I had no idea when I began in early September with the idea of focusing my monthly photography blog post from one specific location in mind, that by the end of the month that it would become bittersweet, touching, and memorable. Friday September 27, 2024 was a game changer day in Western North Carolina.
The Western North Carolina landscape has been critically altered due to the forces of nature. The beautiful Blue Ridge has been changed by the devastating path of Hurricane Helene. Towns have been erased by this path of destruction.
My heart hurts for so many families and mountain communities as they begin to try to recover and rebuild. Numb might actually be a better word. Mountain Communities are now isolated from the outside world grasping for all avenues of assistance and support, losing everything they own while helping others all at the same time.
My family, like many of you, experienced several days without power and full internet connection. In our many years of married life, this was the longest stent of power failure that we have ever experienced. I now have two completely clean refrigerators/freezers… all food was not salvageable. But, it’s ok. We are literally several minutes away from a path of destruction and very lucky that our storm damage wasn’t more severe.
During the stent of no power… We had time with family, time to laugh while playing board games, and dinners with friends who had power at their home.
I’m also thankful for the many people who stopped by the hardware store to check to make sure we weathered the storm well , or sent us messages. We simply live in a great, giving community. Thank you!
The news of the storm’s fury was front and center in my social media feed when I had the opportunity for a moment to visualize the aftermath of Helene during the power outage and still almost a week later, it dominates our news cycle. It has been hard to imagine this type of devastation in my mind. Towns and communities are literally gone.
We as business owners, do fully understand the power of water and the force behind it. Flooding is not an experience that we wish share with anyone else, a tremendous amount of empathy lies within.
Last Saturday morning, we began to witness the influx of customers who are traveling down from their mountain homes to find needed supplies. This trek still is continuing into this week. Supplies are selling out quickly and we are trying to reorder as fast as we can to accommodate our customers needs.
Western North Carolina communities need our support wherever you can give it. Do what you can to assist Western North Carolina Relief Efforts. Donate time, resources, or money to those charities that are well vetted where the most money can benefit those in need.
Mountain Communities are requesting that only relief workers be allowed into the area so the clean up can continue and allow for the arrival of much needed materials.
My hope is that this September montage will bring solace to your Blue Ridge Mountain wandering soul and lift your spirits in the coming days. A simple pictorial offering… a remembrance to our beloved Blue Ridge Mountains prior to the devastation we witnessed last week. I present to you, The Blue Ridge Mountains are calling and I must GO! My photographic Blog Journal from September 2024.
An Afternoon Wandering at Doughton Park
Blue Ridge Parkway Sunsetsare simply stunning
Price Lake Never Disappoints
Saturday Evening Sunset Drive
In closing I’m sharing one of my all time favorite benedictions and prayers: The Franciscan Benediction, as we all continue our work to restore and rebuild in Western North Carolina.
MAY GOD BLESS YOU with discomfort, at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships so that you may live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.
May God bless you with tears, to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain to joy.
And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in the world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done, to bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.
August… the sizzling summer heat lingers, foggy mornings equate to snowy days in the winter, rolling thunderstorms, and the quest for those cooler days and nights will slowly become our reality. August IS the “Sunday of Summer”. Once it arrives, it seems to go by quickly and a new month is upon you. Sharing a few of my everyday photo favorites to summarize a small portion of this “Sunday of Summer”, August2024. I hope you will enjoy. Thanks for sharing my blog with friends and family and sending your comments to me. Looking forward to September!
Sky Watch
Storm Looming Hanging Out, August Fog Fog Hug… August Mornings can bring fog and it is hanging in the trees tightly this morning Morning GloryDouble Rainbow Skies High Drama in the Clouds Golden Evening Sky September Hues in August
After The Storm
After The Rain Color Show of the Crepe Myrtle Color Show of the Crepe Myrtle
Tree Study
I love to photograph a good tree, so when the opportunity presents itself, I will stop and take a moment to take a few pictures. Sometimes they turn out pretty well, sometimes not so much. But, I have learned that multiple shots of the image can make all the difference. Here’s a few of my favorites from this month …
Filtered Light Double TreeSame Tree Different View… Hidden Beauty
Hand building projects completed
Instant gratification isn’t the goal with hand building pottery. Slow and gradual progress is what you see when you begin with raw clay. The processes of creating with clay from shaping/making your piece, which could could take hours or even days… to the first bisque fire, then glazing, going through the kiln again… all take time but the end result is worth the wait! These pieces have been in the works for a while, glad to see them finally finished and grateful for an amazing teacher!!
