Spanish Coin from 1756 on Display at Alleghany Historical MuseumThis silver, Half Reale coin, minted 265(!) years ago in Mexico City was traded and worn by one of the last of the indigenous people before white settlers appeared in force on the Blue Ridge. It was drilled to be worn on a necklace or some other type of adornment, and it is very rare- likely, the first of its kind to be found in Alleghany County.

The milled coin measures just under 3/4 of an inch in diameter. It was minted during the reign of Spanish King Ferdinand VI, and features a coat of arms with two lions and two castles, a classic symbol of Spain. The inscription, VTRA QUE VNUM means, “Both are one.” It appears around a crown over two hemispheres linking the Old and New Worlds together.Information from CoinQuest.comhttps://coinquest.com/cgi-bin/cq/coins.pl…

Thanks to everyone who helped with our Grand Re-Opening, today! We had a good turnout, some good donations and (most important) a good time.Special thanks to Mason Wagoner, Karen Bell, Eileen Elrod, Martha Adams, Karlie Keepfer, Mayor Wes Brinegar and everyone who participated!

The Grand Opening of the Alleghany Historical Museum, at the First Community Building (45 North Main Street), will be August 20 & 21.

Friday night at 7pm on the 20th, we’ll have a Grand Opening Preview, where donors can see the exhibit and the lovely new Streetscape in downtown Sparta. If you’re interested in coming to the Preview, but haven’t donated before, the donation box will be right beside the door – anyone is welcome.

The next day, Saturday, we will have demonstrations, live music, a ribbon cutting, and a 50/50 raffle.

We’d like to again thank several of the people who helped us acquire the new building: Darlene Wyatt at Mountain Dreams Realty, Lisa Crouse, Whitney Ivey, April Horton-Fender, Dennis Gambill, Donna Edwards, Ricky Brown, Richard Doughton and Milton Campbell and the Board of Directors at First Community Bank.

As always, your monetary donations (and book purchases) help us reach our goals. If you would like to donate to the Museum Building Fund, you can do so at any time, online at ahgs.org or by mail at PO Box 817, Sparta, NC 28675.

We hope you’ll be able to join us to celebrate our Grand Opening at our new location (45 North Main Street).

Have you seen this great resource by the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office?

Just go to the site, click the disclaimer at the bottom of the screen and you can see the location and status of many (many!) historic sites around Alleghany and beyond.

https://nc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=79ea671ebdcc45639f0860257d5f5ed7&center=-9030320,4370440,102100&scale=4514

Susan Yarborough brought us this great photo of a 1937 Ford Tudor Sedan stopped at the old Laurel Springs ESSO and Post Office. The building was located approximately where the current Laurel Springs, North Carolina, Post Office and Fire Station now stand.

To commemorate the holiday, let’s consider a different kind of a “Father”, this weekend.

Alleghany native, Robert L. Doughton could, arguably, be considered the “Father of the Blue Ridge Parkway.” After all, without his efforts in navigating the legislation through Congress, the whole project might never have been funded.

Isom and Phoebe Cheek Fender, Great-Grandparents of Tom King from Whitehead, married October 1st, 1867.

Saddlebags and surveying equipment, donated by Pratt Davis, from Letcher E. Edwards, who lived at Stratford, North Carolina.

Mr. Edwards served as Alleghany County Register of Deeds 1924-32 and 1942-45.

Letcher E. Edwards (1877-1975) married Hattie Joines Hendrix (1895-1989) at Twin Oaks, NC,
May 9, 1942. He is believed to be the only Alleghany Register to issue his own marriage license.

Mr. Edwards’ second wife was Pratt’s husband, Duane Davis’ Aunt Hattie (and he was her second husband). Duane was born in 1945 and spent summers with Hattie and Letcher.

The couple had no children of their own. Letcher taught Duane how to use the tools eventually he gave his nephew.

From Bobby Irwin’s family:

A (very cool!) photo of a group on an outing atop Stone Mountain at Roaring Gap, North Carolina, May 21, 1924.

Stone Mountain State Park was established in 1969 and it was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1975.

Meet Mary “Polly” Reeves who married Alexander B. McMillan. She died when she was 96 years old- in 1894, a mere 127 years ago. This photo was made in 1891.

Mrs. McMillan was born around Independence, Virginia in 1798- just after John Adams was elected our 2nd president- and was 62 years old when the Civil War began.

Standing-room-only crowd enjoying the Readers Theater production of
Inherit The Wind, by Jerome Lawrence, and given by the Alleghany Community Theatre – on a hot July afternoon in 2007, at the Alleghany County Courthouse.

Ed Adams questions a witness while Richard Doughton presides as judge. Dan Murray played the attorney for the defense. Susie Gamble played the Clerk of the Court and Randy Boger played the Bailiff.

Each of these “actors” played roles that they acted out every day of their professional lives. This and the venue of the actual Alleghany courtroom added realism to the drama that featured the 1925 Scopes “Monkey” Trial.

The crowd filled the balcony at, what was probably, one of the few events held here that everyone went home happy!

— Photos by Imaging Specialists.

A New Display in the Library from the National Archives and the Alleghany Historical Museum.

Just in time for the upcoming election!
American women were long denied the right to vote. In 1920, the newly ratified 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibited the states from denying the vote on the basis of sex.
For (much!) more information, please visit:
https://museum.archives.gov/rightfully-hers

Did you know that one of the most photographed sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway is right here in Alleghany County? Of course you did.
There are many scenic vistas here, but the little stretch of road at Grassy Gap draws photographers like a magnet.
The gentle, sloping curves, the rugged rail fences, the pastures and the pines make for a lovely landscape that artists have tried to capture for many years.