SEGMENT 1
Starting off today’s episode are announcements for special upcoming events announced by Bob. There are all sorts of music events, gatherings, workshops, and seminars coming up. In addition to that, there are a ton of mid-eighteenth-century events coming up for people to enjoy. The episode continues with the introduction of today’s guest: Alex McKay. Joseph and Alex talk about his accomplishments and how he came to be. Alex explained how greatly he was influenced by his family and how because of that, he joined the family business and grew to what he is today.
SEGMENT 2
Coming back from the break, Alex talks more about his connection to what he does and how he came to love it. He speaks about his father and grandfather and how they had held on to documents and collections from decades ago and how they sparked his interest even more. The two talk about stories about Alex that came from his time with historic museums and projects to preserve history. Alex talks about his favorite photos and things to find at museums.
SEGMENT 3
Alex explains what it is like working at Shook Smathers House and what it is. He talks about his favorite parts and gives a little history about the house itself. There are many upcoming events in the Heywood County area that Alex recommends people to come to, where they can eat good food and listen to nice music and enjoy each other’s presence. Alex discusses with Joseph future projects that he thought about doing with the museums, especially after Covid-19 and restrictions being lifted.
SEGMENT 4
For the last segment, Joseph and Alex discuss their favorite foods and restaurants in the Heywood and Smoky Mountains area. They both enjoy a wide variety of foods, from barbeque to Chinese to home food. They continue their discussion by talking about where they go for entertainment. They talk about their experiences with these places and the episode ends with Joseph asking Alex for museum spots that the audience could and should visit.
TRANSCRIPT
00:00:28.320 –> 00:00:33.750 Joseph McElroy: hey thanks for joining us on this week’s episode of gateway to the smokies.
00:00:34.410 –> 00:00:42.840 Joseph McElroy: This podcast is about America’s most visited National Park, the great smoky mountains national park, and the surrounding towns.
00:00:43.260 –> 00:00:52.440 Joseph McElroy: there are areas filled with ancient natural beauty a deep-storied history in a rich mountain culture that we explore with weekly episodes.
00:00:52.980 –> 00:01:05.490 Joseph McElroy: I am Joseph Franklin McElroy, a man of the world but also with deep roots in these mountains my family’s lived in the great smoky for over 200 years my business is in travel, but my heart is in culture.
00:01:06.300 –> 00:01:12.330 Joseph McElroy: today’s podcast is about history museums and historic buildings in Haywood County, North Carolina.
00:01:13.440 –> 00:01:29.370 Joseph McElroy: Look, first I want to give you a rundown of some events that are coming up very rich in history and I’ve invited Bob Plott here to give us a little bit of an overview of what’s going on, be sure to unmute yourself, Bob.
00:01:34.620 –> 00:01:35.490 Alex McKay: Thank you, Joseph.
00:01:35.700 –> 00:01:36.360 appreciate that.
00:01:39.630 –> 00:01:45.330 Alex McKay: I’m just thrilled to be a part of what you’re doing here is as the new haircut Center director and.
00:01:46.020 –> 00:01:55.770 Alex McKay: it’s just a lot of foam and work with the theme and we’ve got six events by in July and August, our first event is a lot faster Union weekend and.
00:01:56.400 –> 00:02:03.360 Alex McKay: Real excited about that kind of on the heels of what we did earlier in the original plot fast years ago.
00:02:03.870 –> 00:02:13.650 Alex McKay: But it’s gonna be a little smaller, more intimate event, but a lot of fun would be two days got just a few rooms left for that So hopefully people can call in and get those reserved.
00:02:14.190 –> 00:02:23.580 Alex McKay: For the music, everything we do is about music culture, education, but having funny mercy of experiential learning, while we’re doing it.
00:02:24.360 –> 00:02:32.220 Alex McKay: In the following weekend on July 17 we’re doing something that I don’t think anybody’s really done around here that we’re really excited about which is.
00:02:32.760 –> 00:02:50.970 Alex McKay: Darren Nicholson, the great mandolin player and vocalist with balsam range he’s going to do a bluegrass band camp for us here in Meadowlark and he’s going to have three other equally talented musicians include naughty boy lock and Eric Ellis among others to
00:02:51.990 –> 00:03:02.910 Alex McKay: Teach you one-on-one their skill sets and really intimate setting on Saturday afternoon and then culminate that with a big concert on Saturday night.
00:03:03.420 –> 00:03:11.670 Alex McKay: So we’re very, very excited about that, so what better opportunity to learn from grammy-nominated blue Ridge hall of fame artists.
00:03:12.150 –> 00:03:21.210 Alex McKay: And it’s just going to be a great time me by the nose there and knows what of interest and fail, he is the right to sense of humor so that’s going to be a great great time.
00:03:21.570 –> 00:03:26.730 Joseph McElroy: As Marina just it’s more than just playing it’s also learning how to write the music and things like that too right and.
00:03:26.730 –> 00:03:27.510 Joseph McElroy: Making that.
00:03:28.020 –> 00:03:37.620 Alex McKay: yeah yeah will be seminars and afternoon for songwriting perspective instruments guitar mandolin that sort of thing a group Skype session.
00:03:38.010 –> 00:03:47.370 Alex McKay: So yeah it’s there yeah I mean where else can you get that type of opportunity to learn from artists of that magnitude and that sort of intimate setting it’s really unique.
00:03:47.700 –> 00:03:49.350 Joseph McElroy: And then there’ll be a concert in the evening.
00:03:50.010 –> 00:03:56.670 Alex McKay: Yes, constantly meeting with that all-star lineup, and I mean those guys are just hall of fame copper musicians.
00:03:56.850 –> 00:04:00.630 Joseph McElroy: Alright cool and then you mentioned some other events.
00:04:01.110 –> 00:04:13.260 Alex McKay: yeah the next weekend discuss the most stuff going on here in the valley we didn’t want to compete with, but the fall of last weekend last day in July we’ve got a tree be playing for landing and Charles Miller to
00:04:14.340 –> 00:04:20.400 Alex McKay: Haywood County icons historians and artists and just interesting colorful characters and.
00:04:20.880 –> 00:04:27.060 Alex McKay: a lot of their friends are coming together to honor them are going to have a primitive 18th-century camp set it up to showcase some of their
00:04:27.570 –> 00:04:37.890 Alex McKay: Skills and we’re going to give the first annual Meadowlark lifetime achievement award to both those individuals we hope that’s going to be something that’s going to be ongoing for years to come.
00:04:38.250 –> 00:04:45.300 Alex McKay: And then we’re going to have music there’s a way Earl made his own falling or fiddle as we like to call it around here and.
00:04:47.010 –> 00:05:02.760 Alex McKay: We have readers to come and play that fiddle and do some old 18th-century songs for so we’re excited about that and then we’re going to have dinner at J Arthurs at night that reservations for a room for about 50 people for that for kind of being that evening for them for that.
00:05:04.290 –> 00:05:07.320 Joseph McElroy: that’s cool and then in August, you got some things going on right.
00:05:07.350 –> 00:05:13.800 Alex McKay: yeah yeah August 7 the following weekend we’ve got the Meadowlark Mountain heritage festival where we’re going to have.
00:05:14.790 –> 00:05:22.980 Alex McKay: Really excited to have Davey arch renowned Cherokee storyteller mass Carver he’s been on.
