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Our History...
On November 20, 1917 a group of concerned citizens convened to discuss and conceive the Watauga County chapter of the American Red Cross, in response to a nationwide campaign to elicit 15,000,000 members. That day, a petition for authority to form a chapter was signed by the following citizens: R.C. Rivers, George Hagaman, Tom Miller, M.B. Blackburn, E.F. Lovill, F.A. Linney, W.C. Coffee, Lon Payne, Pearl Hodges, Sallie Rivers, and H.E. Coffee. Upon approval from the Manager of the Southern Division of the Red Cross in Atlanta, W.L. Peel, the Watauga County, N.C. Chapter was born. During these infant years of the chapter, R.C. Rivers served as its Chairman, Miss Pearl Hodges as Treasurer, Mrs. H.E. Coffee as Secretary, and George Hagaman as Chairman of the Finance Committee.
On December 6 of that year, R.C. Rivers, the proprietor of the Watauga Democrat, printed a public announcement of the national Red Cross campaign. The 450-member quota assigned to the Watauga County chapter was announced, and Professor I.G. Greer was identified as the Chairman of the local Campaign Committee. In the next edition of the paper, Rivers issued this plea to the citizens of the community:
Join the Red Cross. The American Red Cross is offering every one, rich and poor alike, a chance to contribute personally to the Christmas spirit of the enlightened world. At such an anomalous season - when there is not peace on earth, when good will toward man is mocked by death-dealing cannon and blood-stained steel - what could be more blessed than to comfort and cheer the suffering thousands of Liberty's defenders in the hospitals behind the battle lines?
To relieve the suffering of the wounded and to salvage battered human wrecks is the primary function of the Red Cross. Let us not forget that very soon our own boys in large numbers will be carried in Red Cross ambulances to Red Cross hospitals, there to receive every care scientific Red Cross methods afford.
Where a few millions will start for "over there," many more millions must remain at home. To these latter the Red Cross, in its drive for 10,000,000 new members between December 16 and December 25, offers the best form of stay-at-home service - membership in and cooperation with the Red Cross. It urges that you join the Red Cross and then influence others to join by displaying from your home, your office, your store, or your factory the Red Cross service flag, which bears one small red cross for each member where the flag is displayed.
Isn't it worth a dollar to you to know that you are privileged to fly the service flag and that you are helping - even in a small way - to lessen the agony of the boys in the trenches?
Also included in this issue of the Democrat, were a statement from Woodrow Wilson, the President of the American Red Cross at that time, and a letter from Professor Greer announcing his campaign plan. Greer requested that each school district in the county challenge itself to obtain at least eight members to reach the goal of 450 for the chapter. Teachers were asked to organize their classes to attain this goal by Christmas, and thereby provide Christmas cheer to the "millions of other boys across the water." Greer also suggested to people who did not have a Red Cross organization in their community that they might send their money and support this Chapter, who would then accept them as a member. The cost of joining the Red Cross was one dollar, fifty cents of which was sent to national headquarters, where the each person would officially be registered as a member, and fifty cents would stay in the community to further war efforts of the chapter.
The results of this campaign were not listed in the Democrat, to the author's knowledge. However, a second war fund campaign was brought to life in May of 1917, headed again by Professor Greer. In the May 2 edition of the Democrat, Greer announced the national Red Cross campaign to raise $100,000,000 and the appointment of the following Committees: N.L. Mast, Employee's Solicitation Committee; T.B. Moore, Publicity Committee; Mrs. W.H. Wagner, Women's Committee; Executive Committee for the County, W.S. Miller, W.L. Councill, Rev. S.L. Owen, John Sherrill, Rev. J.N. Atkins, and Henry Hagaman.
Two weeks after the announcement of this campaign and the organization of the committees to oversee it, Greer wrote the following letter to the community and had it printed in that week's edition of the Democrat:
The Second Red Cross War Fund Drive. The Second Red Cross War Fund Campaign is now on in Watauga County. The date set for the special drive is May 20-27th, but in order to reach all parts of the County the campaign was started early. $100,000,000 is needed for this fund. Watauga County has been assigned $42,000 for its quota. This means about one dollar for each voter in the County. If each school district in the county would raise $29.00 we would go over the top; but since many citizens will not give their $29.00, other citizens and schools must do all they can.