Bird Bath Complete!! The absolute largest piece made to date! A HUGE thank you to Kim Anderson Reid for her guidance and patience in making this large piece and excellent advice on how to glaze! FroggyAug-tober begins! That’s right, I heard this phrase for the first time this month. I didn’t know it was an actual thing, but it is! All the fall feels in August! Longing for Autumn… well in the world of pottery, the processes of hand building takes a bit of time, and producing fall pieces begins in August and September.
A Pup Interlude
Our son has been traveling for work over the last month or so. When he’s gone from home for an extended period of time, I always try to send him a few pictures of his two favorite pups everyday. He really enjoys seeing them in all of their quirky little daily adventures. Here’s two captured moments from August.
A Bit of JoyOur Little Cookie Monster
The Greenway
Critters in the CornWildflowers Line the Path Kudzu Blossoms
Sweet Surprises and Finds
This next group of pictures are interesting finds from August… from trimming bushes and finding a little bird nest inside, to a long walk around the neighborhood at Mom and Dad’s house… you just never know what you will encounter!
If these walls could talk… the stories they could tell! Our hardware store is located at 324 10th Street. The outside brick exterior of the building looks well-worn… a few signs of old age are visible, as it should have, this building is approaching the age of 120 years old!
As you enter, you will probably find the front door open most days, weather permitting. The interior is full of beautiful treasures of the past, a fully functional freight elevator, wood stove, rolling ladder wall, and old wooden cabinetry lining the entire back wall. That venture into 324th 10th Street, through the hardware store reveals some of the days from long ago… the legacy and memories of times when hardware stores were simply different.
Yes, I believe that our hardware store is definitely a unique shopping experience that is worth exploring, even in 2024, as the days of ordering online has become a staple for many people. You can’t find some of these unique items online… Only inside these vintage walls. There’s no connecting or having a longing to go back to an online shopping cart versus wandering throughout your hometown old school hardware store. The experience is distinct and rare in today’s modern retail world. The two can’t be compared.
I definitely feel that a stroll back into time to get a visual sense of the origins of this old building is definitely blog worthy. So here’s a more detailed look at some of these iconic, vintage pieces found inside 324 10th Street revealing what we know as the true history of 324 10th Street.
The Freight Elevator
One of the unique features of our “Old School Hardware Store” is the freight elevator. Secret being told, the remaining oral history that we have been given is a bit disjointed. So we have in earnest, started trying to track down some information about this elevator from the direct source… the company that built it, Park Elevator.
Park Elevator is one of the oldest, independent elevator companies in the Southeast, dating back to 1898.
I continue to be absolutely fascinated by the fact that such a massive machine as this one was made in Charlotte, NC!
How very fitting that the former owners at 324 10th Street sourced materials locally and from our state. Richard and I are honored to carry on that tradition still in 2024.
Locally made items are available year round inside Wilkes County Hardware
Our old freight elevator has to be inspected by the state each year. The state elevator inspector requested a full load test in 2023. To be honest, we were very worried about that requirement to continue to have it in use. We debated for several months… what to do… is this a safe thing to do for such an oldie Goldie??? A full load test is a tough thing for an “old school elevator” to handle. Uncertainty loomed in our minds.
We decided to make a few phone calls. The elevator experts were very helpful. We actually have a few elevator technicians who frequent our hardware store and they often speak about how special and unique this old elevator is! They love it! So drawing from their experience and expertise, the phone call was made.
