Spring has arrived, and Mitchell County Historical Society haswonderfulplansforthisyear’sprograms;wehopeeveryonewillcomeoutthethirdMondayeachmonthfromAprilthroughSeptember.• GeologistAlexGloverwillbewithusat theHistoricCourthouseonApril15thtotalkabouttheAppalachia/ScotlandConnection.
• OnMay20th,we’llbeattheEnglishInn,whereDavidBiddixwillgiveapresentationaboutUnionSoldierswhowereshelteredbytheInn’sowner,IsaacD.English.
• We’llhearabouttheOvermountainVictoryHistoricTrailfromStarliMcDowellonJune17thattheHistoricCourthouse.
• It’s back to Spruce Pine on July 15th when we learn about CalvinHall’samazingcollectionofartifacts.
• August’s program is not yet determined, but it will be a musicalprogram,whichwecustomarilydoeachyear.
• The regular programs will wrap up on September 16th at theHistoricCourthousewhenKathyHuiepresentsaprogramonLydiaHolman,nursepractitionerinMitchellCounty.
OctoberisthemonthforourannualAppleButterFestival,butweplantohaveaprogramforVeteransDayonNovember11th.
FIRSTQUARTER2019NEWSLETTER
MITCHELLCOUNTYHISTORICALSOCIETY
ThirdAnnualMitchellCountyHistoryBeeaSuccess!DoyouknowwhatyearMitchellCountywasestablished?Canyouidentifythepeoplewhoinfluencedourcounty’shistoryduringitsfirst150years?Youmighthavetroublerecitingthedetails,butstudentsgatheredintheHistoricMitchellCountyCourthouseonThursdayevening,3/21,didn’t.
TheThirdAnnualHistoryBeewasco-sponsoredbytheMitchellCountyHistoricalSocietyandtheMitchelLNews-Journal.Generousindividualsandbusinessesinthecountyprovidedcashprizesforthewinningcontestants.Firstplaceineachdivisionwon$500,secondwas$300,andthirdplacebrought$200.EachwinneralsoreceivedafreesubscriptiontotheMitchellNews-Journal.
FortheMiddleSchooldivision,AdaTroxlercameinfirst,ConnorWarrenwassecond,andMaggieMartinthird.IntheHighSchooldivision,JaredPittmanwasfirst,DevinRandolphsecond,andSiTaoLinwonthirdplace.
FortheMiddleSchoolDivision:L–R-ConnorWarren(2nd);AdaTroxler(1st);MaggieMartin(3rd)
FortheHighSchoolDivision:L–R-JaredPittman(1st);SiTaoLin(3rd);DevinRandolph(2nd)
RecentdonationstoMCHS:
• DougBuchananofAveryCountydonatedTheCSXClinchfieldRoute inthe21stCenturybyJerryTaylorandRayPoteat.
• BrendaY.VaughanofCharleston,SC,donateda24x20turn-of-the-20th-centuryportraitofAddie&sistersRhebaSilver
• Crystal Edwards Campbell of Green Mountain, NC, donated a number of books andgenealogicalrecordscollectedbyherlatefather,ClintonEdwards.
ThankstothesedonorsforhelpingMCHSpreserveourcounty’shistory.WehopeotherswillconsiderdonatingtoourSociety.Wewelcomeitemsforourmuseumorresearchmaterialsforourlibrary.
Jason Basil Deyton: Warrior, Teacher, Administrator, and Community Leader
By Daniel Barron Edited for space
Jason Basil Deyton was born to Nathan and Buena Vista Masters Deyton on2/13/1894,nearRedHill. Jasongraduated fromBurnsville’sshort-livedStanleyMcCormick Institute, fundedby inventor CyrusMcCormick’swidow and namedfor her son. The Institute was a boarding school and the girl’s dorm is nowoperatedastheTerrellHouseBedandBreakfast.
JasonreportedtotheBakersvilledraftboardinMay1917andFebruary1918butwasnotselected.InMay1918,however,listinghisoccupationasteacher,hewasacceptedformilitaryserviceandsenttoCampJackson,SC,wherehecompletedbasic training. A Private in the 321st Infantry when he shipped out fromPhiladelphiainJuly1918,hewaspromotedtoCorporalinOctober.The321stsawsteadyfightingthroughthefall,andonthemorningtheArmisticewassignedthey“went over the top” and attacked enemy trench positionswithmany casualtiesbeforethefiringstoppedat11AM.
Shortly after returning home in Jun 1919, he entered Maryville College inMaryville, TN, a small yet rigorous program affiliated with the PresbyterianChurch.HewasPresidentoftheLawClubandgraduatedcumlaudewithanA.B.degree.
JasonbecametheSuperintendentofMitchellCountySchoolsin1921butbecameahistoryteacheratHarrisHighSchoolin1926andlaterPrincipal.Hereturnedin1939 to thepositionof Superintendentwhichhehelduntil1961. In1932hereceived his master’s degree from UNC Chapel Hill and later pursued post-graduate studies at Syracuse and Columbia Universities. During his tenure, hehad to dealwith schoolburnings,oversawschoolsbeingbuilt,wasanadvocatefor an occupational curriculum, encouraged innovative teaching among allteachers,andwasawell-respectedadministrator.
His work “The Toe River Valley to 1865,” was hismaster’s degree thesis fromUNC-Chapel Hill in 1932 and was published in The North Carolina HistoricalReviewforOctober1947.Ithasbeenacclaimedasthemostcomprehensivestudyof the county to date and has been quoted frequently by students and localhistorians.
Jason married Nelle English Phillips on 5/11/1922. They were the parents ofSusanDeytonDottiandJasonB.Deyton,Jr.,bothofwhomwentontohavenotablycreativeandproductivelives.
InadditiontohissuccessfulroleasSuperintendentofSchools,Jasonmademanyotherimportantcommunitycontributions,includingorganizingthecounty’sfirstBoyScoutTroopandchairingtheWarBondCommitteeduringWWII. ACountyandRegionalLibraryBoardmember,servingasChair1940-68.HewasPresidentoftheSprucePineRotaryClubandtookaleadershiproleintheMitchellCountyDemocratic Party. He was a frequent featured speaker at historical andcommunity development functions formany years including the1964 programhonoringtheRevolutionaryWarandDavidBaker.
But Deyton was not a perfect citizen. In 1959 he was charged with improperpassingwhichcosthim$10infines.Otherthanthisdisrespectforthelaw,JasonBasilDeyton’slifeandserviceepitomizehisalmamater’smotto:“Dogoodonthelargestpossiblescale.”
ThankstoJonathanBennettforinputandreview.
PleaseconsiderrenewingyourMCHSmembershiptohelpuswithourMissiontocollect,preserve,protect,andpubliclydisplaymaterialthatishistoricallysignificanttoMitchellCounty,NC.WesolicitmembershipfrombothMitchellCountyresidentsandthosewholiveelsewherebuthave roots in the county. Individualmembership fees are $20; fee is$25forafamily.WealsoneedhelpinourmuseumandwithMCHSevents.Ifyouwouldlike to volunteer in our work to promote Mitchell County history,pleasecallourofficeat828-688-4371orcontactusonthewebsite.
MCHSWebsite:
mitchellnchistory.org
MitchellCountyHistoricalSociety
POB651
Bakersville,NC28705
828-688-4371or828-385-0564
