, and Mrs.
Madison's portrait will be displayed
along with those of the
other early founders. " Hallways
of Time" will be concluded with a
sound-film strip which will offer a
more detailed history of the
university. The exhibition is free
to all students, faculty , members
of the university community and
guests . Refreshments will be
served in the foyer of Belk
Building at the conclusion of each
show.
At2:30 p.m. , the Founders Day
program will open in Memorial
Stadium, with Frank H. Brown,
Jr ., vice chancellor for development
and extended services, presiding
. All "oldtimers" and founders
and members of their families
will be given special recognition
and President Emeritus
Paul A. Reid will speak. At this
time, the pageant, "Dream 6
Long Shadow" will be presented.
fr!t 6tg·~ii,a:~~td~~r ~e~~~~cu:t
Whitmire Stadium , followed by
entertainment by Lula Belle and
Scotty Wiseman of country music
fame, the Marc Pruett Band, and
the Bill Nichols Family Cloggers.
Exhibition square dancing and
square dancing for all who want
to join in has been planned.
The " Hallways of Time" will
reopen at 4 p.m. and remain open
until 10 p.m . Campus bus tours
for visitors are being arranged
by the Student Government Association.
Many persons planning to attend
the_ festivities are planning
to dress m clothes reminiscent of
the turn of the century.
Historic W ehster Huge Success
Historic Webster Week, sponsored
by the Webster Historical
Society and occurring July 4
through July 7 at the former
Webster School was by all accounts
a huge success. Excellent
organization , careful planning,
and enthusiastic implementation
of the plans resulted in a celebration
unequaled in form er July
Fourths in Jackson County.
Crowds thronged the grounds,
halls and rooms . Food, entertainment
and games abounded. It
was a time for renewing acquain·
lances and visiting with old
friends , for many had planned
their vacation trips to Jackson
County to coincide with the
week 's festivities .
Days of hard work were necessary
to clean a nd put into usable
shape the grounds and the building
for the week 's events. Spencer
Clark aided by community
helpers, accomplished this with
great dispatch .
Paul and Linda c- • ., overall
chairmer., ..vorked tirelessly in
planning , assigning responsibilities
, and assisting in the implementation
of the Special Events.
The celebration began at five
o'clock Thursday , July 4, with a
delicious dinner catered by Canterbury
Inn and served in the
auditorium by Webster women.
At seven were the flag raising
ceremonies by Boy Scout Troop
No. 903 of Webster. With Roy
Baker, Mayor of Webster , serving
as Master of Ceremonies, Mr.
Arthur Allman and Mrs. Lillie
Rhinehart were introduced as
Mr. and Mrs. Historic Webster.
Belly Price, President of the
Webster Historical Society, presented
the two with beautifully
inscribed scrolls made by Elizabeth
Keyes of Sylva.
At eight o'clock in the auditorium
, eight students , the " University
Players," from the Department
of Speech and Theatre
Arts of Western Carolina University,
gave an hour's program of
readings and music in keeping
with the Fourth of July theme.
Their director was Dr. Kathleen
Carr of the drama department of
the university.
A precision smooth performance
by the Webster Cloggers,
country music and square dancing
rounded out the evening.
Friday, July 5, brought the
opening of the Arts and Crafts
booths to which the crowds
flocked. Much interest was
evinced in the quilting , weaving
and wood carving. Many attractive
handmade articles were for
sale by the Junior Homemakers
Club . Linda Perry, with her
dulcimer, entertained the visi·
tors.
On the school grounds, games
and contests supervised by
James Roper, delighted young
and old.
A buffet dinner, catered by
Canterbury Inn , was followed at
7:30 by the WCU production
"The World of Carl Sandburg."'
The Arts and Crafts booths
were again open on Saturday.
Martha Willis of Appalachian
Shop presented in a room , set
aside for that purpose, continuous
s~owings of films on Appalachian
culture. Bingo in ano·
ther room provided entertainment
for the foot weary.
On the school grounds in the
afternoon, the Horse Show drew a
large attendance. The mouth
watering aroma of barbecued
pork and chicken, cooked in an
open pit , filled the air. Later, this
meat provided the main item in
the dinner served in the auditorium
by the Jaycees.
A second performance at 7:30
p.m. of "The World of Carl
Sandburg" was the highlight of
the evening. Country music and
square dancing concluded the
day's events.
Sunday, July 7 at 1:00 p.m . was
Continued On Page 3
l\lr. Arthur Allman receiving his scroll from Betty Price.
--+X+---+>0< ....... ..-•e• - ~+- ,- .~.00.-+)0..~¢
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shf)uld be a t least nne CQpy of The Webster Cookbook.
It can a lmost be guaranteed that Christmas will be
merrier if The Webster Cookbook is found under the tree.
But dnn"t wai t until that mQrning to open. If you do delay.
it may be toQ late to cook the special holiday dinner that is
described in the bnQk. It tells how to prepare an Qld
fashioned western North Carolina dinner from sillabub to
rQast tu rkey to fresh cocQnut cake.
There is llQ dQubt that The Webster Cookbook wi ll be the
most ptJpular present opened that morning. Not only will
you enjQy reading the favori te recipes Qf your friends and
neighbors. but alsiJ you just won 't be able to keep from
smiling l)r giving a sigh when you read Dorothy Moore's
recollection of a snQwy Christmas day in early twentieth
century Webste r. The snQW, the candlelight, the carols
drifting up the road from the Methodist Church, the table
groaning under its weight of holiday foQd . It all still
sounds like Webster.
\'Qu'll want to tarry Qver Florence Rhinehart's
sketches--t he court house , the old school , the Hedden
Hnuse. the MQQre House--and remember the fun there. If
you have 111f)VCd away, you will wish you were there ; and
if you still live in Webster, you'll be glad.
There is just tQO much to describe, but it is a book fQr all
seasQns. You can as easily plan a summer dinner with
Dottie Thornburg's grapefruit salad as you can a fall
supper with lea ther britches beans and cornbread. If you
~rc looking for adventures in cooking, cooking the old
lime way, you will wan t to try Florence Fisher's recipes
fnr wild game. Even if you don't have the meat to cook
"her way" you wi ll enjoy reading the way she did it.
The first editiQn of The Webster Cookbook. a hard back
book with a colored dust jacket of the village from
Riverwood Hill , will be off the press in November. If
orders con tinue tQ come in as t_hey are coming now , the
books may be sold out by the lime they arrive from the
publishe,·. If you have ordered your copy, remember to
get one fm a holiday present for a friend or relative. If you
don't use your order blank oass it on to ::i friend who mav
not have seen it. We guarantee it as a book you will be
proud to own and have on your book shelf.