00:05:23.880 –> 00:05:30.270 Alex McKay: Every TV show has been a Smithsonian he’s worked with the museum on the quality boundary just a great great guy.
00:05:30.810 –> 00:05:41.400 Alex McKay: who has the 18th-century camp set up again, this time with the blacksmith with bark and brain tanning we’re going to have all I had been doing medicinal herbs and how do they.
00:05:41.790 –> 00:05:51.180 Alex McKay: Find wild edible plants in the wilderness and we’re going to have more music where your readers going to be doing some 18th-century ballads.
00:05:51.690 –> 00:05:57.780 Alex McKay: David ruins going to be doing a blacksmithing seminar that was actually he put together for the Smithsonian.
00:05:58.230 –> 00:06:05.910 Alex McKay: And we’re going to be doing that day as well, so there’s going to be all sorts of things going on that day, and then the following day.
00:06:06.510 –> 00:06:21.930 Alex McKay: Randall Pierce who’s a professor at the University of Tennessee is going to be given a seminar to and then on Sunday morning we’re going to have a bluegrass Gospel concert and then we’ll go to wrap things up at the plot ham program in a book signing there on Sunday.
00:06:22.950 –> 00:06:31.500 Alex McKay: And so that’d be on the seventh and eighth of August in the 14th of August 13 and 14th of August we had the Horrace Kephart festival.
00:06:32.100 –> 00:06:40.260 Alex McKay: And we’re really excited about that as well kind of commemorates Kephart’s and Obama with helping get the great smoky mountain National Park started.
00:06:40.620 –> 00:06:45.150 Alex McKay: As well as he is field manuals we’ve got some of his direct to standards here.
00:06:45.570 –> 00:06:56.940 Alex McKay: we’ve got people who have brought books about him Raymond been who’s a really great firearms expert is going to talk about some kid air firearms next or thing.
00:06:57.570 –> 00:07:12.300 Alex McKay: Just up and then we’re going to have music again with that as well, and then leave he’s going to lead some hikes on Friday, along with which data retired park ranger into some of the same areas that Kephart’s lived in Camp before it was apart.
00:07:13.260 –> 00:07:23.370 Joseph McElroy: So it’s all fabulous so everybody, you can find out about these events at Meadowlakrmotel.COM go to events and look for the smoky mountain heritage Center.
00:07:24.780 –> 00:07:29.520 Joseph McElroy: Always you know we have a public component.
00:07:31.290 –> 00:07:44.280 Joseph McElroy: But guess we’ll get priority and be able to stay and Bob appreciates you coming on board now our guest today is Alex McKay so, can you ask him to come on come on down Alex McKay.
00:07:47.940 –> 00:07:48.930 Alex McKay: All right, hey Joseph
00:07:49.170 –> 00:07:56.850 Joseph McElroy: Very good, how you doing so Alex is a successful Haywood county businessman who is known for his work as a Haywood county historian.
00:07:57.450 –> 00:08:02.820 Joseph McElroy: He works with the historic shook house and records the history of the town of hazel which, which is now part of Waynesville.
00:08:03.330 –> 00:08:19.590 Joseph McElroy: Alex was also instrumental in the development of a museum in Haywood county courthouse Alex is in the North Carolina Department of converse Main Street champion for his revitalization efforts in Waynesville North Carolina oh good little resume there Alex.
00:08:20.940 –> 00:08:21.510 Alex McKay: Thank you.
00:08:21.780 –> 00:08:25.140 Joseph McElroy: yeah you did a lot of stuff so you were born and raised in Haywood County, right?
00:08:27.090 –> 00:08:42.270 Alex McKay: Right, generation on one side on my father’s side and seventh-generation on my mother’s side so I’m born and raised in Haywood county and it was never an option for me to leave I’m I meant to be here.
00:08:43.140 –> 00:08:55.950 Joseph McElroy: that’s right, you know a lot of people here generation hey my generation I left, I had to pursue things because I was in the tech I was into computers and yeah back then, you had to go somewhere else to be into computers, but.
00:08:57.240 –> 00:08:57.540 Joseph McElroy: But.
00:08:58.650 –> 00:09:05.490 Joseph McElroy: So, how did, how did what made you What was it, what did you do decide to stay and why do you think he decided to.
00:09:06.270 –> 00:09:08.070 Alex McKay: Well, I guess the family business.
00:09:09.210 –> 00:09:24.480 Alex McKay: My father was in the grading and construction business back he started in the 50s and he was doing construction when a lot of these older families, like the loves of Thomas, ‘s the Songs.
00:09:26.340 –> 00:09:28.860 Alex McKay: Where they had a lot of lands, not a lot of money.
00:09:30.870 –> 00:09:43.470 Alex McKay: And so, he would go in and develop their property bill roads section it off and lots and if some of these families didn’t pay them money they were payment laws so we ended up in the real estate business.
00:09:44.580 –> 00:09:51.750 Alex McKay: and property management Rentals all types of rental so we ended up in that just.
00:09:54.180 –> 00:09:55.590 Joseph McElroy: Did you vacation Rentals.
00:09:56.970 –> 00:09:59.460 Alex McKay: Not so much most of our yearly Rentals.
00:09:59.640 –> 00:10:07.290 Alex McKay: Right yeah not so much we’ve got some into we’re getting into some vacation Rentals but not, not so much right.
00:10:08.580 –> 00:10:11.430 Joseph McElroy: Well, in the end, we should let people know how to get the Rentals.
00:10:11.430 –> 00:10:21.630 Joseph McElroy: Because a lot of people here might listening might want to come down and live for a little while or have you do meditation I will be important to let him know, say, have you ever lived anywhere else.
00:10:22.620 –> 00:10:27.660 Alex McKay: I went to college and garden with them Shelby you’re boiling springs.
00:10:29.400 –> 00:10:30.210 Alex McKay: But but.
00:10:31.470 –> 00:10:32.460 Alex McKay: i’m still lacking strike.
00:10:33.300 –> 00:10:35.310 Joseph McElroy: yeah sea level, the reason right.
00:10:35.490 –> 00:10:36.660 Joseph McElroy: yeah yeah.
00:10:38.250 –> 00:10:47.910 Joseph McElroy: So, but you have a passion and you seem to be one of those unique individuals who have managed to get a good balance between your business and your passion which is history.
00:10:48.300 –> 00:10:49.650 Joseph McElroy: yeah yeah.
00:10:50.280 –> 00:11:07.200 Alex McKay: And I guess growing up, and I, looking back on it now, you know I don’t know what really spurred it other than I had older parents and I was around my grandparents kind of held that that old generation of.
00:11:09.060 –> 00:11:22.260 Alex McKay: A mountain people like to tell you every everything about everybody, you know and they generate what generations and how there can’t my grandmother knew everything about more of the mountain community.
00:11:23.850 –> 00:11:35.670 Alex McKay: In Haywood county and then my father’s side I had more of the town history, so I got it from both ends and dad doing going back to that the dad doing construction.
00:11:36.690 –> 00:11:38.520 Alex McKay: Back in the 60s and 70s.
00:11:40.200 –> 00:11:50.670 Alex McKay: A lot was starting to change in Haywood county and Rosa wide and wrote new Rosenfield a lot of our old structures got torn down so throwing up driving around.
