About this Episode:
We are joined by our special guest, Jason Brady, a native of the Caney Fork Community of Jackson County, N.C. He graduated from Western Carolina University with a degree in Electronics Engineering Technology and worked several years for a telecommunications firm in Raleigh, N.C. before returning home for a job at his alma mater.
Jason has worked for the past two decades at WCU and now works in Special Collections for the university – the department he has worked in for the past 13 years. He is also a fine writer and an avid hiker.
He shares with us some interesting stories about his work on the Special Collection for the WCU and his experiences being a historian and archivist.
Connect with our host Joseph Franklyn McElroy:
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SHOW NOTES
SEGMENT 1
Joseph begins the show with his usual intro before going into his sponsored message. Afterward, he reads a poem called The Recipe. Introducing the guest, Jason Brady, Joseph asks him what it was like living up in his native county. Jason talks about the tight-knit community and nature walks he would have. He also discusses the origin of his love of history, reading books as a kid, and gravitating to history naturally. Joseph then asks him about his electrical engineering degree and what he did with it. Jason describes how the pay and job were enjoyable, but his homesickness overtook him, so he took an opportunity to work in a library back in his hometown before working in special collections at WCU.
SEGMENT 2
Coming back from the break, Joseph asks Jason about the Mountain Heritage Day Festival and if Jason had any play in setting it up. Jason talks about how the pandemic forced the festival to take a break for a year but came right back the next. Joseph then gets into Jason’s mentor and friend, the historian who got Jason into being a historian himself. Joseph asks him what a typical day looks like for an archivist looks like, and he describes how he is a walking analog historical log for people. Before the break, Joseph brings up how, in the next segment, he wanted to know if Jason knew or if the WCU had any information on Horace Kephart, the man who is credited to be one of the founders of the Smoky Mountain National Park.
SEGMENT 3
Coming back, Joseph asks about other founders of the Smoky Mountains Park, sparking a memory of several influential people such as Kelly Bennett. Jason explains how thousands of photos were discovered of Bennett and how an exhibit of Bennett is being planned. Jason also talks about the different artifacts the WCU collects to archives like photos, letters, or business ventures. He then talks about the thousands of photos that were discovered of Bennett, and the person behind the photographs, a botanist named Wells. Joseph wanted to discuss future plans Jason was planning. He describes how the scanning of the Bennett photos was going to take them some time in addition to trying to identify people in the photos, before making an exhibit of all these photos. They talk about ways to donate artifacts to the WCU through contacts with the university itself or Jason himself. Any materials pertaining to regional history are welcome to the WCU’s collection.
SEGMENT 4
After the break, Joseph asks Jason what kind of dogs and hobbies he may have. Jason characterizes his dogs as enjoying the same things he does like taking hikes and exploring the trails. This brings the discussion to his favorite hikes and trails for people and their pets. Many parts of the park have different rules on the topic of bringing pets so make sure you read the rules beforehand. Joseph then asks Jason’s ideal itinerary for Jackson County. The day begins with breakfast with coffee, spending time on the parkway, eating lunch at South Philly, and heading to Frog’s Leap for a few drinks or to the best brewery, according to Jason, Innovation. The day concludes with heading to Asheville and underground speakeasies. Finally, Jason finishes off the show with a WCU promotion.
TRANSCRIPT
00:00:36.660 –> 00:00:40.200 Joseph McElroy: hey thanks for joining us on this week’s episode of
00:00:40.620 –> 00:00:51.360 Joseph McElroy: Gateway to the smokies this podcast is about America’s most visited National Park, the great smoky mountains National Park, and the surrounding towns.
00:00:51.990 –> 00:01:00.990 Joseph McElroy: This area is filled with ancient natural beauty with a deep-storied history and rich in cultures that we explore with weekly episodes.
00:01:01.770 –> 00:01:14.490 Joseph McElroy: I am Joseph Franklyn McElroy a man of the world but also has deep roots and in this Mountain, my family has been living the great smoky for over 200 years my businesses is in travel, but my heart is in culture.
00:01:15.360 –> 00:01:21.870 Joseph McElroy: today’s podcast we’re talking to a local boy made good, the first let’s hear from some sponsors.
00:01:23.100 –> 00:01:31.290 Joseph McElroy: Imagine a place evocative of the motor courts of the past, modern and vibrant with a Chic Appalachian.
00:01:32.580 –> 00:01:45.600 Joseph McElroy: a place for adventure and for relaxation imagine a place where you can fish in the mountain areas trout stream grill the catch on fire, and the company by fine wine or craft beers.
00:01:45.930 –> 00:02:04.980 Joseph McElroy: Imagine a place of the old-time music and world cultural sounds imagine a place with mountain heritage food underground speakeasies there is no other place like the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley North Carolina your smoky mountain adventure starts with where you stay.
00:02:07.110 –> 00:02:18.330 Joseph McElroy: smokies adventure.com smokies are plural adventure singular it’s a site for with information and listings about the smoky mountains, including hiking and.
00:02:19.170 –> 00:02:28.230 Joseph McElroy: wedding venues, and has links to both the trail and resources to help you experience the smokies in an old different way.
00:02:28.710 –> 00:02:46.290 Joseph McElroy: The emphasis of smokies adventures outdoor recreation outdoor life events like weddings and ventures, along with providing information on lodging family entertainment events conventions honeymoons, and more, it is the leading information portal for smoky now.
00:02:48.720 –> 00:02:53.970 Joseph McElroy: it’s good to see you or hear you or be part of your listening experience this week.
00:02:55.380 –> 00:02:57.840 Joseph McElroy: And I’m glad to be back we’ve had a couple of weeks off.
00:02:59.100 –> 00:03:13.110 Joseph McElroy: I got a little poem that’s relevant I think some of the things we’re talking about today and it’s called the recipes via a user online a craft the mermaids I’m not sure, a lot of us to but it’s simple it’s called the resin.
00:03:13.950 –> 00:03:39.360 Joseph McElroy: sweet recipe handed down Chris teen dried fruit perfect eggs golden batter in my aunt’s pyrex bowl but cousin Lucy check the legs, the batter’s too dark she turned left oh hi that’s just the brandy, I could feel my internal over her grave.
00:03:41.400 –> 00:03:43.410 Joseph McElroy: that’s talking about fruit cakes, of course.
00:03:44.910 –> 00:03:51.420 Joseph McElroy: And, as you know, I’m the owner of the Meadowlark Motel we’re going to have some fruit cake coming up.
00:03:52.470 –> 00:04:05.100 Joseph McElroy: You know, have companies have a holiday party for employees and family what the Meadowlark, are we going to have our guests at our company party as well, and every December 18.
00:04:05.460 –> 00:04:17.580 Joseph McElroy: The week before Christmas, we will celebrate with traditional mountain treats like fruitcake and, by the way, you know fruitcake which you know came over with the Scots Irish settlers.
00:04:18.690 –> 00:04:23.130 Joseph McElroy: And, and my wife who’s actually a Trinidadian descent, where they have a similar.
00:04:24.390 –> 00:04:34.830 Joseph McElroy: traditions of Scots Irish coming there she might do a Trinidadian black wrong jake will have mincemeat pies and other treats, we will also.
00:04:35.280 –> 00:04:43.650 Joseph McElroy: serenade wasn’t called carefully when I wrote this poem serenade serenading people in front of the rooms and giving them warm cookies.
00:04:44.100 –> 00:05:00.120 Joseph McElroy: will set, we will send Santa letters to the berries for delivery, this means throw them into the fire and, of course, you have good drinks and use it, but guess who attend free locals can get in $15 will show up as have a good time week for Christmas.
