Alleghany County Sesquicentennial Committee is planning the Kick Off Event for the year-long Sesquicentennial Celebration. The event will be held at the Alleghany County Courthouse February 12,2009, beginning at 6:00 pm. The Library’s Black History Month Celebration featuring a presentation given by Mike Wiley about The Story of Emmitt Till will start at 6. The Sesquicentennial Kick Off will follow at 7:00 pm.
There will be talks given by Judge Richard Doughton, Sparta Mayor John Miller, and County Commissioner Chairman Ken Richardson. There will also be a reception with food and entertainment afterward at the Alleghany Jubilee.
February 12, 2009 will mark 150 years since the legislation that created the county passed in the North Carolina General Assembly. Alleghany County was formed in 1859 from Ashe County. It was named for an Indian tribe; the name is derived from a corruption of the Delaware Indian name for the Alleghany and Ohio Rivers and is said to have meant "a fine stream."
It is in the northwestern section of the State and is bounded by the state of Virginia and Surry, Wilkes and Ashe counties. The present land area is 233.03 square miles and the 2000 population was 10,677.
The act creating the county ordered the court to be held at Shiloh Church until the public buildings were erected unless otherwise directed by the justices of the peace. Commissioners were named to locate a site for the county seat at the geographical center of the county, acquire the land, establish the town of Sparta, and erect the courthouse. Sparta is the county seat.
The dedication of the Alleghany County Courthouse will be 3:30 P.M. Saturday, May 16th, 2009.
Program of Events
Welcome
the Honorable Ken Richardson, Chairman of the Alleghany County Board of Commissioners
Mistress of Ceremonies
the Honorable Susie Gambill, Clerk of Superior Court of Alleghany County
Introduction
the Honorable Richard L. Doughton, Special Superior Court Judge
Keynote Address
the Honorable Sarah E. Parker, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina
Remarks
the Honorable Edgar B. Gregory, Senior Resident Superior Court Judge
the Honorable Mitchell L. McLean, Chief District Court Judge
the Honorable Thomas E. Horner, District Attorney
the Honorable John Miller, Mayor of the Town of Sparta
Reception to follow at the Alleghany Senior Center
Behind the Courthouse
The keynote speaker will be Sarah Parker, Chief Justice of NC Supreme Court.
The Alleghany Courthouse was originally built in 1910 by the B.F.
Smith Fireproof Construction Co. of Washington, D.C.The building nearing its centennial anniversary, however, was almost totally destroyed by a fire in January of 1933 that swept through downtown, Sparta.
Although the fire badly damaged the building, the back portion remained
standing and only the front was destroyed. The fire apparently jumped the
street when birds' nests in the belfry of the courthouse caught fire from
sparks blown across the street. However, the board sidewalks of the town
have also been blamed for spreading the fire.
Floyd Crouse who practiced law in the
county courthouse helped by throwing the county's deed books out the window to save them.
Alleghany Courthouse before
and after 1933 fire.
It was rebuilt under the supervision of architect Harry Barton, in the
Classical Revival style. If the current building lacks some of the grace and grandeur of the old building, it is because rebuilding funds were tight due to the Great Depression.
In December of 2005, work to modernize the building began. Renovations
included a new roof on the facility and windows were replaced with
double-paned, insulated aluminum units. The courtroom was updated with
new carpet and paint.
A back stairwell was removed which created additional space that now
includes the judge's chamber, a renovated jury room, an additional conference
room for attorneys to meet with clients, and new storage areas.
Information from Alleghany News and Alleghany Historical-Genealogical Society.
The doll was won by Jean Osborne in a raffle held by the
Sesquicentennial Committee on August 15 at the Informal Gathering in Crouse
Park.
Left to Right: Luella "Kicking Deer" Lane, Jean Osborne, Butch "Winterhawk" Thompson.
Youghtanund drummers and dancers will be performing.
Native American Doll, named We-Oyata (Women of the People), will be raffled off August 15, 2009.
Raffle tickets are $1 each or 6 tickets for $5.
Contact a member of the Sesquicentennial Committee or buy tickets the day of the event.
The doll's case is approximately 21 3/8" tall by 12" wide by 7" deep.
The doll is approximately 17" tall, to the top of her feather.
The clothes, bag, necklaces, blanket, and moccasins were made by Kicking Deer, who is co-hosting the Informal Gathering.
Sponsored by:
September 18, 2009
The Sesquicentennial Costume Contest will take place during a
street dance, Friday night, September 18, 2009 at the First Community Bank in Sparta, NC.
The Alleghany County Sesquicentennial Committee is accepting entries for the Sesquicentennial Parade to be held Saturday, September 26, 2009 at 2:00 pm. Our goal is to make this the parade the largest in the County’s history. The parade will be videoed and narrated and will be archived with all the other Sesquicentennial events.
Since this is the Sesquicentennial parade, we are honoring and remembering the past 150 years. We invite you to dress in clothes from any period since 1859. Walk, make a float, ride a buggy, car, bicycle, lawnmower, horse, tractor, or anything else you can think of.
The Second Marine Aircraft Wing Band from Cherry Point, NC will march in the parade. Marching bands are
invited to be in the parade, as well.
Early registration is highly recommended by Wednesday, September 23. Late arrivals will be placed at the
back of the parade after all the pre-registered entries.
For more information on the parade, contact Barbara Lucier, Sparta Main Street Coordinator, at Sparta Revitalization Committee.
September 26, 2009
The Second Marine Aircraft Wing Band, currently on tour from Cherry Point, North Carolina, will present a memorable evening of musical entertainment in Sparta, NC on September 26, 2009.
Spanning the continental United States, the musicians of this Marine Corps Band entertain audiences at more than 225 performances each year. With an authorized strength of one officer and 50 enlisted Marines, the band travels more than 50,000 miles annually carrying on a long-standing tradition of excellence and service to both Corps and Country.
The Band promises an exciting program that the entire family is sure to enjoy. Performance numbers will be selected from familiar marches, traditional classics, patriotic favorites, big band sounds, jazz, country, and Top 40 hits.
This concert, sponsored by Alleghany County Sesquicentennial Committee, Hillbilly Wes Brinegar, Rotary
Club of Alleghany, New Covenant Church, Alleghany Jubilee, Sparta Lions Club, Laurel Ridge Camp &
Conference Center, WCOK Radio, Alleghany Cablevision, VFW Post #7034, Sparta Marine Corps League
1298, Sparta Jubilee Red Hat Society, Ms. Alleghany-2009 Helen Crouse, Ruth Halsey, Dorcas Wagoner, Tom Atwood, Frank Hazard, Kenneth Lovelace, Virginia Foxx, Horton’s Cabinet Shop, Alleghany Farm Bureau, VFW Auxilary, Wagoner Construction and Imaging Specialists, Inc., is free and open to the public.
The performance will take place on Saturday, September 26, 2009 at Woodruff Field in Sparta and is set to begin at 7:00pm.
Contact Wes Brinegar at the Walter Frank Osborne, Jr. Marine League Detachment #1298 in Sparta.
MARINE BAND CONCERT
Sesquicentennial Finale - September 26, 2009
Pictures by Coby LaRue, used with permission from The Alleghany News
October 3, 2009
Celebrate The Father of the Blue Ridge Parkway
12:00 n - Barbecue Lunch by Laurel Springs VFD at Alleghany Seniors' Center.
2:00 pm - Bob Doughton Celebration at the Alleghany County Courthouse.
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