Joe Parker Rhinehart
-~¢(~:•. "1!'-+-.,.e, --.}¢(-.-~...-.,-.,_.-,_.:_~.:,;;:._~;:~_;-+::;:) +-'""'·~·~~<!f~
Page 2 HISTORIC WEBSTER FALL !974
Country Store
An old·fashioned Country Store
materialized in a former classroom
for Historic Webster Days.
Gray, barn, time weathered
boards on loan from Dr. Ralph
Morgan provided a folksy backdrop
to tables of home baked
breads , cakes, cookies, fresh and
home canned produce and handmade
crafts.
The old timey feeling was
enhanced by the loan of many
treasured fam ily heirlooms from
Webster folks . Many people were
drawn to the store by all these
relics from the past. The young
people couldn 't even guess what
most of them were. They included
a handcrank corn sheller, a
large iron wash pot and a butter
press lent by Hattie and Dan
Cowan ; and many small kitchen
items including an iron , cabbage
shredder, leather britches and
dried herbs belonging to Marilyn
Jody and Betty Price. The baked
goods were displayed in old cases
from Roy Baker's shop, which
were donated by him to the
Webster Historical Society.
The scale from the old Webster
sto re, sti ll in good working order,
was on loan to the Country Store
from Helen Cowan. Barbara
Mann lent her extensive tool and
utensil collection. This was
Another news brief: Our Society
President has been appointed
Director of Jackson County's
Bi-Centennial celebration in 1976
which promises to be an exciting
year nationwide . Your ideas are
solicited.
:l!t:::;:::::;::::::::::~:::::::'fili
Staff
EDITORS
Mrs. Louise Davis
Ms. Alice Harri ll
Dr. Marilyn Jody
TYPISTS
Mrs. Sara Barret
Mrs. Jennie Lou Hunter
CONTRIBUTORS
Mrs. Isabel Carlton
Mrs. Elizabeth Keys
Mr. James A. Madison
Mrs. Diane Nicholson
;:;: Mr. Joe Parker Rhinehart ;:;:-
;t:::;:;:;:;:~f~:::?::~:~~:~~::~~:~~~~:;::::::::~?
~ounted on one wall and provided
many a visitor with lots of
good fun , remembering and
guesswork . An heirloom calico
ta ble cloth belonging to Mildred
Cowan covered the craft table. A
beehive string holder from the
post office provided package
wrapping material.
The Flower Garden Quilt was
won by Ethel Buchanan, a Webster
resident. Southwestern
Technical Institute, Extension
Division donated their work on
the quilt.
Special demonstrations
brought crowds into the Country
Store on Friday and Saturday
afternoons. Hattie Cowan demonstrated
butter churning, with
the eager assistance of several
onlookers. The delicious results
were sold before the demonstration
was fini shed.
Susan Morgan demonstrated
spinning and Martha Fraker
showed backstrap weaving. Arlene
Stewart set up her broom
making equipment and compl eted
two brooms.
Judging by the overflow crowd
and many questions to a talk and
di splay of herbal medicine by
Marina Shebitz, there is a widespread
renewal of interest in the
medicine used by our forefathers.
Mrs. Shebitz did a brisk business
with her golden seal and myrrh ,
and comfrey sa lves.
A store feature enjoyed by the
young people was a checkerboard
and a coupl e of old nail kegs for
sitting on and just whiling away
time in a fri endly game or two .
The Country Store was officially
open from 10-6 Friday and
Saturday. It was so popular that
plans are to open evenings too
next year.
One of Webster 's oldest residents,
Miss Lucy Hedden, hon·
ored the store with her enthusiastic
help. Other storekeepers in
old fashioned attire incluried
Judy Bacon, Laura Coffey , Judy
Coyle, Ann McFadden, Lois Powers,
Lolly Safford , Gracia Slater
, Gail Wilson and Carol Wood.
The Country Store sold all the
homemade breads, brownies,
cookies and goodies we could
bake or borrow . In addit ion , by
actual count, we sold 274 five cent
candy sticks, canned goods ,
Cherokee Sheltered Workshop
beads, brooms, patchwork pillows,
corn shuck dolls, and other
crafts.
Submitted by: Gracia Slater
World Of Carl Sandburg
" rhe World of Car l Sandburg" was presented at the
1/\ebs fer School on July 5 and 6 preceded by dinner each
evening. The presentation by the players was fantastic
and enJoyed by all who attended.
rhe play was compi led and adapted by Norman
C.orw in and covered the works ot Car l Sa ndburg tram
lhe crad le to the grave. It was a compilation ot song,
prose, and poetry displaying Mr. Sandburg's sense ot
humor, sen se of beauty and sense of t ragedy.
r he players were Nancy Hammill ot Brevard, James
[ ichling of Pumpkin Town, and Robert Zipperer of
Ra leigh. Dr. Kathleen Ca rr ot the Department ot Speech
and rheatre Arts at Western Carolina Uni vers ity was
the director.
The Webster Cookbook
Drawer W
Webster, North Carolina 28788
Or der Form
From The
Scrapbook
(From the Jackson
County Journal)
Dr. A. S. Nichols and Miss Rosa
Cole were very nearly going
down the Tuckaseigee without
the aid of a boat. Not supposing
the river to be so full , they drove
their buggy into the stream and
in the middle of it the mule
refused to go on . The water was
running over the top of the buggy.
It looked as if Miss Cole would be
drowned, but just at the right
time a dar key on a mule went into
the river and rescued Miss Rosa
first and afterwards the Dr.
<From the Jackson
County Journal>
Webster is still in the lead . One
of her progressive children , 0 . B.
Coward, has put down the first
piece of paved side walk ever
seen in Jackson County. He has
finished up about 40 ft. in front of
his store and it looks so pretty
that Mr. Joe Rhinehart just
across the street is almost ready
to put the cement on the walk in
front of his store. If our good
people will keep this work up, the
people of Jackson county will yet
be proud of Webster. Who will
follow th e example set?
Wild-Gribble
<From the J ackson
County Journal)
A pretty home wedding was
celebrated at the home of Mr.
Rufus Gribble, in Savannah
township, at eleven o'clock on
Wednesday morning, June 7. The
contracting parties were Mr.
Charlie Wild, of Webster, and
Miss Effie Gribble, rl a u {l:~' :·r oi
Mr. Rufus Gr ibble. .~. 11 ..: bridesmaids
·.; ere Misses Carrie Bumgarner
and Julie Frizell. The
groomsmen were Messrs . J . T.
Gribble and John Stewart. Miss
Bumgarner was maid of honor.
The ceremony was performed by
the writer in the presence of a
large number of relatives and
friends, all of whom joined in
wishing th e young couple a happy
and prosperous life .