00:11:51.510 –> 00:12:04.260 Alex McKay: you know agile for the old-time hotel down here before rest avenue went this way, the road with this way, so I just kind of grew up knowing how things were before me.
00:12:07.140 –> 00:12:10.770 Alex McKay: And that sparked my interest in history, and when I was around.
00:12:11.910 –> 00:12:20.970 Alex McKay: I was around that older generation more than the younger generation, so my parents would have known my friends his grandparents.
00:12:22.410 –> 00:12:25.410 Alex McKay: So I knew I knew all about that generation and the energy.
00:12:26.460 –> 00:12:42.540 Joseph McElroy: that’s you know I have, I have a 28-year-old son, but I have now, I have two and a half-year-old twins right now, they are growing up with an older dad so they’ll have a different perspective on existence, I think right.
00:12:43.380 –> 00:12:44.370 Alex McKay: yeah definitely.
00:12:44.820 –> 00:12:47.220 Joseph McElroy: yeah so yeah it’s.
00:12:48.360 –> 00:12:50.880 Joseph McElroy: An interesting history and what’s going on before.
00:12:51.900 –> 00:12:52.380 Joseph McElroy: So.
00:12:53.070 –> 00:12:59.190 Joseph McElroy: What so you got started a business that asked you to be in the business or did you decide you wanted to be it.
00:12:59.340 –> 00:13:01.320 Alex McKay: Now I don’t think I ever had a choice and.
00:13:03.780 –> 00:13:19.440 Alex McKay: yeah it was just there was set to get done and I was expected to be there to do it so so, and you know, and once you’ve got so many different houses or pieces of property there’s always somebody done and.
00:13:20.760 –> 00:13:28.530 Alex McKay: And, and I enjoyed it growing up, I enjoyed you know, a one on one with him and the mother to collect rent and.
00:13:29.610 –> 00:13:32.760 Alex McKay: And rehab houses, so I.
00:13:33.840 –> 00:13:34.620 Alex McKay: enjoyed work.
00:13:36.030 –> 00:13:43.710 Alex McKay: It gives you some freedom since you’re not working, a nine to five it gives you the freedom to pursue your passions.
00:13:45.840 –> 00:13:53.310 Joseph McElroy: Similar raising my father didn’t let me do the business part of it, he made me go to the mountains and clean up the construction second step.
00:13:53.640 –> 00:14:01.650 Alex McKay: Back exactly yeah there were yeah yeah I learned how to I mean you know, but I was probably collecting rent at the time I was 12.
00:14:02.820 –> 00:14:04.110 Alex McKay: And then.
00:14:05.190 –> 00:14:14.610 Alex McKay: You know not to sin after that I could like carpet or paint or change door knocks or do anything that goes on, with the property manager.
00:14:14.940 –> 00:14:23.550 Joseph McElroy: There, when I first got my first business up here in New York City and I got an office I just did I renovated advice.
00:14:24.960 –> 00:14:28.530 Joseph McElroy: Your technology guy What do you do it renovated your offices, I.
00:14:29.010 –> 00:14:29.550 Joseph McElroy: After.
00:14:29.730 –> 00:14:34.020 Joseph McElroy: I installed the electricity I did the whole thing they’re like What do you do.
00:14:37.980 –> 00:14:43.140 Joseph McElroy: When we go to take a break here when we get back we’ll talk about your passion which is preserving history.
00:14:43.680 –> 00:14:44.640 Alex McKay: All right, alright sounds good.
00:17:14.190 –> 00:17:23.070 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklyn McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcasts and my guest Alex McKay, so Alex.
00:17:23.610 –> 00:17:34.590 Joseph McElroy: You know your passion is history and I, you know we’ve talked to some you know some of the elders in the Community, and they really appreciate your passion for local history.
00:17:35.100 –> 00:17:47.880 Joseph McElroy: And now, and your efforts and presenting, but I think also just I think you’ve had a lot of conversations with people, how do you find connecting with the old-timers and what is that the hearing Their stories like for you.
00:17:49.200 –> 00:17:49.560 Alex McKay: well.
00:17:50.850 –> 00:18:03.420 Alex McKay: You know, being from Haywood County or a lot of these you know we kind of we know each other, you know and we’ve gotten, even though we might not be direct can we’re kind of family.
00:18:04.650 –> 00:18:05.640 Alex McKay: anywhere so.
00:18:06.720 –> 00:18:20.520 Alex McKay: there’s it’s easy to connect to these old-timers and I guess it’s easier for me because I can speak their language and I know you know about what’s happened during their lifetime and the county.
00:18:22.650 –> 00:18:31.320 Alex McKay: I know people were you know with a large you can just say a couple of names and get them laughing because you know they’ll have members of the people and.
00:18:31.920 –> 00:18:41.220 Alex McKay: It would people you know today people wouldn’t think about or we wouldn’t be brought into the conversation so it’s just in the in local has a lot.
00:18:43.620 –> 00:18:44.040 Alex McKay: As it.
00:18:44.760 –> 00:18:45.810 Alex McKay: makes it a lot easier.
00:18:47.370 –> 00:18:54.540 Joseph McElroy: yeah I find there’s I find there’s a lot of the stories are sort of subtle and dry humor that.
00:18:58.110 –> 00:19:00.930 Joseph McElroy: That you’re supposed to get the NGO yeah.
00:19:01.110 –> 00:19:03.300 Alex McKay: yeah exactly exactly.
00:19:03.630 –> 00:19:04.080 Alex McKay: yeah I.
00:19:04.710 –> 00:19:11.970 Alex McKay: know my family and my friends my grandfather has a slaughterhouse of nice wood and so a lot of these old families.
00:19:13.260 –> 00:19:16.530 Alex McKay: are a lot of the old-timers now visited there they were children.
00:19:18.420 –> 00:19:27.990 Alex McKay: And you know it and they’ve been instrumental in helping me raise to do the research that I needed and there isn’t a continued me to do.
00:19:29.970 –> 00:19:32.700 Alex McKay: People like Charles Mailer and Nora hamming and.
00:19:34.020 –> 00:19:49.650 Alex McKay: Think swift and Bruce Bruce Briggs, who is a store in for years and years he’s 9495 now and he’s been a mentor me and talking a lot that you know if these people have been gone that information would have been gone with them.
00:19:50.040 –> 00:19:50.610 Their.
00:19:51.960 –> 00:19:52.800 Alex McKay: story.
00:19:53.820 –> 00:19:57.600 Alex McKay: You know a lot of my best friends are probably in their age 18.
00:20:00.420 –> 00:20:02.460 Joseph McElroy: So I know you’ve.
00:20:03.630 –> 00:20:16.170 Joseph McElroy: talked to these people and all your research you’ve attained hundreds, I guess, not if not thousands of important historical artifacts and documents over the years, can you give us some highlights which ones are once one until the proudest of.
00:20:17.160 –> 00:20:17.640 well.
00:20:19.050 –> 00:20:19.620 Alex McKay: You know.
00:20:21.750 –> 00:20:22.650 Alex McKay: I guess.
00:20:25.290 –> 00:20:25.770 Alex McKay: You know.
00:20:27.840 –> 00:20:40.560 Alex McKay: What points of what stands out to me as an executive isn’t exactly items, but it’s different collections so like this week I’ve been going through, let me see alan’s collection.
