Elizabeth Thompson's Third-Grade Reindeer

"My mother took this picture and one of each of the groups that appeared in the play. The hidden reindeer may have been Earl Smith, Jr. There was a group of reindeer, elves, snowmen. and chimney sweeps.

"Harriet Johnston was Mrs. Claus and John Webster was Santa.

"The story line also included a set of figures that Santa's elves had made. Dolls were personified by Linda Gunn as a china doll (geisha?), Linda Cook as a ballerina, Judy Buchannan as a baby doll. Sarah Sykes and Linda Durham were also dolls but I don't remember what they were.

"There were four cowboys: Carroll Aldridge, Robert Crumpton, Charles McMullin and Richard Rogers. Patsy Chistenbury played the magic fairy that introduced each group. Every group performed a little skit and/or song. My mother gave every member a photograph of his/her group. I used to have an entire set but it was lost somewhere along the way.

"I think Doris Potter England narrated the play. I remember Paul Goforth was one of the elves. Many names are lost to my memory because I don't have the set of pictures to refer to. Elizabeth. Thompson made sure that every member of the class had a part in the play and it was a big hit for the elementary classes and I think we may have performed it more than once."

Source: Carroll Aldridge 25 September 2019 Post to the Caswell County Historical Association Facebook Page.
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The mother of Carroll Lee Aldridge is Luetta Carroll Aldridge (1914-1997). The photograph was taken in 1956. At some point it was reprinted in The Caswell Messenger (Yanceyville, North Carolina) as part of that newspaper's "OUt of the Past" series.

"Alabama" in Yanceyville: 1981

On Sunday, 3 May 1981, the musical group "Alabama" gave two performances at the Caswell County Civic Center in Yanceyville, North Carolina.

Below are memories of that event posted to the Facebook Page of the Caswell County Historical Association in September 2019:

"I think they won a big award that weekend. They laughed and said that we were getting their last performance for a fee that small. Our CC Chamber lucked up on that one." Katherine Finch Watlington

"I was working the civic center that day. Got to hang out with them. The country cousins opened up for them. They had just won their first big award. Randy was a little distant. I later found out his dad had just passed away and he couldn't attend the funeral because of commitments with the newly found fame. He did both shows just like there was nothing wrong." Gregory Kyle Solomon

"I was working for the band then. The story you just told was a very big deal to Randy. I had forgotten about that." Kevin P. O'Keefe

"I was there. Small audience..... afterwards you could go talk to them like they were your next door neighbor. Spring 1981." Nancy Fowlkes Dailey

"I was there. I think it was 1981 and their wives were in the lobby selling tapes and t-shirts." Jane Poteat

"They also played st the Camp Springs Bluegrass Park in the early 80s. Lee Greenwood was there too and they put on a great show!! I was there!" Judy Mansfield Smith Jenkins

"My wife and I were there..Definitely early 80’s.I remember a very young girl gave the band a poster she made for them.Then a few months later during the Country Music Award Show Alabama won a Award and they had the poster from the young girl at the award show..." Tim Smith

"My younger brother was with us and we walked by the buses, Randy and Ted were pitching a baseball back and forwards to each other. Randy missed and my brother got the ball and gave it to him, this was before the show. I really thought that Lee Greenwood did better than they show wise but they were great!" Judy Mansfield Smith Jenkins

"I remember the venue was unusually small for AL at that time. It was a personal favor for a friend that recruited events for the CCCC. It was told up front it would be the first and last time they appeared there. A favor paid up in full. My step-father Richmond S. Frederick, Sr. told me this." Steven Dale Broome

Bartlett Yancey School Fire: 1970

"I believe that was Bartlett Yancey elementary at the time. Most of the Volunteers from Yanceyville FD had put in good nights work before battling a church fire. Both fires caused by lightning."

Source: R. Neal Spivey 18 September 2019 Post to the Caswell County Historical Association Facebook Page.

"Mom taught Earth Science there. I remember that she lost some personal items that she had left in the classroom as she had expected to return for the next school year."

Source: Robert Neal 18 September 2019 Post to the Caswell County Historical Association Facebook Page.

Before the fire.

Contract granted to build new Bartlett Yancey High School.

Source: The Bee (Danville, VA), Friday, 13 December 1935.

Bartlett Yancey High School Senior Class 1948

Bartlett Yancey High School Senior Class 1948

Lila Bradner
Madelyn Butts
Hallie Carter
Thacker Carter
Gypsy Davis

W. E. Farthing
Charles Fowlkes
Richard Gwynn
Virginia Hodges
Darlene Holt

Billy Hunt
Claude Hyler, Jr.
Annie Ruth King
Hunter Lunsford
Wilma Lunsford

Earl Poteat
June Poteat
Cordelia Slade
Max Smith
Nina Smith

Wyomie Smith
Evelyn Stephens
Nancy Totten
J. T. Terrell
Charles Walters


Doris Watlington
Jacksie Watlington
Jeanne Whitlow

Ray Denny Warren (1925-1945)

Ray Denny Warren (1925-1945)

Sunday, September 15, would have been Ray Denny Warren's 94th birthday. But he never made his 20th.

