snippets ~ chatham history BLOG

Here's a treat for you! These photos of the Patrick St. Lawrence House/Tavern are just a sample of the beautiful photos contributed by Ray and Janet Carney--the current owners, residents, and skillful restorers of the Tavern, which, after several moves within the town of Pittsboro, is located on Small Street. The photos highlight the careful restoration of the interior that Ray and Janet Carney have carried out over the last several years and they show the structure in its Christmas finery! We are so fortunate that the Carneys chose to come to Pittsboro and to make the Patrick St. Lawrence Tavern their home.

See more photos on our website:

https://chathamhistory.org/Patrick-St-Lawrence-House-Christmas/

You can learn more about the Patrick St. Lawrence House/Tavern and see some "before" photos on our website as well:

https://chathamhistory.org/resources/Documents/PDFs/ResearchArticles/StLawrenceHouse-TavernUpdateAugust2016.pdf

#ChathamNCHistory #ChathamCountyNC #PittsboroNC #PatrickStLawrence #Christmas #1790s

This is Jordan Dorsett. Sometimes you come across a tiny bit of information that that leads you to look for more--even though it interrupts the task you were working on when you accidently came across it. That was the case when doing some routine updating for the recently photographed Corinth AMEZ cemetery. It was noted in the records that the earliest birthdate in the cemetery was that of Jordan Dorsett, who was born on 16 Feb 1847. His cemetery marker, shared with his wife Alpha Alston Dorsett, had no death date (as sometime happens when the marker is placed at the death of the first spouse and not inscribed at the death of the second.)

A search for other records that might give a death date led to his death certificate, which indicated that he died in 1930, but also indicated that his mother was Elizabeth Chavers. Recalling from a paper about apprenticeships involving free children of color that there was an apprentice named Jordan, whose mother was Elizabeth Chavers, a look there was in order. In the paper, Jordan was listed as Jordan Chavers and his birthdate on the apprenticeship record was 16 Feb 1847--the date on Jordan Dorsett's marker in the Corinth cemetery. Jordan, his mother, and younger sister were were living in the household of Robert Dorsett. Could this be the same Jordan?

In census records reported in the apprenticeship paper, Jordan Chavers was found in various Dorsett households in 1850 through 1870. Marriage records indicate that Jordan and Alpha were married in 1877. Sometime between 1877 and 1900 Jordan apparently began using the last name Dorsett. The 1900-1920 censuses show Jordan and Alpha Dorsett in Matthews Township, owning their own home. Jordan is variously shown as a saddler and harness repairer, and appears to have owned his own shop next to the Farmer’s Alliance Store in Siler City. In 1920, granddaughter Pauline, 14, is living with the couple. In 1930, Jordan, 83 is widowed and head of the household that also consists of granddaughter Pauline, her husband Herman Siler, and their children Doris and Bobbie. Jordan’s death certificate indicates that he died on 13 Oct 1930 and confirms that his mother was Elizabeth Chavers/Chavis. Jordan and Alpha are buried in the Corinth AMEZ Church cemetery in Siler City.

We checked Ancestry to see if any additional information was documented there and found this great photo in several public family trees. We've subsequently updated and reposted the apprenticeship paper on the CCHA website, but Jordan's story seemed worth sharing here as well.

Link to the updated apprenticeship paper:

https://chathamhistory.org/.../ApprenticeshipsInvolvingFr...

#ChathamNCHistory #ChathamCountyNC #SilerCityNC #FreePersonsofColor #FPOC #Apprenticeship #Chavers #Dorsett

Piggly Wiggly Pig Mascot in Siler City Christmas Parade 1970s

Christmas parade in the early 1970's. Harold Willett was manager of the Piggly Wiggly, and it was his pick-up truck he was driving that day. Harold also worked at that store when it was A&P.

Photo and information from Teresa Willett Phillips.

#ChathamNCHistory #ChathamCountyNC #SilerCityNC #ChristmasParade #PigglyWiggly #1970s

"Land Beneath the Waters" is a 35-minute documentary tracing the history of the New Hope River valley through the development of Jordan Lake and covers native population, early settlement, Revolutionary and Civil Wars, acquisition of properties and construction of the dam, and present-day recreational activities.

You'll note that the video is old-school. It was originally produced on video cassettes--if you remember those. But the information is still valid and covers an important part of Chatham's history.

You can view it here on our YouTube channel:

https://youtu.be/WYjaJl3_Ujw

#ChathamNCHistory #ChathamCountyNC #NewHopeRiverValley #JordanLake

Did you know that Pittsboro's town well stood at the intersection of Hillsboro and Salisbury Streets? It was removed in 1921 and the street was graded at the same time. Main Street (Hillsboro) was still not paved at that time.