00:20:41.670 –> 00:20:45.720 Alex McKay: His house it’s been empty for years for the most part.
00:20:47.040 –> 00:20:53.490 Alex McKay: And when you go in it’s just like he walked out in 1940 and he wrote he did a lot of early history books.
00:20:56.520 –> 00:20:56.910 Alex McKay: and
00:20:59.550 –> 00:21:06.240 Alex McKay: So you go in now, and all his research is there there are hundreds of photos documents.
00:21:09.000 –> 00:21:11.580 Alex McKay: And then another one was that scraper.
00:21:13.050 –> 00:21:19.830 Alex McKay: The collection of her grandfather stuff he was a lawyer and a judge MAC turn of the century.
00:21:20.610 –> 00:21:34.140 Alex McKay: So it’s going through his file cabinets and I found all the original and deeds are leading brands and beloved thing and from David Allison land grant john Struthers grant so all these original documents, going back to the late 1700s.
00:21:35.190 –> 00:21:42.690 Alex McKay: Where they are in that that filing cabinet and in you know, had been there for probably 40 or 50 years and nobody looked at.
00:21:43.290 –> 00:21:45.660 Joseph McElroy: wow that’s pretty impressive.
00:21:46.290 –> 00:21:58.410 Alex McKay: It not one not really one item stands out, but just different collections of the stem that people have held on to win it been, for the most part, and search for so many years.
00:21:59.730 –> 00:22:08.490 Joseph McElroy: I read, I read about a little story about you, you went and helped acquire the portrait of James Robert love.
00:22:08.790 –> 00:22:17.430 Alex McKay: Yes, yeah yeah that somebody had called the talent-wise well and said, there was a portrait of Robert’s love in Florida that was going at that.
00:22:18.930 –> 00:22:24.810 Alex McKay: One of these fine art options and, of course, there was beating online that I.
00:22:25.860 –> 00:22:37.740 Alex McKay: I didn’t trust getting it back and possibly losing the bid to you know computer malfunction or Internet connection, so I just broke up with me, my father drove to Florida and.
00:22:39.060 –> 00:22:47.070 Alex McKay: And both the both blaming from this auction and to get to God that that option, they were baseball cards going to $35,000 and.
00:22:48.930 –> 00:22:56.430 Alex McKay: Other patients are bringing 10s of my so I didn’t know I you know I didn’t know what to expect Luckily, we didn’t have to get too often.
00:22:57.570 –> 00:23:05.610 Alex McKay: But I was able to bring it back to wines were working alone and it ended up being James Robert Robert but they just ahead miss smart.
00:23:07.410 –> 00:23:10.230 Joseph McElroy: Ministers who rubber lovers who James Robert level.
00:23:10.680 –> 00:23:15.750 Alex McKay: So, Robert Love was was what’s considered the founder of wines well.
00:23:17.070 –> 00:23:26.340 Alex McKay: He ended up being a surveyor and ended up being the executor of the James bountiful land grant and so he ended up him and his son ended up.
00:23:27.480 –> 00:23:34.560 Alex McKay: with most of what is tiger county Benton county Simon making and Nancy county.
00:23:35.670 –> 00:23:49.350 Alex McKay: So they ended up with hundreds of thousands of acres in the early 1800s and then James his father’s the one that’s kind of considered valuable, but he played just as much role as as as his father did.
00:23:51.390 –> 00:23:53.100 Alex McKay: And so, a lot of families.
00:23:54.540 –> 00:24:01.680 Alex McKay: You know they had all this land so James Robert a lot of these over families, like the like the box has K in the browns.
00:24:02.850 –> 00:24:05.370 Alex McKay: They can live off the land from the.
00:24:06.960 –> 00:24:07.530 Alex McKay: From James.
00:24:10.050 –> 00:24:15.690 Alex McKay: his hands a lot more than Roberts doesn’t know in the old days.
00:24:16.200 –> 00:24:19.350 Joseph McElroy: He sort of had foresight about the railroads coming into.
00:24:19.380 –> 00:24:20.910 Alex McKay: yeah yeah he.
00:24:22.350 –> 00:24:29.940 Alex McKay: He died in 1844- 1845 and.
00:24:32.880 –> 00:24:45.060 Alex McKay: he’d already kind of laid out where the railroad would go in Waynesboro now he didn’t come until 1883 and so you know almost 40 years before after he died.
00:24:46.650 –> 00:24:47.280 Alex McKay: He.
00:24:48.660 –> 00:24:55.200 Alex McKay: He knew the importance of him, he gave all of his children lots along the railroad because he knew it would be, it would be important.
00:24:56.550 –> 00:24:57.330 Joseph McElroy: Oh that’s great.
00:24:58.410 –> 00:25:04.140 Joseph McElroy: Well that’s a pretty good story yeah it’s it’s always finding a nice to find little gems like that.
00:25:05.370 –> 00:25:13.200 Joseph McElroy: So um so you were instrumental in creating a museum and Haywood County courthouse I know I didn’t even know about this tell me about that museum.
00:25:13.620 –> 00:25:19.500 Alex McKay: I was kind of the second wave of it so before I got on it, the historical society.
00:25:21.090 –> 00:25:24.480 Alex McKay: Bruce Briggs and Bets Frank, are there was.
00:25:25.650 –> 00:25:38.640 Alex McKay: The the county was going to remodel the historic courthouse in so they went for the Commissioners, and this is probably early to that maybe in the 90s early 2000s.
00:25:40.770 –> 00:25:51.390 Alex McKay: And acquired that room from the Commissioners, and so, then they had in the paperwork that it that that room always belongs to the historical society so, then I come along.
00:25:52.560 –> 00:26:07.620 Alex McKay: Maybe 10 years ago, and by that time they weren’t using the room anymore, and the course of the county was wanting to back to us for other things and, and so I kind of took it over and.
00:26:08.670 –> 00:26:13.830 Alex McKay: Business that back in there and I’ve had to the museum and there were some been closed down for repetitive.
00:26:16.110 –> 00:26:27.360 Alex McKay: But it’s been good and people that have moved out of the county will come back in, and so I get to hear a lot of more local stories from people that have been having been gone for a while, but I’ve heard about community.
00:26:28.050 –> 00:26:30.810 Joseph McElroy: Because that is a good place or two people like to visit it.
00:26:31.650 –> 00:26:43.800 Alex McKay: yeah yeah yeah and I’ve got a lot of interesting articles in it from slave deeds to original maps of the county from the early 1800s.
00:26:45.060 –> 00:26:54.480 Alex McKay: That the portrait that we went to Florida good and then some lighter stuff like all the milk bottles the liquor bottles, we had wines with a dispensary and.
00:26:55.500 –> 00:26:58.650 Alex McKay: Through 1909 that.
00:26:59.760 –> 00:27:08.940 Alex McKay: When you couldn’t go when you couldn’t buy liquor store you go to a place kind of like the pharmacy and by your like if you did not have you know from moonshine.
00:27:10.980 –> 00:27:13.950 Alex McKay: So other just mindful collectible signs.
00:27:14.910 –> 00:27:16.830 Joseph McElroy: of pictures original pictures things without.
