NCHAYWOO-L Archives

From: Texas Woman <>
Subject: Transylvania Heritage Day 2006, May 20 -- biggest history & genealogy event ever in the county!
Date: Mon, 6 Feb 2006 15:26:37 -0800 (PST)

The second annual celebration of the history and
heritage of Transylvania on Saturday, May 20 will
far exceed the great successes of last year that
brought approximately 750 people together in 2005
in a county wide mountain family reunion to honor
the contributions of our proud old families in
founding and building Transylvania County. The
crowd for 2006 is expected to FAR exceed 1,000.
If you love the past of Transylvania County and
the proud old mountain families that built her,
there's NO better time to come home. Come home to
your roots and your heritage! Come home to a
county-wide family reunion of all families of
Transylvania County! For a genealogist, it
doesn't get any better than this! DATE: Saturday,
May 20 with events all week leading up to
Heritage Day (see below for other events)
LOCATION: Downtown Brevard's American Legion
Building and parking lot, 55 E. Jordan St. Event
will be held both outdoors and indoors, allowing
for a much expanded celebration. TIME: exact time
to be announced, starting time approximately
10:00 am until about 4:30 pm. Update on hours
coming soon. ADMISSION: FREE! Note: event will go
on, rain or shine, thanks to sufficient indoor
space and plenty of tent space outdoors.
PRESENTED BY: TransylvanCoGenList -- Transylvania
Genealogy Group The Transylvania Times
Transylvania County Historical Society Gillespie
Rifle Works National Allison-Allanson Family
Association Transylvania Heritage Coalition Jim
Bob Tinsley Museum Historic Preservation
Commission and the Transylvania County Archives
In addition to the sponsor organizations, a host
of county organizations will be participating
with historical exhibits. The county archives and
the Historic Preservation Commission will have a
special exhibit of interest to genealogists. HUGE
GENEALOGICAL EXHIBITION AREA Of special interest
to all genealogists...Transylvania Heritage Day
with FREE ADMISSION will include 100's of feet of
genealogy exhibits on most of the local families,
even larger than last year's exhibit! Presented
by the 540 members of TransylvanCoGenList --
Transylvania Genealogy Group and numerous
organizations and individuals. Public invited to
exhibit family history! See contact information
below if you would like to participate with a
display honoring your family. SPECIAL FEATURE:
GILLESPIE RIFLES Presenting a special exhibit of
the legendary Gillespie rifles, Transylvania
County's prized firearms made by the Gillespie
clan of East Fork, and later in nearby Henderson
County at Mills River. Much larger than last
year's Gillespie rifle exhibit! For 2006, the
much expanded exhibit is moving outdoors so that
it can include a working forge in operation.
FABULOUS LIVE MOUNTAIN HERITAGE ENTERTAINMENT: A
huge slate of heritage entertainers representing
the three racial and cultural groups of the
mountains will bring the past of Transylvania
County to life in living color. Live
entertainment will keep a crowd around Heritage
Day stage for most of the day. McDOWELL FAMILY
BAND -- our headliner band, presenting one of the
leading bands in all of western NC with the best
of traditional mountain music in a special
Heritage Day show. As good as it gets for true
mountain music! Fiddling doesn't get much better
than this, thanks to State of North Carolina
Fiddle Champion, Emily McDowell who always
thrills a crowd. SOUTHERN MOUNTAIN FIRE CLOGGERS
-- "Riverdance -- mountain style"! Western North
Carolina's premiere mountain dance troop with a
lightning fast, high energy show that never fails
to excite an audience! Back for their second
Heritage Day show. Presenting both the "smooth
dance" of the mountains and old-time, thunderous
mountain style clogging. ANI-KUWIH CHEROKEE
DANCERS -- presenting the authentic ancient
dances of the Cherokee Indians of western North
Carolina by devoted Cherokee children from high
school, middle school, and elementary school who
are being raised to respect and preserve their
heritage. BETHEL A BAPTIST CHURCH GOSPEL CHOIR,
BREVARD -- presenting the rich musical traditions
of Transylvania County's black community,
including cherished spirituals that have been at
the heart of the black community for generations.
PISGAH PILGRIMS -- presenting very traditional
mountain bluegrass gospel, the songs our families
have sung for generations. COOL CREEK RAMBLERS --
presenting the classic American country music
that evolved from the rich mountain musical
traditions, such as the songs of Hank Williams
and Johnny Cash, and other greats of classic
county music. MOUNTAIN CRAFTERS -- local mountain
style craftspeople will be both demonstrating and
selling their beautiful handwork at Transylvania
Heritage Day 2006. SHOPPING FOR GENEALOGISTS:
presenting a huge selection of published regional
