Saturday, Debtember 24, 2011
History in your own backyard
Thanks to a random link to Cracked.com from my friend Hoade (damn him for sucking me into Cracked,com, but buy his book!) I spent the past several hours reading article upon article (like this hasn't happened before) when I came across this very interesting fact about Brevard, North Carolina.
I lived there for only five years, but I still have a soft spot for the place, even thirty years later. At the time, I thought it was very cool that the town was the county seat for Transylvania County (how cool is that?). Little did I realize that there was a secret NSA installation just outside of town.
And now, I just learned that there was a shooting war between North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia over what later became Transylvania County, known as The Walton War. It started out as a place no one wanted but after some urban development and accurate surveying, everybody wanted it, and were willing to fight for it (even up till 1971!).
Why did I not learn this in school?
I mean, I can understand not learning about it in Florida schools, but I attended school in Brevard! This was local history! With shooting and stuff! And by local, I mean, passing a battle field on the way to my friend's house (and a mile from the school no less!).
What will I learn about Brevard next? Maybe mutant circus squirrels taking over the town? Hey … wait a second …