00:27:16.830 –> 00:27:25.110 Alex McKay: Yet yeah sounds good, yeah and that’s my favorite thing fine but that’s what’s been so special about the sounds for our collection there are pictures from the 1900s.
00:27:26.040 –> 00:27:33.810 Alex McKay: You know that they’ve never been published, that you know that that’s always my favorite ledger’s and pictures are probably my favorite things to find.
00:27:35.490 –> 00:27:36.060 Joseph McElroy: cool.
00:27:36.330 –> 00:27:37.980 Alex McKay: yeah a bunch of those in the courthouse.
00:27:38.220 –> 00:27:41.040 Joseph McElroy: Did you get the where’d you get the funding.
00:27:42.060 –> 00:27:42.840 Alex McKay: Where to get the wall.
00:27:43.200 –> 00:27:44.790 Joseph McElroy: Where do you have the funding for the museum.
00:27:45.360 –> 00:27:47.910 Alex McKay: Oh just myself there’s just myself
00:27:49.110 –> 00:27:52.470 Alex McKay: yeah yeah I found I found all of that museum and then now get.
00:27:53.520 –> 00:28:03.090 Alex McKay: We get some donations, but a lot of stuff I’m able to to to acquire from collections, or you know, sometimes stuff ends up and with antique dealers or antique stores.
00:28:04.230 –> 00:28:09.060 Alex McKay: Most of them in my immediate area know you know if they get something local they give me a call.
00:28:09.570 –> 00:28:11.220 Joseph McElroy: It was the name of the museum, what do you call.
00:28:11.610 –> 00:28:12.780 Alex McKay: The Waynesville archive.
00:28:13.800 –> 00:28:17.970 Joseph McElroy: archive cools any other individuals or groups that are working with him.
00:28:18.210 –> 00:28:29.310 Alex McKay: yeah yeah I’m kind of I’m under the umbrella of the wood county historical society so it’s Mike Maclean’s President of it and then that’s the shook house.
00:28:30.720 –> 00:28:34.470 Alex McKay: And I think we’re getting ready to open it a month or so.
00:28:35.220 –> 00:28:35.610 alright.
00:28:36.960 –> 00:28:41.250 Joseph McElroy: cool so so you got some really good support there that’s good so when we talk.
00:28:42.270 –> 00:28:44.820 Joseph McElroy: When we come back let’s talk about the Shrek House a little bit all right.
00:28:45.270 –> 00:28:46.920 Alex McKay: Okay sounds good.
00:31:35.880 –> 00:31:49.170 Joseph McElroy: howdy it’s Joseph Franklyn McElroy back with a gateway to the smokies podcasts and my guest Alex Mckay’s, Alex you work with it’s actually the historic ships Matters house right and.
00:31:49.170 –> 00:31:50.730 Alex McKay: Class yeah.
00:31:51.060 –> 00:31:54.930 Joseph McElroy: yeah cool how long you been doing that what you do with him.
00:31:56.010 –> 00:32:09.630 Alex McKay: probably say the last seven or eight years at right now on the history I’ve been Vice President, maybe a couple of other positions on the board but I’m the store in the storage side right now and.
00:32:10.500 –> 00:32:15.600 Alex McKay: The ship’s matters have is run by the Haywood county historical and genealogical society.
00:32:17.010 –> 00:32:22.200 Alex McKay: And so we’re right now we’re in the middle of reorganizing the show cows and the.
00:32:23.340 –> 00:32:28.560 Alex McKay: winds will archive to reopen added to the public, after Africa.
00:32:30.030 –> 00:32:32.670 Joseph McElroy: And what is the history of the Shook House.
00:32:33.570 –> 00:32:37.470 Alex McKay: So this shook house was built around the turn of.
00:32:39.270 –> 00:32:41.970 Alex McKay: The early 1800s right around the turn of the century there.
00:32:42.990 –> 00:33:02.700 Alex McKay: And Jacob Shook came here with sandals and the biggest thing about the shook house is the oldest frame house west of actually so you know most cabins at that time would have been house would have been cabins that time.
00:33:04.170 –> 00:33:13.920 Alex McKay: jake chuck came and built it, you know he made by us to very he was a blacksmith or I’m sure you’ve had a blacksmith is an end.
00:33:15.810 –> 00:33:20.490 Alex McKay: But he made the nails faculty Member and built that first time house it.
00:33:21.780 –> 00:33:26.190 Joseph McElroy: Is it’s a beautiful looking place, I saw pictures of it I’ve never actually been there.
00:33:26.640 –> 00:33:28.950 Joseph McElroy: Do you have a museum in there.
00:33:29.460 –> 00:33:47.670 Alex McKay: yeah yeah the whole House, music and some of it to the ship family ships matters family and others, just to the other parts of it are going to be we’ve got a military room that’s kind of the heavy-handed military history, an industry part.
00:33:50.220 –> 00:33:53.490 Alex McKay: Then kind of a sewing quilting.
00:33:55.080 –> 00:34:05.580 Alex McKay: You know more of a lady’s handiwork type of the type of room in there, so we’ve got a lot of new things that that we’ve never had it the ship’s matter music.
00:34:06.600 –> 00:34:08.880 Joseph McElroy: What do you think is the most popular thing there.
00:34:10.860 –> 00:34:20.760 Alex McKay: My favorite thing in the House, probably the most important artifact that I what I think semester artifact, there is the first piano that came to Western North Korea.
00:34:21.420 –> 00:34:30.750 Alex McKay: Oh, really, we talked about James Robert Love with this was his piano and they brought it into somewhere on the coast on a wagon.
00:34:32.760 –> 00:34:36.270 Alex McKay: So I think that’s probably my favorite thing.
00:34:36.660 –> 00:34:37.620 Joseph McElroy: This is good her.
00:34:39.480 –> 00:34:51.540 Alex McKay: I think some keys work, it needs to be restored, but I think some keys did work on it, but you know sometime in the future I’d like to to do a fundraiser or something to get that cannot restore.
00:34:52.590 –> 00:34:56.640 Joseph McElroy: Now I know you did tours the tours resumed yet.
00:34:57.120 –> 00:34:58.350 Alex McKay: No, not yet, I think that.
00:34:59.370 –> 00:35:03.000 Alex McKay: I don’t remember the exact date they’re probably the website it’s.
00:35:04.200 –> 00:35:08.850 Alex McKay: Probably within a month in a month or so within two months are.
00:35:11.010 –> 00:35:17.490 Joseph McElroy: There any other events or festivals, that you would like to tell people about related that are history is in the mountains.
00:35:17.940 –> 00:35:36.480 Alex McKay: Well I’m also on the Haywood county or the wind for preservation Commission and we got a great got to are coming at green hill cemetery be the evening of October nine it’s the same day, is the church street fair on mainstream.
00:35:37.680 –> 00:35:38.430 Alex McKay: On on.
00:35:39.480 –> 00:35:44.880 Alex McKay: On October 9 day of clothes off mainstream it’s a full day best tool with vendors and food music.
00:35:45.900 –> 00:35:51.240 Alex McKay: And then raw think rather than that so maybe five 530 is when we do that cemetery.
00:35:52.650 –> 00:35:53.760 Joseph McElroy: A cemetery tour.
00:35:53.850 –> 00:35:57.090 Alex McKay: yeah cemetery towards just right up the street from downtown.
