Historic Graveyard Tour – Concord UMC
Participants in the 2009 Historic Graveyard Tour explored the graveyard at Concord United Methodist Church with church member Shelton Barefoot (right).
Touring the Graveyard
The first stop on the 2009 Historic Graveyard Tour held on May 2, 2009 (previously introduced in the Historic Graveyard Tour post) was Concord United Methodist Church. Church members Shelton Barefoot and Wilma Jones shared information and answered questions on the church and the graveyard.
Included in the links below is a five-minute AUDIO CLIP in which you’ll hear Shelton and Wilma explain some of the history of Concord United Methodist Church and its graveyard. As the oldest Methodist congregation in Forsyth County, you’ll hear of the church’s founding in the late 1700s and of the great land deal initiated by charter member, Henry Stultz. You’ll also learn about the numerous veterans buried in the graveyard.
To see and hear more regarding Concord United Methodist Church and its graveyard, simply CLICK the links below for PHOTOS, AUDIO, a HISTORY WEB PAGE and a MAP.
Photo Gallery and Other Links
Photo Gallery: Historic Graveyard Tour – Concord United Methodist Church
Audio: Historical Introduction – Concord UMC/Graveyard (MP3, 5 MIN.)
Church Website – History Page: A Brief History of Concord United Methodist Church
Google Map: Concord United Methodist Church
If you enjoyed this article, you might also enjoy reading about the other local historic graveyards featured on this website.
Historic Graveyard Tour
This image is an artistic rendering of an inscription on an old tombstone in one of the graveyards featured in the 2009 Historic Graveyard Tour held in Lewisville, North Carolina.
Tour Overview
This past Saturday (May 2, 2009) I joined about 20 other individuals on the Historic Graveyard Tour that took us to six historic graveyards in the Lewisville Township. The tour began at the Lewisville Library and was sponsored by the Lewisville Historical Society’s Sesquicentennial Steering Committee. The six graveyards we visited are located at the following sites:
- Concord United Methodist Church
- Double Springs AME Zion Church (the church building no longer exists)
- Panther Creek Plantation (private property)
- Lewisville Baptist Church
- Lewisville United Methodist Church
- Shiloh Lutheran Church
Before departing for our first stop, each tour participant received a handout with information on each historic graveyard. Upon arriving at each graveyard, we were met by an individual who provided additional history regarding each site.
Upcoming Coverage
I took a number of photos at each graveyard, and I also tried to capture some audio of the oral historical session provided at each site. Over the next few weeks, I’ll feature each graveyard separately, with lots of photos, and possibly some audio, if the recording quality is good. I’ll be interspersing the coverage of each graveyard between other Lewisville events until each of the graveyards has been covered.
Meanwhile, shown next is a photo from each of the historic graveyards.
CLICK to see photos from the Historic Graveyard Tour
Nissen Wagon Museum
The Nissen Wagon Museum, a nicely designed structure located at Shallowford Square, houses an original Nissen wagon. The wagon was built by the Nissen Wagon Company, which was begun by John P. Nissen in 1834. John's son, George E. Nissen, later co-owned the business with his brother, William, and lived in the historic Nissen House in Lewisville, North Carolina.
The Nissen Wagon
Continuing on our history journey today, we’ll focus on the Nissen wagon. I think it’s reasonable to assume that many a Nissen wagon traveled the Great Wagon Road and crossed the Shallow Ford between the 1800s and the early 1900s (CLICK the preceding links to read my previous posts).
After all, by 1919 Nissen Wagon Works, as it was later named, was producing over 15,000 wagons per year, or about fifty wagons per day. The business was located in Waughtown, North Carolina (in the present-day Winston-Salem) and was operated by various members of the Nissen family from 1834 until 1925, when it was sold to F. B. Reamy for about one million dollars. Under new ownership, Nissen wagons continued to be produced until the 1940s, when the popularity of automobiles eclipsed demand for the wagons. [Source: StoppingPoints.com]
For further information on the Nissen wagon and to see additional photos, please continue to the NEXT SECTION. CLICK for more on the Nissen wagon
Exploring Shallow Ford
Hobie and Addie Lou Cawood were among the participants in the 2009 Shallow Ford Walk. The Cawoods are pictured standing on the Yadkin County side of the Yadkin River, just south of the historic Shallow Ford.
Shallow Ford: Where the Road West Began
A small band of explorers set out on an adventure last Saturday (March 7, 2009) to trace portions of the Great Wagon Road to and from the historic Shallow Ford on the Yadkin River.
Thanks to the planning and efforts of the Lewisville Sesquicentennial Committee and the Yadkin Valley Historical Association, the day was a perfect blend of regional history discussions and real-life exploration that led us through open fields and undeveloped woods.
Daniel Boone’s Trail
On our hikes along both sides of the Yadkin River, we found portions of the Great Wagon Road — also known as the Daniel Boone Trail — untouched by housing or highway development. We also found the heavy cast iron markers that were placed on both sides of the river by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1913. The inscription on the markers reads:
Daniel Boone’s Trail from North Carolina to Kentucky – 1769
Marked by N. C. Daughters of the American Revolution
History Envisioned
Throughout the day, we heard stories of Daniel Boone and other important families who had helped shape the land, the roads and the communities of the Piedmont. We learned about the Moravian settlers’ strategic, efficient manner of completing the Great Wagon Road from Bethabara to Lewisville. We listened to accounts of the Tories and the Whigs in the Battle of Shallow Ford, among other fascinating historical tidbits.
[FOR MORE HISTORY on the Shallow Ford and the Great Wagon Road, check out this 1996 article by Ann Brownlee: The Shallow Ford.]
As usual I took photographs of the Shallow Ford Walk, and they can be viewed in the Shallow Ford Walk photo gallery.
Audio File of Panel Discussion
In addition to the photos, I’ve provided a 38-minute MP3 recording of the panel discussion led by Rod Meyer, the retired director of Bethabara Historic Park, and Kyle Stimson, a local historian and author of The Great Philadelphia Wagon Road: Path of Settlement, Harbinger of Revolution.
Rod and Kyle started looking for the Great Wagon Road about 20 years ago. I think you’ll find their discussion to be full of interesting history told in a compelling manner. Simply CLICK on the link below to begin listening to the accounts of these two self-professed “road bucks.” The recording starts right after Rod Meyer is introduced, so you’ll hear from Rod first, followed a little later by Kyle.
Shallow Ford Walk Panel Discussion (MP3, 38 MIN.)
More on the Battle of Shallow Ford
Check out an interesting article at History.com that gives some detail regarding the engagement of the Patriots and the Loyalists at the Battle of Shallow Ford. CLICK to read “Patriots sting Loyalists at Shallow Ford, North Carolina.”
MORE LINKS on the Battle of Shallow Ford:
- The Battle of Shallow Ford
- Captain Henry Francis – The Battle of Shallow Ford
- The Battle of Shallow Ford as Told by the Wife of a Militia Man
Other articles on this website that may be of interest to you: Down by the River, The Great Wagon Road, The Nissen Wagon Museum, Yesterday’s Journeys.
