A1 Vol. 131, Issue 249 .50 INDEX Obits ... page 3 Opinions ... page 4 Business ... page 5 Sports ... page 6 Classifieds ... page 7 Scattered Showers Serving Surry County since 1880. High Low Braves take Dodgers Page 6 Forsubscriptions, call 786-4141. 70 61 The Mount Airy News www.mtairynews.com Printed on recycled newspaper Tuesday, September 6, 2011 Weekend event to celebrate agriculture Staff Report DOBSON — The sixth annual Celebrating Agricul- ture festival will take place this Saturday at Fisher River Park. The festival, put on each year by the Surry County Cooperative Extension, is designed to provide a chance for families to learn more about agriculture and farming and its role in daily life. “It’s going to be awe- some. I’m so excited about it,” said Joanna Radford, extension agent who is orga- nizing the event. Once again there will be plenty of activities for children during the event including rides, games and other activities. There will be a 4-H activity area for kids and a train ride made of barrels to take kids around MORGAN WALL/THE NEWS the park. Kids will even be Mount Airy Mayor Deborah Cochran, along with Surry County Board of Commissioner Chairman Paul Johnson, Mount Airy City Com- able to visit a chicken coop missioner Steve Yokeley, Mount Airy City Commisioner Todd Harris and Mount Airy City Commissioner Dean Brown, address the crowd and help collect eggs. There also will be bounce houses gathered for Monday evening’s jobs rally. for kids. Antique, classic and new tractors will be on display and local craftsmen and farmers will be putting on Jobs rally goes a blacksmithing demonstra- tion and making corn meal. Area farmers will be selling some of their products at a farmers market, bee keepers will be there to talk about their work and the Surry off as planned County Master Gardeners will be talking about com- Morgan Wall number of speakers who addressed the un- posting and soil testing. Staff Reporter employment issues facing this community Once again the corn and how it has affected them and those maze will be located behind More than 100 people gathered for they know. the 4-H activity center near a jobs rally to encourage Glenn Beck to “We came today with divided back- the cabin. bring his 1791 manufacturing company to grounds and different stories but we share New this year will be a Mount Airy despite the overcast skies and the same dream,” said Mount Airy Mayor tractor safety demonstra- Deborah Cochran. “The economy is in cri- MORGAN WALL/THE NEWS intermittent rain Monday evening. tion by Charles Young. He sis and the impact is real.” More than 100 people gather in the parking lot for a The rally, which took place in the park- ing lot at the intersection of Independence See EVENT, page 3 jobs rally Monday evening. Boulevard and Willow Street, featured a See RALLY, page 2 Register of Deeds employee compiles slave index Meghann Evans So Crouse started jotting down informa- Staff Reporter tion about the slaves listed. There were a lot of slaves whose names were not listed, DOBSON — For a few centuries now, Crouse said, and only about half a dozen of the identity of slaves who lived in Surry those named had a last name listed. County were largely unknown other than to Crouse said people have come to the the few who occasionally stumbled across register of deeds ofice over the years try- their names as recorded in old documents. ing to do genealogy research including But Jennifer Crouse has made an effort to slaves. She said, “But if they don’t know change that. who owned them, they might never ind Crouse, a deputy register of deeds in them.” So over the period of about a year, Surry County’s deeds ofice, has spent the past year compiling information about the Crouse, a seven-year employee of the reg- slaves mentioned in old county deeds. She ister of deeds ofice and a 13-year county now has a multi-page index containing the employee, spent her down-time at the of- name, age if listed, year, and owners of ice combing through dozens of deed books slaves who lived in the county. to ind information about slaves. “This is not a bright spot in history, but Carolyn Comer, Surry County Register they are people and they need to be ac- of Deeds, said, “I encourage them, when counted for,” Crouse remarked, her eyes they’re caught up, to search out projects … drifting to the more than 50-page document I feel like that is good for our ofice, for our bearing hundreds of slave names. citizens.” Crouse came across the idea for the Crouse searched from the irst deed project one day as she was re-scanning im- book, Deed Book A dated 1771, through ages of old deeds that were not clear. She Deed Book 11 dated 1867. She decided to started reading some of the documents she end her research after the Civil War when was scanning and became intrigued by the she could no longer ind slave names in the information contained there. She realized books. She completed the project this sum- that the names of slaves contained in those mer. She compiled all of the information on hundreds of documents were not indexed, spreadsheets sorted by year and name so MEGHANN EVANS/THE NEWS if people know the time period the slaves making it nearly impossible for people to Jennifer Crouse, deputy register of deeds, holds a list of the slaves recorded in were alive they might be able to ind them. ind information about speciic slaves un- county deed books. The information took a year for her to compile. less they looked through all of those pages. See INDEX, page 2 Skull Camp Volunteer Fire Department hosting breakfast to remember 9/11 Staff Report begin serving breakfast at 7 say Moose, one of the orga- ty, too,” she said. “That day different specials will be said. “We want to take a a.m. and will continue serv- nizers. didn’t just affect the emer- shown throughout the day and remember those ing until people stop com- Moose estimated at least gency workers. It affected breakfast and she hopes LOWGAP — Skull ing. There will be pancakes, 200 people turned out for families, too.” it will take people back to who serve in any ield and Camp Volunteer Fire De- sausage, bacon and gravy as last year’s breakfast and Last year the auxiliary that day. their families, too.” partment’s Auxiliary is well as orange juice, milk hopes to see even more this showed a slideshow of “We just want to show The breakfast will be planning to host an appre- and coffee. The breakfast is year. The auxiliary mailed pictures revolving around we’re appreciative of them. served at the Skull Camp ciation breakfast in honor free, but donations will be invitations to local ire, po- Sept. 11 and emergency We want people to feel ap- of Sept. 11 for the second ire station located on West accepted. lice and emergency medi- workers. This year, they preciated and like some- Pine Street. year. “We did it last year and cal services personnel and will be showing some one is doing something This year’s breakfast had a good turnout. It’s re- is encouraging community History Channel specials for them. We don’t have will take place Sept. 10 ally just one day to sit and members to turn out as well. about the event which 100-story buildings around because Sept. 11 is on a remember and appreciate “We hope to have a big will include footage from here, but ire burns hot no Sunday. The auxiliary will what we have,” said Lind- turnout from the communi- Sept. 11. Moose said the matter where you are,” she A2 2 Tuesday, September 6, 2011 The Mount Airy News, Mount Airy, N.C. www.mtairynews.com bills of sales and different types Yadkin and Wilkes counties. that some slaves might have been to the resources available for re- of deeds, but she noted that slave Crouse said you can often igure sold there. searchers. INDEX: names would also be located in out where the slaves were located, The register of deeds said she “For everything you do, there documents such as court records though, if you are familiar with has never heard of anyone else are 100 or more stories connect- Continued from page 1 and wills. She said it is also pos- the family names and where those compiling a list of the names from ed,” Venable remarked. sible that she missed a few slave families lived. the old deed books. Comer said she would eventu- “I’m sure I missed some,” names in the deeds, but she thinks Crouse said she was surprised “I’m very proud of her,” Com- ally like to bind the document as Crouse remarked. “Some of the she was able to record most of the that there were a lot of young chil- er said of Crouse. a book and get a picture for the handwriting was awful.” ones that were listed. dren deeded and sold as slaves. Marion Venable, a Surry Coun- front. The document is now avail- She left work some days with Though her list contains Through combing through the ty historian, said this is the only able for people to look through at a headache from pouring through around 1,700 names, Crouse said document, one reference to a effort she knows of where some- the register of deeds ofice.