The MHA Newsletter comes out 4 times each year, in advance of the 4 meetings. It contains information about the upcoming meeting and other information of interest to the MHA membership.
The MHA Dandelion is the newsletter of the MHA Docents. It comes out 5 times each year, in January, March, May, September and November and contains news of the Docents, articles of interest to the history community and news of upcoming events at local historic sites.
Monday, May 20, 2019
Meet the Morrisons
Trinity Presbyterian Church. Dinner is as 6:30 followed by the program at 7:15. Those not having dinner may enjoy the program at no charge. To make a reservation for dinner use the order form in your MHA Newsletter or contact Barbara Taylor at 308 Braxton Dr., Indian Trail 28079, btaylor797@aol.com or 336-404-1751.
Please note that the Fellowship Hall at Trinity has been extensively renovated. It is no longer accessible from the parking lot at the rear of the building. The entrance is now at the front of the building; a the new, more accessible parking lot is located there.
At this MHA Dinner Meeting Jim and Ann Williams will introduce you to the Rev. Robert Hall Morrison and his wife Mary Graham Morrison. Dr. Morrison was a man blessed with an abundance of intelligence, ambition, and willingness to work hard for his ideals. He founded several churches and was the primary founder and first president of Davidson College. Mary’s father was Joseph Graham, Revolutionary War General who later owned and operated a profitable ironworks as well as a successful cotton plantation. As a young couple they were certainly in a position to lead a charmed life, but it was not to be. They will tell you about their many accomplishments, the dire troubles that befell them, and the path they took back to peacefulness on a backcountry farm. It was there that Morrison once again became an influential preacher and the two of them raised a fine family.
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
A Trip to Loray Mill in “Spindle City”
Our April meeting will be a field trip to Gastonia – nicknamed Spindle City – to visit Loray Mill and the Alfred C. Kessell History Center. The tour will include the history of the mill which opened in 1902, its transition from textiles to tire cording and to its current renovation as a history center and a place for businesses and residences.
Loray Mill was the site of the 1929 strike in which Ella May Wiggins was killed. Ella May was quite a character: a mill worker and balladeer who lived in an African American mill village. She supported the Textile Workers Union, and participated in the Communist sponsored strike. Two recent books have been written about her – The Last Ballad, a novel by Wiley Cash, and Martyr of Loray Mill, by Ella May’s great-granddaughter, Kristina Horton. The first is a great read, although it is a novel and liberties were taken. According to a review by Dannye Powell, Horton’s book is very well researched and very readable.
Docents may bring guests, and we encourage you to carpool. Arrive at the Loray Mill by 10:45 for an 11 o’clock tour. Loray Mill, 300 Firestone Street, is a large brick building with plenty of parking; it is easy to spot when you turn onto Firestone Street. From the parking lot use the brick path to the building’s front entrance. Those wishing to stay for lunch may eat at the Growler located in the same building.
Directions: Google says it takes about 40 minutes from the middle of Charlotte. Take I 85 south to Gastonia. Exit on Highway 321 and go south. At Franklin St., turn right, go about a mile and turn left on Firestone Street. Loray Mills will be one block on your right.