HAPPY NEW YEAR, FROM SALISBURY, NC (Mark)

Happy New Year to everyone!  We decided to get in one last road trip of 2023, a short drive to Salisbury, NC.

Besides a favorite ice cream stop (Spanky’s) we wanted to visit the County museum.  (We also enjoyed our lunch at El Patron Mexican Grill & Cantina.   Didn't try any of the many Cheerwine-based drink or menu items, but maybe next time!)

One of the first things you see when entering the museum is this Clorox bleach bottle:

The one thing you cannot tell from the photo is the size of the bottle:  huge.  Cheri said she could see why the invention of plastic bottles was a great idea.

This bottle of corn liquor was brewed in Salisbury.  Many of these were so high in alcohol content, that they too could be used to clean anything!

A few other locally brewed concoctions:

These moonshine products could clean the rust off your tractor, or you could run the tractor using the product inside the bottle!

This is a picture of Susan Nye Hutchinson.  She moved to the area in 1836 to teach school.  She believed that men and women were equal, and deserved equal education.  Through the Presbyterian Church she started her own female academy in Salisbury.

Susan also believed slavery was an evil.  In her spare time she taught enslaved families how to read and write.  This was against the law at the time and was punishable by both fines and imprisonment.

This is a period-correct dress that was patterned off of a dress Susan Nye Hutchinson wore:

One of the exhibits which produces a very successful three-dimensional effect, using a large photographic print, pieces of farm equipment from the time period, and time-appropriate bricks:

This is a very nice wood chest.

The amazing thing about the chest above is this is the set of tools used to do the fine crafting work on it.  It would take a steady hand to carve the intricate designs using these tools.

Now you can program it in a computer and have a laser do the work.

Here is the tool box you would use to keep the tools in and carry from the job site home with you:

Many people think the Kentucky Rifle was the only rifles being made in the early 1800’s.  North Carolina had a significant number of gunsmiths turning out fine, accurate rifles that were used throughout the colonies.  In Rowan County alone these were some of the more famous gunsmiths:

Some of the rifles made in the early through mid-1800’s are displayed:

The accuracy of these rifles is nothing less than amazing.  A skilled marksman could shoot out to 300 yards striking a target 18” by 12” with every shot.  These rifles were much more accurate than the smooth-bore muskets the British troops carried.  The two main disadvantages were the long rifles were much slower to reload, and you could not affix a bayonet to the barrel.

As we wandered home, Cheri noticed “Tara Airbase” indicated on the atlas, so we had to take a look.  Sure enough a private airstrip in front of someone’s mansion, between [Nowhere] and [East Nowhere]:

An excellent day!  We are looking forward to beginning wandering in 2024.  We hope you are looking forward to a Happy New Year, too.