~   25th Annual Harvest Folk Festival   ~
Murray's Mill
~   September 26th & 27th, 2009   ~

I often wonder who benefits the most from these demonstrations. Lacers get an opportunity to display an art that we love, and the Golden Bobbins may get a new member or two. We expose many children and adults to handmade textile techniques they may never see again. For others, we provide a link to old memories. They remember when Mama, or Gram'ma, or Great Aunt Mary made lace of some kind. Some rejoice that they still have some of that heirloom work and now have a better appreciation of what it really means. Others regret that, over the years, that work has become lost to them. For still others, the demonstrations trigger remembrances of a trip to Brussels, or Portugal, Sri Lanka.....often with a loved one, and often with someone who is no longer part of their current lives. One woman had lace from Estonia that she understood, from her mother (deceased), had been made by family members in the old country in the 19th century. Even without knowing the techniques, watching me make lace gave her a better look at that past. She then shared a concern about preserving what she has and wondering whether or not she will be able to learn enough to preserve and present those pieces in a way that her children and grandchildren will come to cherish the precious family heritage of these textiles, handmade generations ago.

What I will personally learn is always a surprise - the mother who used 10 penny nails rather than bobbins. The textile workers who produce machine made lace, and now see the 'real' thing. The archaeologist who has been on official digs in Bolivia, Peru, as well as the United States, and handling pre-Columbian artifacts (I was so jealous!). After many years of living in a house with a river cane patch nearby, I have now learned that the Cherokee Indians used river cane for their baskets - and are still teaching the authentic craft in this region.

I try to convey a sense of my love of lace to visitors at every event. The techniques, the many types of lace, variances between countries and even regions within a country, how I learned (and continue to do so) - yet the experience of demonstrating often provides as much knowledge or insight as I attempt to give. This is why I demonstrate as often as am asked and able - and regret opportunities that cannot be accepted. Who knows what experience, what person, might have enriched my life and knowledge because it was not possible to attend, demonstrate the art, learn from others with a knowledge of the history, or who have fascinating personal experiences to share.

The Murray's Mill Harvest Folk Festival is an annual event that I have been attending for most of its 25 year history. It is always fun and rewarding, even when, like Saturday, it was misty (to be kind) and downright rainy (to be honest). Under the large tent, I was never quite wet, never quite dry, never quite cold, and never quite warm. Such is life. Quilters, gourd crafters, beekeepers, a petting zoo, hominy makers, butter churners, Civil War re-enactors, and many others demonstrators of historical crafts and trades were in attendance.

The festival celebrates Catawba County's agricultural heritage. There are bluegrass, country, and gospel musicians. All visitors are welcome to tour the mill. Learn about original French buhr millstones and the many steps involved to produce various grades and grinds. Buy flour ground the old-fashioned way - and you'll enjoy cooking or baking with it. 'French Buhr Millstones" or made of hard rock, such as quartz or granite, and are considered the best stones for grinding wheat and rye.

The country store, Murray & Minges, is just across the street. These were important businesses in the community, and their proximity lessened the distance required to travel to get grains ground and to make needed purchases, saving both time and money. Both were always in short supply in farming communities. The Murray's Mill 'complex' includes the Wheathouse (1880s), the Murray & Minges General Store (1890s), the John Murray House (1913), and the mill itself (1913 - which replaced the original mill which began operation in 1883.). Production at the mill ended in 1967.

The restoration projects at Murray's Mill, a part of the Catawba County Historical Association, have been expensive; approximately $2 million for the two houses on the property; and time-consuming, requiring dedicated effort from many volunteers. The links below show only a small portion of the work and effort made to keep the house as historically accurate as possible.

Historic Murray's Mill

The mill is open Friday and Saturday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, and Sunday from 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM. The mill is closed January through March. Call 828.241.4299 for more information. Additional information is also available from the Catawba County Museum of History in Newton: 828.465.0383

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Murray's Mill Harvest Folk Festival

If needing festival information not provided on the 'flyer' page, telephone and email contacts are on the bottom right of the page.

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Photo gallery of the Harvest Festival

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Pictures above from left to right:

Fresh Stone Ground Meal for Sale:   And worth every penny! We get so used to the fine, consistent texture of commercially produced meals and flours that it becomes hard to remember what the real thing is like - and there is a difference!

Paul Beatty:   The heart (and brains and brawn) behind the Fall Festival and Murray's Mill. Paul has his whole family involved in this effort and in the Catawba Valley Historical Association as well. He contributes untold time and effort to the historical preservation efforts and it is his enthusiasm and drive that keep this event not only going, but also growing. Paul has plans to make the Murray's Mill Historic District even better in case you're looking for something to do! Only more time, volunteers, and funds are needed.

Old-Time Quilting Bee:   Nary a sewing machine in sight. Sunday church and a quilting bee might have been the only sources of entertainment for the ladies in isolated, rural, farm homes and communities in Catawba County.

Pictures on this page used with permission of the Catawba County Historical Association.