00:05:01.590 –> 00:05:13.110 Joseph McElroy: we’re also the Meadowlark in January I’m very excited about something that we’re gonna be doing two years ago we had what was called a Robert Burns suffers.
00:05:13.650 –> 00:05:25.050 Joseph McElroy: Robert Burns is the poet laureate of Scotland during the essentially the time when we a lot of us got divers coming over to settle in the.
00:05:25.740 –> 00:05:35.070 Joseph McElroy: In the smoky mountains and the rest of the Appalachian and they surely news Robert Burns who’s one of their favorite poets as well.
00:05:35.490 –> 00:05:53.700 Joseph McElroy: And he also was recorded and actually wrote down and also created a lot of balance that was popular to sing at the time that we were the settlers in the smoke in the Appalachians so there’s an annual.
00:05:55.680 –> 00:06:00.270 Joseph McElroy: birthday celebration in Scotland and other places that love is poetry.
00:06:01.500 –> 00:06:15.960 Joseph McElroy: The JET on January 25 of every year, and this is it’s called the burn some supper it’s an institution of Scottish life celebrating the life and work of the national bar scholar.
00:06:16.500 –> 00:06:28.470 Joseph McElroy: it’s a combination of culinary delights pomp and circumstance artistry and entertainment and culminating in a raw rowdy rivaled fun-filled life that is helping you.
00:06:29.040 –> 00:06:35.220 Joseph McElroy: And I don’t feature things like a haggis which is not everybody’s cup of tea, but it’s worth tasting once in a lifetime.
00:06:35.910 –> 00:06:48.180 Joseph McElroy: And it’s going to Meadowlark on January 25 which is my family owns it for many years and we’re known for our hospitality passion for culture and art.
00:06:49.140 –> 00:06:58.920 Joseph McElroy: It will be an evening filled with delicious Scottish food and wine tasting whiskey patients and toasts and all sorts of things, but not only lad that.
00:06:59.520 –> 00:07:14.490 Joseph McElroy: For the four days prior to the event we’re going to be doing many Scottish themes event by Friday, there will be a whiskey tasting in the speakeasy and when we have Scottish artists and residents will be doing music.
00:07:16.620 –> 00:07:20.220 Joseph McElroy: DJ music, then he will also a Saturday created concert.
00:07:21.240 –> 00:07:36.900 Joseph McElroy: With Mike and some of his friends, and that in either the pavilion or in the speakeasy then on Sunday, to be a bonfire historical programs by Bob Plott and more balanced sung
00:07:37.500 –> 00:07:47.490 Joseph McElroy: by an artist named William Ritter, then, on Monday there’ll be a program presented in my MAC Mclean President of the Haywood historical society county historical society.
00:07:48.030 –> 00:07:52.350 Joseph McElroy: about the Ulster Scott North Carolina and then Tuesday night, of course, will be the.
00:07:52.710 –> 00:08:04.290 Joseph McElroy: big involved rockets event that’s called burns dinner, and many of us will be wearing our kills from our family heritage and doing toasts and just having a grand old time.
00:08:04.950 –> 00:08:16.590 Joseph McElroy: So I look forward to seeing you at some of these events that we’re having and, of course, on Christmas Day, we have a Christmas meal for our guests and on the new year’s Eve, we have a wonderful.
00:08:18.210 –> 00:08:23.910 Joseph McElroy: toast and champagne and whatnot in the speakeasy for our guests.
00:08:25.470 –> 00:08:35.640 Joseph McElroy: So today’s podcast we have a wonderful guest his name is Jason Brady and he worked for the past two decades in Western Carolina University.
00:08:36.150 –> 00:08:52.470 Joseph McElroy: And now works, I think, is an intern Chief of special collections from the university, the department, he been working for the past 13 years Jason is a fine writer avid hiker, enjoy spending time with his wife and their beloved dogs Hello Jason.
00:08:54.690 –> 00:08:55.380 Jason Brady: hey there.
00:08:56.760 –> 00:09:00.390 Joseph McElroy: How are you doing today how’s Western North Carolina.
00:09:01.440 –> 00:09:02.070 Jason Brady: Oh it’s great.
00:09:03.450 –> 00:09:04.410 Jason Brady: Great place to be.
00:09:04.770 –> 00:09:13.770 Joseph McElroy: yeah so you grew up in our native of one of the most beautiful communities in our region Caney Fork for what was it like growing up, there is a boy.
00:09:15.210 –> 00:09:25.650 Jason Brady: Well, it was fantastic really um it was much more rural when I was kid lot more agriculture there’s a lot of farming.
00:09:26.820 –> 00:09:28.500 Jason Brady: very tight knit community.
00:09:30.030 –> 00:09:32.880 Jason Brady: It was just a wonderful place to be a kid.
00:09:34.050 –> 00:09:38.340 Joseph McElroy: What were some of the things that you enjoy doing in Caney fork when you were growing up.
00:09:39.960 –> 00:09:47.370 Jason Brady: We used to go on what we call a creek walks we just take off up the creek just walking in the Caney Fork.
00:09:47.490 –> 00:09:48.750 Jason Brady: it’s about river.
00:09:50.700 –> 00:09:51.180 Jason Brady: I spent.
00:09:52.740 –> 00:09:59.040 Jason Brady: More than a little time in the cane break New York a fork in front of our house.
00:10:01.230 –> 00:10:05.370 Jason Brady: actually spent a little bit of time in the tobacco fields nearby to
00:10:07.440 –> 00:10:13.950 Jason Brady: We really it was a really special place to be as a kid.
00:10:14.280 –> 00:10:16.170 Joseph McElroy: sort of idyllic right yeah.
00:10:16.230 –> 00:10:18.000 Joseph McElroy: Absolutely cool.
00:10:19.170 –> 00:10:19.590 Joseph McElroy: and
00:10:20.850 –> 00:10:33.900 Joseph McElroy: Did you start did you have any interest in history and that sort of stuff when you were a kid in that area that’s things piqued your interest that you can look back and say that’s maybe more so my thought processes came from.
00:10:34.860 –> 00:10:35.970 Jason Brady: I did um.
00:10:37.200 –> 00:10:52.350 Jason Brady: I read a lot as a kid and gravitated towards history, but I always just saw it as an interesting thing is a hobby I never pictured some sort of career path.
00:10:53.610 –> 00:10:59.160 Joseph McElroy: I guess Oh, you know a lot of people don’t when they when you say exciting history people somebody’s gonna be a lawyer.
00:11:00.480 –> 00:11:00.900 Jason Brady: Right.
00:11:01.050 –> 00:11:07.290 Joseph McElroy: Right yeah it’s not necessarily the most obvious lawyer, Professor so.
00:11:08.580 –> 00:11:14.850 Joseph McElroy: So you went to Western Carolina University and you graduated in 1999.
00:11:16.230 –> 00:11:19.620 Joseph McElroy: With a degree in electronics electrical engineering.
00:11:22.260 –> 00:11:29.250 Joseph McElroy: And then you hit it off with a big city north of Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina how did you get into like to.
00:11:30.600 –> 00:11:32.190 Joseph McElroy: end an area, what did you do there.
00:11:33.090 –> 00:11:35.700 Jason Brady: Well, I don’t know, I was always I’m.
00:11:37.230 –> 00:11:43.500 Jason Brady: Always bit math and science, and that was the height of the tech boom, you know.
00:11:43.860 –> 00:11:44.340 Jason Brady: That was.
