'i/izz'ii'/yi clearinghouse JAN 12 2010 STATE LIBRARY OF •0RTH carouna Tar Heel \ j Junior \ Tar Heel Junior Historian Historian) North Carolina History for Students \ssociation</ Fall 2009 Volume 49, Number 1 On the cover: In North Carolina, making pottery has always been a family affair. Nell Cole Graves (1908-1997), one of the state's first female potters, learned her skills from her father, J. B. Cole, starting at age thirteen. Her family has been making pot¬ tery in central North Carolina since the late 1700s. Introduction: What If At right: Fourth-generation potter Ben Owen Sr. turned pots at Jugtown Pottery, where he made this by Dr. Sally Peterson large jar, for over three decades before opening his own shop in 1959. Today, his grandson, Ben Owen Looking at North Carolina III, is a successful potter—part of another extended through a Lens of Words family with a creative Tar Heel tradition. Images Sid Luck: A Traditional courtesy of the North Carolina Museum of History. Seagrove Potter .by Dr. Sally Buckner by Dr. (Sharks G. Zug III State of North Carolina Beverly Eaves Perdue, Governor Walter Dalton, Lieutenant Governor Creating a Cultural Doc Watson—North Connection Department of Cultural Resources by Dr. Altha J. Cravey Linda A. Carlisle, Secretary Carolina Legend Debra L. Derr, Chief Deputy Secretary by Marf$Freed i Office of Archives and History Dr. Jeffrey J. Crow, Deputy Secretary Get Out of Your Seat Talking Feet: The History and Up on That Stage Division of State History Museums of Clogging North Carolina Museum of History by.Nancy Penningtoit Kenneth B. Howard, Director by Michelk L. Carr Heyward H. McKinney Jr., Chief Operations Officer R. Jackson Marshall ID, Associate Director William J. McCrea, Associate Director Homegrown Malls: On My Way: One Actor s Education Section Creating a Way of Life Creative Journey B. J. Davis, Section Chief at the Coast by Mike Wiley Charlotte Sullivan, Curator of Outreach Programs by Karen Willis Amspacher Michelle L. Carr, Curator of Internal Programs Tar Heel Junior Historian Association Activities THJH Essay Contest Jessica Pratt, Program Coordinator Winner: Siloam Bridge Courtney Armstrong, Subscription Coordinator Collapse Tar Heel Junior Historian by Sophie Hennings Doris McLean Bates, Editor in Chief Lisa Coston Hall, Editor/Designer Wayne Martin and Sally Peterson, Conceptual Editors Senora Lynch, 3 Lee Jacobs, 12 Tar Heel Junior Historian Dancing through History Frank Barrow, 4 Association Advisory Board Dock Rmah, 12 with the Warriors of Annette Ayers, B. J. Davis, Michelle Carr, Elaine George SerVance, 4 Algia Mae Hinton, 14 Forman, Fay Gore, Vince Greene, Lisa Coston AniKituhwa Cole Sisters, 7 Hall, Jessica Pratt, Jackson Marshall, Jessica Faircloth Barnes, 23 by Dr. Barbara Reijnensnyder Ruhle, and Charlotte Sullivan Mary Jane Queen, 8 Bea Hensley, 26 Duncan 1 ■ Orville Hicks, 12 Neal Thomas, 32 Do you need to contact the THJH editor? Send an e-mail to [email protected]. **■■■■■■■^ THE PURPOSE of Tar Heel junior Historian magazine (ISSN 0496-8913) is to present the history of North Carolina to the students of this state through a well- balanced selection of scholarly articles, photographs, and illustrations. It is published two times per year for the Tar Heel Junior Historian Association by the North Carolina Museum of History, Raleigh, North Carolina 27601-1011. Copies are provided free to association advisers. Members receive other benefits, as well. Indiv idual and library subscriptions may be purchased at the rate of $8.00 per year. © 2009, North Carolina Museum of History. PHOTOGRAPHS: North Carolina Museum of History photography is by Eric N. Blevins and D. Kent Thompson. EDITORIAL POLICY: Tar Heel Junior Historian solicits manuscripts from expert scholars for each issue. Articles are selected for publication by the editor in consultation with the conceptual editor and other experts. The editor reserves the right to make changes in articles accepted for publication but will consult the author should substantive questions arise. Published articles do not necessarily rep¬ resent the views of the North Carolina Museum of History, the Department of Cultural Resources, or any other state agency. The text of this journal is available on magnetic recording tape from the State Library, Services to the Blind and Physically Handicapped Branch. For information, call 1-888-388-2460. Nine thousand cop¬ ies of this public document were printed at an approximate cost of $5,550, or $0.62 a copy. 6 3 Smithsonian Institution Affiliations Program Introduction: CycAtivc NoytA Cr>v(o\ti iat If t t • by Dr. Sally Peterson’ ave you ever asked yourself a ques¬ ; familiar with the basic rules of the game. tion that began with "What if. ?" Creative ideas often depend, too, on the tools A question