00:35:59.340 –> 00:36:01.680 Alex McKay: Right of both of ours restaurants.
00:36:02.190 –> 00:36:04.440 Joseph McElroy: All right, that’s that big cemetery on the hill right.
00:36:04.530 –> 00:36:05.280 Alex McKay: yeah yeah.
00:36:05.550 –> 00:36:06.900 Joseph McElroy: that’s cool looking.
00:36:07.200 –> 00:36:10.020 Joseph McElroy: At there, I’ve never actually been in there yeah.
00:36:10.110 –> 00:36:14.400 Alex McKay: yeah yeah a lot of my family’s there and then a lot of the founding fathers are there.
00:36:15.690 –> 00:36:19.740 Alex McKay: A lot of old old mines for families that’s where they ended up.
00:36:20.670 –> 00:36:27.420 Joseph McElroy: Oh, a lot of my family’s out on America football behind Antioch Baptist church.
00:36:28.200 –> 00:36:29.430 Alex McKay: yeah yeah yeah.
00:36:29.580 –> 00:36:39.000 Joseph McElroy: But you know it’s gotten so it’s gotten said interesting has gotten so full of them, and now having to dig graves and the Granite areas.
00:36:40.440 –> 00:36:56.490 Alex McKay: I think I you know I think that’s one problem I’ve had a great deal is that cemetery we started so early the records haven’t been lost or haven’t been kept that well in early period at the cemetery so they’ve actually hit the other grades, they can new grades are.
00:36:57.540 –> 00:36:59.160 Alex McKay: digging digging new grapes.
00:37:00.420 –> 00:37:03.960 Alex McKay: Oh yeah they’re their heart may add there’s not much room left metal.
00:37:04.860 –> 00:37:09.570 Joseph McElroy: yeah so, are there any other in the whole of Western North Carolina that.
00:37:10.920 –> 00:37:19.230 Joseph McElroy: I’m no expert on all Western North Carolina but are there any historical events or festivals that people should be aware of that may be fun to visit.
00:37:20.280 –> 00:37:32.940 Alex McKay: You know I’m not sure we everything’s just kind of getting back started after covid did you know now that people are really starting to move around so so I’m not sure I’m not the best person for that.
00:37:34.500 –> 00:37:34.860 Joseph McElroy: yeah.
00:37:36.690 –> 00:37:38.940 Alex McKay: I’m amazed at everything good job going on down you.
00:37:39.630 –> 00:37:52.380 Joseph McElroy: know or you know we’re having the one I thought you might know a little bit about where I think you know a little bit about all of them, but we’re doing one on July 31 honoring the early morning and Charles Miller for the lifetime achievement.
00:37:53.640 –> 00:37:55.380 Joseph McElroy: And I’m sure you know, those are those look like.
00:37:55.410 –> 00:37:56.250 Alex McKay: Oh yeah yeah.
00:37:56.310 –> 00:37:59.220 Joseph McElroy: What do you think about them any stories about them.
00:38:00.090 –> 00:38:00.630 well.
00:38:02.430 –> 00:38:04.980 Alex McKay: yeah well Charles.
00:38:06.030 –> 00:38:08.760 Alex McKay: Both of them are interesting characters and.
00:38:09.840 –> 00:38:21.630 Alex McKay: You know, Charles can take you, you know I wish I had known Charles when he was you know younger and his as I sound a lot better because he’s really good metalwork and.
00:38:22.800 –> 00:38:33.300 Alex McKay: You know, and I know he’s made some steals in his day and I think he’s bringing one to show you he you know, Charles has some good stories and I, you know.
00:38:33.990 –> 00:38:39.330 Alex McKay: I probably am not going to start Charles’s stories out I know some of my detail or not so.
00:38:40.260 –> 00:38:47.220 Alex McKay: And the Earl’s character just need each other at the past, the other day, to tell me about what y’all like going on here.
00:38:48.030 –> 00:38:59.220 Alex McKay: And that was really good guys and I’ve been a good helped me a favor if I ever need to know anything about the relative trace I mean those two guys they know like factor, and that was when.
00:39:00.840 –> 00:39:08.250 Alex McKay: When the first platinum can come in on dating wrestlers expedition to have this back the charities so.
00:39:09.540 –> 00:39:11.250 Alex McKay: You know they know it well.
00:39:13.050 –> 00:39:13.680 Joseph McElroy: cool.
00:39:15.090 –> 00:39:16.680 Joseph McElroy: I know you present seminars.
00:39:17.760 –> 00:39:23.880 Joseph McElroy: about local history and Chris including what last structures in Waynesville history three ways will tell me about this.
00:39:24.420 –> 00:39:25.650 Alex McKay: yeah I did.
00:39:27.300 –> 00:39:34.440 Alex McKay: Last structures are probably my favorite wants to do and then unpublished photos of wine in school.
00:39:35.220 –> 00:39:48.120 Alex McKay: And that the Allen collection that the probably the next seminar I’ll do probably be on that Alan collection because it’s just so expensive and the items that are found in it so far are ours.
00:39:49.530 –> 00:39:57.270 Alex McKay: Culture and I really culture in portland to the town and just amazing photos and so that’s probably the next night do.
00:39:59.790 –> 00:40:07.920 Alex McKay: You know, and like I said we’re just trying to get out and back up and figure out what all we can do, what all we can do, and if we’re going to have people show up and.
00:40:10.350 –> 00:40:11.670 Alex McKay: But yeah and then.
00:40:13.620 –> 00:40:15.420 Alex McKay: yeah photos you know my.
00:40:16.440 –> 00:40:17.130 Alex McKay: My.
00:40:18.600 –> 00:40:33.630 Alex McKay: My seminars attract local people, so I can I playoff people in the audience, you know there’s people an audience that will know stuff that I don’t know about certain places in the photos so it’s always good to have those people in my audience that you can.
00:40:36.720 –> 00:40:43.260 Joseph McElroy: Show you so you have hope you’ll have some of those going on soon, so we can send people to the right yeah.
00:40:43.290 –> 00:40:55.140 Alex McKay: yeah yeah yeah maybe in the next couple months, hopefully, we can get those notes that I’ve got a Facebook page and I’ll post those on one layer, and then they’ll be in our local newspaper.
00:40:55.770 –> 00:41:04.230 Joseph McElroy: cool um so I’ve been told that you have a beautiful home and hazelwood you’ve completely renovated, it was a historic structure.
00:41:04.620 –> 00:41:15.780 Alex McKay: yeah yeah it’s 1912 hours, so when I was in middle school we live, we live, we live that towards the lines for a country club, and I would walk.
00:41:16.740 –> 00:41:31.320 Alex McKay: Down Main Street hazelwood nowadays would avenue to the middle school and there was a house on the phone or they had no for big colonial-style columns to it just always stood out to me when I was young.
00:41:32.490 –> 00:41:47.940 Alex McKay: And then maybe a year or so years ago now, I met, one of the daughters of the woman who lives there and I said I love your mother’s house and she had been there since the 40s.
00:41:49.950 –> 00:42:03.180 Alex McKay: And I said, well, if you please, let me know if you ever just tried to sell it and luckily that I was you know when when when her mother died, she was 101 flip back said, since the 40s.