00:11:44.670 –> 00:11:54.360 Jason Brady: That was what people were doing, and the money was great and they were hiring people straight out of college for pretty obscene amounts of money.
00:11:55.830 –> 00:12:02.070 Joseph McElroy: raised a few million dollars right in 1999 and I raised a bunch of money at the coffee I know all Well back crazy.
00:12:04.230 –> 00:12:08.850 Jason Brady: It was wild yeah so I didn’t think I’d missed the mountains that much.
00:12:09.990 –> 00:12:16.650 Jason Brady: I just they just never crossed my mind, because I guess if you grow up in a place you just don’t really.
00:12:17.700 –> 00:12:23.040 Jason Brady: You don’t really truly appreciate it for what it is, but I did once I got down there.
00:12:23.760 –> 00:12:26.070 Joseph McElroy: And how long have you worked on it.
00:12:27.060 –> 00:12:28.080 Jason Brady: About a year and a half.
00:12:28.440 –> 00:12:32.070 Joseph McElroy: right and it really got me was like that’s enough for me.
00:12:32.940 –> 00:12:39.060 Jason Brady: yeah pretty much I like the work, the work was once I got to know what I was doing.
00:12:40.110 –> 00:12:43.080 Jason Brady: I enjoyed the word, but I just.
00:12:43.800 –> 00:12:45.780 Joseph McElroy: reprogramming are you doing.
00:12:46.590 –> 00:12:47.160 Jason Brady: I was doing.
00:12:47.940 –> 00:12:51.450 Jason Brady: I was doing fiber-optic communications, I was doing.
00:12:53.760 –> 00:13:01.410 Jason Brady: I was working for one of the major long-distance carriers and network providers in the country.
00:13:03.390 –> 00:13:06.900 Jason Brady: It was challenging and it was interesting but.
00:13:08.100 –> 00:13:13.200 Jason Brady: I really I miss my family and I missed this place an awful lot so.
00:13:15.270 –> 00:13:18.150 Joseph McElroy: An opportunity to have that opportunity.
00:13:19.170 –> 00:13:25.470 Jason Brady: Well um I got an opportunity to come back actually started working at Western again.
00:13:26.880 –> 00:13:31.800 Jason Brady: And I worked in the library when I was a student at Western.
00:13:33.120 –> 00:13:33.630 Jason Brady: and
00:13:34.680 –> 00:13:36.240 Jason Brady: Always miss the library to.
00:13:37.650 –> 00:13:40.650 Jason Brady: library it’s just a wonderful place to be so.
00:13:41.760 –> 00:13:43.500 Jason Brady: When I came back I worked.
00:13:45.420 –> 00:13:50.010 Jason Brady: I’ve worked for several departments in the library, but I spent quite a while and catalog.
00:13:51.840 –> 00:13:55.800 Jason Brady: But then the opportunity arose in special collections.
00:13:56.370 –> 00:14:02.070 Joseph McElroy: Oh, and of course that’s a lot of us digital so you have a pretty good familiarity with that.
00:14:02.910 –> 00:14:04.080 Jason Brady: Right exactly.
00:14:04.800 –> 00:14:10.260 Jason Brady: And I worked as I worked in special collections with George Brazil when I was a student.
00:14:10.590 –> 00:14:11.100 Joseph McElroy: So.
00:14:12.030 –> 00:14:13.530 Jason Brady: I was already in so.
00:14:14.040 –> 00:14:22.620 Joseph McElroy: cool so when we come back we’re going to break now we’ll talk more about the roles and His story and special questions like that.
00:16:39.210 –> 00:16:46.950 Joseph McElroy: It is Joseph Franklyn McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcast my guest Jason Brady.
00:16:48.150 –> 00:16:57.510 Joseph McElroy: So Jason your Western Carolina has been the director of the special digital collections at WCU.
00:16:58.920 –> 00:17:01.740 Joseph McElroy: know I guess all your historian and activists.
00:17:02.880 –> 00:17:10.980 Joseph McElroy: But you know I want to there’s something that I wanted to get you to know as first, is that there’s a huge event that happens related to.
00:17:11.280 –> 00:17:22.560 Joseph McElroy: where you are every year, so one of the top 10 events in the southeast I think festivals, with the Western Carolina university mountain heritage day, are you involved in planning or playing an active role in that.
00:17:23.820 –> 00:17:42.300 Jason Brady: Not a whole lot um I have a lot of great memories of going to it when I was a kid and when we when they put that on we always have a large influx of folks come into special collections, who were interested in our region’s history.
00:17:43.680 –> 00:17:51.720 Joseph McElroy: That now you do you ever do any yeah exhibits there during the day or any kind of programs involving festival.
00:17:52.680 –> 00:17:54.270 Jason Brady: The library does sometimes.
00:17:55.530 –> 00:18:06.900 Jason Brady: We play a supporting role to the mountain heritage Center if they need photographs historic photographs or anything else we’re kind of behind the scenes are.
00:18:07.680 –> 00:18:10.020 Joseph McElroy: It really is an awesome festival isn’t it.
00:18:11.040 –> 00:18:12.090 Jason Brady: It really is.
00:18:13.320 –> 00:18:23.340 Jason Brady: That was one of those things that as a kid you just never missed mountain heritage day it was always something on the calendar.
00:18:24.060 –> 00:18:30.930 Joseph McElroy: And yeah last year was canceled, where it was bad no was it last year 40,000 computers over the years we’ve been encoded.
00:18:32.250 –> 00:18:36.960 Joseph McElroy: But it was back right after going after code restrictions, replacing it was incredible right.
00:18:37.440 –> 00:18:38.760 Jason Brady: yeah it sure was.
00:18:39.840 –> 00:18:47.070 Jason Brady: It was it’s it was good to see it come back yeah they had that they thought it was best to take a year off.
00:18:49.320 –> 00:18:51.690 Joseph McElroy: They do a virtual right.
00:18:52.530 –> 00:18:57.480 Jason Brady: I don’t think so um I don’t believe I don’t think there was.
00:18:58.800 –> 00:19:10.470 Joseph McElroy: So let’s get back to you all right, you mentioned George Brazil, who was like what was the director of, especially the WC Center for like 30 some years right.
00:19:11.190 –> 00:19:13.920 Jason Brady: yeah north of three decades yeah he was.
00:19:14.940 –> 00:19:18.330 Joseph McElroy: Historical icon another local boy you work with them.
00:19:18.390 –> 00:19:23.640 Jason Brady: Oh yeah uh yeah I was George’s assistant for about 10 years.
00:19:25.170 –> 00:19:34.830 Jason Brady: And George George is definitely he’s an accomplished historian, especially, especially for local history, he just.
00:19:35.880 –> 00:19:37.350 Jason Brady: he’s amazing.
00:19:37.920 –> 00:19:41.100 Joseph McElroy: Right and you work with when you were in school that right.
00:19:41.850 –> 00:19:45.660 Jason Brady: I did I worked, I worked with I worked for George when I was a student as well.
00:19:45.900 –> 00:19:49.140 Joseph McElroy: But inspired you from the get-go that’s why you came back probably.
00:19:49.980 –> 00:19:59.490 Jason Brady: it’s a big part of it he’s a good friend to and George George is just he’s so knowledgeable and he’s just so generous.
00:20:01.440 –> 00:20:03.660 Jason Brady: I learned I learned so much from George.
00:20:04.470 –> 00:20:10.200 Joseph McElroy: yeah that’s really cool to have a mentor like that to get to really start your career.
