Celebrate the 100th anniversary of North Carolina’s state parks on Saturday

In 1916, Mount Mitchell became North Carolina’s first state park. This year, the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources celebrates the centennial of the state park system, which now encompasses dozens of parks and recreation areas.

Centennial events have been happening at parks across the state throughout the year. The signature centennial event will be held this Saturday at Mount Mitchell State Park — and the North Carolina Collection will be there!

We’ll host a special display dedicated to the mountain’s namesake, Elisha Mitchell, showcasing Mitchell’s pocket watch.

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For more on the significance of the pocket watch in Mitchell’s life and death, read our June Artifact of the Month post.

We’re looking forward to celebrating this milestone in our state’s history. If you’ll be nearby, we’d love to see you there!

‘Horatio Alger story’ of Harriet Jacobs to be shot in Edenton

“EDENTON — About 40 young women came out to Swain Auditorium in response to an open casting call to portray on camera Edenton-born  Harriet Jacobs.

“Stacey Harkless, the film’s producer, said she would love to see a three-night miniseries.

“Much of the story [will be filmed] in Edenton, because the town is an important part of the story, and it would be expensive  to recreate its locations elsewhere.

“Harkless said the film will focus on the role faith plays in Jacobs’ story and will not include graphic depictions of violence or sex.

“Harkless said she read ‘Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl’ and was struck by its emotional power. It was difficult to believe, she said, that the book had not already been adapted as a movie. [It does have a history as a stage production.]

“Harkless stressed that the film was not envisioned as a ‘whip and chains epic’: ‘It’s a Horatio Alger story It started in slavery, but it ended with her becoming one of the most incredible people on the planet.’”

— From “Casting call busy for movie on Jacobs” by Reggie Ponder at the Chowan Herald (Aug. 21)