Persimmons: The native fruit found in 100 North Carolina counties, Thanksgiving in Beaufort, and why we love Chapel Hill.
PHOTO ESSAY
Sweet ‘Simmons by Leah Hughes
Photography by Joey and Jessica Seawell
It grows right here in front of our noses. And it packs a blast of natural sugar that sure is delightful. So why is the persimmon our most peculiar fruit?
FEATURES
The Civil War: A Separate Peace by Philip Gerard
Photography by Harry Taylor
The War reaches North Carolina, but pacifists in the Old North State secretly oppose the Confederacy.
The Keepers of Our Communities by Jeremy Markovich
Illustration by Joseph Edwards
Long before Facebook, service clubs created a sense of community. In order to stay viable now, these meritorious groups must find ways to draw new members by using old-fashioned handshakes and smiles.
Value in a Small Town by Michael Graff
Photography by Lissa Gotwals
Even if you don’t need a tractor, you probably want some of what they’re selling at the annual Seaboard Lions Club farm-equipment auction.
Pride of Place by Jimmy Tomlin
Photography by Joey and Jessica Seawell
For 66 years, the Granite Quarry Civitans have been taking care of everybody’s business.
The Biggest Wheel by Scott Huler
Photography by Constance Knox
How the world’s largest Rotary wheel shapes up Wilmington.
The Barbecue Brotherhood by Josh Shaffer
Photography by Joey and Jessica Seawell
Welcome to Raleigh’s Hiram 40, one of the state’s oldest Masonic lodges, where good guys greet and eat meat. Now, what’s the password?
A Community Moved by Steam by Jeri Rowe
Photography by Travis Dove
The Ruritans seem to have their prints on just about anything that happens in Silk Hope. But nothing they do is bigger than their Old Fashioned Farmers’ Day. And nothing is bigger on Old Fashioned Farmers’ Day than the steam that comes from the engines that power just about everything.
DEPARTMENTS
Welcome
Fall Back by Elizabeth Hudson
Photography by Whitebox Wedding
Our State Quiz
Early Ancestors by Alan Hodge
Photography courtesy of Unto the Hills
Our American Indian past surrounds us, serving as a constant reminder of those who came first.
Carolina Culture
Higher Learning by Janet Hurley
Photography by Emily Chaplin
The anchor of Jackson County–once a courthouse, now a library–continues to serve its citizens.
Artistic Impression by Angie Newsome
Photography by Matt Rose
Asheville resident Wendy Whitson took up art because of her uncle. Although life pulled her away, she now realizes art’s potential to comfort, heal, and revive.
A New Old-Timer by Lauren Howell
Photography by Lissa Gotwals
North Carolina native Jonathan Byrd draws upon a style of folk music even older than bluegrass. But he uses those same familiar chords to string together a song that tells our stories.
CD Review
- Cackalack by Jonathan Byrd
Open Studio by Taylor Rankin
Photography by Gregg Ward
The Inner Banks Artisans’ Center in Washington provides a place for those who practice art and for those who purchase it.
Book Review
- The Midwife’s Confession by Diane Chamberlain
- Iron House by John Hart
Humor
The Family Table by Daniel Wallace
Illustrated by Daniel Wallace
Tar Heel Town
Chapel Hill by Nic Brown
Photography by Joey and Jessica Seawell
Most residents stay only four years. Some hang around for a few more. But time doesn’t matter. Those who give themselves to Chapel Hill at all walk away with the right to say they’re Tar Heels — born, bred, and dead — and that’s a gift that lasts a lifetime.
Tar Heel History
Old-Wall Overhaul by Ned Cline
Photography by Lissa Gotwals
Architectural restorer Dean Ruedrich judges a society by how it treats the past. So when the North Carolina Museum of History asked him to restore some historic buildings for its new blockbuster exhibition, he did it — very carefully.
Good food
First, Dessert by Jimmy Tomlin
Photography by Joey and Jessica Seawell
At Cherries Cafe in Clemmons, a family creates a place where customers come for the sweeter side of life.
Wildcat Country by Michael Graff
Photography and food styling by Matt Hulsman
Recipe tasting and food styling by Wendy Perry
In this Sampson County community, residents rally around food and football.
Cloister Honey by Kathleen Purvis
Photography by Taylor Mathis
When the banking business went south, a couple in suburban Charlotte found a new, sweeter fortune.
Palate Pleasers by Taylor Rankin
We’ve swirled and sipped wine for centuries, but now a Piedmont business invites customers to apply the same picky process to oil and vinegar.
Recipes
Carolina Gardening
Follow His Lead by Josh Shaffer
Photography by Lissa Gotwals
Allen de Hart began hiking at age 5, and his journeys tally more than 57,000 miles. But he always returns home to Louisburg, where he invites others to join him in his backyard garden.
Dates & Events
Community Table by Amy Hotz
Four days before Thanksgiving, Beaufort residents come together for a feast with their extended family.
5 Things Every North Carolinian Should Do This Month by Taylor Rankin
Moore Square District in Downtown Raleigh, Asheville Antiques Fair, N.C. Pecan Harvest Festival, “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition” at the Natural Science Center of Greensboro, and a walking tour of Elizabeth City.
Tar Heel Image
Down the Tracks by Lew Brown of Chapel Hill
Twenty trains a day pass through these hillside tunnels near Black Mountain and provide a vital link for our western communities.