He was born in Caswell County's Hightowers community September 15, 1925, a son of Floyd Doak Warren (1888-1926) and Mabel Beatrice Murphy Warren (1894-1965). The young Warren never knew his father, who died of heart disease in 1926 when Ray was not two years old. His mother was left to raise nine children. Ray was one child removed from being the youngest.

A few days before his 18th birthday Ray enlisted to fight in World War II. He chose the United States Naval Reserve and eventually served aboard the Destroyer "U.S.S. Bowers" as a Seaman First Class. Ray was killed in action April 16, 1945.

While operating near Okinawa the Destroyer "Bowers" was assigned to anti-submarine screen duty. At dawn on April 16, the destroyer escort shot down one attacking Japanese plane. Then at 09:30, two more planes came in, flying low and fast. "Bowers" maneuvered radically to avoid the planes as they split to attack the escort. The first came in dead ahead, but the "Bowers" guns brought it down.

The second passed over the ship as her port guns came to bear. Despite the heavy gunfire, the kamikaze regained altitude, turned, and came in from a 45-degree angle forward. It crashed into the warship's flying bridge, spraying high octane gasoline over the bridge and pilot house. The plane's bomb penetrated the pilot house and continued down through the ship for 20 feet before it exploded and sprayed the deck with fragments. Fire-fighting parties brought the flames under control in about 45 minutes; but 37 men from the ship were killed, 11 were reported missing, and many of her 56 wounded died later.

Whether Ray's body was recovered is not known. However, in the Alamance Memorial Park Cemetery a bronze marker pays tribute to his life and service.
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The U.S. Navy destroyer escort USS Bowers (DE-637) arriving in the Kerama Retto, Ryukyu Islands, under her own power after being hit by a Kamikaze on 16 April 1945. Wreckage of the plane, a Nakajima Ki-43 (Allied code name "Oscar"), can be seen embedded in the the ship's bridge face. Note Bowers' very unusual paint, with traces of Camouflage Measure 31 or 32, Design 16D, showing through Camouflage Measure 22. The ship may have been undergoing repainting at the time she received this damage.

Milton Mills

Large Trust Sale

By Virtue of a Deed of Trust Executed to me on the 7th day of November last, by James D. Newsom, for certain purposes therein mentioned, I shall sell to the highest bidder, on the 20th day of December next, at the Court House door in the City of Raleigh, the following valuable property, to wit:
. . . .

Also, in the town of Milton, Caswell county, on Tuesday, the 1st day of January, 1856, the Milton Cotton Factory and Mills, and about 15 comfortable dwelling houses, with lots and gardens attached to each, embracing about 16 or 17 acres of land in all.

The Cotton Factory building is of brick, 46 x 80 feet, four stories high, covered with a zinc roof, and contains nearly two thousand spindles, 14 cards, 2 drawing frames, 20 looms, with all the necessary gearing and machinery for operating the same, with two water wheels and a steam engine attached. A part of the above machinery is new, having been lately purchased; the balance but little worn and capable of doing first-rate work.

Bartlett Yancey School to Open September 14th (1925)

Bartlett Yancey School to Open September 14th (1925)

Yanceyville N.C. Sept 2 -- The Bartlett Yancey High [sic] School will open on Monday September 14th with twelve teachers for the academic subjects and one music teacher. Eight of these teachers are new to the school and five have been in the work before.

The list of teachers follows:

S. H. Abell principal Richland Ga., A. B. Elon College

E. M. Wells science teacher, Teacheys, N.C., B.S. State University

Mrs. Alma Griffin, history teacher, Raleigh, N.C., Meredith College

Mrs. Giles Mebane, Blanch, N.C., mathematics teacher, Louisburg College

Miss Fannie Lea, Ringgold, Va., seventh grade, Randolph Macon College

Miss Sarah Fogleman, Burlington, N.C., sixth grade, Blackstone College

Mrs. Alice Goodson, Danville, R.F.D. 5, fifth grade, State College, Greensboro

Miss Ruth Everett, Edenton, N.C., fourth grade

Miss Eva Walker, Yanceyville, N.C., third grade, E.C.T. College, Greenville, N.C.

Mrs. Florence F. Taylor, Milton, N.C., second grade

Miss Annie H. Murray, Danville, Va., higher first grade, Randolph Macon

Miss Myrtle Lea, Blanche, N.C., first grade, N.C.C. Women College, Greensboro, N.C.

Miss Mary L. Stacy, Ruffin, N.C., music, N.C. College Women, Greensboro

The Bee (Danville, Virginia), 2 September 1925, Wednesday, Page 2.