We don't have a photo of Pittsboro's well, but Annie Bynum's paintings of old Pittsboro show it.

#ChathamNCHistory #ChathamCountyNC #ChathamHistory #ChathamNC #PittsboroNC #MainStreetPittsboro #oldwell #townwell #MainStreet

Siler City's Farmers' Alliance Store has a long and unique history. It was created in 1888 as a way to buy in bulk and provide lower costs to farmers, and, when it closed in 2018, it was the oldest business still in operation in Siler City. The Alliance published two books covering the history of the store--one for its 100th anniversary, and the other for its 115th. You can read them both on our website:

https://chathamhistory.org/resources/Documents/PDFs/ResearchArticles/FarmersAllianceHistoryIntro.pdf

If you have memories or photos of the Alliance Store, please share them with us!

#ChathamNCHistory #ChathamCountyNC #ChathamHistory #ChathamNC #SilerCityNC #FarmersAlliance #FarmersAllianceStore

Kelly Gomez writes about the history of the Lawrence School in Corinth and the people who created and attended it in an article on our website. Family names in the article include Buchanan, Cross, Ellis, Harrington, Lawrence, Marks, Mims, Peele, Thomas, and Utley.

https://chathamhistory.org/resources/Documents/PDFs/ResearchArticles/The%20Lawrence%20School%20Corinth.pdf

#ChathamNCHistory #ChathamCountyNC #CorinthNC #LawrenceSchool

There are lots of places shown on this 1911 Chatham County map that no longer exist--except, perhaps, in someone's memory. Please share what you know about any of these places. Are there crossroads or landmarks still present? What families were associated with these places?

Here's a list of the place names on the map:

Ascend, Bear Creek, Beaumont, Bellevoir, Bennett, Boggs, Bonlee, Bush Creek, Bryant, Carbonton, Coaldale, Corinth, Ditson, Ebenezer, Elm Grove, Elmville, Evans, Fall Creek, Farrington, Frosty, Goff, Goldston, Green, Grove, Gulf, Hackney, Harpers Crossroads, Haywood, Headwater, Iris, Jordan, Kimbolton, Lambsville, Leewood, Lindhurst, Lockville, Lutterloh, Merry Oaks, Millane, Millwood, Moncure, Mount Vernon Springs, Mudlick, Ore Hill, Palmers, Paschal, Patmos, Pedlars Hill, Peoples, Pittsboro, Riggsbee, Rives Chapel, Roscoe, Rosewood, Roundtop, Russell, Seaforth, Self, Siler City, Silk Hope, Simmon Grove, Stork, Success, Tillman, Truth, Tysor Mills, Upland, Waldo, Williams Mills.

The map shows railroads and waterways. The scale is too small to show roads.

You can view a larger image on our website: https://chathamhistory.org/1911-Chatham-Map

Saving local history is a two-way street. We at the Chatham County Historical Association can save and share what we know, but we must rely on everyone out there to share in this direction as well. Please help if you can!

#ChathamNCHistory #ChathamCountyNC #ChathamHistory #ChathamNC #map #ChathamNCplaces #communities #postoffice #1911map #1910s

When Lamont Norwood’s letter reached his mother in Chatham County in November of 1942, she was undoubtedly relieved to hear from him. She must have held her breath, though, after reading his first few sentences…

Dear Mother,

I sort of hesitate to tell about my recent experience, because it may start you to worrying about me, but on the other hand I have to make some explanation for the change of address, and if I made up some story you might see that it didn’t look like the truth and become really worried. I am at a hospital now….

In the following three and a half pages, Lamont details the harrowing account of the sinking of the ship he was aboard and three days at sea on a raft before being rescued. You can read the letter on our website, thanks to its donation to the Chatham County Historical Association collection by Richard Whitfield.

https://chathamhistory.org/resources/Documents/PDFs/ResearchArticles/LamontNorwoodWWIIDearMother.pdf

Lamont was raised in Chatham County in the Mt. Pleasant community. He graduated from Pittsboro High School and enlisted in the Navy prior to WWII. Her served as a pharmacist's mate during the war. He received an honorable discharge from the Navy and returned to Chatham to own and operate a dairy farm. A life-long resident of Chatham, Lamont was an avid Chatham County historian and story teller. He was an enthusiastic member of the Chatham County Historical Association and frequent volunteer in the Chatham Historical Museum.

#ChathamNCHistory #ChathamCountyNC #ChathamHistory #ChathamNC #military #WWII #USNavy #DearMother #LamontNorwood 

Beulah Baptist Church South of Bennett, 1953.

Can anyone tell us more about this church? According to the church history page, it was founded in 1902--but there's not much more info there. Please email us at history@chathamhistory.org if you can share more!

#ChathamNCHistory #ChathamCountyNC #BennettNC #BeulahBaptistChurch #1950s