Category: Postcards

Since 1934, thousands of Canadian geese have been flying south to Ansonville, N.C. to spend the winter at Lockhart Gaddy’s Wild Geese Refuge.

Gaddy was born in Anson County, and worked as a naturalist.  He planted special grains and enlarged the lake on his property in order to attract more geese as they flew South.  Gaddy died of a heart attack in 1953 as he was feeding the geese.

The refuge was a popular attraction for tourists and school field trips, and in a pamphlet dated at or after 1972, the admission fee was listed as 75 cents for adults and 50 cents for children.  Gaddy’s refuge was later folded into the Pee Dee National Wildlife Refuge in 1963.

The Dismal Swamp Canal opened in 1805, and was the first man-made waterway in America.  The canal, which runs between Deep Creek, VA, and South Mills, NC, has a rather long and storied history:  Discussions between North Carolina and Virginia regarding the construction of the canal began as early 1730.  Several founding fathers weighed in on the matter, including Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington. Construction began in 1793, working from both the Virginia and North Carolina ends.  In 1805, they met in the middle and the canal was completed.

The canal played a role in the War of 1812, but later faced competition from the railroads and was almost destroyed in the Civil War.  In the late 19th Century, the canal developed a reputation as a haven for elopers, runaway slaves, and outlaws.

This real photo postcard from ca. 1904-1918 shows Nordel Hill, the log home owned by Dr. Elizabeth “Delia” Dixon-Carroll and her husband, Dr. Norwood G. Carroll.   ‘Nordel’ was a portmanteau of the couple’s first names, Delia and Norwood.

Nordel Hill was located in the Bloomsbury section of Raleigh, both Dr. Dixon-Carroll and her husband worked in Raleigh.  Dr. Dixon-Carroll was the first physician at Meredith College and the first practicing female medical praticioner in Raleigh, and her husband was a dentist.

Elizabeth’s older brother Thomas Dixon, Jr. wrote The Clansman in 1905, which was adapted into the movie The Birth of a Nation in 1915.

Just as sanitariums existed before the advent of the railroad but became increasingly more prevalent and popular after a well-established railroad presence in the state, healing springs and spas enjoyed a similar vogue.  Some spas advertised their accessibility by listing which popular rail lines were located nearby and by providing coach service from the rail road station to the resort.

There were baths, spas, and springs located in many counties, but they were particularly concentrated in Western North Carolina, the Piedmont, and the Sandhills region.  Different types of springs boasted different services and medicinal properties:  some mineral waters were meant for bathing, some were meant for drinking and food preparation, and others were for both.  Some spas were seasonal, while others were year-round.

These spas featured luxurious accommodations, including hotel buildings with large verandas and balconies were popular, and spring houses and pavilions allowed visitors to enjoy the outdoors with comfort.  In addition to different therapeutic services, the resorts also provided different social and recreational activities for their guests, including music, dancing, games, and outdoor activities.  Cooking and cuisine were also a big draw for these resorts, and the chef’s name and style is sometimes advertised.

In a NC Historical Review article about Catawba Springs, Chalmers G. Davidson writes, “the therapeutic value of the Springs was constantly played up in the journals, although there is little evidence that the healing of more than ennui was accomplished” (1951).

You can view more images of springhouses in the NC Postcard Collection here.