Many communities have given suppers and entertainments already. In each case, the result has been gratifying. Many good men and women have contributed liberally. In behalf of the boys we thank these communities and individuals, but the $2,000 is not yet in sight. Every cent that is contributed will go to the aid of our soldiers and sailors, and the soldiers and their dependent families. Will not every community and citizen in Watauga County contribute something to help care for our sick, wounded, and dying boys? They have given all. Surely we can afford to give something for their relief. Your contribution, however small, may save some wounded soldier's life, or make his last hours more comfortable.
We must depend to a large degree upon private donations for the remainder of the $2,000 to be raised. Let every man, woman, and child in the county send in a contribution, and let our boys know that we are standing behind them with our influence and money while they are standing between us and the treacherous German enemy.
In response to this plea for monetary support of the troops in battle, the Watauga County citizens rallied to provide for the need. "Local Talent of Boone" performed a patriotic play, Claim Allowed, in the auditorium of the Appalachian Training School, which is now Appalachian State University, raising $129.30 for the Red Cross War Fund. The Democrat reported that the performance was "a decided hit, and invitations [were] received from various sections of the county, promising full houses, free entertainment for the troupe, with a guarantee for good returns, if they would take it to other localities." The play was held at four different locations, with at least 4 performances, donating the proceeds to the war fund.
A variety of other fund raising events were also held to encourage community involvement in the war efforts. The Lentz Valley School held a box supper and cake cutting with a total of $89.75 received. A pie supper was held in Mabel, contributing to the community's total donation $187.92. An ice cream supper along with "other dainties on sale, amusements, etc., etc." was served by the ladies of Shull's Mills, contributing to the community's total donation of $835 (WOW!). A play given at Mast raised $160, and the Meat Camp Township formed a Red Cross Auxiliary to hold box suppers and other fund raising events. The Co-operative Cheese Factory on Beaver Dams donated the "price of the cheese from their entire purchase of milk" one day to the Red Cross War Fund, totaling $35. Mr. W.W. Mast of Valle Crucis gave 10% of his mercantile sales to the war fund one Saturday, "and suggested other merchants in the county do likewise." Mr. Mast was also credited by the paper to have "more money in the Red Cross work in Watauga than any other man in the county,"
The county showed extraordinary patriotism and support for their "boys" by collectively raising nearly $5,000 for the war fund. That is almost $3,000 above and beyond the quota that was designated by the A.R.C. national campaign leaders! In his June 6 issue of the Democrat, R.C. Rivers told the story of one young woman who gave all she had to support her military, along with some chastising remarks to the less generous upper echelon of the county:
In a section of the county a function was given, and at its close, contributions were solicited for the War Fund. One of the first to come forward was a young girl, rather poorly dressed, but with a heart burning with patriotism and love for the boys who have gone and are going "over there" put in $4.00, her all, with this remark: "Our best young men are being called to the front, and it is my intention to do all I can for them while they are gone."
An interested spectator, a stranger to the girl, began to make inquiry and found that she was very poor, and that she had planted corn for six days on a steep mountain farm, for the sum so freely given for this great cause of humanity. Talk of patriotism, talk about self-denial until it hurts, this is certainly it, and should be a lesson to some of our wealthiest men, who have held their purse strings through the entire campaign, seeming perfectly disinterested in the great cause for which we have been struggling so hard.
The full amount raised by this second War Fund Campaign was listed in the Democrat on June 13, itemized by the "various points throughout the county."