00:20:11.460 –> 00:20:15.780 Joseph McElroy: But after he retired you worked as an interim director for.
00:20:17.790 –> 00:20:34.440 Jason Brady: Well I’m actually we had a merger, especially in digital collections and librarian who ran the digital collections part became the library and especially digital collections and when she left, I became an interim head of special and digital collections.
00:20:35.040 –> 00:20:37.230 Joseph McElroy: cool and hopefully that will change to be.
00:20:40.440 –> 00:20:42.270 Joseph McElroy: yeah it’s a that I get.
00:20:43.590 –> 00:20:45.450 Jason Brady: She actually we hired we.
00:20:45.690 –> 00:20:46.710 Jason Brady: we’ve hired.
00:20:46.920 –> 00:20:47.580 Joseph McElroy: So, really.
00:20:47.820 –> 00:20:52.590 Jason Brady: I don’t have to do that stuff anymore I get to work with the materials now.
00:20:54.510 –> 00:20:54.960 Jason Brady: yeah.
00:20:55.200 –> 00:21:12.060 Joseph McElroy: yeah one of the things I worked at IBM right when I first started my career as a young guy and I loved program I love programming, but then they promoted me started promoting it up the chain I got to be cheaper where nothing was the chief program was just an administrator.
00:21:12.270 –> 00:21:14.010 Joseph McElroy: I cant he doesn’t Program.
00:21:14.520 –> 00:21:24.360 Joseph McElroy: I could not stand it I ended up quitting I could not stand was a big job and I could not stand it I just that is just literally drove me NUTS yeah yeah.
00:21:24.900 –> 00:21:27.630 Jason Brady: I’m with it that’s exactly how it is.
00:21:27.720 –> 00:21:31.440 Jason Brady: Either vastly prefer to interact with.
00:21:32.790 –> 00:21:39.990 Jason Brady: The donors and the users of our materials and the materials themselves.
00:21:40.020 –> 00:21:48.450 Joseph McElroy: yeah now anytime I’ve ever been got smart as close to being like, I have to be the administrator of doing this stuff is like that, not for me at.
00:21:49.380 –> 00:21:58.860 Joseph McElroy: The be a business owner is your you finally you get to be the top of thing choose what parts are doing so I do the parts of actually involved doing stuff.
00:22:01.890 –> 00:22:08.370 Joseph McElroy: So it’s a very special collection, that is a great honor actually it is perpetuating a bunch of George’s legs.
00:22:09.540 –> 00:22:11.910 Joseph McElroy: What are your earliest challenges with it.
00:22:13.440 –> 00:22:25.590 Jason Brady: Well, the first major challenge of losing George is losing George I mean the amount of information that he carries around with him is just staggering.
00:22:27.690 –> 00:22:29.580 Jason Brady: And really.
00:22:31.290 –> 00:22:42.570 Jason Brady: Keeping keeping contact with the organizations and individual people who are such good friends of special collections I’m.
00:22:44.550 –> 00:22:47.190 Jason Brady: Keeping a good personal relationship with these folks.
00:22:48.330 –> 00:22:50.550 Jason Brady: You know they know George so.
00:22:52.950 –> 00:22:54.600 Joseph McElroy: yeah they’re not George.
00:22:55.620 –> 00:22:56.850 Jason Brady: George exactly.
00:23:00.090 –> 00:23:07.350 Jason Brady: You know, we do our best, but that was a that’s one of those losses that you just don’t take easily.
00:23:07.740 –> 00:23:13.530 Joseph McElroy: yeah you can’t you can’t reproduce it yet that you have to build your own legacy in a different way.
00:23:13.890 –> 00:23:15.090 Jason Brady: Right exactly you.
00:23:15.090 –> 00:23:15.480 Joseph McElroy: have to.
00:23:15.570 –> 00:23:21.480 Jason Brady: You have to build those relationships with folks, and I mean it’s wonderful we’ve got great folks it’s.
00:23:22.890 –> 00:23:29.970 Jason Brady: But he was he like I said he was George’s very generous and he introduced me to all sorts of people.
00:23:31.380 –> 00:23:33.720 Jason Brady: In the years before his retirement oh.
00:23:34.440 –> 00:23:35.910 Joseph McElroy: Just so I could be helpful.
00:23:36.300 –> 00:23:39.150 Joseph McElroy: And you got to direct the appendix for one of those great books right.
00:23:40.080 –> 00:23:56.820 Jason Brady: yeah he and may Claxton did a book on Horace Kephart’s writings it was published by the University of Tennessee press and I got to write the appendix that describes HoraceKepharts library books that are in his library.
00:23:57.540 –> 00:24:00.330 Joseph McElroy: Oh yeah you have any other writing credits that you like.
00:24:02.160 –> 00:24:09.780 Jason Brady: um no not really I write a bunch of finding aids like sure.
00:24:13.050 –> 00:24:22.620 Joseph McElroy: yeah well listen before it took me until I was in my 40s to actually do anything but technical writing, but then I got into poetry and other things I started.
00:24:23.100 –> 00:24:33.900 Joseph McElroy: doing some things and found I liked it like my credits before say 45 or you know the reasons why Q theory is working for blah blah blah.
00:24:36.600 –> 00:24:39.540 Joseph McElroy: But you know, the people in the world would find interesting.
00:24:41.670 –> 00:24:46.320 Joseph McElroy: So what is the typical day like for professional historical archivists.
00:24:46.980 –> 00:24:47.910 For this as well.
00:24:49.110 –> 00:25:06.810 Jason Brady: they’re there they very um I take in new collections are all I’ll be describing old collections I’ll be doing space management, working with donors and mostly helping people find answers to their questions.
00:25:08.610 –> 00:25:13.230 Joseph McElroy: Or if you’re sort of like analog Internet.
00:25:14.100 –> 00:25:18.300 Jason Brady: yeah pretty much it’s it kind of feels like that sometimes.
00:25:18.330 –> 00:25:18.840 Right.
00:25:19.920 –> 00:25:24.180 Joseph McElroy: And you just have to back yourself up a little digital information yeah.
00:25:24.210 –> 00:25:24.990 Jason Brady: yeah right.
00:25:25.680 –> 00:25:29.880 Joseph McElroy: Your digital memory bank, do you think it’s like one of the first chips that are provided.
00:25:31.080 –> 00:25:32.940 Joseph McElroy: An index of lots of information.
00:25:35.070 –> 00:25:50.760 Joseph McElroy: yeah yeah so you know you we did a Kephart’s festival at the Meadowlark smoky mountain Heritage site and you really assist us with some displays and programs that were incredible I really appreciate it, thank you.
00:25:52.320 –> 00:26:03.030 Joseph McElroy: And you know, the question I would think you’re like what should count your department parallel universes special collections has to be world’s foremost Kephart culture right.
00:26:04.740 –> 00:26:08.730 Jason Brady: I would like to think so I can’t imagine that anybody could be better.
00:26:09.930 –> 00:26:10.440 Jason Brady: We have.
00:26:11.850 –> 00:26:15.210 Jason Brady: Enormous collection that haveKephart’s
00:26:17.040 –> 00:26:24.660 Jason Brady: Information his his his personal possessions, when he passed his library his journals photographs.
00:26:25.800 –> 00:26:29.340 Jason Brady: drive drafts of writing works and so forth.
00:26:30.540 –> 00:26:32.550 Jason Brady: it’s it’s a large collection and.
00:26:33.990 –> 00:26:45.330 Jason Brady: After that, we’ve received collections of family correspondence and all sorts of other things from Libby Kephart Hargrave he’s great-granddaughter.