Immedia tely after the ceremony
the bridal party left for the
home of the groom where a large
number were gathered to receive
and welcome the bride and
groom. Soon aft er the arrival the
guests were invited into the
dining room where a bountiful
dinner was served , which was
very much enjoyed by the large
number present. Then, after an
hour 's pleasant conversation,
about the house and on the lawn,
the guests departed to their
homes, all expressing good wishes
for the happy young couple.
May God 's richest blessings
ever attend their pathway.
V. L. Marsh
(Mr. V. L. Marsh was Webster
circuit preacher in 1903·1905.)
Enclosed isS------:---- Send .""!e-----c.opies of THE WEBSTER COOKBOOK a t
S6.00 plus .75 fo ~ wrappmg and ma tltng . North Carolina residents add .2-4 sales ta x. Indicate on
~e parate ~ h ~e t _ d books are to be mailed to other than person making order . Gift cards will be
tncluded .1 f tnd tcaled.
NAME
ADDRE SS
CITY -------- STATE------ ZIP---
Additional Members Of The
Webster Historical Society
Omitted rrom the First Charter List
Barrett, Dr. A. L.
Cannon , Mrs. Lewis
Leonard, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond
Potts, Mr. and Mrs. Hubert
Simpson, Mr. and Mrs. Ray
Sutton, Mrs. Fred
North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina
Additional Charter Members
Allman , Aian
Ashe, Zeb
Allison , Hannah
Allison , Roy
Brown, David Hall
Brown, Frank H.
Brown, Sara Cowan
Bryson , Mr. and Mrs. J . S.
Buchanan, Ruth
Bumgarner, Ernest
Burrell, Conrad
Byer, Katherine S.
Cagle, Harry
Chester, Lawrence M.
Cogdill , Bonnie
Cogdiii , Pat
Cowan, Frank
Cowan, Dr. and Mrs. William J.
Coward, Mr. and Mrs. Ray
Cross , Mrs. Mary
Crowe, Mrs. Dewey
Davis, Chris
Davis, Robert
Dewees, Mrs. Mary E .
Evans, Mr. and Mrs. Jim
Gauzens, Mr. and Mrs. T. 0 .
Hager, Mrs. Sue
Hall , Robert C.
Harding , Mr. and Mrs. Robert
Hooker , Robert
Hughes, Glenn
Jakes, Mr. and Mrs. Robert
Kneedler, Mr. and Mrs. Jay
Kennedy , Mrs. F . R.
Kinsland , Mr. and Mrs. Tommy
McCoy, Padgett
McCray, Mrs. Jane
McDonald, Mrs. M. F.
Mabry, Mr. and Mrs. Malcom
Massie, Mr. and Mrs. Harvey
Miller, Mr. and Mrs. Donald
Morgan, Dr. and Mrs. Ralph
Nichols, Mrs. Mary B.
Painter , Mr. and Mrs. Eldridge
Pangle, Jr ., Mr . and Mrs. Henry D.
Parris, Mr. and Mrs. John
Peacock, Richard
Perry, Mr. and Mrs. Dwain
Phillips, Charles H.
Purser , Sara B.
Rathbun , Mrs. A. A.
Roper , Mr. and Mrs. John
Rowlson , Mrs. Hannah Lou
Searcy, James
Shore, Miriam Y.
Sitten, David D.
Smith, Reverend Joe
Smith, June T.
Sumner, Florence
Walker, Mrs. W. Queally
Widman, Mr. and Mrs . F. W.
Williams, Max R.
Wilson , Mr. and Mrs. Bobby
Woodard, Jr ., Charles D.
Wright, Mrs. C. C.
Tennessee
North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina
Australia
North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina
California
North Carolina
North Carolina
Nor th Carolina
Nor th Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina
Georgia
North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina
Tennessee
North Carolina
North Carolina
Florida
North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina
Florida
North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina
Nor th Carolina
Florida
NQrth Carolina
North Carolina
Nor th Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina
California
Virginia
Florida
North Carolina
Maryland
U.S. Army
North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina
Florida
Members After July 10, 1974
Allison , Jack
Cargill, Laurie
Coward, James 0 .
Davis, Th
Historic 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
Historic Webster Vol. 7 No. 4
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 VII, NUMBER 4 WEBSTER, NORTH CAROLINA WINTER, 1981
National Leaders Come From Jackson County
From The Asheville Citizen, J anua ry I, 1932
Cullowhee, Dec. 31. (Special)-Jackson county has contributed some of Western
North Carolina ·s most distinguished native sons. These sons have gone out into
several sections of the nation and are now blessing their fellow men in several fields of
work.
The Rev. Dr. Fred Brown, for many years pastor of the First Baptist church,
Knoxville, Tenn., and at present president of the Southern Baptist convention, was
born at Glenville, in the heart of Jackson county's famous cabbage country. Dr.
Brown is the son of Horace A. and Laura Woodard Brown and is descended from fine
old mountain stock. Both his grandparents were pioneer Baptist preachers.
Dr. Brown received his early education in a semi-private school conducted at
Tuckaseegee, near here, by A. M. Dawson, a graduate of Western Reserve
University. His later education was received at Mars Hill college, Wake Forest
college, the Southern Baptist Theological seminary, and other institutions of higher
learning.
Dr. John Brinkley, of Milford, Kan., twice candidate for the governorship of the
Sunflower State, was born and reared near East La Porte, Jackson county. A
movement is now under way to change the name of his adopted home town in Kansas
from Milford to Brinkley in his honor.
Others have gone out from Jackson county to make distinguished names for
themselves. They include Wood Middleton, president of Draughton's Business
college, Winston-Salem. Holmes Bryson, form er head of the Ashe ville Chamber of
Commerce, Dr. Ed Bryson, mayor of Liberty, S. C., and Felix E. Alley, or
Waynesville, prominent lawyer and Democratic orator. Sara Whitesides Norton, the
mother of Felix Alley, was the first white child born within a radius of 40 miles of
Cashiers Valley, in Jackson county's beautiful Sapphire country.
Many of the natives of the county who still live within its borders are known far and
wide for their distinguished public services. Mrs. E. L. McKee, of Sylva, is North
Carolina 's first woman state senator and is former president of the North Carolina
United Daughters of the Confederacy, former president of the State Federation of
Women's clubs, and former head of the Southeastern Council of Federated Women 's
clubs. Mrs. McKee was a delegate this year to the national Democratic convention.
Judge Walter E. Moore, of Sylva, a member of the North Carolina superior court
bench and former grand master of North Carolina Masons, is not a native of Jackson
county, but has lived here for many years. Other distinguished adopted sons are Col.