Boone………………………………………$432.51
Henson's Chapel……………………………$180.00
Mast……………………………………….. $141.28
Zionville……………………………………$106.00
Timbered Ridge……………………………$107.11
Laurel Springs……………………………...$26.86
Blowing Rock………………………………$505.00
Beaver Dam & Forest Grove………………$251.92
Bethel, including $35
donation by
Beaver Dam Cheese Factory………….$238.00
Meat Camp Township……………………..$155.15
Rutherwood………………………………..$77.25
Windy Gap…………………………………$130.00
Mabel………………………………………$187.92
Matney……………………………………..$72.00
Valle Crucis………………………………..$289.00
Todd……………………………………….$142.30
Shulls Mills………………………………..$835.00
Buckwheat School House…………….……$64.45
Cove Creek Cheese Factory…………….…$72.00
Brushy Fork……………………….….……$217.15
Foscoe…………………………….….…….$17.85
Deerfield……………………………..…….$86.00
Virgil………………………………..……..$25.25
Dutch Creek………………………..……...$38.15
Whiting School House……………..……...$103.50
Aho…………………………………..……$180.00
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Total…………………………………….$4,681.65
Donations not otherwise accounted for…$118.92
Total…………………………………….$4,800.57
The celebration over far exceeding the quota assigned to the county was evident, however, the community was urged not to forget the needs of the local Red Cross chapter in the wake of the campaign. In his weekly column, Rivers pleaded with his readers to continue to support the Red Cross, which still needed monetary contributions and volunteers for war efforts such as the women's group that gathered to knit socks for the soldiers . This was answered by the community in the form of more box suppers, ice cream socials, and other events designed to raise funds for the Watauga Red Cross Chapter throughout the remainder of the First World War.
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The Second World War
Early on the morning of Sunday, December 7th 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and the United States was left in shock and horror. This invitation to war was answered quickly, and the American Red Cross jumped to the aid of her countrymen once again. Within two days Mrs. Garbee, still chairman of the Watauga County chapter, received a telegram from Norman H. Davis, president of the ARC, requesting that the chapter raise $1,500 of a $50,000,000 war fund. The telegram urged that the county "devote full efforts to raising their quotas in the shortest possible time" and to report their progress to headquarters. Fifteen percent of whatever the chapter raised was to be kept in the county to be used to fund local war efforts.
Mrs. Garbee began orchestrating the efforts immediately, joined by Mrs. W.M. Matheson as chairman of the new war relief campaign, and Mrs. Russell D. Hodges as co-chairman. The campaign was announced to the county by way of the Watauga Democrat on Friday, December 11th, and the citizens of Watauga County were strongly encouraged to contribute to the campaign by way of monetary donations and volunteer efforts. Funds were to be left at either the Watauga Democrat office, the Farmers Hardware & Supply Co., the Boone Drug Company, Carolina Pharmacy in Boone, or at the Northwestern Bank, or Burns Grocery in Blowing Rock.
The schools in the county jumped into action, reporting to the Junior Red Cross, and planning events to aid in war relief efforts. When announced in the Democrat on December 18, 1941 , twenty-seven of the 40 schools in the county had already reported for duty, and the thirteen other schools were expected to join them within the next few days. The members of the Junior Red Cross participated in the efforts of the county by joining the adults in knitting and sewing supplies for the troops (such as the Tuesday/Thursday group that met to knit in the back of the Prevette's store), and other fundraising events. Concern for the soldiers had been felt deeply, not only by the adults in Watauga, but by the children and the adolescents who saw their peers denying their fears and defending their beloved country.
In a column in the Democrat on January 1, 1942 , the following report was published.
"In accordance with a proclamation by Mayor W.H. Gragg, about 50 leading citizens of Boone met at the courthouse Monday evening in the interest of the Red Cross War Relief Fund, and as a result of the gathering the sum of $830.76 was added to the $415.33 subscribed in the first days of the campaign, bringing the total local contribution to $1,246.09." The War Relief Fund in Watauga County exceeded the designated quota by nearly fifty percent, with a final total of $2,239.11 collected. This was $739.11 over the requested $1500, which left the county with about $335 to use within the county for local war efforts.
The Red Cross also worked with the governor of North Carolina to sponsor training courses in the schools for teachers and students. These training courses would consist of preparing the teachers and students in knowledge of first aid and other programs. These programs were listed in the Democrat as the following:
1.Physical examinations of all boys in the two upper high school grades. This will be done by volunteer physicians and public health doctors.
2. Physical training.
3. Utilization of vocational training facilities for training high school boys and girls for special services, such as mechanics, radio and other techniques required both in civilian defense and in armed services.
4. First-aid instruction for all high school pupils.
5. Instruction in meeting emergencies, such as conduct during air raids and fighting incendiary fires.
A knowledge of first aid is needed by every citizen in peacetime as well as in wartime. The courses that will be offered in the near future are a real opportunity, and everyone should take advantage of them.