After speaking to the elevator experts about the situation concerning the full load test, we were pleasantly surprised to find out that the needed test was NOT a full load test but instead, a NO load test. Our old freight elevator has wooden side rails, therefore a full load test is impossible to do!! A full load test could literally shred the wooden side rails 😳. We had a path to keep the elevator moving!
State inspection done ✅ . Still waiting on the No Load Test.
The Wood Stove
Likewise, the wood stove was manufactured in Greensboro, NC. The wood stove has been quite a showcase for many of our visitors and regular customers. Check out the blog post that includes details of the information we know about this old classic wood stove below.
Researching and LearningMore About 324 10th Street
Ask and ye shall find! So, here’s the thing, we need your stories about this old freight elevator, and we need more history about our building. I actually had started doing my own research around the time the Smithey building burned down… but I haven’t had an opportunity to get back into it since then.
Life sometimes gets busy and projects get pushed away for a space of time. But here’s a quick rundown of the main essentials on what we know via oral history and research…
1. Building dates back to 1905.
2. EE Eller Wholesale was located at 324 10th Street until 1941 when he moved his business to Forester Street (advertisement in Journal Patriot – 1941) the space was used by ______________________ after Mr. Eller left???? we are unsure of what type of business existed after that…
Learn more about Mr. Eller’s Legacy: Mr. EE Eller, Chickens and Turkeys… Nothing but Clucking, Gobbling, and Plucking out the TruthThis photograph was sent to us by Mr. Eller’s Family and will be hung in its rightful place on the owners wall soon! The original photo hanging on the wall that had been identified to us as Mr. Eller was not really him! To read more about this click the link above about Mr. Eller. Look for this beautifully restored photograph the next time you come by Wilkes County Hardware.
3. Yates Wilkes Hardware began 1940’s???? No definitive date has been discovered.
Legendary Stories: We have been told that Mr. Yates began a hardware store for supplying his “moonshine friends” with needed equipment/supplies… as they say, nothing ruins a good story like the truth. I bet the truth lies somewhere between the two, the legend and the facts.
4. Glascock wood stove- Giant 24N style stove went into production 1930’s-1940’s in Greensboro, NC and unsure of date when installed in building (Nollie Neill, Glascock Stove Historian) Linked in blog today is a detailed overview of what we know about the wood stove.
5. Freight Elevator made by Park, based in Charlotte, NC. Research ongoing.
6. Rolling ladder Wall made by Putnam Rolling Ladder Company
Piecing Together The Puzzle of 324
A while back ago, I asked our social media followers to share their thoughts about painting our front doors at the hardware store. It was fascinating to find out everyone’s thoughts when we were curious about changing the paint on the front doors. Some people said don’t touch those doors, others wanted to make color suggestions.
I enjoyed the story one customer told us about the doors being a beautiful dark green color when she first came to the hardware store when she was younger which helped us connect the past to the present day.
These bits of information and history are the small pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that we are trying to “piece together” of our building and the objects inside. The timing of these stories helps us to “piece the puzzle together” and connect the jigsaw puzzleinto a whole. So we deem everything as important as we are gathering information and adding to our knowledge base of our building and its historical contents.
All of your stories are inspiring to us. Gathering these memories and stories helps keep this building alive long after we all are long gone, in hopes of creating a lasting legacy. Ourbuilding boasts the beginnings of the poultry industry in Wilkes, the legend of moonshine, and the hardwareindustry rooted right here in Wilkes.
Legendary stories, which maybe more fictional than fact, let’s face it, those stories are always fun to tell and listen to. But,ultimately, may not help us with our mission of fact finding concerning 324 10th Street and the ultimate dissemination of the lasting legacy at 324 10th Street. Truth be told, honestly, I believe we need a bit of both types of memories and stories for balance. I realize that we may not ever fully discover everything there is to know about this timeworn, treasure of a building, but it’s definitely worth the discovery in my minds eye.
Yes, in case your curiosity has gotten the best of you and are wondering… we ARE still planning to paint the front doors, BUT we know it will be a HUGE project. The doors will have to come down and be prepared for a full makeover. This old hardware store building is like an onion, and we slowly peel a layer away at a time and tackle what we can as we get time to do so.