and local history and genealogy books, by
Highland Books Brevard. Come with some mad money
to spend as you will definitely want to buy books
once you see the great selection of titles
offered. MOUNTAIN BBQ served all day by the
American Legion. Come for the day and have lunch
at Heritage Day so you won't miss a moment of the
fun or miss any of the activities. OTHER EXHIBITS
AND HISTORICAL INTERPRETATIONS Several
individuals who preserve and interpret the rich
heritage traditions of Transylvania County will
be participating, such as 88 year old Selena Hall
Robinson who was raised by her slave grandmother
Jane Aiken Hall. Selena was featured in the
documentary film "Women of These Hills -- Tales
of Growing up in Appalachia". She'll be making
lye soap at an open fire, dressed in period
costume, visiting with the crowd and telling
stories from her heritage. Also featured in the
same documentary film, Vera Jones Stinson, a well
known folk preservationist and heritage
interpreter, will be dressed in period costume
and selling and signing copies of her just
released book ""STUMBLING BLOCKS WERE STEPPING
STONES IN APPALACHIA". OTHER EVENTS HELD IN
CONJUNCTION WITH HERITAGE DAY In addition to an
event that will be twice the size of the first
effort in 2005, a busy schedule of history and
heritage events have been planned in the county
for the week leading up to Heritage Day,
including: (1) Transylvania Cemetery Commission
will hold a historic cemetery clean-up. (2) The
Transylvania County Historic Preservation
Commission will present a historic photo ID
contest in the Transylvania Times. (3)
Transylvania County Historical Society will
present behind the scenes historical walking
tours of downtown Brevard, with both a day and a
evening tour schedule (4) The Gillespie Rifle
works, Transylvania Genealogy Group, and the
Transylvania Historical Society will present a
special event on antique mountain guns, conducted
by the published Gillespie rifle, Dennis
Glazener. Public invited to bring in their old
guns to have them assessed to determine origins
and maker, plus a program on the legendary
Gillespie rifles. Held at the historic circa 1815
Allison-Deaver House. Tours of the beautifully
restored home will be offered. (5) The
Transylvania County Historical Society will
observe National Historic Preservation week with
the annual Historic Preservation banquet and
awards ceremony. Public invited, by advance paid
reservation. This year the Transylvania Genealogy
Group's dinner will be cancelled so that members
can attend the Historical Society banquet. (6)
The Gillespie Rifle Works and the Transylvania
Genealogy Group will present a special program on
the pioneer era history of the area, focusing on
the Gillespie rifles, first made in the county
two centuries ago, presented for campers at the
Cradle of Forestry in America's Davidson River
Campground, Pisgah National Forest. (7) Rev. War
patriot monument dedication and memorial
ceremony, Jacob Wetzel Cemetery (8) Glazener
family reunion -- moved from September to
coincide with Heritage Day (9) Jim Bob Tinsley
Museum -- no announcement at this time for museum
activities. Update soon. (10) Transylvania
Genealogy Group party, Casey Jones, EVERYONE
invited on Saturday evening after Heritage Day.
Other events will no doubt be added soon! NOTE:
Hotels are already filling up with a HUGE crowd
of out-of-towners coming home to their roots. For
hotel and motel suggestions, see contact
information below. If you need lodging, you MUST
hurry. Every room will be taken very soon! For
more information about Heritage Day, watch this
list for updates, or contact the lead
organization, TransylvanCoGenList -- the
Transylvania Genealogy Group: assistant group
manager Mary Daniel Galyon, Brevard, at (828)
884-5411, or contact co-administrator Michael
Allison by e-mail at If you
would like to assemble a display on your
family(s) to include in the family history
exhibit area, please contact us for guidelines
and rules for assembling an inexpensive, easy to
construct table top display using materials that
be found at any Wal-Mart of office supply store
and your home computer and printer. Everyone
invited to participate with an exhibit! All
churches, organizations, and county institutions
cordially invited to exhibit. Make your firm
plans today to attend and be a part of this very
special event honoring your own ancestors and
families! Bring the entire family! Visit the
Transylvania Genealogy Group's homepage on the
web at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TransylvanCoGenList/
. For a free membership, click on "JOIN THIS
GROUP" Michael Allison, Chairman Transylvania
Heritage Day 2006
Transylvania Heritage Day 2006, May 20 -- biggest
history & genealogy event ever in the county!



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• Transylvania Heritage Day 2006, May 20 -- biggest history & genealogy event ever in the county! by Texas Woman <>