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The Floods
On Tuesday, August 13, 1940 storms raging across Watauga County caused floodwaters, landslides, and the death of many residents of the area. Due to outages of telegraph and telephone services, Mr. Paul Weston traveled all of Wednesday night to carry photographs to Winston-Salem to be sent with a distress message to the National Red Cross headquarters. Mr. W.J. Jones, field representative of the A.R.C. arrived in Boone from Elizabethton, TN, Friday night. Mr. Jones "immediately established headquarters in the John W. Hodges building and began cataloging the storm's damage and furnishing food and clothing to those destitute."
The Red Cross rallied to the aid of its citizens in need, requesting donations throughout the county of money, food and clothing to be collected for the victims of the flood. Mrs. Mildred Taylor Edwards, a Red Cross Caseworker, along with Mrs. E.E. Garbee, president of the Watauga Red Cross chapter, and an advisory committee worked to bring aid to 53 families affected by the flood, including 32 who lost their homes. The fatalities from the storm totaled sixteen. Among the dead were:
Martha Anne Carroll, Deep Gap
Andrew W. Greene
Wilma Lee Greene
Creola Greene
Vernetta Greene
Zeb V. Greene
William Townsend and son, Dutch Creek
Three children of Bynum Shoemaker, Balm
Wilburn Roscoe Greene, Howards Creek
Joe Hardie Greene, Howards Creek
Thirty-seven years later, in November of 1977, the county was hit with another flood. Thirteen inches of rain fell on Watauga County, leaving one man dead, and many houses destroyed. Twenty-three year old Michael Charles Townsend drowned in his attempt to reach rescuers who had come to save him. The Red Cross provided food, clothing, and shelter to many families who lost their homes and belongings to the storm waters. Total damages from this flood exceeded $6 million. Storms in September of 1979 and January 1998 also left the county with dangerous floodwaters and people in need of assistance from the Red Cross, which has never failed to fulfill this purpose and provide aid for the residents of Watauga County.
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The Blizzard
In March of 1960, storms returned to the high country, leaving the county to be declared a disaster area once again. This time, however, the precipitation fell not in the form of torrential rain, but of beautiful snowflakes, which are so common to the area during the winter months. On and on the sky dumped snow upon the county, until people could no longer leave their homes, and the lives of many citizens were in danger. The Red Cross heard their cries for help, and sprung into action. The following article printed in the March 24th edition of the Watauga Democrat gives a detailed description of the emergency aid that was supplied to the people of Watauga County during this disaster.
R.W. Watkins, disaster chairman of the local chapter of the American Red Cross, said this week after completing disaster work in snowbound Watauga county, that the Red Cross, along with the help of several other organizations, distributed 917 food packages and 1,000 bags of coal during the emergency last week.
Thirty-four organizations and businesses were engaged in the job of giving aid to snowbound homes, and slightly over $15,000 was spent by the Red Cross in its work. Part of the bills piled up in the operation have been paid, Mr. Watkins said, and it was expected that all would be paid before the end of the week.
Here are other facts given by Mr. Watkins concerning the disaster work:
§ Fifty-six home service calls were made during the eight days the Red Cross operated, to determine for relatives if families were all right.
§ Twelve emergency calls were made.
§ Eight medical cases, requiring doctor's or nurse's care, were attended.
§ Ten families were supplied with clothing.
§ Five emergency rescues were made.
§ The helicopter airlift, consisted of three 'copters and crews from the 82nd Airborne division at Fort Bragg, made a total of 461 food package drops. Sixty-five bags of coal and 30 bales of hay were also dropped from the air.
§ The 'copters made 10 landings to determine if help was needed in certain isolated areas. One man was brought out from his home and carried to a hospital by the airlift.
§ The Red Cross' temporary headquarters set up in Parkway Hardware Company Building had a total of 16 Red Cross volunteers working in it.
§ The National Guard, which supplied vehicles and working personnel, came from Boone and Hickory. Fifteen men from the Rifle Platoon in Boone were always on duty and 20 men from the Hickory unit were on duty each day of the emergency. The units rotated duty periods among their entire roster.
§ When a coal shortage became apparent, 50 tons were shipped into Boone by Army and private trucks from West Jefferson, Hickory, and Winston-Salem for bagging and distribution.