00:26:45.540 –> 00:26:48.870 Joseph McElroy: Oh, oh wedding dress you bought that too.
00:26:48.900 –> 00:26:49.740 Jason Brady: Others right.
00:26:50.490 –> 00:26:52.170 Joseph McElroy: Yes, exactly yeah.
00:26:52.200 –> 00:27:03.780 Jason Brady: yeah so our Kephart’s collection is just fantastic and much of the collection is honored by our digital projects online.
00:27:04.920 –> 00:27:05.940 Joseph McElroy: Oh well, for those.
00:27:07.200 –> 00:27:20.250 Joseph McElroy: Listening Horrace Kephart don’t know already talked about it but or kat bar was one of the quote quote-unquote original founders or inspirations for the great smoky mountains National Park.
00:27:21.660 –> 00:27:32.070 Joseph McElroy: And he’s also quite an interesting character, with a really intense personal story that creates lots of.
00:27:33.510 –> 00:27:40.200 Joseph McElroy: claim, as well as lots of controversies so it’s nice to have a lot of information about him.
00:27:41.610 –> 00:27:51.720 Joseph McElroy: So we’re gonna take a break, when we come back we’ll talk about some of the other founders that she might have some you know some info in the collection of the smoky mountains.
00:27:56.520 –> 00:27:57.510 Jason Brady: Most of our.
00:29:58.920 –> 00:30:09.720 Joseph McElroy: This is Joseph Franklyn McElroy back to the gateway to the smokies podcast my guest Jason Brady you have you know other founders of the.
00:30:10.290 –> 00:30:21.720 Joseph McElroy: Of the great smoky mountains artifacts and information there that special collections and WCU like George lots of Japanese photographer he’s an interesting guy right.
00:30:22.590 –> 00:30:24.900 Jason Brady: Oh yeah absolutely always.
00:30:25.410 –> 00:30:27.390 Joseph McElroy: And I think you’re pretty elaborate.
00:30:28.830 –> 00:30:31.050 Joseph McElroy: Collection about him right.
00:30:31.500 –> 00:30:35.910 Jason Brady: yeah it’s uh it’s also the things that were in his possession when he died.
00:30:36.330 –> 00:30:42.360 Joseph McElroy: Oh wow but you know what I really learned about you Kelly better photo archives.
00:30:43.980 –> 00:30:45.000 Joseph McElroy: Recently right.
00:30:45.720 –> 00:30:47.460 Jason Brady: Yes, very exciting.
00:30:48.540 –> 00:30:54.870 Jason Brady: it’s a large photo archive taken by the Bryson city pharmacist Kelly minute.
00:30:55.230 –> 00:30:58.890 Joseph McElroy: Can you tell us a little bit about him and was it contribution or.
00:30:59.460 –> 00:31:01.680 Jason Brady: Oh gosh we don’t have time.
00:31:02.040 –> 00:31:02.430 Oh.
00:31:05.580 –> 00:31:16.260 Jason Brady: He was a State Senator he was a state representative, he was mayor of Bryson city, he was the sole pharmacist, besides his father and his brother.
00:31:18.240 –> 00:31:24.660 Jason Brady: Besides his father opens the first pharmacy in the area in Bryson and city and.
00:31:27.210 –> 00:31:29.130 Jason Brady: Kelly was.
00:31:31.080 –> 00:31:42.930 Jason Brady: Is intensely involved in all sorts of civic things he was he was it everything is his photographs are any indication he took photographs of all sorts of things like.
00:31:44.700 –> 00:31:50.340 Jason Brady: athletic events scrap metal drives from World War Two.
00:31:51.480 –> 00:31:54.000 Jason Brady: He took thousands of photographs.
00:31:54.090 –> 00:31:58.020 Joseph McElroy: But it ended up being an amateur historian, etc.
00:31:59.070 –> 00:31:59.730 Jason Brady: yeah he was.
00:32:00.090 –> 00:32:02.700 Joseph McElroy: pencil with an intense documentation.
00:32:03.780 –> 00:32:08.220 Jason Brady: yeah and he really knew what he was doing to his photographs are just.
00:32:09.780 –> 00:32:11.220 Jason Brady: brilliantly executed.
00:32:12.660 –> 00:32:19.830 Joseph McElroy: wow you know bomb plot, you know Bob’s video is that he works with these that general manager of ours Meadowlark smoky mountain here is.
00:32:20.460 –> 00:32:34.500 Joseph McElroy: The new Mr. Bennett is a boy, and I visited roast or off of it, he bumps are the grapes and milkshakes and now you’ll never forget the side as Bennett he knows a sort of good marketing there right.
00:32:35.460 –> 00:32:38.520 Jason Brady: yeah It really is, and I doubt it’s wrong.
00:32:39.270 –> 00:32:41.760 Jason Brady: it’s he’s it’s serious.
00:32:43.620 –> 00:32:54.060 Joseph McElroy: So, so he said he took a lot of photographers lot of photographs and he did he took photographs of Horrace right you got some of his photos of Horrace Kephart.
00:32:54.300 –> 00:32:55.320 Jason Brady: Oh yeah.
00:32:56.100 –> 00:32:59.820 Jason Brady: It was amazing at the first just the first run-through.
00:33:01.050 –> 00:33:05.370 Jason Brady: There was were a dozen new photographs of Horrace Kephart that we hadn’t seen.
00:33:06.690 –> 00:33:07.050 Jason Brady: and
00:33:08.100 –> 00:33:20.280 Jason Brady: that’s uncommon I haven’t I’ve only seen one in my career I’ve only seen one previously unknown photo of Horrace Kephart of her and all sudden there’s 12 hours.
00:33:20.640 –> 00:33:22.230 Jason Brady: Day turns out there’s even more.
00:33:23.490 –> 00:33:31.050 Jason Brady: And we haven’t been through all of them, yet so yeah there are tons of new photos of Horrace Kephart in this.
00:33:31.770 –> 00:33:44.190 Joseph McElroy: And then there’s an interesting guy Bob wanted me to ask you about Jack Code Covert, who is a supposed train Boxer about Malfoy referred to him as the practice not What was it, what was the what was this story.
00:33:45.750 –> 00:33:52.380 Jason Brady: He is not from the area but came here when he was a young man and was a.
00:33:54.330 –> 00:34:11.520 Jason Brady: Timberman and land speculator and he was at during the 20s and early 30s he was probably the wealthiest man in the far western counties of North Carolina.
00:34:12.840 –> 00:34:22.290 Jason Brady: And just uh there are so many good stories about jack he and the thing about the stories are when you see photographs on.
00:34:23.340 –> 00:34:29.220 Jason Brady: The person that’s described in the stories or you can tell it’s it’s him.
00:34:30.360 –> 00:34:32.760 Jason Brady: He just comes across in the photos.
00:34:34.110 –> 00:34:37.830 Jason Brady: There, there are some pretty good photos of jack in the.
00:34:38.400 –> 00:34:39.810 Joseph McElroy: photos really matter.
00:34:41.760 –> 00:34:43.260 Jason Brady: Not not not too many.
00:34:44.190 –> 00:34:44.790 Jason Brady: Too many.
00:34:46.200 –> 00:34:47.520 Joseph McElroy: But enough to give a picture.
00:34:48.120 –> 00:34:50.430 Jason Brady: yeah enough to get a picture of jack.
00:34:51.720 –> 00:34:52.050 Jason Brady: The.
00:34:53.220 –> 00:35:01.830 Jason Brady: Always presence, the gar that’s just either dangling from his lips or his fingers and never let.
