snippets ~ chatham history BLOG

The opening of Chatham Hospital in Siler City was celebrated on 11 June 1950.

The original Chatham Hospital opened in a two-story brick house in 1937 (behind the new hospital in the photo below). A new multi-story building was constructed in 1950 with a major addition and patient wing completed in 1968. The last addition was a new emergency department built in 1997. Much of the financing through the decades came from generous donations from corporations and citizens within the community, as well as more than 60 years of support by the Siler City Rotary Club. Chatham Hospital affiliated with the UNC Health Care System in 2008 and the new Chatham Hospital opened on Progress Boulevard, in the Central Carolina Business Campus in Siler City.

The 1950 hospital building was vacant from 2008 to 2018, when it was sold and demolished to make way for 52 new townhomes.

Thanks to Duane Hall for this photos from his Siler City collection.

#ChathamNCHistory #ChathamHistory #ChathamNC #ChathamHospital #SilerCityNC #hospital #medicine #1930s #1950s #2000s

This Chatham County dinosaur skeleton was the very first specimen cataloged in the American Museum of Natural History's fossil reptile collections!

So how did this humble Carolina crocodylomorph from Chatham County make its way to Central Park West before the first Tyrannosaurus or Triceratops?

Learn more:

https://indyweek.com/.../humble-chatham-county-phytosaur.../

#ChathamNCHistory #ChathamCountyNC #ChathamHistory #ChathamNC #dinosaur #fossil #phytosaur #EgyptMinesNC

Justice Motor Company ~ In Chatham County for the majority of the twentieth century, the name “Justice” was associated with automobile sales—specifically Justice Motor Company in Pittsboro and The Justice Motor Company and then Chatham Motors in Siler City—and with two Hickory Mountain born brothers— Frank N. Justice and Fred C. Justice.

Margaret Hamlet Bingham, the granddaughter of Fred C. Justice, has shared the history of the brothers and their automobile dealerships, and given us a walk-through of the Justice Motor Company Building in the 1950s.

See more photos and read the story here: https://chathamhistory.org/.../JusticeMotorCompanyMargare...

The Justice Motor Company Building has recently been renovated as part of a large development project and many of the original features of the building have been preserved. 

#ChathamNCHistory #ChathamHistory #ChathamNC #JusticeMotorCompany #FredJustice #FrankJustice #ChathamMotors #PittsboroNC #SilerCityNC

Devil's Tramping Ground -- a Chatham County mystery. Can science help solve it?

The Devil's Tramping Ground is a clearing in the Chatham County woods where nothing has grown for as long as anyone can remember. (And the site has been a mystery for a long time--an article appearing in 1882 describing it in much the same was as it is described today.)

The mysterious lack of plants in the area has inspired the legend that the Devil comes to that spot in the night and paces in a circle while planning "all sorts of menace and mischief," trampling all the plants in the process. Scientists have yet to determine exactly why nothing grows there.

Here's a short clip about the science behind the circle in which vegetation refuses to grow -- and a little sample of Tommy Edwards' song about the place.

https://video.pbsnc.org/video/unc-tv-science-devils-tramping-ground/

Thanks to the late Tommy Edwards for the link -- and the music! Here's a link to the whole song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIYfDWPpbTE

Please note that the Devil's Tramping Ground is on private property and visitors have abused it over the years. Please be respectful and visit only with permission. Any Devil's Tramping Ground stories out there?

#ChathamNCHistory #ChathamHistory #ChathamNC #DevilsTrampingGround #TommyEdwards

Chris Kluge sent us this fantastic photo of workers in Chatham Mills, along with the following information:

Chris's Great Uncle Albert C Kluge established a woven label mill in Pittsboro in early 1930’s. This photo shows weavers at Chatham Mills (part of Artistic Weaving Co.) in Pittsboro from A.C. Kluge's scrapbook. The back of this photo reads: "These girls did the threading, reeding on first 3 looms. Foy Riddle, Lottie Council, and Katherine Herndon." Eventually, Chatham Mills hosted 180 Jacquard narrow fabrics shuttle looms, and continued operations until 1997. “Billions of Woven Labels Shipped.”

#ChathamNCHistory #ChathamCountyNC #ChathamMills #textile #PittsboroNC

Several Cape Fear Township historic cemeteries have been documented for CCHA by Boe Goodwin. 

