American War Mothers Scrapbook

The Gaston County Chapter of American War Mothers History is now available online.

This history from 1920 through 1978 was compiled by Chapter Historian, Mrs. (Howard) Rettie H. Wilson. She recorded the organization's activities which were based on objects stated in their 1920 charter.

Mrs. Howard H Wilson, Chapter Historian

The Gaston County Chapter was organized at the home of Mrs. A. A. McLean on September 29, 1917 with 26 members.The original charter was granted by Congress on November 22, 1920.

Some of the stated objectives of the Chapter were "to work for the welfare of the army and navy; to assist in every way men and women who served and were wounded or incapacitated in the World War."

The Chapter donated money, food, and clothing to military hospitals and Veteran's families. They also adopted a ward at Oteen Public Health Service Hospital in Oteen, N.C., near Asheville, in 1920, and donated to the construction of a guesthouse in 1949 where the relatives of patients could stay.

Gaston County War Mothers Memorial, S. Belvedere Ave. & E. Franklin Blvd., 1963

Members sold Forget-me-not flowers every year to help support disabled veterans at Oteen. They also held a memorial service annually on Memorial Day. Monuments and markers were placed throughout Gaston County by War Mother Chapters as memorials to World War veterans. Locations by the Gaston County Chapter include the marble monument in Gaston Memorial Park Cemetery erected in 1956, and the marker at the corner of S. Belvedere Ave. and E. Franklin Blvd.

Sources:

Separk, Joseph H. (Joseph Henry), b. 1872. Gastonia and Gaston County, North Carolina: past, present, future. Gastonia, NC: Joseph H. Separk, 1936.

Gaston County Chapter American War Mothers History. Compiled by (Mrs. Howard M.) Pettie H. Wilson. History from 1920 through Oct. 1977-Sept. 1978.

Brian Brown, Librarian, Local History & Genealogy

We're Booked Up

It's the 2nd season finale of We're Booked Up! The Second Annual Voticed Awards! Kendall, Andrew, and Angelique discuss the best and worst of the books they've read this season and decide which ones deserve to be Voticed™.

Use the player below to listen or search for Gaston Speaks on your preferred podcast app! After listening, let us know what you think. Who was your Ben?

And don't forget to check out Comic-Con!

Library Scrapbooks Added to Digital History Collection

In addition to the previous scrapbook, Mount Holly Library Scrapbook Read All About It, we have recently uploaded two more library branch scrapbooks:

From Old To New, Mount Holly Library Branch Scrapbook includes photographs before and after the renovation of the library branch, summer reading in 1988 and 1989, opening day on June 6, 1989, and dedication and open house on August 6, 1989.

Mount Holly Branch, Summer Reading 1989


Mount Holly Branch, "Join Rex and Reada" Summer Reading 1988

Union Road Library Scrapbook.

The Union Road Library "scrapbook includes photographs, meeting agendas, fundraiser publicity, informational pamphlets, and official letters documenting the approval and construction of the Union Road library branch. The photographs include the construction, first patrons, and staff members as they worked to get the branch operational. The scrapbook was digitized in 2020 by Union Road library staff in preparation for their 20th year of service celebration. Unfortunately, the celebration was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, but many of the materials had already been made." [Union Road Scrapbook, June 4, 2000: Local History and Genealogy Item Tracking and Metadata Form by Maddie Moore, 6-14-2022]