§ Thirty boys on the Appalachian State Teachers College Rescue squad, worked in three teams of ten men each, and aided in carrying out supplies as well as rescuing the snowbound.
Coach Watkins stated that cost of the operation to the Red Cross was lower than his first estimate, because the State took care of expenses incurred by the National Guard, and the Army took care of the airlift operation expenses. Officials of the organization seemed pleased with the way the operation was handled. Mr. Watkins said he knew some mistakes were made, but that in an operation of this scope, there were bound to be a few. All in all, he termed the work a success…[special thanks were given to] Conrad Yates, local Red Cross chapter chairman; Mrs. Ruby Ellis, executive Red Cross secretary; and Armfield Coffey, Treasurer.
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The Fires
On April 29, 1995, the Blowing Rock Hospital was flaming from top to bottom. A fire that began in the basement of the building quickly made its way to the top floor, leaving the hospital charred and mostly empty. Seventy-nine patients were evacuated and the Watauga County Red Cross was right there ready and willing to lend aid, as usual. As reported by the Democrat, "a 'tent-city' was erected to keep some of the elderly patients out of the spring morning's sun," and were dispersed to other local facilities as soon as possible for further care.
The Summit Woods Apartment Complex on Niley Cook Road, outside of Boone, caught fire on March 9, 1998, leaving one young man dead and sixteen people homeless. Jeremy Dale Fisher, 22, was unable to escape the building, and died in the fire. Shelter for all other residents was provided by the Boone Holiday Inn, by way of contract with Harold Tilley, who managed the apartment complex. A disaster relief fund was organized by Sonny Sweet, executive director for the Red Cross, amounting to over $13, 000 to provide clothing, food, and household needs for the victims of the fire. After all felt needs had been met for the residents, approximately $6,000 remained in the relief fund. Sweet met with the donors and the Fisher family, concluding to use the excess money to create the Jeremy Dale Fisher Memorial Fund, as a resource for future disasters in the county.
Since this fund was established, the Red Cross has held two bicycle races called Blood, Sweat, and Gears, to raise money for the fund. Lowe's Hardware also contributed to this Memorial Fund in 1997 by donating 135 smoke detectors and selling 440 more at a reduced price to the Red Cross for families who were too poor to purchase them for their homes.
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Food, Fun, and Birthday Parties
The Watauga County Red Cross has continued throughout the years to contribute to the welfare of the High Country through blood drives, safety classes, disaster action teams, fund raisers, and other informative outreach programs. Red Cross month is celebrated every April through events such as the Women's Fair that was held in the spring of 2003, and the local girl scouts, boy scouts, and 4-H-er's have been included in area promotions. Food distribution for families in need have provided fruit and vegetables for several years in collaboration with the Society of St. Andrew, the Hunger Coalition, and the United Way. Sonny Sweet, the current Director of the local Red Cross chapter, has worked to involve the citizens in the work of the chapter through local events and through his column Sweet Talk in the newspaper.
In November of 1997 the Watauga chapter celebrated its 80th year with a birthday celebration in the Lovill House on Old Bristol Road. This house was the home of one of the original board members of the chapter, and served as an "ideal location to reflect on the past." One of the chapter board members and organizers of this birthday party, Becky Councill, later received the Clara Barton Award for service to her community and the Red Cross in 1998. This award recognized the work of one woman who has dedicated much of her time and energy to the efforts of the Watauga Red Cross, but it also serves to remind us of the collective efforts this county has put forth over the past 80 years of service.
The Red Cross chapter of Watauga County has served its country and its local citizens through snow, rain, fire, war, and peace. Without the aid of this chapter and all of the fine people that have worked under the name of the American Red Cross, each of the disasters that have threatened the High Country would have been immeasurably worse. In the attempts of the author to research the Watauga County chapter, several people were contacted for interviews to gain personal reflections of the chapter's relief efforts. Not one person that was reached admitted to have done much to aid the Red Cross at all, though they were contacted because Sonny Sweet recalled their help over the years and listed them by name. At first this came as a shock, and it seemed sad that no one remembered having done any of the work that the newspaper had raved about. After a while, however, it became clear that this was just another sign of the humility and goodness of these people who had found time in their busy lives to help out their neighbors in need…a perfect example of the nature of the Red Cross in Watauga County.
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