Charles J . Harris, of Dillsboro, president of the Jackson County bank, owner of
extensive mining interests, and former candidate for governor of North Carolina on
the Republican ticket; Robert Lee Madison, of Cullowhee, founder of Western
Carolina Teachers college here; and Dr. H. T. Hunter. for ten years president of
Western Carolina Teachers college and prominent leader in the Western North
Carolina Live-a t-Home movement.
W. E. Bird, dean of Western Carolina Teachers college, and E. H. Stillwell, head of
the history department and author of a history of Western North Carolina, are both
natives of Jackson county. Dean Bird \\'as born at Qualls and Professor Stillwell was
born near Webster, the old county seat.
FRED BROWN JOHN BRINKLEY WOOD MIDDLETON HOLMES BRYSON ED BRYSON FELIX ALLEY MRS. E. L. McKEE
WALTER MOORE HARRIS MADISON H. T. HUNTER W. E. BIRD E . II. STILLWELL
Photogra ph s from
Rachel Brown Phillips,
The Asheville-CitizenTimes,
Woodrow Midd
le ton , Marshall R .
Bryson, Hannah Moore,
We bster Histori ca l
Society, C. J. Harris
Community Hospita l,
and the Special Collec·
tions of Hunter Library .
Western Carolin a
University.
Page 2, HISTORIC WEBSTER, Winter, 1981
Buchanan Loop Opens New Vistas
Spring. summer , and fall th r loo)l
is lined with the wildflowr•·s of
Western North Carolina .
The sort and rolling mountains of the Blue Ridge surround th e village and provide a constantly chan ging and inS)liring
panorama to the Webster residents .
Barns. old and no longer used. stand in meadows Filled
with b.-iars th a t de light th e sum me •· ben.y picker.
By AnneS. and John W.
McFadden, Jr.
Kate, George, Frank, Roythe
neighbors of the Webster
loop, and the loop itself, have
been an integral part of our
lives for the past nine years.
When it was narrower and
ditt carpeted we pushed little
Anmarie around it in her
stroller. It was a time of
evening marvel. We saw and
. tasted wild fruits-blackberries,
blueberries, crabapples,
plums, and s.trawberries. Bird
varieties abounded and wild
flowers entertained us with
ever changing and vibrant
colors.
About five years ago the
road was widened and paved
and the activities on it increased.
Websterites took to it
Webster Promenade
in numbers and joyously embraced
its potential. Joggers,
strollers, fast walkers, bike
and horseback riders , and
skate hoarders siezed the
opportunities the newly paved
road provided.
The wider cut opened a larger
panorama of natural
beauty. In the summer we
pass through the morning mist
grateful for its coolness.
Flowery shows are extrava·
gent and tasty wild fruits
tempt us to gather them. The
box turtles, snakes, cattle,
horses, cats, and dogs observe
our passing. Oftentimes, as
many as eight dogs will join
our jog ; glad to see each
other, rolling and playing all
the while like kids playing tag.
The fall brings cooler, crisper
more invirgorating air; a
peaceful stillness, and a burst
of color carpeting to cover the
hills. Sunsets are spectacular.
Wooly worms cross the road in
determined numbers and the
dogs still happily greet us.
In winter the loop has the
sparkle and color of crystal
coldness. It offers a time for
solitude and escape from over
heated houses. The dog escort
is smaller, the flowers are
resting and the birds are
quiet. It's time for the winter
star of the show, the skyline,
to captivate us .
Spring knows we are ready
for her, and the loop, like
nature, bursts once again into
activity. Leaves shyly begin to
cover bare trees. The pave·
ment and air mellow. Seasonal
friends return, newcom·
ers build, and gardens are
planted. Woodpeckers, hummingbirds,
and bluebirds join
the crows, jays and redbirds.
Little Ryan calls from his
The Don llens ley home in Kin~ ·s Mounta in
shadow. one of many new houses along
Bucha na n Loop. has •·eplaced the Nathan
Coward house.
play, " Hi, where are you
going?",and neighbors ex·
change smiles, waves, and
breathless greetings as they
pass.
The centerstone in the loop's
glitterin g_ .ring is the cemetery
on the knoll. Throughout all
the Seasons it reminds us of
the ·natural order of life. This
well kept hillside cradles residents
from ahtiquity to those
newly missed. We like to think
they are watching the loop's
promenade from their special
place.
The loop is a wonderous
slice of life. A turn around it
refreshes one both ))hysica lly
and emotionally and gives
nourishment to the roots of his
life.
Anne and .John McFadden .
as a vid We bs tt> •· joggers. know
th(' loop intim a t e ly .
\
\
WEB
CEME
!
KING'S MOUNTAII\.l
OL.O
~\J C.H.ANAN:
HOvS!l
FAANK.
Buc.I-\/INAN 'S
GARDEN
HISTORIC WEBSTER, Winter. 1981, Pa ge:~
Dirt roads and drives go off the loop in a ll directions and ofrer
the wa lker new pa ths to explore .
Along the village ma in street a re houses new and old . showing hi stor y and change. The
McKee l-louse. now owned by Lona McKee and R. L. ll askett . r eflects the Webster of the
nineteenth century.
Near the top of the loop is the Webs ter Cemetery where r est many town citi zens.
leader s of loca l. st ate. and na tiona l events.
Ml11 Lucy .. . without a doubt, no generation of Webster's
young people "escaped" the opportu:lity to break in their knees
on her hardwood floors!
None of us was immune to being approached by Miss Lucy
with the proposition to help clean her beautiful large two-story
house. It's important to understand this was not just any
ordinary cleaning job; it was an education in housekeeping as
there was ·a defiDlte way to clean everything, especially her
hardwood floors. These· floors had to be mopped across the
woodgrain-to minimize pulling up splinters.
Naturally, hovering close by on all the various jobs was Miss
Lucy herself, seeing that we did a meticulous job in every
respect ; if we didn't, we didn't lack for proper instruction for
improvement. But then, what better way for us to get an inside
look into the dozen or so rooms of the big historical home on the
corner which housed only one little white headed lady? And,
after all-the pay was good: a cookie (or two-GOOD
HOMEMADE ONES)-and a glas8 of Kool-aid. In those days.
that was not bad; at lea st we didn 't compla in . If we did a good
job, we might even be rehired at a later date, usua ll .v the next
summer for as I was growing up, Miss Lucy generally was only
in Webster during the summers. She spent the rest of the year at
the Crossnore School working daily with young people from all
over the country, and out of the . country as well.
Sometimes· Miss Lucy brought one of the Crossnore students
with her to Webster in the summer. I remember in particular a
German girl named Marion Ufinger, with whom I became good
friends. She was a very large girl and since I was large for my
age too, I concluded I must be of German " stock" as well.