00:42:04.920 –> 00:42:17.730 Alex McKay: I was able to buy the house and it needed to be completely renovated the plaster walls were cracked the lot of the woodwork has broadened on that side of course plumbing and electrical.
00:42:20.160 –> 00:42:30.180 Alex McKay: So I’ve taken it back to just keeping the same floor plan pretty much except for the kitchen I had 10 more things on to the kitchen.
00:42:33.120 –> 00:42:35.940 Joseph McElroy: Did you get some historical furnishings in there.
00:42:36.270 –> 00:42:46.260 Alex McKay: Oh yeah yeah yeah a lot of my first you know my the pedestal in the for your came from the store or the old brick courthouse from the 1800s.
00:42:47.580 –> 00:42:56.640 Alex McKay: My light fixtures in the hall in the bathroom came from the President’s old courthouse from the hallways in the jail.
00:42:59.520 –> 00:43:04.530 Alex McKay: The same time from a race forest on Main Street my bathroom sink.
00:43:06.180 –> 00:43:12.750 Alex McKay: stuff just you know, are trying to use that’s another one of my favorite things to find is just local salvage.
00:43:15.630 –> 00:43:20.820 Alex McKay: And so, when I was planning on how did the restoration incorporated those things into it.
00:43:21.270 –> 00:43:24.750 Joseph McElroy: You ever have you ever going to do an open house or anything let people see it.
00:43:24.840 –> 00:43:25.290 Alex McKay: And you know.
00:43:27.810 –> 00:43:42.930 Alex McKay: we’re kind of in the plan early planning stages, the bad at you know what I That was the whole plan because I worked on mass for two and a half years, and you know, then right when I get done it when when I would have had a party we’re right in the middle of it so.
00:43:44.160 –> 00:43:56.670 Alex McKay: So so yeah I hope to hope to do have a big house warming party here before too long, I think we’re having a big fourth of July already and we’re gonna shoot fireworks until somebody tells.
00:44:00.870 –> 00:44:01.800 Joseph McElroy: You just announced it.
00:44:04.650 –> 00:44:16.320 Joseph McElroy: When we come back we’ll get you to give us and we’ll talk about things to do and the Waynesville area that you like that you recommend let some of our people wanted to travel there no I know some insider views on what to do.
00:44:16.830 –> 00:44:17.820 Alex McKay: Okay sounds good.
00:46:35.700 –> 00:46:52.860 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklin McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcast with my guest Alex McKay hey Alex so I imagine you have, like most people live in Haywood county have some outdoor hobbies or hiking or fishing, what do you do.
00:46:53.880 –> 00:47:06.000 Alex McKay: At five-ish so matt my grandfather was a farmer and that’s what he did in his spirit and when he got some time off from the farm that’s what he did he buy fish.
00:47:06.540 –> 00:47:15.720 Alex McKay: And when I went with him, I mean he you know I’d want to use wax worms or weren’t with corn or read when I was little and he wouldn’t let me use anything but a fireman.
00:47:16.410 –> 00:47:22.380 Alex McKay: And so, but I’m thankful for that and I didn’t like that time but, but now I’m thankful that he did so because of that.
00:47:23.130 –> 00:47:25.680 Joseph McElroy: is a nice meditative hobby right.
00:47:26.100 –> 00:47:26.760 Alex McKay: yeah yeah.
00:47:27.120 –> 00:47:31.110 Joseph McElroy: What are some good Ruby rivers in Haywood county to go fishing fly fishing.
00:47:31.350 –> 00:47:40.530 Alex McKay: Well I’m just going to do, like a quick, you know, sometimes I can get away for an hour to and I’ll just come down to Maggie here and go there’s a little park behind the.
00:47:41.760 –> 00:47:42.180 angels.
00:47:44.040 –> 00:47:45.960 Alex McKay: elevated to sell right yeah.
00:47:46.020 –> 00:47:55.140 Alex McKay: yeah elevated ruin there’s a good little spot there behind the post office or there are good little spots like that that you can go real quick and then.
00:47:55.860 –> 00:47:59.550 Joseph McElroy: If you know there’s one behind the Meadowlark that bridge is pretty good.
00:47:59.790 –> 00:48:09.390 Alex McKay: yeah yeah yeah and then down at the bottom, it goes down there are a couple of good holes down layer but i’m going to go for a day.
00:48:10.590 –> 00:48:23.430 Alex McKay: I probably go to big creek or sterling pretty calm the over on the Tennessee line they go down the board and right on the water go on hartford exits there’s some good fishing down in that area.
00:48:24.270 –> 00:48:34.800 Joseph McElroy: cool alright that sounds good, and I guess as a local resident you become where we’ve got it we actually got a burgeoning social scene, especially in waynesville.
00:48:35.220 –> 00:48:41.730 Joseph McElroy: Right and silver and Maggie is actually starting to do some of its own, what are you some of your favorite local restaurants.
00:48:42.870 –> 00:48:52.980 Alex McKay: restaurants, what see I like well being on Main Street, and he would I go, we go meet us probably once a week or at least get something going.
00:48:54.330 –> 00:49:05.790 Alex McKay: And it’s not tagging restaurant rotten rotten downtown hazleton and then we add new restaurants just opened up just right up the street mobile pace with pharmacy build on the beach mountain diner and it’s great for.
00:49:07.260 –> 00:49:08.580 Alex McKay: lunch or breakfast.
00:49:10.650 –> 00:49:12.450 Joseph McElroy: You would smoke out.
00:49:13.020 –> 00:49:18.300 Alex McKay: yeah oh yeah I would smoke cast grey market risk, the risk that I would smoke has wonderful.
00:49:19.470 –> 00:49:26.880 Alex McKay: Sometimes we’ll we’ll make our sides of the House and an order or you know Pam brisket you don’t that for a couple months but.
00:49:27.210 –> 00:49:34.500 Joseph McElroy: But you know, there was a national magazine listed that doesn’t smoke House as well the top 20 Barbecue joints in the nation.
00:49:35.010 –> 00:49:36.300 Alex McKay: Real What about.
00:49:36.570 –> 00:49:40.920 Alex McKay: yeah about and it’s me it’s good Barbecue maybe probably the best brisket man.
00:49:41.190 –> 00:49:45.000 Alex McKay: yeah and then of course maggie’s galley will go there, so often.
00:49:48.600 –> 00:50:01.740 Alex McKay: I like I like Japanese and Chinese food, so we go to Kobe Kobe is down and winter visor and then we’re Tommy on Main Street next to the to the town hall.
00:50:03.570 –> 00:50:12.990 Alex McKay: Then firefly on Main Street we’ve got some some good restaurants, but you know, we want to eat them one treat them all the time you kind of cycle through them all.
00:50:13.950 –> 00:50:14.190 Joseph McElroy: So.
00:50:14.580 –> 00:50:15.480 Alex McKay: After after you.
00:50:15.570 –> 00:50:18.510 Joseph McElroy: eat after you Where would you go for some entertainment.
00:50:22.710 –> 00:50:30.090 Alex McKay: entertainment I don’t know, maybe seems like they’re doing something on the creek now and silver seems like there’s music on the creek and silver.
00:50:30.330 –> 00:50:30.810 hmm.
00:50:32.430 –> 00:50:42.000 Alex McKay: You know, every so often on Main Street they’ll have art after dark or since the street dances and those are good to go to events.
