Once Upon a Time: Telling Times / Murray's Mill

With a historic home, mill and general store acting as the backdrop, visitors are entertained by riveting stories of American Indians, African-Americans, Colonial times and ghosts. Young imaginations are invited to run wild.

Every spring, the Catawba County Historical Association draws storytellers from throughout the Southeast to the annual Catawba Valley Storytelling Festival. The event brings musical theatrics, re-enactments and one-of-a-kind stories to the children of the Foothills. Held at the Murray's Mill Historic District in Catawba, this year's festival will be the sixth, welcoming more than 1,500 second- and third-graders and 25 or so storytellers. The children, spread across the historic grounds and around its 27-acre pond, sit and listen to the teller's tales. Ron Gulledge and his wife Brooks have been professional storytellers for 10 years. They've performed at festivals in both North and South Carolina. When the spring storytelling festival was first proposed, the historical association asked Gulledge, because of his extensive experience, to serve on the planning committee.

Gulledge is probably best know for his "Jack Tales," an assortment of narratives from the
Southern Appalachians passed through generations that tell the adventures of a boy named Jack. As for the other stories and narrators, Gulledge says, "There are as many types as there are tellers: Native American tales, ghost stories, personal stories, religious stories, multi-cultural stories."

Guests, according to Gulledge, are initially amazed to see 1,500 to 1,700 children spread out over a beautiful site, listening to one of the oldest forms of communication in the world. He is proud that "oral tradition" is still relevant and keeps children's attention without the help of electronics.

In addition to hosting the Storytelling Festival, Murray's Mill also offers visitors a glimpse into the past. With four restored buildings, available for guided and walkthrough tours, this historic site is open March through December.

The most dominant structure on the property is the four-story grain mill, first built in 1912 then expanded in 1916. Once owned and run by three generations of the Murray family, the mill now offers a rare look at rural Catawba County heritage. Almost all of the mill is the original design, including the machines and large millstones which grind local corn and wheat once a year, said mill Curator Jason Toney.

For a fun trip back in time, visit the restored Murray and Minges General Store. The store predates the mill by 22 years. Still operating, the two-story building is stocked with everything from penny candy, jams and toys to books, local pottery and quilts. Children and adults alike will enjoy the old fashioned soda fountain, soon to be in operation.

Murray's Mill also hosts the Harvest Folk Festival each year in September. From a Civil War re-enactment, petting zoo and molasses making to local pottery, quilting and woodcarvers, guests can expect a wide array of activities. Visitors also sit on the lawn and enjoy bluegrass music, shop in the General Store or tour the mill and the John Murray House. For more information about Murray's Mill Historic District and the Catawba Valley Story Telling Festival visit www.catawbahistory.org.

by Beth J. Hardy