00:35:04.830 –> 00:35:05.460 Joseph McElroy: So how many.
00:35:06.480 –> 00:35:07.590 Joseph McElroy: How many photos are involved.
00:35:08.280 –> 00:35:10.050 Jason Brady: I don’t have an exact number but.
00:35:12.060 –> 00:35:17.280 Jason Brady: We haven’t done them all it’s it’s I think it’s probably somewhere between three and 4000.
00:35:17.850 –> 00:35:20.580 Joseph McElroy: wow and are you planning an exhibit soon.
00:35:22.110 –> 00:35:32.070 Jason Brady: we’re hoping to have a small exhibit up in our reading room in special collections now but we’re currently going through a swap.
00:35:33.270 –> 00:35:38.610 Jason Brady: Our online content management system is being updated we’re completely redoing it.
00:35:39.900 –> 00:35:51.990 Jason Brady: So we’re having to hold off on some new content on the website until that’s finished and once that’s finished yeah I think I think we’re going to do some.
00:35:53.550 –> 00:35:53.970 Joseph McElroy: don’t.
00:35:54.030 –> 00:35:56.520 Joseph McElroy: know you don’t have yet a big unveiling.
00:35:56.520 –> 00:35:57.270 Joseph McElroy: plan right.
00:35:58.170 –> 00:35:59.100 Jason Brady: No, not yet.
00:36:00.690 –> 00:36:03.090 Jason Brady: We don’t even have them all scanned yet so.
00:36:04.410 –> 00:36:15.840 Jason Brady: we’ve got the first couple thousand scanned and they’ve started going online, but it’s it’s so exciting to see these things it’s just their old but they’re new.
00:36:18.030 –> 00:36:22.980 Joseph McElroy: So you know photos are not only part of what to do, but you also have oral.
00:36:24.690 –> 00:36:38.460 Joseph McElroy: History as well that was really that you use our interviews conducted by the Western North Carolina tomorrow or have you to use black oral History project as part of 100 library special data collection.
00:36:41.100 –> 00:36:45.360 Joseph McElroy: What a fascinating glimpse and experience with African Americans Carolina
00:36:46.170 –> 00:36:48.960 Jason Brady: yeah it’s neat it’s a neat project.
00:36:50.130 –> 00:36:57.240 Jason Brady: Those interviews are they’re all online now and they are they’re really worth a list.
00:36:57.540 –> 00:36:58.920 Joseph McElroy: They they really are.
00:36:59.490 –> 00:37:00.690 Jason Brady: We also collect.
00:37:01.920 –> 00:37:03.690 Jason Brady: letters and.
00:37:05.340 –> 00:37:11.100 Jason Brady: ledger’s business records all sorts of historical materials about the area.
00:37:14.910 –> 00:37:17.280 Joseph McElroy: yeah I think it’s interesting that you discover.
00:37:18.690 –> 00:37:26.670 Joseph McElroy: You know, things that you discover and are able to find this was read this interesting story that you found.
00:37:27.780 –> 00:37:35.160 Joseph McElroy: There was a bunch of photos that appeared in the printed brochure called a remarkable for of the great smoky mountains by.
00:37:36.270 –> 00:37:44.910 Joseph McElroy: By brochure by PWL and published in the 20s and 30s, but you can see these photographs in masses collection.
00:37:45.150 –> 00:37:47.700 Joseph McElroy: So you try and do they really long to you.
00:37:49.110 –> 00:37:55.170 Jason Brady: Right yeah we didn’t know who had taken them and they were in masses.
00:37:56.250 –> 00:38:03.270 Jason Brady: possessions, when he died, and I was doing really it just mundane.
00:38:04.380 –> 00:38:17.700 Jason Brady: Improving inventory kind of work and discovered I I was flipping through this obscure pamphlet and recognize these photographs and.
00:38:19.620 –> 00:38:29.370 Jason Brady: just put a bunch of connections together real fast, but yeah barge Whittier Welles was a botanist at North Carolina State University and provided the photographs for this.
00:38:29.760 –> 00:38:39.690 Jason Brady: This brochure is a remarkable floor of the great smoky mountains and I don’t know how George Masa wound up with the originals but he did.
00:38:40.290 –> 00:38:42.630 Joseph McElroy: And how do you determine who took the.
00:38:44.070 –> 00:38:44.790 Joseph McElroy: figure that out.
00:38:45.360 –> 00:38:45.750 well.
00:38:47.970 –> 00:38:57.090 Jason Brady: First it was he’s credited in the brochure well is credited in the brochure, and then I just started looking at.
00:38:58.770 –> 00:38:59.490 Jason Brady: Other known.
00:39:00.990 –> 00:39:09.210 Jason Brady: works by wells on North Carolina state university’s website and there was no mistaking it was definitely wells.
00:39:11.550 –> 00:39:13.590 Jason Brady: But yeah that was.
00:39:14.610 –> 00:39:16.170 Jason Brady: That was exciting actually.
00:39:17.880 –> 00:39:24.090 Joseph McElroy: That would be exciting, I mean it’s like you know you discover a mystery, in a sense, right.
00:39:25.440 –> 00:39:31.770 Jason Brady: yeah we never knew exactly what these were and there was always lots of speculation, because.
00:39:32.310 –> 00:39:45.960 Jason Brady: They have primitive photoshop these photographs these original somebody has taken a very, very fine paintbrush and lighten the lights and dark and the darks with these photos and they’re beautiful they’re just there.
00:39:47.520 –> 00:39:53.880 Jason Brady: But, but they did that to up the contrast so that they would reproduce well in this brochure and.
00:39:56.490 –> 00:39:57.480 Jason Brady: We always just.
00:39:58.590 –> 00:40:04.650 Jason Brady: a lot of speculation wasn’t they were just art pieces, but it was just preeminent photoshop well.
00:40:04.920 –> 00:40:05.370 cool.
00:40:06.420 –> 00:40:14.940 Joseph McElroy: So are there any other projects you’re working on at the at the at the collections department, they got planned for the future, you can tell us about.
00:40:15.480 –> 00:40:20.280 Jason Brady: Well we’ve had a lot of great donations in the last couple of years.
00:40:21.390 –> 00:40:24.420 Jason Brady: We have been adding them to the digital collections.
00:40:25.530 –> 00:40:26.790 Jason Brady: as fast as we can.
00:40:28.170 –> 00:40:31.230 Jason Brady: And those collections.
00:40:32.790 –> 00:40:34.410 Jason Brady: Many of them are actually.
00:40:35.490 –> 00:40:37.110 Jason Brady: A lot of them are from swine county.
00:40:38.190 –> 00:40:45.330 Jason Brady: we’ve been working closely with the friends of the Bryson city cemetery to identify people in these photographs.
00:40:47.100 –> 00:40:47.550 Jason Brady: and
00:40:48.870 –> 00:40:58.980 Jason Brady: The photos that are coming for the digital collections that are that’s really exciting stuff the French fry photography and.
00:41:00.030 –> 00:41:05.010 Jason Brady: The IK Stern’s photography and of course Kelly Bennett.
00:41:08.040 –> 00:41:16.380 Joseph McElroy: Oh yeah we’re uh yeah it’s been interesting for us and taking them in the motel and we have process of family transitioning things.
00:41:16.710 –> 00:41:22.110 Joseph McElroy: And we found lots of clothes from the 60s and 70s of roadside culture in the mountains, because you know we.
00:41:23.010 –> 00:41:29.190 Joseph McElroy: Meadowlark motels have been around for a long time and it’s really interesting going through all this ancient.
