Scroll down for more information and dates of the next Hall Of History Meeting
After you've had time to research the questions below, send your answers to Bill Ethridge at: kwdeee@carolina.rr.com
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During the late 1700s, the State of North Carolina had a unique and contentious relationship with the State of Franklin. It involved a western democratic movement, a separatist movement by westerners and a lot of land speculation. John Sevier played a major role in the interaction between these two states. Where was the State of Franklin? What part did John Sevier play? What was the final outcome of this governmental struggle?
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Representative F. W. Hargett, Onslow and R. H. Hanes, Forsyth. Introduced on Friday, 15 February 1929. Became law on Friday, 8 March 1929. On a roll call vote, it was 49 in favor and 37 opposed.
In 1929, the North Carolina General Assembly created the North Carolina State Highway Patrol. The enacting statute can be found in Chapter 218 of the Public Laws. House Bill 605 was introduced by a House Representative from Onslow County and by a House Representative from Forsyth County. Can you name the two members of the General Assembly that introduced the bill and what date was the bill introduced and what date did it become law?
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The answer to the sporting event was answered by a large number of retirees. Its' the first time everybody got it right.
The sporting event was "Dog Racing". Really racing by a breed of Greyhounds. It had a short life in North Carolina, coming to past in the late 1940s and ending by a statute forbidding the sport in the mid 1950s. It was active in Morehead City, Carteret County and in Currituck County. Pari-mutuel bettiing took place and added to the revenue for these counties. Strong opposition killed the sport never to resurface. Sidelight: I attended some of the races with family members.
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We experienced a little more history this week. With the passing of retired Patrolman Jim Rhyne, class of 1939, we now have no one from the 1929 to 1939 basic schools still living.
Which brings me to this part of the Patrol history. From 1929 to the present day, we have had three members of the Patrol that did not attend a SHP Basic School. One of the three is still living and became a member in 1940. Victor Aldridge was the chauffeur for the Governor and the Commander had Victor fitted out with uniform and equipment. Victor was drafted for service during World War II and upon his discharge was reinstated as a Patrolman. He retired as a Lieutenant in 1961 and went on to serve as the ABC Board Chairman.
Retired Sergeant Robert C. Pridgen, Charlotte, is the oldest living member from a basic school. Robert finished the school in 1941 and retired in 1966. He and his wife are active in the community and their church. Robert tries to attend the Retiree's Day activities each year.
If you have any knowledge of the SHP history from 1929 through the 40s, I would appreciate the information.
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Over the years, the State Highway Patrol has been called upon to assist in traffic direction at sporting events.
From the late 1940s to the mid-1950s, we helped at a sporting event that had to be approved by the General Assembly. The events were held in Carteret and Currituck counties.
What was the sport event and what caused it's demise?
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The Hall of History Committee met on 7 June 2010 at the Training Center in Raleigh. We now have a copier and scanner in place for the restoration of some of the old pictures held in storage. We are trying to determine how many of the original NCSHP badges with numbers are still being held by our retired members. We have been able to determine that a few are still held by our retirees. We also have some information that there may be a second set of numbered badges that were issued post 1929. If you have any information on this second set of numbered badges, please let us know.
The NCSHP Retirees Day is set for 1 October 2010 at 11:00 AM. We will have registration, lunch and then participate in the normal activities. The NCSHP Memorial Service is being scheduled for the month of November. More than likley the second or third weekend.
We expect to finalize the Constitution and By-laws at the next meeting. After that process, we will put in place the necessary officers and formalized the HOH Board.
There are several projects in the works and we hope to bring them to fruition in the near future.
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The Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal. Opened in January 1859. 75 miles long with only 14 miles cut through land. The machine was a dredge with the nickname of "Iron Titans". By the early 2000, it is mainly used by thousands of pleasure water craft.
Several months ago, we featured an article on the Dismal Swamp Canal. There was another canal built for the same purpose as the Dismal Swamp Canal. Completed in 1859 the canal permitted commercial traffic between North Carolina and Virginia. During the civil war, the mouths of the canal were a source of blockades. Where the Dismal was dug by hand, this canal was completed using a machine that had a particular nick name. In 1913, the canal was taken over by the federal government and it became part of the Intracoastal Waterway. It is still in use today. What was the official name of the canal and what was the nick name given to the piece of mechanical equipment used to build the canal?
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