As I have mentioned before, in an earlier written blog posts, Stories help keep our past history alive, & keep us linked together.
I feel that it is extremely important to undertake the quest of learning about a building that is close to 120 years old. Not many buildings in Wilkes can boast such a history! Sharing the legacy of a great old historic building in the center of Downtown North Wilkesboro for future generations yet to come should be a central part of who we are and why we are still relevant today.
Thank you for continuing to support us by shopping with us as we head into year NINE of business! We appreciate your willingness to help create the bridge between our past experiences to our present day by sharing memories and stories of a treasured building at 324 10th Street. After all, that is the heart of legacy.
A HUGE thank you to Kim Anderson Reid for this incredible address totem pole!!!
Cornbread, is strongly rooted in Native American tradition. Maize, or corn as we know it today, at its most natural form, fed and nourished the earliest settlers in our state. Native American “cornbread” was originally known as Corn Pone (meal, water, salt). Cornbread became a popular staple daily bread for many Southerners centuries ago when corn was a food source that everyone grew for themselves and could be used in a variety of ways.
I would venture to guess that cornbread made centuries ago is vastly different from what is served on our Southern tables and in local restaurants today. In order to have a tasty cornbread AND to keep the “A-Maized” factor high, view the slice of what makes cornbread so delicious and extra special…
Non-Negotiables for A-Maizing Cornbread
In need of a new cornbread pan? Wilkes County Hardware has got it!
1. Begin with a HOT and well seasoned Lodge Cast Iron Skillet. I always preheat my oven and melt my butter (or oil) in my cast iron skillet while I’m mixing up my cornbread.
2. Hot cornbread freshly baked from oven tastes the best! Enough said right???
3. The outer, crispy crust and the center must be cooked through. Nothing is worse than a cornbread that sticks to skillet or isn’t cooked all the way through. Ugh!
Now that we have a few of the absolutes out of the way, there are some things that are absolutely up for debate regarding cornbread, depending on how you were brought up, and your palate preferences.
Cornbread, An “A-Maizing” Debate
1. Yellow versus white cornmeal- The ultimate question… which do you prefer? People seem to have a definite preference over one or the other. My family prefers the white cornmeal overall and that was my personal experience with cornbread growing up.
2. Sweet, savory, or simple cornbread- the choices are endless! Most folks are probably in the sweet cornbread camp OR the simple cornbread crowd… I grew up with the simple cornbread without any sweetness attached. Savory cornbread adds flavor to any meal. Which do you prefer? Love all three???
3. Biscuits or Cornbread– why decide right??? Just eat both!
4. Box mix or Mill ground– Sorry y’all, for me, there is definitely preference. I don’t think I have ever made a box cornbread mix before. I’m sure they are perfectly fine, but it is not what I’m accustomed to making. Linny’s Mill cornmeal has always been a family favorite.
A Slice of Cornbread Perfection: Memories of Cornbread and More
Growing up at home, when I opened the pantry or refrigerator, I knew exactly which container to go for in order to find the cornmeal. As a hungry kid learning the kitchen basics, helping my mom cook, cornmeal was a standard pantry staple. I could easily navigate the cabinets to find the cornmeal in a tall, bright, Tangerine orange Tupperware container. Out the container would come, and learning to mix up a simple cornbreadwith Mom…we were well on our way to getting dinner finished and the cornbread sliced, perfectly wedged and onto the kitchen table.
My memories of helping in the kitchen are strong. I spent many hours prepping alongside my Mom for family meals. I recall Mom didn’t always make the traditional simple cornbread baked in the hot skillet. That’s the nice thing about using diverse ingredients like cornmeal. Many variations of the same basic recipe can be made. Mom often made variations of Cornbread… corn muffins, hush puppies, cornbread fritters, and my Dad even sometimes crumbled the last piece of cornbread in milk.
My favorite way Mom used cornmeal was in making cornbread fritters. Cornbread fritters are a fried version of cornbread, and they are scrumptious and flat like a pancake. These fritters were a summer staple to supplement our supper, going alongside the freshly picked summer garden vegetables. I’m getting hungry as I write this!