00:41:29.730 –> 00:41:38.010 Joseph McElroy: yeah things to see how life is a change that things are similar I think different what’s the out but what’s happened is a lot of information in there, you know we created to do.
00:41:38.430 –> 00:41:50.280 Joseph McElroy: roadside motel roadside we create a new site for the hotel based upon a picture of the original sign that we happen to find from the like the 60s in school.
00:41:52.380 –> 00:42:01.020 Joseph McElroy: yeah so if somebody wanted to donate something to Western Carolina university how do they go about doing it.
00:42:02.430 –> 00:42:04.710 Jason Brady: Well, they can contact us directly.
00:42:06.360 –> 00:42:08.160 Jason Brady: You can go to.
00:42:11.100 –> 00:42:21.900 Jason Brady: westerns website and follow the quick link to the library and then go to special in digital collections and there’s a sidebar on our website that.
00:42:22.950 –> 00:42:29.670 Jason Brady: says donating your collection and you can just visit that or you can contact me directly.
00:42:31.020 –> 00:42:37.770 Jason Brady: At my email address, which is Jay Brady that’s jbrady@wcu.edu
00:42:38.430 –> 00:42:46.140 Joseph McElroy: Is there any particular types of photos or collections or particular historical period you’re looking for an hour be excited to get.
00:42:47.190 –> 00:42:47.550 Jason Brady: i’m.
00:42:48.570 –> 00:43:08.760 Jason Brady: Not in particular we’re always open to any materials that pertained to regional history and that’s that’s not just Jackson county it’s or Western Carolina University is located, but it’s all the Western counties were very interested in the cultural and.
00:43:10.800 –> 00:43:16.350 Jason Brady: All the history of the region, so if you have letters.
00:43:17.460 –> 00:43:19.350 Jason Brady: or photographs or.
00:43:20.820 –> 00:43:27.000 Jason Brady: Business ledgers or anything pertaining to a place in this area we’re interested in.
00:43:27.540 –> 00:43:36.840 Joseph McElroy: cool well you know we’re gonna take a break now, when we come back we’ll talk about what’s current in this area that you like, and things you know things that you find exciting and interesting.
00:43:37.920 –> 00:43:38.430 Joseph McElroy: All right.
00:43:39.120 –> 00:43:39.480 Jason Brady: All right.
00:45:41.340 –> 00:45:56.640 Joseph McElroy: Audi this is Joseph Franklin McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcast my guest Jason Brady hey Jason that that commercial right reporter about pet lovers of mine that you’re a dog lover what kind of dog do you got.
00:45:57.810 –> 00:46:00.750 Jason Brady: I have four Brittany’s.
00:46:01.380 –> 00:46:04.350 Joseph McElroy: And what you do anything with every just enjoy.
00:46:06.120 –> 00:46:11.070 Jason Brady: I basically just try to keep up with them and keep them from killing themselves.
00:46:13.980 –> 00:46:15.510 Joseph McElroy: You have any other hobbies like that.
00:46:16.890 –> 00:46:19.590 Jason Brady: No pretty much that that keeps me busy.
00:46:21.360 –> 00:46:26.100 Jason Brady: They like the same things I do so it’s a natural fit.
00:46:27.210 –> 00:46:29.250 Joseph McElroy: You go you take them hiking quite a bit.
00:46:30.240 –> 00:46:34.260 Jason Brady: yep every chance I get but not often enough to save them.
00:46:34.950 –> 00:46:39.750 Joseph McElroy: What are some of the favorite hiding places people take a dog with them to go.
00:46:40.890 –> 00:46:44.280 Jason Brady: Well, I don’t have any favorites to speak of.
00:46:45.300 –> 00:46:48.840 Jason Brady: I go all over Nana Halen national forest.
00:46:50.100 –> 00:46:50.520 Jason Brady: and
00:46:51.930 –> 00:47:08.610 Jason Brady: Really, if I was to recommend some places for folks you can just hit the parkway and most of the scenic overlooks the parking areas there are trail ads there’s no shortage there are all kinds of places to go.
00:47:09.060 –> 00:47:17.970 Joseph McElroy: So just getting a car and then go someplace on the parkway and go to go to seem to go blue there’ll be a trailhead there, and you just go yep.
00:47:18.000 –> 00:47:18.690 Jason Brady: pretty much.
00:47:18.840 –> 00:47:19.230 Joseph McElroy: Well it’s.
00:47:19.350 –> 00:47:21.480 Jason Brady: it’s very that’s the best.
00:47:21.930 –> 00:47:22.200 One of the.
00:47:23.280 –> 00:47:23.700 Jason Brady: Nice.
00:47:23.850 –> 00:47:25.530 Joseph McElroy: And, most of them are dog-friendly right.
00:47:27.660 –> 00:47:30.120 Jason Brady: Within with it right at the beginning.
00:47:31.860 –> 00:47:37.290 Jason Brady: If you’re within the bounds of the blue Ridge parkway you have to be leashed but otherwise yeah.
00:47:37.920 –> 00:47:45.000 Joseph McElroy: yeah cool about the great smoky national archives that have dogs in on the trails and hiking in there.
00:47:45.720 –> 00:47:46.830 Jason Brady: They have rules.
00:47:48.630 –> 00:47:49.080 Jason Brady: Careful.
00:47:49.830 –> 00:47:52.020 Joseph McElroy: You said that the rules.
00:47:53.880 –> 00:48:04.350 Jason Brady: You got to be careful about that you got some trails it’s okay to have dogs on a leash but that’s why I spend more time in the national forests.
00:48:05.010 –> 00:48:14.850 Joseph McElroy: Okay cool all right so visitors, be aware that look up the rules of the great smoky mountain National Park, which ones yeah.
00:48:16.500 –> 00:48:17.040 Joseph McElroy: Right.
00:48:17.310 –> 00:48:21.600 Joseph McElroy: yeah So do you do you live in Caney Fork now.
00:48:22.260 –> 00:48:27.960 Jason Brady: No, I don’t I got an opportunity to to buy a home from family members.
00:48:30.240 –> 00:48:32.190 Jason Brady: Close by in cali.
00:48:33.630 –> 00:48:46.620 Joseph McElroy: Cali right yeah so you can just like best Western Carolina university is Hillsborough still a manager that’s a real marquee name for people love it a really good experience.
00:48:47.460 –> 00:49:00.120 Joseph McElroy: yeah one of the things I’d like to talk to my guests about is an active area for somebody who’s visiting your area now what would you do for breakfast Where would you go afterward, with different lives let’s walk, would you be willing to walk through that.
00:49:00.840 –> 00:49:07.140 Jason Brady: Sure um well, one of the fixtures in silver for breakfast is a coffee shop.
00:49:09.270 –> 00:49:14.700 Joseph McElroy: coffee shop is great that sounds like a place i’ve got to go what’s your favorite food there.
00:49:16.080 –> 00:49:22.080 Jason Brady: they’ve got everything, basically, I mean it’s a classic diner kind of situation.
00:49:23.160 –> 00:49:23.760 Jason Brady: Whatever you want.
00:49:24.360 –> 00:49:24.960 Joseph McElroy: And what.
00:49:25.620 –> 00:49:27.870 Joseph McElroy: What do you do, what would you do after breakfast.
00:49:29.100 –> 00:49:30.540 Jason Brady: Oh well.
00:49:35.280 –> 00:49:40.470 Jason Brady: My standard answer is you set up the woods, but you know that’s what I always do.
