Tarheel Jr Historians

Sponsored by the NC Museum of History, the Smith McDowell House chapter of the Tar Heel Junior Historians Association is a vital part of the Museum. The club is open to school-age children and meets on the 2nd Thursday of each month from August to June at 3:30 pm. There is a small registration fee of $10 that helps to defray some costs of programming and supplies. For more information, email education@wnchistory.org


BREAKING NEWS AS OF APRIL 29, 2011!!!
The Western North Carolina Historical Association and Smith-McDowell House Museum is pleased and proud to announce that their Tar Heel Junior Historians Association Chapter awarded First Prize for the writing of their own play, Over The Border: The Vance-Carson Duel. The award was presented at the state Tar Heel Junior Historians Association Convention on Friday, April 29, 2011 at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh, N.C.
The play was written by: Rachel, Melanie and Caroline Owen, Sadie and Lindsey Wicker, Miranda Lee, Helen Van Dalen and Kayla Jones, all members of the Smith-McDowell Chapter. The play was submitted to the state organization in the Literary Contest, Secondary Division, Group Category.
The play tells the story of Robert B. Vance and Samuel Carson, who both ran for Congress in 1827. They argued and words ensued that led to the challenge, which had to be issued from Tennessee because dueling was illegal in North Carolina. The duel itself took place just over the NC/SC border on November 5, 1827. Carson fired and mortally wounded Vance, who died the next day.
The club plans to perform the play and has already been invited to present it at the Carson House and the Vance Memorial Birthplace. A copy of the play will be displayed at the N.C. Museum of History in the Tar Heel Junior Historians exhibit for one year.
The Tar Heel Junior Historians Smith-McDowell Chapter is comprised of school age students interested in making history fun and meets on the 2nd Thursday of each month (except summer). Members are considered volunteers of the Museum and participate in activities at the museum as hands-on facilitators and also reenact a one room school house at Hart Square in Hickory, NC each year. For more information on joining the club, please contact Advisor Lisa Whitfield at 253-9231 or education@wnchistory.org

Left to right, Sadie Wicker, Miranda Lee and Helen Van Dalen accept the award on behalf of the membership.

For more information about the state-wide club, visit www.ncmuseumofhistory.org/thjha