like, What if I color the available to us. You can only color the sky sky green, instead of blue? Or, What ; with the colors you have in your paint box. If if I pass the ball to the teammate : you don't have green, you can be creative and farthest from the goal because the other team combine blue and yellow. But if you want to isn't guarding her? Or even, What if I make : color the sky red, and that color is not in your up a story about space aliens invading my paint box, you are out of luck. school? If you have ever asked "what if" Creativity is part of our daily lives. We have questions like these, chances are you've had a creative thoughts all the time. Creativity in creative thought. everyday life relies on a foundation of knowl¬ Creativity is the experience of thinking, edge and experience. What we know and reacting, and working in an imaginative way. what we do are learned from who we know— Creativity helps us find new ways to solve our family and community—and from where problems. It helps us figure out new ways to l we are—our environment and its history. We do familiar activities. It helps us to express know the rules, and we know our tools. ourselves. Sometimes creative ideas come in a We often associate creativity with the arts. flash; sometimes it can take a long time for a The arts in North Carolina thrive on creativity. creative idea to grow. A hip-hop dancer might Music, dance, sculpture, painting, drawing, practice new moves for months before he feels and writing are some of the most familiar art he has got them just right. On the other hand, forms we know, but there are many others. All a good rapper can create new rap verses on of the arts have a firm foundation in commu¬ the spot. nity and in the environment. This issue of Tar If you look closely at creative ideas, you Heel Junior Historian will explore creativity often find that they are connected to familiar rooted in North Carolina's communities, his¬ ideas and ways of doing things. A story about tory, and resources. space aliens will probably have a beginning, Many communities in the state are well middle, and end, like other stories we know. known for their creative, artistic traditions. In A creative soccer play only works if you are this issue, for example, you will meet Sid (Left to right) Musician Doc Watson, musician George Higgs, and pot¬ ter Sid Luck are among the countless creative North Carolinians whose artistry is closely tied to their community and their environment. Images courtesy of Jim Gavenus; Mike "Lightnin"' Wells; and the North Carolina Museum of History. *Dr. Sally Peterson is thefolklife specialist at the North Carolina Arts Council. She was the curator offolklife THJH, Fall 2009 at the North Carolina Museum of History for nine years and has taught courses in folklore and ethnography at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University's Center for Documentary Studies. Along with Wayne Martin, the North Carolina Arts Council's senior program director for community arts development, Peterson served as a conceptual editor for this issue of Tar Heel Junior Historian. Luck. His family has been creating pottery in the Piedmont's Seagrove area for more than 150 years—using the tools of clay and wheel, and following the rules of vessel size and shape. Like other area families, the earlier generations of Lucks used their creativity to help farmers cook and store their food in clay pots and jars. Nowadays, the Lucks create pottery that helps people decorate their homes and serve their food. Mountain communities in western North Carolina are enthusiastic supporters of musical knowledge that creatively combines BqjflaxsS song, dance, and instrument traditions of C Jhis issue of Tar Heel Junior Historian introduces England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, a few of the state’s creative residents, past and Africa, and Native America. present.There are many more people, groups, Bluegrass and old-time musicians events, and even places to learn about! Research some of those on this list, then look around like Doc Watson and his family your community for others. As have taken the music of you explore, think about how creativity can relate to geogra¬ i traditional Mountain life and phy and place; community includ¬ made it world famous. Their ing family and culture; history; tools include instruments like technology; and the economy. banjos, guitars, and fiddles. Their John C. Campbell Folk School rules follow the traditions of tunes and lyrics Shirley Caesar Pre-Easter Gospel Festival handed down for centuries. Penland School of Crafts Hundreds of miles away in eastern North John Coltrane evaiugelist The Highland Games Carolina, George Higgs "blows his harp," or Bertha Cook SZshirlev (MR plays his harmonica, and picks guitar in a N.C.