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1976 Special Newspaper
By Marie Craig
Next year will be the 250th anniversary of our country. There will be special events and tributes which are now in the planning. It’s exciting to think ahead.
But it’s also interesting to think back in time. In 1976, the Bicentennial, our local newspaper, Davie County Enterprise Record, had a special 80-page bicentennial issue in July that was a thorough description of life in our county 49 years ago. If you want to read it on your computer, here is the “recipe.”
https://www.daviecountync.gov/1162/Local-History-and-Genealogy
Scroll down and click on newspapers.
Click on 1970-1979.
Click on 1976.
Click on July.
This will load 200 pages of the newspaper onto your computer for you to read; the first 80 are the bicentennial issue.
However, if you want a few highlights, I’ll mention some. If you lived in our county 49 years ago, this might bring back some memories. I have quickly scanned this and made a few notes. When you read it, you might find some interesting items that I did not list. There are articles about current events and organizations plus the history of previous special things. Previous sheriffs, doctors, attorneys, and county officers are described.
The Mocksville mayor in 1976 was Arlen DeVito. There was a brand-new city hall. Chief of Police was Alton Carter. There were 19 employees at the newspaper office. Kermit Smith was Register of Deeds. Ron Vogler was the county manager. Robert O. Kiger was the sheriff. Glenn Hammer was the Clerk of Court.
There are ads for businesses no longer current: Davie Freezer Locker, Lynn Haven Nursing Home, Hanes Chair and Furniture Company, radio station WDSL, Jo Cooley beauty parlor, Netters’ Den Tennis Shop, Firestone Store, Rintz’ 5¢ to $5 Store, Shoaf Coal and Sand, the Bantam Chef, the Discount House, Smith’s Shoe Store, Heffner’s Food Stores (extra S&H Green Stamps), Hall Drug, Merrell Furniture, Belks, Hendrick Furniture, Drexel-Heritage, American Café, Western Auto, Taylor Printing, Davie County Hospital, Sears, Baker Furniture Factory, Super Dollar, and Moore’s Store.
Clothing manufacturing companies were Monleigh Garment, Blackwelder Manufacturing, Carolina Sportswear, and Piedmont Garment.
Companies that have continued to 2025 are Millers Restaurant, Ingersoll Rand, Davie Florist, Davie Jewelers, Foster Drug, Swicegood, Daniels Furniture, and Kentucky Fried Chicken.
 
War and Peace
By Gaye Hoots
This morning, I followed my usual routine, taking my medication, making coffee, and having a light breakfast that required no cooking. The sun is shining on the water. I used binoculars to watch the birds, and flowers were in bloom on my deck. All is well in my world. My phone has pictures of my grandchildren taken yesterday, and all are well and happy. Mia is being cared for and is content. I returned a good morning text from a friend and spoke with my daughter. I expressed my gratitude and opened my computer.
The news contained an article about the US bombing Iran’s nuclear sites. I have been following the devastation that these countries have been inflicting on each other. It is heartbreaking and dates to biblical times with the philosophy of “An eye for an eye.” My cousin was married to a girl from Yemen, and the book “Tears of Sheba” by Khadija al-Salami and Charles Hoots details this history and the difficulty of life in general, and especially as a female. Khadija has spent her lifetime campaigning for women’s rights for this population and helped to save the life of a young girl sold to a husband who raped her. She is a filmmaker and was named one of the 100 most influential Arab women in the world. She resides in Paris and is no longer allowed to return to Yemen, where she has family.
My thoughts went immediately to my grandson and his wife, who are both active in the military. I sent them texts praying for peace. I won’t pretend to offer advice as to what our nation should or should not do. We have a history of supporting Israel financially and an ongoing commitment to them to do so. Every life lost by either country has the same value. I pray this is resolved without more bloodshed.
My generation has never lived with having bombs dropped on our country, fearing to step outside our homes, struggling to calm our children, and knowing we can make them no promises. I have spoken with those who were raised with this, and it is heartbreaking. This is the only lifestyle the residents of these countries have known for centuries.
Prayers are all I have to offer, and I will continue to appreciate my peaceful surroundings and the close to 80 years of a blessed life I have been given.
 
Silver Run Falls, and More
By Julie Terry Cartner
Recently, I spent a couple of days in Western North Carolina, and, as always, if I have the chance to make a waterfall hike or two, that’s where you’ll find me. This time, my first hike was to Silver Run Falls, a quarter mile hike in the Nantahala Forest.
I love discovery. I love walking around a bend in a trail and seeing something new. Sure, I’ve seen many waterfalls, but I’d never seen this waterfall, and yes, they are all uniquely different. Silver Run Falls is a relatively short waterfall, only 25 feet from top to bottom, but it’s lovely, and the falls cascade into a deep pool of water perfect for swimming. I’d guess the deepest part of the pool might be about eight feet, and the entire area is somewhat larger than a football field. But, as they say, those are just the facts.
Harder to put into words are the subtleties of a waterfall, those tangible but less definable aspects. Delicate petals brushed by my face as they drifted down from the nearby mountain laurels, carried on the breezes created by the cascading stream. The thundering water tumbled from steep cliffs, crashing and foaming onto the pool of dark, clear water. What at first seemed to be a sheet of solid water is untrue as errant sprays shot in glistening strands, creating streams of shimmering droplets, and a myriad of tiny rainbows emerged as the sun shone through them. Large boulders created a boundary for the pool’s perimeter, offering sun-warmed seats for those chilled by the water, or for those people I don’t understand, those who chose to stay dry. Surrounded by the lush green forest of towering pines, stately hardwoods, delicate ferns and flowering mountain laurels whose pink petals decorated the ground and water like nature’s finest confetti, the dark water gently whispered its way towards Silver Run Creek. From there its journey will continue to Whitewater River where more waterfalls and rapids await.
I removed my shoes and stepped into the water, marveling at the sun-kissed mica that sparkled from the bottom. I didn’t stop until I was immersed, the shimmering water soothing my soul. I swam gently, enjoying the embrace of nature’s bounty. I swam to the falls and smiled as tendrils of water splashed on my face and shoulders. I lay back, floating, marveling at the clear blue sky that framed the grandeur of the waterfall. I absorbed the peace, that inexplicable exhalation of stress as I became as one with nature, and worries floated away as easily as the leaves from nearby trees. For several minutes, I was alone, happily immersed in nature.
Then a woman in a white dress carrying a vase of hydrangeas came around the curve followed by another woman with two small children. The boy, dressed in a cute shorts outfit was around three, but his older sister, dressed in a layered fairy princess dress, stole the show. Ringlets covered her head in chestnut curls, and she twirled in her dress of rainbow tulle. She carried two pink buckets and shovels, and within minutes, she’d plunked herself down in the water and was busily shoveling in the sand. Clearly nobody cared that her dress was drenched as she happily played. Within minutes, her little brother had taken his shoes off and tentatively tested the water, preferring just to wade on the edge of the sandy beach.
Next came a man in a suit carrying a case, and within minutes, the waterfall’s thunder played a duet with the melody of his fiddle. Then the final man, also dressed in a suit, stepped through the trees. A woodland wedding, complete with a waterfall, a fairy nymph, a dimpled toddler, the bride, groom, minister and musician unfolded like a tableau before my eyes.
Not wanting to intrude, I left before the ceremony started, humbled by this unexpected opportunity to share even a part of this magical moment. I was hoping for a pretty waterfall. I was longing for a swim in a pool of water. I got that and so much more. You just never know what you’ll find when you chase a waterfall.