Mountain Gateway Museum introduces exchange students to WNC’s pioneer heritage

Press release:

Mountain Gateway Museum Hosts Danish Students Nov. 9

OLD FORT, N.C. — About 30 Danish exchange students visiting McDowell High School will learn about the pioneer life in western North Carolina next week. In the Mountain Gateway Museum’s authentic 1800s log cabins they will learn of life without electricity or central heating, and how the coming of railroads changed the town. Mountain Gateway is one of three stops during the Nov. 9 student tour of the area.

“Kelli Grindstaff, one of the teachers at the high school, wanted the students who live near the German border to see some local historical sites,” explains Mountain Gateway Museum Director RoAnn Bishop, “and asked me to set that up.”

The students will start the day at the high school and first visit Historic Carson House near Marion. They will learn about early McDowell County history and about the Carson family that influenced the county’s early development.

At the next stop at Mountain Gateway Museum, students will learn about the Joara/Fort San Juan archaeological site in Burke County and also see artifacts from the site of a Native American village named Joara. A Spanish garrison called Fort San Juan was established alongside the village in 1567. The students will learn about Native American life, their trade and contact with the Spanish settlers.

Life in the mid-1700s at nearby Davidson’s Fort, and the duties and hardships of militia men, will be shared by re-enactors from the fort. Life in mid to late 1800s will be explored in Mountain Gateway’s cabins, including the arrival of the railroad in 1869. The students also will see a film and exhibits at the museum, including one on barbecue.

After lunch the students will have a quick tour of the town’s Old Fort Depot Museum before going on to Andrew’s Geyser. They will also visit Catawba Falls, headwaters of the Catawba River, weather permitting.

“Western North Carolina has a rich history which we’re proud to share with the exchange students,” Bishop observes. “We hope they will return home and share their experiences with friends and family. We hope they’ll come back and learn even more. We’d love to have them!”

For additional information, please call. Mountain Gateway is part of the Division of State History Museums within the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state’s natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. Led by Secretary Susan Kluttz, NCDNCR’s mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state’s history, conserving the state’s natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.

NCDNCR includes 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, two science museums, three aquariums and Jennette’s Pier, 39 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C. Zoo, the nation’s first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, State Preservation Office and the Office of State Archaeology, along with the Division of Land and Water Stewardship. For more information, please call (919) 807-7300 or visit www.ncdcr.gov.