snippets ~ chatham history BLOG

Did you know that the Chatham County Fair began in 1950 as the Chatham County Colored Agricultural Fair? And that the Fair continues to be a Black-run enterprise? There's a lot of Chatham County Black history associated with the Fair.

Ms. Anne McCrimmon, a former member and officer of the Fair Board captures the significance of the early fairs in her remembrance of attending as a child:

"One of the [segregated Horton] School’s activities for its students included a day to attend the Fair when it opened. Students could follow a path through the woods that led to a rickety little foot bridge across Robertson Creek to the fairgrounds. Even today I can remember the apprehension I would feel by the time we’d reach the creek. But I never fell in nor did I pass out from the fear that lay so heavy in my chest as my turn to cross over approached. Only the prospects of the Fair made it worth the effort to dash over. All kinds of handmade items would be on display. Hand-embroidered pillow cases, crocheted and knitted doilies for chairs, tables and anything else they could be placed on. Food, food, food would abound! Not just the luscious homegrown vegetables and fruit, and all kinds of canned goods, baked pies and cakes. This stuff was for looking at. The real food for fair goers would be outside the Exhibit Hall, hot dogs, candied apples, taffy, popcorn balls, candy, cookies, roasted peanuts in the shell and wonderful ice cream!. We never had enough money to sample all we wanted but if your buddies were true, you could get a little pinched share of many things. The Fair turned an ordinary school day into a grand holiday!"

Learn more on the CCHA website:

https://ccha.wildapricot.org/.../BriefHistoryofCCCAF2021.pdf

and on the Chatham County Agricultural and Industrial Fair Association website:

http://www.chathamcountyncfair.com/

Many thanks to the Chatham County Agricultural and Industrial Fair Association for helping with this article. 

#ChathamNCHistory #ChathamCountyNC #ChathamHistory #ChathamNC #ChathamCountyAgriculturalandIndustrialFair #ChathamCountyColoredAgriculturalFair #CountyFair #BlackHistory #Blackleaders #AfricanAmericanHistory #PittsboroNC 

Disillusionment Finds Its Way Into Chatham County Frog-Raising Business

It seemed like a good idea, but....

the article from the 2 Mar 1939 Chatham Record explains.

#ChathamNCHistory #ChathamCountyNC #ChathamHistory #ChathamNC #business #frog #1930s

A PBS-NC episode of Homegrown History focuses on the Deep River area of Chatham County: The Forgotten Coal Mine That Built a Nation

Coalfields along North Carolina’s Deep River helped build the U.S. This prized resource was used by enslaved laborers to forge munitions during the Revolutionary War and later powered the Confederacy and industrialization. But then the state’s worst industrial disaster struck, killing dozens of miners and eventually leading to North Carolina’s first Workers’ Compensation Act.

Even if you know the history of the coalfields, this 13-minute episode shares some things that might be new to you.

You can view it on

YouTube: https://youtu.be/HI6Vn-vT5qw

#ChathamNCHistory #ChathamCountyNC #CoalMines #DeepRiver 

For the twenty years that he practiced medicine in Chatham County, Dr. Henry A. Denson was well-liked as a physician and outspoken as a community leader. His time in Chatham is well-documented in the Chatham Record. There are many reports in the Bennett News section of the paper of him attending the sick and injured, and when Dr. D himself was under the weather, it made the news.

Over the years, there are several instances reported in which Dr. Denson speaks his mind about political or community issues. In 1921, for example, he advocates putting up road signs to keep people from getting lost due to the number of new roads being built in the county. In 1922 he suggests that Pittsboro needs to step up and act like a county seat—embracing improvements such as moving the County Fair from Siler City to Pittsboro, and building a new jail and courthouse. In 1924 he made a number of political endorsements, declined to run for coroner (too busy), and proposed a way to recruit and employ much-needed nurses.

Dr. Denson was born in neighboring Moore County in 1854, and came to Chatham only after spending much of his adult life in Indiana where he headed in 1869 at age sixteen because of an encounter with Union forces four years earlier who were from Indiana and encouraged him. Fortunately, he provided much of the fascinating story of his pre-Chatham life in an interview in the Indianapolis Daily News in 1900 while he was practicing medicine there. The interview was reprinted in the Chatham Record when he died in 1934 and is transcribed in this article on our website, along with as much of Dr. Denson's history as we could uncover:

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

We learned about Dr. Denson when his diploma from the Indiana Medical College was donated to the Chatham County Historical Association by Ryan Jones, whose grandparents purchased the Denson house. The diploma was left in the house and saved by the Jones family.

If you know the story of another early Chatham physician or nurse, please share it with us! You can contact us at history@chathamhistory.org .

#ChathamNCHistory #ChathamHistory #ChathamNC #DrHADenson #BennettNC #Physicians

Bonlee activity bus, 1954.

Thanks to Alvis Dunn for sharing.

Link to Bonlee and other Chatham High School yearbooks from our website:

https://chathamhistory.org/High-School-Yearbooks

#ChathamNCHistory #ChathamCountyNC #BonleeNC #Bus #school

This is the William L. Goldston House, built around 1890 and located near Goldston, NC, in Chatham County. This photo was taken in the early 1980s. According to The Architectural Heritage of Chatham County, NC, the house "follows a standard plan but is unusual for its large proportions, impressive wraparound porch with two-tier portico. and commanding setting in the midst of a cleared pasture."

We're told that the house was demolished long ago.

#ChathamNCHistory #ChathamCountyNC #GoldstonNC #architecture #1890s

This old-fashioned flower--most often called spider lily--is blooming now in Chatham County. We sometimes find these in the yards of old homesteads that were abandoned decades ago, as well as in cemeteries. Look for more over the next few weeks.

Traditionally, these are called spider lily because, well, you can see why--and hurricane lily because they come up after a rainy spell during hurricane season. Others refer to them as naked lady lilies or magic lilies-- because the naked flower stalk comes up and the blossoms open before the green leaves appear. The Latin name is lycoris radiata.

#ChathamNCHistory #ChathamCountyNC #ChathamHistory #ChathamNC #flowers #garden #spiderlily #nakedladylily #hurricanelily

Jordan Lake before filled

Eddie Howard shared three historical photographs of the Jordan Lake area before the lake was filled with water.

He wrote:

I’m not 100% sure of the exact location of where any of these photographs were taken. I do know that the first two were taken somewhere in the area around Wilsonville to Farrington Point as I lived near the Bell’s community at the time. It has been a long time ago, so I’m relying on my best recollection.

I believe the first photograph is of the Parkers Creek area. I’m pretty sure the second photograph shows the Farrington Point boat ramps. The third photograph, showing the blown-up bridge, was somewhere around the Pea Ridge Road area, closer to the dam, as best as I can remember.

We appreciate getting these reminders of the lake's early history.

#ChathamNCHistory #ChathamCountyNC #JordanLake #1970s

Early photo of St Bartholomew's Church in Pittsboro

#ChathamNCHistory #ChathamCountyNC #PittsboroNC #StBartholomewsChurch

Henry's Restaurant, Pittsboro. (Cafe Diem is this location in 2026.)

Folks have shared a lot of fond memories of Henry's with us. Share yours!

#ChathamNCHistory #ChathamCountyNC #PittsboroNC #HenrysRestaurant