00:50:42.360 –> 00:50:45.510 Joseph McElroy: Here, those are like the first Friday right as the first Friday of the month.
00:50:46.230 –> 00:50:47.130 Alex McKay: I believe so.
00:50:47.640 –> 00:50:55.860 Alex McKay: yeah and yeah a lot of a lot of people been going to like drop level brewing sometimes they’ll have music.
00:50:58.650 –> 00:51:03.360 Alex McKay: I think, Belgium has live music, a lot of people go down and go go there in the months.
00:51:05.580 –> 00:51:06.750 Alex McKay: yeah I.
00:51:08.940 –> 00:51:10.140 Joseph McElroy: recently had the best.
00:51:10.920 –> 00:51:23.160 Joseph McElroy: They had a seafood not sure I don’t remember exactly what it was right now, but no that was some of the best nachos I ever had i’m cauliflower or something Chris or something it was it was odd, but it was really great.
00:51:23.220 –> 00:51:23.490 Joseph McElroy: It was.
00:51:24.120 –> 00:51:25.170 Joseph McElroy: Really fantastic.
00:51:26.550 –> 00:51:37.500 Joseph McElroy: So uh so I gotta ask you, what are the museum’s that people shouldn’t miss and the Western North Carolina historical museums or places I shouldn’t miss.
00:51:37.710 –> 00:51:38.640 Alex McKay: Well, the.
00:51:39.960 –> 00:51:54.870 Alex McKay: archives over Western they’ve always got some interests and displays at Western Carolina university they’ve got some really neat artifacts and they kind of cycle through their artifacts that the what’s at the mountain heritage mountain heritage.
00:51:57.270 –> 00:51:59.130 Alex McKay: let’s say the Shelton house and wines rule.
00:52:00.330 –> 00:52:18.810 Alex McKay: they’ve done a really good job on handicrafts that they’re they’re not as towards local kind of local history but but more mountain handy graphs and we’ll share it and they don’t that house, he was agent to the Navajo Indian so they’ve got a lot of Navajo effects.
00:52:20.220 –> 00:52:21.060 Alex McKay: Shell mouse.
00:52:26.670 –> 00:52:29.040 Alex McKay: pad library sometimes has some.
00:52:30.090 –> 00:52:31.380 Alex McKay: Some displays out.
00:52:32.910 –> 00:52:35.100 Alex McKay: they’ve had some interesting things ever pack library.
00:52:35.400 –> 00:52:39.840 Joseph McElroy: Well that’s good i’m sure i’m sure some of the bigger towns got some good stuff too so.
00:52:41.280 –> 00:52:43.320 Joseph McElroy: really appreciate you being on the Program.
00:52:43.530 –> 00:52:53.310 Joseph McElroy: Yes, we will keep track of you were how did you find out about the show cows, how they find out about your your museum and how they keep keep in touch with you, or if you follow a new.
00:52:54.210 –> 00:53:02.070 Alex McKay: Well i’m mostly active on my Facebook page is Alex Mckay MC K A Y and.
00:53:03.090 –> 00:53:07.800 Alex McKay: The for the for the show counts, we got a website.
00:53:09.060 –> 00:53:12.930 Alex McKay: And people can just Google the shirts neighbor’s house and time beer.
00:53:15.060 –> 00:53:17.400 Alex McKay: But yeah those are probably the best the two best.
00:53:18.420 –> 00:53:20.520 Joseph McElroy: way to archive is, it is a website.
00:53:20.760 –> 00:53:24.240 Alex McKay: No, no, I just do I just do all of it through my Facebook page.
00:53:24.330 –> 00:53:24.900 Joseph McElroy: Okay.
00:53:24.960 –> 00:53:25.860 Alex McKay: Great yeah cool.
00:53:26.430 –> 00:53:33.960 Joseph McElroy: Well, I appreciate it it’s been good talking to you and i’ll keep following your historical events I’m a come see your museums that’s for sure.
00:53:34.080 –> 00:53:36.420 Alex McKay: yeah yeah.
00:53:37.590 –> 00:53:39.630 Joseph McElroy: Now, give out some shout outs myself.
00:53:41.340 –> 00:53:53.820 Joseph McElroy: So this this this podcast is called gateway the smokies podcast podcast it’s you can find out more about it gatewaytothesmokies.fun you go there and subscribe to a newsletter allows you to know what’s coming up.
00:53:54.840 –> 00:54:02.070 Joseph McElroy: And we usually have a lot of things better guests, we have all the previous episodes and this podcast is also available on iTunes and.
00:54:02.670 –> 00:54:10.230 Joseph McElroy: And all those sort of things and broadcast live on talkradio.nyc into the New York area.
00:54:10.920 –> 00:54:21.810 Joseph McElroy: Where there’s some great live podcast if you’re listening, listen to the one that follows us to tell them that New York, so you can go from you know rural North Carolina to the most urban place we have in the United States.
00:54:22.980 –> 00:54:32.340 Joseph McElroy: Now a lot to them, you know, imagine a place evocative of motor courts of the past and modern and vibrant with a Chic appalachian field.
00:54:32.790 –> 00:54:44.550 Joseph McElroy: a place for adventure and for relaxation imagine a place where you can fish in a mountain heritage trout stream grill the catch on fire, and he accompanied by all fine wines and craft beers.
00:54:45.270 –> 00:54:59.370 Joseph McElroy: Imagine a place of the old time music and world cultural sounds there’s no other place like this Meadowlark Motel in Maggie valley, your smoky mountain adventure starts with where you stay. find out more meadowlarkmotel.com.
00:55:00.570 –> 00:55:05.940 Joseph McElroy: we’re sponsored by smokies adventure that smokies plural adventure singular.com.
00:55:06.600 –> 00:55:16.260 Joseph McElroy: Information and listings about the smokies hiking wedding venues books trail Max resources for experiencing the smokies, the emphasis is on.
00:55:16.830 –> 00:55:29.970 Joseph McElroy: Smoke smokies adventure is outdoors outdoor recreation outdoor life events like weddings and adventures, along with providing information and lodging fam family entertainment events conventions honeymoons and more.
00:55:30.360 –> 00:55:35.280 Joseph McElroy: You go to the site is to become the leading information portal of the smoky mountains.
00:55:37.500 –> 00:55:40.170 Joseph McElroy: And and surrounding towns.
00:55:41.670 –> 00:55:42.690 Joseph McElroy: remind you that.
00:55:43.800 –> 00:55:50.340 Joseph McElroy: July 7 or eighth we’re having the plot fest reunion at the weekend at the Meadowlark Motel and the following weekend.
00:55:51.060 –> 00:55:57.690 Joseph McElroy: we’re having the Bluegrass band camp, but I recommend you go to the meadowlarkmotel.com look at events in the smoky mountain events.
00:55:58.050 –> 00:56:14.760 Joseph McElroy: And sign up to become and come in and either to the concert or just come for the whole weekend and the whole weekend will be a wonderful experience for everybody i’ll see you next time, at the same BAT time same BAT channel and it’s
00:56:15.930 –> 00:56:29.700 Joseph McElroy: Every week from six to seven on Tuesday night on talk nyc, talkradio.nyc next week we’re gonna have a great gentleman named Jim Hamilton it should be a great talk i’ll talk to you later.