"Miss Lucy's back," was a familiar comment among the
Webster folks in the spring as she returned to open and air her
house for summer living .. Soon a lawnmower could be heard
getting the yard in shape and the familiar vase of Queen Ann's
lace would appear on the front porch. Miss Lucy loved flowers
and would quickly be seen in her yard giving her flowers and
shrubs loving attention. For years, she had a beautiful mixture
of tame and wild flowers across the road from her house by the
road up the hill to Ha lls ' . Her peonies and roses wer e always
healthy and lovely as well. Many of the flowers are still there for
neighbors to enjoy and remember Miss Lucy by.
One of Webster's loviest southern ladies, Miss Lucy had
absolutely beautiful white hair which was always soft and clean
and neatly styled on top of her head. Generally dressed in a
clean pressed cotton dress, she spent the summer working in her
yard, walking up and down the street chatting with her neighbors,
and visiting both the Methodist and Baptist churches; by
the time she became a familiar sight in the village, she was gone
again for the winter.
Even though Miss Lucy never married or had children of her
own, upon reflection, I realize that young people really played a
major part in her life. At Crossnore or in Webster, she seemed to
relate to youngsters. I can recall my sister, Joyce, telling how as
she was growing up, Miss Lucy was their scout leader. She tOOk
them on camping, swimming, and hiking excursions and apparently
enjoyed working with them. As I was growing up, she 'was
older, and I'm not so sure my generation was such a joy to her! I
recall once Nell (Enslh Bryson) and I were lucky enough to
persuade her to let us play in the little "house" attached to her
garage. We had a ball that morning because the place was like a
real kitchen, with cooking utensils, flour , and everything. Well,
neediess to say, when Miss Lucy checked on us only to find both
us and the whole room snow white with flour from the cake we
we re in the process or ba king. She wasn 't very happy! For some
reason, she never did let up play there again; we just had to be
content trying to P"!!P through the window to see the room that
for one day had allowed us to be "ladies of the house."
To me, the Grove and "Big Lot" are synonymous with Miss
Lucy. She was the proprietor of both, and each of them offered
very special childhood environments for us youngsters. The
Grove was a wonderland all its own : cool, private, and intriguing.
We could play in the tall deep pines, and sit on the cool green
moss, with our childish imaginations taking care of the rest, unbeknown
to anyone, and no one (not even Miss Lucy) seemed to
object. Now, the Big Lot was another matter. It was a perfect
place (in fact, the only place other than the school playground)
for Webster youth to gather and play hall. Our chances of using
the Big Lot undisturbed for our ball games obviously were much
better when Miss Lucy was away! Being a partic.ular yard lady,
she didn't exactly appreciate her nice green grass being
s tomped out by dozens of active running and sliding feet.
Miss Lucy doesn't return to Webster anymore now, even in the
summers, and I'm sure her familiar presence is missed by the
rema ining neighbors who knew her so we ll. The beautiful old
house is still there, tall and distinguished from recent renovation
by its new owner, but the present generation of young folks
will miss the opportunity to wander through the house with
imaginations of yesteryear and to scrub the hardwood floors
with a little white headed lady as their overseer. Too bad, for
while they might have been a little awed by Miss Lucy, they
would have liked and admired her as alt other generations of
Webster youth did.
Page 4, HISTORIC WEBSTER, Winter, 1981
Making the Mountains of North Carolina Home
Webster Becomes Home
By Arnold R. Denker!
It all began while reading an
advertisement in our local
Florida newspaper describing
a vacation lodge in the mountains
of Western North Carolina.
The lodge was owned by
Mr. Ward of Wards' Cabins
located on the Tuckasegee
River near Dillsboro.
A telephone call to Mr. Ward
secrued the lodge for the first
week of August 1970 and we
could now show our five
grandchildren, who had never
been outside Florida, and who
had never seen a hill, much
less a mountain, the Great
Smoky Mountains!
The five grandchildren,
three boys and two girls, at
that time ranging in ages from
seven to fifteen years, were
greatly excited and their
minds were filled with
thoughts and dreams of expectation,
as their parents
gave their consents for the trip
and all proceeded to make
preparations for the motor
trip to the far away state of
North Carolina.
The trip was estimated as
about eight hundred miles,
and would involve two days of
travel time.
Our daughter, Jane joined
the party at Atlanta and soon
we entered the Great Smoky
Mountain State. A beautiful
sign at the border, just beyond
Clayton, · Georgia, bids us
"Welcome" . . and from there
a detailed hand drawn map by
Mr. Ward directed us to our
lodge.
Then followed a busy week
of sight seeing, picnicing, wading
the Tuckasegee, trying
out Sliding Rock, exploring
the Blue Ridge Parkway and
Water Rock Knob, and hiking.
This then was our introduction
to North Carolina and
having fallen in love with our
surroundings, we returned the
following year for the entire
month of August, and again
the third and the fourth year.
We decided that we should
spend the entire summer in
North Carolina and we purchased
a lot and built our
home across the street from
the old elementary school.
Thus was our second home
established in the quiet and
picturesque setting of historic
Webster, Jackson County.
Since this time we have
acquired some acreage nearby,
where we are presently
growing several thousand pine
trees, some of which are no~
five years old, and which we
shall market this fall for landscaping
purposes and for
Christmas trees.
Our garden plot is also
flourishing and helps to keep
our freezer and our pantry
filled with all sorts of vegetables,
both fresh and canned;
we also have strawberries,
grapes and blackberries
which we convert into jams
and jellies for our sweet teeth.
We have but one peach tree
and last year it was loaded
with the most delicious large
Maxine and Arnold Denkert show their daughter J ane Fohl
<center ) of Gaither sburg. Mar yland, the beapty of their new
homeland .
fruit that we were able to
supply the entire neighborhood.
Besides a house and garden
plot on our lot, we have two
other houses-actually they
are small apartments, consisting
of twelve compartments
each. And who do you think
occupies them? Why- Purple
Martins, of course! They keep
us entertained from March
until August each year, as well
as keep our yard and garden
free of flys, mosquitos, and
other flying insects.
Now this August 198 1 is the
eleventh anniversary of our
first visit to this s ta te. We love
our home and We bst er and the
many friendly, neighborly,
and helpful people. We shall
forgo naming them for fear of
overlooking someone, and besides
the list would be too long
for this column. Suffice to say,
we love them all and wish all
much joy, health, prosperity
and happiness.
In conclusion, may we add
the words of a church choir
anthem:
"Purge, from our hearts all
bitter thoughts of hatred.
Clense, Thou our minds
from every stain of sin.
That we may live ·in brotherly
affection, worthy to
have Thy Spirit dwell within."
