From: Jason
Duncan
Sent: Tuesday,
July 15, 2025 8:36 PM
To: Jason
Duncan
Cc: Jason
Duncan
Subject: History
news and events - July 15, 2025 - Jason Duncan
News and Upcoming Events – July 15, 2025
Jason Duncan
webjmd.com for previous newsletter updates
Click the embedded links for more information.
Last month I
teased the upcoming release of two new books. The first is Before The Bar: Stories
from Wilkes County Criminal Court Cases 1778-1800 which I wrote about in
the previous newsletter. Now, the second book is also available!
With a
forward by the Rendezvous Mountain Chapter of the DAR, this 95-page book
documents the story of this historic structure from its 1779 construction
through its relocation to Wilkesboro in 1986. For the past forty years,
the house has been a crucial part in the Wilkes Heritage Museum’s efforts to
present Wilkes County history to both local residents and out-of-town
visitors. It’s one of the most fascinating parts of the museum
tour. Along with dozens of photos of the home, the book shows original documents
that tell the story of Robert Cleveland’s family on Lewis Fork Creek.
Maps, censuses, tax records, and court documents reveal how involved this
family was in the county’s first decades.
Even though I
compiled and wrote the book, it is being sold by the Wilkes Heritage
Museum. All proceeds fully support the museum. It’s $20 in the
museum gift shop, and it can be purchased
online from lulu.com.
I also wrote
two new blog articles:
Article: John
Cunningham – 1797 Disturber of the Peace
In October
1797, Wilkes County jurors presented that on October 2, John Cunningham,
laborer, 'a person of turbulent temper and disposition' did drink of spiritous
liquors until he became drunk. He was so intoxicated that he violently entered
the store house of Richard Owens and abused him. Three years later, Richard
Owens purchased the new Wilkesboro town lot where the Johnson-Hubbard house was
built in the 1850s.
Article: Taking a
Bite Out of Crime
Wilkes County
criminal papers from the early 1800s reveal a lot about the issues that were
facing the region at that time. One of the most prevalent crimes brought before
the courts were for assaults, affrays, and other forms of fighting. Here are
three tales of violent bodily harm: Michael Wikle v Thomas L. McEntire;
William Rich v Joseph Laws; and Noel Stanley v John Usery.
Rockingham
County Genealogy Swap Meet
On September
27, I am giving a program for the Genealogical
Society of Rockingham and Stokes Counties at the Madison-Mayodan Public
Library in Madison, NC. I’ll be talking about how to interpret land
grants and deeds, where to look for these records, and how to begin mapping
them. We’ll also have time to look at documents online and demonstrate
the process using actual deeds. The event is from 9am to 3pm. Stay
tuned for the exact time of my presentation.
I hope to
have the opportunity to give this same program in Wilkes County in
October. I’ll give more details on that in the next newsletter.
Links
History Videos
– last year I made several short videos about local history stories
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Jason Duncan