I feel sure we ate more cornbread fritters than cornbread that way the oven stayed off, not heating up the kitchen unnecessarily on those long, hot, sultry, humid summer days.
The one cornmeal variety that I have memories of BUT not made or personally experienced is cornmeal mush. My Granny used to talk about making cornmeal mush for her dad often. He would request cornmeal mush when he just needed a little something to eat for a meal. It was just enough to sustain him.
I had heard the stories about him wanting cornmeal mush so often, that I would relate to Granny when she was feeling poorly before she passed away. She would often tell me she wasn’t hungry or didn’t feel like eating much… The cornmeal mush was a story we shared… so when I told her that I would not make her cornmeal mush, and I would smile as I said it… she would always smile back, we both knew of course, if she really wanted it, I would have made it. We always giggled about it then went onto discuss other options for her supper, keeping things simple, as she needed them to be. I miss her everyday.
Cornmeal is such a versatile ingredient in the Southern kitchen. Roll fresh okra, squash, zucchini in cornmeal before frying.
All that being said, Cornmeal is a simple staple that can guide you into many different directions in the kitchen by creating Casseroles, dressing, and even a cornbread salad. Cornmeal has been also used in many Southern kitchens as a breading for fried squash, okra, zucchini, and let’s not forget about fish as well! The potential for new recipes are unlimited!
Cornmeal is used as a base in this fish fry and yummy hush puppies.
Ahhh Shucks, Cornmeal A Versatile Ingredient
The key ingredients that our ancestors used centuries ago, to make a Corn Pone (meal, water, salt), have been tweaked and refined in order to make the perfect slice of cornbread in the 21st century . As a result, your favorite cornbread is probably a bit more flavorful.
Whether you are adding in savory ingredients, flour, sugar, egg, milk, buttermilk, or simply using water or milk/buttermilk to mix… cornbread has definitely changed over time. Making cornbread is definitely not quite as simple as it used to be and the flavors and variations are limitless!
The Cornbread Mentality
Our memories of how cornbread be… it is my gut feeling that those memories of cornbread are strongly tied to our family experiences and traditions regarding cornbread. We make, what we love to eat, and what’s comforting to our hearts and minds.
Your personal routines about making cornbread are deeply rooted in the way your Grandparents and Parents made cornbread…hence what I’m calling, The cornbread mentality exists in my own personal opinion.
My guess, your basic cornbread recipe is similar to what you grew up eating and loving about cornbread. AND that is your traditional cornbread recipe, always. No specific formula or recipe exists for all cornbread, making it the heart of the cornbread mentality… defining it as your own personal cornbread story. Ahhh, shucks y’all!
A bit of magic of the summer season integrated into my photographic lens from this past month. I have truly enjoyed the simplicity of the photographic blog posts each month that I began earlier this year. Photos do tell their own story. July, it’s been a warm month… in memories and temperatures. Thanks for tagging along with me!
I have linked a few other blog posts from this month in here as well. Take your time with this one folks and find all the other blog posts within, coming back to them as you can. I so appreciate your continued support! I hope you enjoy these special July memories in photographic form.
A Walk Around Kerr Scott
ReflectionsPeaking ThroughA Walk By the Lake … If you didn’t get a chance to read Rooted in Wilkes yet, I hope you will get a chance to do so soon!
Home
Contradictions in the SkyTime to BlossomBlue Skies and BloomsYoung BloomsJust Like LaceBusy Bee 🐝In Full BloomAngel TrumpetA peak inside a blooming Crepe MyrtleSimplicity of a trailing vinePeaceful, Easy Feeling… Morning SunriseBarely ThereRising to the OccasionNight skySeeking Raindrops
Friday Flower Fun at Wilkes County Hardware
First Flower Friday… success! See you again August 9th!!!
North Wilkesboro Greenway
Growing Field of DreamsWildflower Dreams
Blue Ridge Parkway
Where the Wildflowers GrowBlue Ridge HorizonBlue Ridge Skyline
The Hardware Life - A wife's journey into the hardware business 