00:49:40.980 –> 00:49:45.600 Joseph McElroy: Oh yes, what would you recommend the guests visit what’s The thing that should see in the morning.
00:49:46.800 –> 00:49:48.060 Jason Brady: Well um.
00:49:49.770 –> 00:49:53.100 Jason Brady: You definitely want to spend some time on the parkway.
00:49:54.690 –> 00:50:00.630 Jason Brady: that’s that’s you’re never going to run out of time up there that’s a wonderful place to go.
00:50:02.550 –> 00:50:03.120 Jason Brady: And then.
00:50:04.950 –> 00:50:05.400 Jason Brady: You know.
00:50:06.420 –> 00:50:11.790 Jason Brady: You can always make your way back down to civilization for lunch.
00:50:13.710 –> 00:50:16.440 Jason Brady: And I like South of Philly.
00:50:17.490 –> 00:50:22.050 Jason Brady: In the Jackson Plaza the in the Plaza and silver where.
00:50:23.640 –> 00:50:28.230 Jason Brady: The movie theater and ABC store or at.
00:50:29.760 –> 00:50:33.720 Jason Brady: South Phillies great place for lunch sandwiches.
00:50:35.310 –> 00:50:36.210 Joseph McElroy: philly cheesesteak.
00:50:36.870 –> 00:50:38.040 Jason Brady: yep they sure do.
00:50:38.460 –> 00:50:38.880 Jason Brady: A lot of.
00:50:40.530 –> 00:50:41.970 Joseph McElroy: belly was known for its effects.
00:50:44.040 –> 00:50:45.030 Jason Brady: it’s a good place.
00:50:47.610 –> 00:50:49.200 Jason Brady: And i’m.
00:50:50.940 –> 00:50:55.260 Jason Brady: Something later on, if you feel like something special.
00:50:56.970 –> 00:51:05.070 Jason Brady: The frogs leap in Waynesville is wonderful I haven’t gotten over there recently but.
00:51:06.930 –> 00:51:11.700 Jason Brady: All the times I’ve been there it’s just been very special, though.
00:51:12.510 –> 00:51:20.910 Joseph McElroy: And if you were someone somebody do something afternoon, what would you tell them you take that trade out of Hillsborough or what would you ever do.
00:51:21.060 –> 00:51:24.120 Jason Brady: Oh sure yeah that’s always a good thing to do.
00:51:25.140 –> 00:51:27.840 Jason Brady: And while you’re waiting, you can go to the innovation station.
00:51:28.320 –> 00:51:29.280 Jason Brady: yeah those were.
00:51:30.780 –> 00:51:31.410 Jason Brady: Which is.
00:51:33.930 –> 00:51:38.100 Jason Brady: Innovation let’s face it, this is the best brewery in western North Carolina.
00:51:41.460 –> 00:51:43.980 Joseph McElroy: boogeyman bear water by good disagree with you.
00:51:45.120 –> 00:51:45.900 Jason Brady: There free to.
00:51:46.110 –> 00:51:46.830 yeah.
00:51:48.120 –> 00:51:59.520 Jason Brady: Now innovations they’re great they’ve got three locations they’ve got the one in Hillsborough the innovation station there’s one on Main Street and Silva and there’s also wanted Western.
00:52:00.870 –> 00:52:05.760 Jason Brady: They have a smaller location in noble hall
00:52:06.270 –> 00:52:10.170 Joseph McElroy: that’s pretty cool then that evening what’s the best place to get some anything.
00:52:12.660 –> 00:52:15.270 Jason Brady: I’m probably not the best to ask for that.
00:52:17.130 –> 00:52:18.240 Joseph McElroy: What are you heard.
00:52:18.660 –> 00:52:20.520 Jason Brady: I don’t get out much but I’m
00:52:21.990 –> 00:52:23.790 Jason Brady: Actually, a Asheville.
00:52:24.930 –> 00:52:26.100 Joseph McElroy: Oh gosh was always.
00:52:26.160 –> 00:52:27.270 Joseph McElroy: A good place to go for that.
00:52:27.480 –> 00:52:28.080 stuff.
00:52:29.700 –> 00:52:33.870 Jason Brady: But I’m sure there are some venues around here.
00:52:35.970 –> 00:52:36.510 Jason Brady: I just.
00:52:37.650 –> 00:52:39.090 Jason Brady: I’m a homebody in the evening.
00:52:39.600 –> 00:52:42.390 Joseph McElroy: Well I’ll recommend the speakeasy at the Meadowlark Motel.
00:52:44.160 –> 00:52:44.880 Jason Brady: There you go.
00:52:45.150 –> 00:52:47.160 Jason Brady: There you go right to check that out yeah.
00:52:47.580 –> 00:52:58.020 Joseph McElroy: underground speakeasy so cool so I appreciate you being the guest, is there any other shoutouts and want to give any kind of Facebook social media want to mention or.
00:52:59.820 –> 00:53:02.610 Joseph McElroy: Anything that you want to promote that last minute it’s happening.
00:53:04.140 –> 00:53:05.550 Jason Brady: i’m just just.
00:53:07.080 –> 00:53:09.900 Jason Brady: appreciation for for Western and.
00:53:11.940 –> 00:53:14.910 Jason Brady: enabling us to do what we do, oh.
00:53:15.480 –> 00:53:21.180 Joseph McElroy: Well, I appreciate it it’s been good it’s been a good, very good time talking with you.
00:53:21.900 –> 00:53:39.420 Joseph McElroy: know this podcast is part of the talk NYC radio network and then every week, they have multiple daily live talks shows about different aspects of culture and media and business and life.
00:53:40.290 –> 00:53:55.650 Joseph McElroy: Right after this one is usually a pretty good podcast about, and you know, being in New York and things to do in New York, so I recommend you stick around and listen to the show afterward it’s a great thing and listen to other shows on this network.
00:53:57.750 –> 00:54:02.820 Joseph McElroy: I want to mention that Meadowlark motel is going on a weekday getaway special.
00:54:03.810 –> 00:54:12.300 Joseph McElroy: Which is visit Maggie Valley in the heart of the great smoky for three nights getaway arriving on Sunday or Monday and you’ll get one night three.
00:54:12.870 –> 00:54:22.440 Joseph McElroy: it’s a great opportunity to really explore the mountains winter is actually a special time when you walk through the hiking trails.
00:54:23.040 –> 00:54:29.820 Joseph McElroy: You can get better views because there are no liens and your way you get some spectacular views of the mountains.
00:54:30.180 –> 00:54:41.310 Joseph McElroy: And now’s a really good time for its sort of a quiet time right now, so you can get trails and it’s very quiet and you can really have a sort of exam experience smoking’s at this time of year I love it.
00:54:42.480 –> 00:54:52.020 Joseph McElroy: So come on a visit us to do that, you find out more about this podcast that gateway to the smokies. fun, we have a newsletter you can subscribe to there.
00:54:52.500 –> 00:55:09.090 Joseph McElroy: And also it’s all the previous podcasts and alignment and the videos that we did we also have a Facebook page facebook.com/gatewaytothesmokiespodcast, where we will this, is broadcast live every Tuesday from six to seven.
00:55:10.530 –> 00:55:21.750 Joseph McElroy: So you know, be sure to visit that we’re going to have probably one more live podcast this month and its reruns and then come back at the end of January, the whole new.
00:55:22.470 –> 00:55:30.960 Joseph McElroy: a whole new program of podcasts We look forward to having you here so again Tuesday’s six or seven I’ll see you next week.
00:55:32.040 –> 00:55:35.610 Joseph McElroy: appreciate your listening to us ciao.