Webster Historical Society
officers for 1981-1982 are:
MOdred Cowan, President
Box 186
Webster, NC 28788
Dale Coward, Vice President
Norton Road
Cashiers. NC 28717
Mary Morris, Secretary
Box 3
Webster, NC 28788
Jim Simpson, Treasurer
Box 126
Webster, NC 28788
Kate Rhinehart, Membership
Court House Square
Webster, NC 28788
Joe P . RhiDehart, Editor
1325 13th Street, NW No. 60Z
Washington, DC 20005
The officers would be glad to
hear from the society members
and the editor of Historic
Webster would be pleased to
receive manuscripts, photographs,
and story suggestions
for future editions of the
newspaper. When correspOnding
with the society, it would
be helpful if members would
identify themselves with their
relationship to Webster.
~/'. HISTORIC~
WEB8TE:R
Winter . 1981
Editor:
••• , }.. .. , ., ..• , 'I "' · ...
We bs ter. North Ca rolina 28788
Joe P . Rhinehart
Co n~ributor s: J anice Monteith Blanton . Arnold Denkert. J en·
ny Hunter. Anne McFadden. J ohn McFadden. J r .. Florencf'
S. Rhinehart
Published qua rterly by the Webster Historical Society and
printed by the Herald Publishing Company, Sylva, North
Carolina
Historic Webster Vol. 9 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.new s let ter o f t he Web s ter Hi s torical Societ y. In c .
VOLUME IX, NUMBER 2 WEBSTER, NORTH CAROLINA SUMMER 1983
Church Celebrates 131 Years
The Webster United Methodist Church was founded in 1852. The church building
was photographed for a 1907 booklet and has changed little since tha t year. Photo by
Dan Hirt.
Church is "Outstanding"
Example of Classic Country
Religious Architecture
By Doug Swain
The Webster United Methodist Church is an outstanding example of the classic country
church built to serve rural America throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Typical of the type, the church utilizes a simple gable-roofed rectangular form entered on one
end to create a " temple form" which harkens, ultimately, to classical Greek architecture.
other classical elements are present in the building's cornice treatment, corner boards, which
refer to columns or pilasters, and in the modest triangulation introduced above the side windows,
which refers to a classical pediment.
Most of the building's architectural interest, however , is found on its entrance facade. This
face of the building is dominated by an engage bell tower which rises in two stages and
culminates in a splayed pyramidal cap which serves as the church's steeple. Gothic arched
''The entrance design
is high spirited and full of charm.''
vents are centered on all four sides of the tower 's second tier , just beneath its cap. A blind fan
and a diamond-shaped vent ornament its principal face above the church's entrance.
The building's entrance composition is truly outstanding. Gothic arched windows flank the
base of the bell tower. The corners of the base are supported by boxed Ionic columns with recessed
gothic-pointed panels. These columns carry an elongated basket arch under which entrance
is made into a sheltering portico hollowed out of the base of the tower. The door into the church
is surmounted by a Gothic transom and is flanked by sidelights with Gothic heads. Fluted Ionic
pilasters with Spearpoint heads divide the sidelights from the doorway. In total the effect of this
vernacular entrance design is high spirited and full of charm.
Doug Swain is a member of the staff of the Western Office of the Division of Archives and
History, North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. Asheville.
By Joe P. Rhinehart
"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills," the psalmist David
wrote, "from whence cometh my help."
For 131 years, since 1852, Webster Methodists have been
following David's directions. And after 33 years of moving
from building to building they built a church in 1887 whose
steeple still directs their eyes and the eyes of passersby to
those hills.
Webster was founded with Jackson County in 1851, and two
years later Methodism was recognized in the new town when
the church conference changed the name of the Tuckaseigee
Circuit (the part of Haywood County that became Jackson) to
the Webster Circuit.
The Methodists of Webster joined with the town's Baptists
and Presbyterians in church services at the Court House until
1870. That year the three congregations moved into a building
(now the site of the Lucy Hedden house) that they shared with
the town school. The Methodists made up the largest part of the
congregations and they were awarded the use of the building
on the first and third Sundays of the month. The Presbyterians
used the building on the second Sunday, and the Baptists took
possession on the fourth Sunday. The fifth Sunday was left for
special occasions for all denominations.
On December 11, 1881, trustees of the church, William A.
Enlow. L. C. Hall, James M. Candler, Thomas M. Frizzell and
James W. Terrell, with the minister , George W. Spake, purchased
from William Bumgarner and his wife, Mary, a lot on
Main Street for 75.00 to J . T. Myers and his wife, M. J . Myers, for that parcel
of Main Street land.
Six years after the purchase of the property, 25 years after
its founding, and who knows how many ice cream suppers to
raise money for the new church, in 1887 the Webster Methodist
Episcopal Church, South, opened its doors. Through the hard
work of the members, men who helped with the construction,
women, who provided the furnishing , the church was raised.
Today's Webster United Methodist Church is not a great deal
different from 1887. If the door is opened, a visitor steps into a
"mountain classical" sanctuary. Red carpet now covers the
hardwood aisle, the gas lights have been replaced, a modern
piano sits where the old organ, played so many years by Ethyl
Leatherwood, did, and the portrait of John Wesley has been
moved. The sunlight still sifts through handblown frosted
pains, the parishioners sit on peged wide board benches, the
minister preaches from the hand fashioned pulpit, and the
communicants kneal at the carved altar . (See article on the
church's architecture on page 1.)
The membership of the Webster church has never been
large. Early rolls, 1870, list 379 white members of the Webster
Circuit and five black members. A recent report shows 25 on
<Continued on page 3)
Page 2, HISTORIC WEBSTER, Summer, 1983
Church Leaders Past and Present
Mr. and Mrs. George McConnell came
from over the river to the Webster
Methodist Church.
Joseph W. Rhinehart, Sr. was a longtime
member of the church Board of
Stewarts.
Nan Frizzell, who spent
years in Washington,
always felt that Webster
was her home church.
Louise B. Davis taught
the adult class ilt Sunday
school for many
years.
Martha Lavenia McLain McKee
0872-1953) held many roles in the
Webster Methodist Church.
Minnie Wild and her husband
Jake were "across the
river Methodists.
Ruth Allison Morris was the Sunday
school superintendent and
teacher in the Webster church.
Is a bella Allison Ca lton ,
daughter of Eugenia Allison,
lives in Florida and continues to
help the Webster church.
L. C. Hall, Sr. helped build and lead the
Webster Methodist Church.
Robert Lee Madison provided years of thoughtful
Sunday school lessons.
Church
Founded
in 1852
(Continued from page I)
the church list. The influence
of these people has always
been felt. The church has
always provided a full
spiritual program for its
members. The best of
teaching, lead years ago by
Robert Lee Madison, Ruth
Allison Morris, and Louise
Davis, more recently by Ray
Ledford, Kate Rhinehart, and
Sally McConnell, continues to
challenge its listeners .
