Lenoir History and Culture

The last 24 hours was a Lenoir history lesson … about its musicians, its civil war stories, its place in the Revolutionary War battles …
While reading the local Lenoir paper, www.LenoirNewsTopic.com , I was drawn to a column on the editorial page written by John O. Hawkins.
Mr. Hawkins, a local historian, wrote about Mr. Thomas Ivey and his life after the civil war. This article described details of how Mr. Ivey longed to return to his childhood home in Lenoir. I am taking the liberty to excerpt quotes describing Mr. Ivey’s thoughts in that article. He said “Lenoir is a jewel resting in the valley just below the mountains. I loved the portion know as the Hollow, surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains. I longed to hear the singing of a clear mountain stream and see again the inviting background of my dear dreams. I yearned to see the sunrise once more through the white mist that covered Hibriten (Mountain), and to gaze at the face of the old man…the majestic profile of Grandfather Mountain.”
I was struck by this article because we often take things for granted. 150 years ago, Thomas Ivey spoke of his hometown like it was a magical place…a place that he realized too late how very much he missed the natural beauty of Lenoir. And earlier today, as I passed by Hibriten Mountain as I do every day on my way home, I saw this mountain from a VERY different perspective, one I will not forget.
Lenoir has always been rich in heritage and the arts. Last evening I was invited to the first ‘Blues Night’ at F. Futs & Co., www.ffutsandcompany.com , a new eatery downtown. Pop Ferguson lifted my soul.
Pop Ferguson, who is listed in “The Traditional Artists of the Blue Ridge”, sang the blues with his son as accompaniment. Pop made us cry with joy with his gift of rich blues music...and to see the love of a devoted son told a story that goes along with the folklore of when Pop was growing up in Lenoir as a minister’s grandson. Pop had a habit of sneaking into the juke joint to put his quarter in the juke box, hear his favorite song, replay the music that was swirling through his head as he bolted home, and soon earned the reputation that he ‘made that tune his own’.
His grandfather, the minster, would hold ‘Tent Revivals’ in town. One time at a tent revival, Pop’s father introduced Pop after a sermon with this intro, “And now my son will play for us...” Pop, was a young boy at the time. He started playing the blues that he loved so much… a song that he had heard at the juke joint. Well, Pop’s grandfather was shocked at Pop’s selection of music, and his grandfather asked him to leave that night at the tent revival. Pop’s love for the Blues deepened that day.
He is now 81 years young and hasn’t stopped playing the blues. As I sat listening to Pop Ferguson in downtown Lenoir I have to admit that I haven’t heard the Blues played any better in New Orleans or Memphis or anywhere else. Pop will be playing the Blues every other Thursday at ‘Sister’ Fut’s as long as he is able. Check out Pop’s web site, www.popfergusonblues.com .
Bluegrass and Blues music history feature the rich music of several Lenoir originals, the legends of Caldwell County. The Blues culture is as rich as the beauty that surrounds us.
StarCross Village brings this rich culture to the public at their planned clubhouse for residents. Call Julie or Gil at gstarble@starcrossvillage.com to learn more.