Voices of Yesterday
Historical reenactors, hosted by the Lewisville Historical Society, at Lewisville, NC’s 25th Anniversary Celebration
Going Back in Time
During Lewisville’s 25th Anniversary Celebration, held on August 13, 2016, the Lewisville Historical Society hosted reenactors who, for a few minutes, took audiences back in time, more than 100 to 200 years. Standing near the Nissen Wagon Museum (located on the western corner of Shallowford Square), reenactors represented four men who long ago impacted the town of Lewisville.
Men of Renown
Who were those four pivotal men?
One man was Lewisville’s founder, Lewis Case Laugenour (portrayed above, top left). Another was J. Wilson Carroll (portrayed above, top right), who was hired as the principal of the newly formed Lewisville Academy in 1901. Then there’s Morgan Bryan (portrayed above, bottom left), a man whose family settled along the Yadkin River, just north of the Shallow Ford, before the Moravians settled in this area. We also heard from George Elias Nissen (portrayed above, bottom right), whose family manufactured a popular vehicle of transportation in the latter 1800s, the Nissen wagon.
Audio Clips and More Photos
TO HEAR AUDIO CLIPS and see MORE PHOTOS of these Historical Society reenactments, please continue to the NEXT SECTION. CLICK to HEAR AUDIO CLIPS and see MORE PHOTOS of the Historical Society reenactors
Day of Celebration
Letters from Home performers, Erinn Diaz (left) and Courtney Groves
The Place to Be
It was great to be back at Shallowford Square on Saturday, August 13, 2016 photographing Lewisville’s 25th Anniversary Celebration. While Lewisville was founded in 1859, visionary leadership from within the community led to the incorporation of the Town of Lewisville in 1991.
Last Saturday, the exuberance, sense of community and down-to-earth spirit I’ve long witnessed in my hometown were once again on full display. Though the August heat was strong, the heartbeat of our tight-knit community was stronger.
Photos…and More Photos
I hope you enjoy the following lineup of photos capturing some of the highlights of Lewisville’s 25th Anniversary Celebration. As time permits, I’ll roll out more photos, including audio of historical re-enactments and musical performances.
P.S. Many thanks to members of the Lewisville Fire Department — which had a medical assist area set up on the Square’s perimeter — for helping me deal with effects of the sweltering heat. You guys rock!
For MORE PHOTOS of Lewisville’s 25th Anniversary Celebration, please continue to the NEXT SECTION. CLICK for more photos of Lewisville’s 25th Anniversary Celebration
Back to 1859
Members of the West Side Civic Theatre reenact the marriage of Lewisville’s founder, Lewis Case Laugenour, to Mary Elizabeth “Betty” Nissen in 1859. The onlooker in the foreground, dressed in period attire, looks as though he, too, could have stepped out of the 1800s.
Lewisville Celebrates 150 Years
On Saturday, October 17, 2009, the Town of Lewisville, North Carolina celebrated its 150th anniversary with the Lewisville Sesquicentennial Celebration at Shallowford Square. Members of the Lewisville Historical Society had worked for more than a year on the celebration plans.
Despite the cloudy, cool weather, the celebration began at 11:00 a.m. with an old-fashioned vehicle parade, followed by a variety of activities, exhibits and tours until the celebration ended at 4:00 p.m. Some of the activities and exhibits included:
- Bluegrass music
- Brass band
- Square dancing
- Storytelling
- Wagon rides
- Post Office memorabilia & the 150th year commemorative stamp
- Genealogy and Lewisville history exhibits
- Poster and essay contest awards presented to local school children
- Nineteenth century craft exhibits
- Flower show
- Historic sidewalk tour
- Old-fashioned children’s games
The Big Wedding
The final and defining event of the day was the reenactment of the 1859 marriage of Lewis Case Laugenour to Mary Elizabeth “Betty” Nissen. The talented members of the West Side Civic Theatre gave a most engaging rendition of the marriage, complete with children and the sounds of brass music by the Brookstown Band. The cake and ice cream reception following the wedding put the finishing touch on the Sesquicentennial Celebration.
For more on Lewisville’s Sesquicentennial Celebration — including lots of PHOTOS — please continue to the NEXT SECTION. CLICK for more on Lewisville’s 150th anniversary
Graveyard Tour – Lewisville Baptist Church
This artistically rendered photo is a close-up of the manufacturer's nameplate on the original pig iron fence that surrounds a small group of historic gravestones in the center of the Lewisville Baptist Church graveyard.
The Next Stop on the Tour
The fourth of six stops on the 2009 Historic Graveyard Tour that was held on May 2, 2009 in Lewisville took us to the graveyard at Lewisville Baptist Church. (Click to read the previous post on the Historic Graveyard Tour at Panther Creek Plantation.)
Although the graveyard at Lewisville Baptist Church is not as old as some of the other graveyards on the tour, such as the Shiloh Lutheran Church and the Concord United Methodist Church graveyards, it nevertheless holds historic significance.
Leading this segment of the graveyard tour was Mary Alice Warren, a member of Lewisville Baptist Church. Mary Alice concentrated her brief talk on the center portion of the graveyard that includes the gravestones of Lewisville’s founder, Lewis Laugenour, and his wife, Betty.
For more INFO, PHOTOS and AUDIO related to the LEWISVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH GRAVEYARD, please continue to the NEXT SECTION.
CLICK for more on the Lewisville Baptist Church Graveyard