Ministers who have spread
the doctorine through the
country, William Hicks and J.
R. Long, and those now filling
the highest Carolina pulpits,
Ernest Fitzgerald, Donald
Ellis, began their careers at
Webster.
The early membership
roles of Webster read like a
who's who in North Carolina:
Madison, McKee, Terrell ,
Alley, Enloe, Allison, Moore,
Fisher, Broyles, Bryson,
leaders of both church and
state.
The church, through its
history, has offered study opportunities
in its classes, its
summer Bible schools, its
Christmas and Easter programs,
its women's group,
and its youth group.
As population has changed
in Webster, the church has
altered its programs, but one
group that has always been
active is the women's
organization, now headed by
Sarah Barrett. These women,
many wives of the church's
early male leaders, have
often pulled the church
through with their spiritual
and financial support. Begun
in the early days of the church
as the Ladies Aid, the association
is now the United
Methodist Women. It continues
its active social programs
to its neighbors both
local and worldwide, its study
of religious questions, and its
aid to the church program.
Bordering the Webster
church is the parsonage for
the Webster Circuit. This
building, one of the few recent
buildings on Main Street, was
built in 1956. The original parsonage
was begun about the
time the church was completed
in 1887. In the early
part of this century, additional
rooms were constructed,
making a large, but
not particularly comfortable
home. After many freezing
winters, the circuit decided it
was time to build a modern
house, complete with central
heat and an electric stove.
(One minister , name no
longer remembered, and his
wife, lasted only one night
when the kitchen cook stove
damper got stuck.) By 1963
(Continued on page 6)
HISTORIC WEBSTER, Summer, 1983 Page 3
Reflections by Janice Monteith Blanton
Webster United Methodist Church
When I was in Webster recently for Mother's Day, I attended
Sunday school at the Webster United Methodist Church, my
borne church, with my mom. We sang "The Church in the
Wildwood" that morning, and Mrs. Kate Rhinehart told about
a time when Mr. Lewis Cannon was superintendent of the Sunday
School. She said he wanted to sing this song quite often and
that once she suggested they change the "brown" church to the
"white" church. He emphatically said " no" and that settled
that. Well, somehow the idea of the "white" church has stuck
in my mind the past few weeks since then, and I hope Mr. Cannon
will forgive me from his heavenly home for the following:
The Church on the Hill
(sung to tune of "The Church in the Wildwood)
There's a church on the hill in Webster,
No lovier church in the world.
No place is so dear to my childhood,
As the little white church on the hill.
Oh, come to the church on the hill,
To the church where my good friends all go.
Where the Gospel will be taught,
Where we all learn to love the Lord.
How sweet on a clear Sunday morning,
To see all my neighbors go by.
They proudly carry their Bibles,
On their way to the church on the hill.
From the church on the hill in Webster,
When I was growing up.
I received good christian training,
Which I'll use for the rest of my life.
Chorus :
Oh come, come, come, come - come to the
church in Webster, 0 come to the church on
the hill; no spot is so dear to my childhood,
As the little white church on the hill.
Yes, the Webster United Methodist Church will always be
very, very special to me for many reasons. It is the church
where I became a Christian ; it is the church where I received
excellent training in the Bible and Christian leadership; it is
the church where I was married; and it is the "love nest"
where I grew up being loved and encouraged by the adults of
the church.
I can easily recall many, perhaps incidental, but memorabl·~
church-related events during my years in the church: being
called down by a preacher for talking during a revival ; being
given chewing gum by Professor Robert Lee Madison between
Sunday school and church; being a student in various Bible
schools and the fun and learning that went with them ; being
pulled around on a large cloth to serve as a "shiner" for the
church floor that the young people had waxed ; being a part of
many, many M. Y. F. and church programs "ready or not! "
being a eater of the scrumptuous food prepared for various
social events by the fine cooks of the church; being a listener to
flannel-board stories told by one of our pastor's wives; being
excited over two handsome college-age workers we had work
with the youth one summer; being a baby-sitter for the Rev.
Don Ellis and his wife who, when I told him he didn't owe me
anything, always replied, "Well, I'll give you a 'free'
wedding," <I held him to it too ! l; and being a helper Mrs. Eva
Mae Davis decorate for my wedding.
Too many people to possibly mention at length come to mind
as I think of church members who have meant a lot to me during
my years in the church. Members of the church were good
people who loved God and loved one another. I cannot recall a
single significant conflict between members. At the top of my
list would have to be Mrs. Kate Rhinehart, because she was our
youth leader and the person who naturally had the most contact
with, and influence over, us young people. She unselfishly
gave of herself in ways that many adults will never know. She
believed in us and made us believe in ourselves. Others in the
Rhinehart family come to mind: Nannie Hart, whom I enjoyed
sitting and talking with and dearly loved; Joe, who, unbeknown
to many, was often responsible for the warmth of the church in
the winter as well as other maintenance ; and of course, Joe
Parker and Jim, who, in effect, were so close to me that I consider
them my brothers.
Other young people who were members of theM. Y. F. during
the time I was, who went through many of the same programs,
who took many of the same trips, (I know I don't have
to remind Jack, Joe Parker and Jim of how Nell and I always
got car sick!) included: the Allmans : Jimmy, Alan, and
Blake; Dickie McConnell; Paul Jr. Cowan; Jack Allison; Nell
Ensley ; Jeanetta Cannon ; and my sister, Billie Jo Monteith.
TheM. Y. F. was really a strong working force in the church
during those days taking responsibility for programs, singing,
janitorial work, and many other activities. Our Sunday evening
M. Y. F. meetings on the church lawn, on the pastor's
porch, in the church, or at Mrs. Rhinehart's hold very special
memories for me. I recall the Rev. Ellis as being one of our
most supportive pastors ; he attended our meetings and gave
us lots of positive attention.
Music has always been important to me, and I especially
remember the McConnell family in this respect. I loved to hear
Sally and George McConnell sing, and Anne Laura Cowan's
piano playing always fascinated me. Miss Nan Frizzell, about
whom I've written an earlier article, felt very strongly about
the church's music propgram and I really have her to thank for
my finally learning to play the piano when I was in high school.
Mrs. Lillian Madison introduced me to the "lemon"as a means
for clearing the throat for solo singing.
The Davises: Doug, Louise, Eva Mae, Myrtle, and Wood ; the
Penlands : Mrs. Penland and Aunt Dess; the Cannons : Lewis
Elizabeth, Jeanetta; the Madisons : Professor Madison and
Mr. and Mrs. Roe Madison ; theFulmers: the Nicholsons : Mrs.
Eugenia Allison ; Mrs. Fred McKee ; Mrs. Vearl Ensley; Miss
Lucy Hedden, and, naturally, my own Mom are some of the
folks whom I remember were going to the Webster Methodist
Church when I did. I loved each and every one these members
and have many special memories stores away about each of
them.