The Boyd cemetery is associated with the family of Murphy Jones Boyd. See more here: https://cemeterycensus.com/nc/chat/cem535.htm

The Marks cemetery: Deeds suggest that the property was part of the estate of James Alexander "Sandy" Marks, who died in 1923. See more here:   https://cemeterycensus.com/nc/chat/cem532.htm

The Mims cemetery is on the 102.5-acre dower lot of the J. H. [James Henderson] Mims estate. See more here: https://cemeterycensus.com/nc/chat/cem533.htm

The Marks-Partridge cemetery holds the remains of the Marks, Partridge, and Cross families. You can see all of the information here: https://cemeterycensus.com/nc/chat/cem541.htm

#ChathamNCHistory #ChathamCountyNC #ChathamNC #cemeteries 

Captain Frank Siler, far right, Beaumont School

Captain Frank Siler, far left at school in Star NC

We love it when someone takes the time to share additional information about one of our posts. Wally Jarrell saw our photo of the Beaumont School, which noted that it was led by Captain Frank Siler--someone he had done research on--and he provided the following very interesting information.

From Wally--

I was very interested in seeing this photo, especially with the image of a younger Captain Frank Siler. Captain Columbus Frank Siler was one of the most well-known teachers of his day, having been a heroic figure in leading Co. M, 22nd Regt., NC Infantry during the war. He also at times took charge of much of the regiment in the absence of higher officers who had been wounded. He himself was wounded six times leading charges and even carrying the flag. He lost most of the use of his right arm. If you notice in the photo, he is holding his "left" arm. However, photos of that day were actually mirror images, and need to be reversed to see the modern-day version of a photograph. So, he is actually holding his right arm, as the records show.

Captain Siler was born in Chatham County to Andrew J. and Ruth Barker Siler in December 1840. Following his grandfather, the family moved to Randolph County before 1860, near Franklinville. He enlisted in Co. M and was mustered in as a fourth sergeant and was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant, then to 1st Lieutenant, and finally as Captain. He was ordered promoted to Major twice, but never received the promotions due to the hectic activity and rapid movements at the end of the war and the deaths of senior officers.

Coming home from the war, he graduated from Trinity College and became a teacher and a member of the Trinity Masonic Lodge. Tracking his career, I have documented at least 15 different schools where he taught or was principal, in several different counties, including the Holly Springs Institute in Wake County. He taught for several years in my hometown of Star and finished his career at Mt. Olivet Academy in Randolph County. It is interesting that the Beaumont School was held in the Beaumont Lodge No. 160 Masonic lodge building, as he was a Mason. That lodge dissolved in 1874. In 1909 he moved to the Confederate Veteran's Home in Raleigh and agreed to be the Sunday School teacher there. He died soon after he arrived -- on 28 July 1909, and was buried in the Oakwood Cemetery in Raleigh. He was remembered in the newspapers as a "Hero of Heroes."

There are two, maybe three photos of him when he was older. Above shows Siler with his school in Star, taken about 1904. He stands on the far left. 

Thanks to Wally for sharing his research!

#ChathamNCHistory #ChathamCountyNC #Education #Teachers #FrankSiler

Bell's church. Photo from Chatham County Historical Association collection.

A history of the church is provided on the Bell's Church website:

https://www.bellsbaptistchurch.org/blank-page-1

#ChathamNCHistory #ChathamCountyNC #BellsBaptistChurch

Siler City became a songbird sanctuary on February 23, 1939, by proclamation of Mayor O. B. Reitzel. It was the third town in the South to be so designated, coming after Hendersonville, NC and Milledgeville, GA. The bird sanctuary distinction for Siler City was instigated by Mrs. Henry Pike of the Siler City Garden Club.

The Siler City Garden Club was awarded first place in the state for bird work during the year 1947. Under Mrs. Pike's guidance, school children had built 345 bird houses that year and thirty-six species of birds had been identified.

From Hadley, The Town of Siler City: 1887-1987.

Thanks to Mark Ellington for the photo!

#ChathamNCHistory #ChathamHistory #ChathamNC #SilerCityNC #birds #1930s #SongbirdSanctuary #SilerCityGardenClub

D.G. Fox general merchandise and produce store in Siler City, located at what is now 115 South Chatham Avenue, ca. 1890s. The Siler-Matthews house is visible in the background. The owner, D.G. Fox, and his son M.M. Fox are standing in the doorway.

#ChathamNCHistory #ChathamCountyNC #SilerCityNC #GeneralMerchandise #Store #1890s