"Yes," there 's still a church on the hill in Webster (thank
God!) - the WEBSTER METHODIST CHURCH, and " No," no
spot is so dear to my childhood (and adulthood) as the little
"white" church on the hill.
Methodist Women Added Support
By Oberia Wild Hyatt
I grew up in Webster and I
often think of the good times
and good friends of my days
in the Webster Methodist
Church.
The women ot the church
called their organization The
Ladies Aid Society (now the
United Methodist Women).
The group met once a month
in the home of one of their
members. I can just see them
walking down River Road to
my mother's home. For other
meetings they climbed the
red clay hill to Webster. They
had several good times.
The ladies sponsored ice
cream, box and oyster suppers
. These community
events were well attended
and provided fun and enter tainment
for young and old.
These parties were one of the
ways the ladies raised money
for their special projects such
as church and parsonage
repairs. They really were
aides to the church.
Prepa ring welcoming
meals and directing the
" pounding" of a new minister
was another of the ladies' activities.
They always had din-ner
or supper ready for the
family and saw that it was
supplied with staples - a
pound of this and a pound of
that.
Some of the ladies I
remember include Lela
Moore, Eugenia Allison, Lillie
Broyles, Lillie Rhinehart,
Hannah Hall , Dean Frizzell,
Laura Moore, Gracie Hall
Brown, Ella Davis , Nora
Coward, Mattie McKee, Mag
Nicholson, Sallie McConnell,
and of course my mother,
Minnie Wild.
Mr. Lewis Broyles was Sunday
school superintendent
and was loved by all
Professor Robert Lee
Madison was one of the Sunday
school teachers. He
would teach the class with
tears running down his
cheeks.
Uncle Andy Allison would
sit in his pew during
preaching. He would get so
excited that he would shake
all over, but he never uttered
a sound.
My father, Jake Wild, Uncle
John Wild, and Mr.
George McConnell were
faithful church attenders
from our side of the river.
Page 4, HISTORIC WEBSTER, Summer, 1983
Webster Methodist Leaders Were
Coleman Hall, though he lived many years in
Mississippi, always supported Webster church.
Gracie Hall Brown, living in
Cullowhee, has continued her loyal·
ty to Webster church.
The Reverend and Mrs. Vero R. Masters
were in Webster in 193J.l933.
Eugenia Moore Allison and her daughter Ruth
were leaders in Sunday school and church.
Mr. and Mrs. Gene McCants
were entertained at a church
dinner in 1977. Sally McConnell
served the dinner.
Janet Highfill, daughter of the Reverend
and Mrs. T. G. Highfill, was three years
old when this photograph was taken in
the parsonage yard.
Rachel Hall in 1907 was Webster's oldest
church member.
Judge Walter E. Moore and his wife were
Webster church members.
Rachel McKee Hall and her husband, L.
C. Hall, brought their children up in the
Webster church.
Summer, 1983 HISTORIC WEBSTER, Page 5
Part of Many Community Events
The Reverend Dale Troutman
served Webster from 1979 until
1981.
Edith Moore Hall and Stella
Broyles Hall.
Mary Jane Fisher (Aunt
Molly), In 1939, was 90
yean old
Dr. and Mrs. Ernest A. Fitzgerald lead the Webster congregation in
1943-1948.
. .. - .;
j i:.~ t~: ·, 4
James W. Terrell was chairman
of the Board of Stewards
in 1907.
Lewis Cannon presided many
years as Sunday sc hool
superintendent.
Captain William A. Enloe was a long
time Webster church member and
church trustee.
Before Judge Felix E. Alley moved to
Haywood County he was a Webster
Methodist Church leader.
Lela Enloe Moore worked with
the Ladies Aid Society.
The Reverend G. A. Hovis
preached in Webster in 1936.
Lillian Gudenrath, Lily Broyles, and Mag
Hooker were church member s and
workers in the Ladies Aid.
Page 6, HISTORIC WEBSTER, Summer, 1983
Ministers Were
Life of Webster Village
By Lawrence C. Frizzell
Only a few of the Webster
Methodist Church ministers
are clearly remembered by
me, but two come distinctly to
mind.
I do not remember the first
one at all, but my parents
must have thought highly of
him because they named me
for him, my middle name being
Cordell. That is all I know
of him. (L. T. Cordell served
Webster in 1886-1888.)
The next one is also indistinct
in my mind. His name
was Richards or something
like that. (Could have been J .
S. Ragan, 1900-1901). He used
to ride a very spirited gray
horse when he came to visit
us. I used to think that horse
was about to run away or
throw his rider every time he
came around. That made me
admire him tremendously,
because in those days a good
horseman was something to
be admired.
The last two come clearly to
mind. The first was Mr. C. H.
Clyde, who served during the
early years of the century.
(1906-1908) He had two
daughters, Mabel and Helen,
who were very popular
among the students of our
new Webster school. Mr.
Clyde was a very ardent and
oratorical preacher, and put
on some spectacular performances.
One time he leaped
to the rail around the pulpit
and balanced himself there
for several seconds to emphasize
a point. On another
occasion he put on an impassioned
appeal to care for
those in need, ending each
sentence with "FEED MY
SHEEP" ! He loved to gather
a few of us boys around him
and pray for us. He did this in
the small barn back of the
parsonage instead of the
church, which always puzzled
me.
The fourth one was Mr. J .
A. Peeler. Again I don't
remember just when he served,
(1908-1910) but it was also
early in the century. As nearly
all other men in those days,
he chewed tobacco. And his
favorite "plug " was
"Browne's Mule", only he
pronounced the "mule" as if
it had two syllables, making it
sound like " mu-el" . He probably
had several children,
but I remember only one. His
name was John, and I rescued
him from drowning one day.
A bunch of us boys were
swimming in the river about
half way between the bridge
and the Hall house. There was
a big rock out in the river at
the upper end of the bend, and
another jutting out from the
bank at the lower end. The
water between the two rocks
was pretty deep and
dangerous for one who
couldn't swim. It was in this
deep stretch of water that
Walter Wild drowned in 1906.
John Peeler was one of the
boys swimming there that
day. I happened to be on the
rock at the lower end of the
hole when John started yelling.
We thought he was just
trying to kid us, but when I
looked up to where he was
about the middle of the deep
water I saw his face just as he
went under the water. There
was no question about his being
in trouble, so I dived in
and got to him just as he came
up and grabbed his arm and
started swimming for the
rock at the lower end. Just as
we got near the rock Frank
Coward got there to help, and
we got John up on the rock
and drained him. He was one
scared boy, and I never saw
him swim again. As we were
all probably swimming
without the permission
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