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2024 01 H Lee WatersDAVIE DOSSIER Issued by Davie County Historical and Genealogical Society Mocksville,North Carolina January 2024,Issue 1 H.L ee Waters Davie Dossier,January 2024 page 1 DAVIE COUNTY HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY President,Linda Leonard Vice President,Marcia Phillips Secretary,Rachel Nelson Treasurer,Marie Craig Dossier Editor,Marie Craig Webmaster,Marie Craig Websites for Davie County Research: Our Website:https://sites.google.com/view/dchgs Description of books and maps for sale:https://sites.google.com/view/dchgsbooksmaps FamilySearch Wiki for Davie: http://wiki.familysearch.org/en/Davie_County%2C_North_Carolina FamilySearch records for Davie: https://www.familysearch.org/search/catalog/results?count=20&placeId=191015&query=%2Bplace%3A%22United%2 0States%2C%20North%20Carolina%2C%20Davie%22 Davie County GenWeb:http://ncgenweb.us/davie/ Davie County Public Library:https://www.daviecountync.gov/1162/Local-History-and-Genealogy Genealogy data in newspapers,Bibles,Daniel Boone Family info,church history,and Flossie Martin records. Back issues (1987-2023)and index of the Davie Dossier are online at https://docs.daviecountync.gov/WebLink/Browse.aspx?id=183042&dbid=1&repo=DavieCounty&cr=1 FindAGrave for Davie County: https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/search?name=&locationId=county_1680&page=1#cem-2640813 Digital Davie:https://www.digitalnc.org/exhibits/digital-davie/ Cemeteries in Davie:http://cemeterycensus.com/nc/davie/ Map of cemeteries:https://cemeterycensus.com/cemgps2.htm?cnty=nc/davie/ CONFERENCES National Genealogical Society:Virtual Family History Conference,May 16-18,“Expanding Possibilities”,Save $25 through Jan.31 https://conference.ngsgenealogy.org RootsTech:29 February -2 March 2024,online and at Salt Lake City.https://www.rootstech.org.Archived online. North Carolina Genealogical Society has webinars on Wednesdays.https://www.ncgenealogy.org/webinars/ Davie Dossier,January 2024 page 2 H.Lee Waters 23 August 1902 -15 September 1997 He died at 95 and is buried in Lexington City Cemetery,Davidson County,NC. He was married to Mable G.Waters (23 April 1908 -8 June 1974) “H.Lee Waters operated a photography studio on Main Street in Lexington,North Carolina for more than 60 years.For most of that time,his work covered the standard range of commercial still photography - weddings,portraits,school groups.But during the lean years of the late Depression Waters hit the road with a 16mm camera and projector and created "Movies of Local People."These short silent films were shown in movie theaters as a special attraction,and were a commercial and artistic success.In the mill towns and small cities of the Textile Belt,thousands of people saw themselves and their communities on the big screen.Waters made "Movies of Local People"from the summer of 1936 to the summer of 1942,shooting more than 250 shows in 118 different towns.Most were in North Carolina,with some in South Carolina,a few in Virginia,and one in Tennessee.Waters developed a fluid and expressive style,and the films feature an often vivacious depiction of community life along with beautiful portraits and some "small town symphony"special effects.” from https://www.folkstreams.net/films/cameraman-has-visited-our-town “Waters began making his films during the Depression when his studio photography business in Lexington,NC,declined.He traveled to the surrounding towns with a 16-mm camera to make what he called "Movies of Local People."He followed the same script in every town,setting up his camera in front of the local textile factory to film the workers as they arrived at the beginning of a shift and as they left at the end of the day;setting up in front of the local schools and,with the cooperation of the teachers,filming all of the children as they filed in front of the camera;and capturing the activity at the busiest intersection in town.Sometimes,for a fee,he would also make a visual record for storekeepers of their merchandise. “After editing the footage in Lexington,Waters returned to each town two weeks later with the finished film and promotional materials that invited the townspeople to come to the local movie theater to see themselves on the big screen.In his business ledgers,of which the library has a complete photocopy,Waters meticulously noted the dates and the theaters where the movies were shown,the number of people attending each show,the various ticket prices,and occasionally the name of the feature film that played on the same program.”from description of Duke University collection of Waters’films image of Waters and his 16mm movie camera Short video about Waters: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3rY2a2jamA 1.5 minutes Longer video: https://www.folkstreams.net/films/cameraman-has-visited-our-town 20 minutes These were created in 1989 while Waters was still living,and he is interviewed. Davie Dossier,January 2024 page 3 One of the areas visited by Waters was Davie County.The original format of the movie would have been reels of silent,black and white,16 mm,movie film.This would have been only 0.63 inches wide. Someone changed these reels into VHS format.Davie County Public Library owned two of these big cassettes. About the time that this technology was becoming obsolete,I had a magic machine that would change VHS to DVD.I was asked to edit these and produce DVDs.The county has placed them on YouTube,and they are available to all.The small size film,the various transitions,and the length of time has decreased the quality,but they are still wonderful to watch.Whoever made the VHS version had non-related music backgrounds added to these silent films.When you watch them,I would recommend muting your computer so that you can enjoy them as video only as our Davie citizens did about 85 years ago when they went to the movie theater in Mocksville.Perhaps they were also shown at the big auditorium at Cooleemee High School. They are rather random in context --school band to factory to downtown views of Mocksville and Cooleemee to character study of people who had never been in a movie.In analyzing which schools were shown,I did research about which schools were operating 1938 -1942.History of Davie County Schools showed these positive results: Page 189:Mocksville High School opened September 8,1924. Page 183:Cherry Street school had its first graduation in 1911. [A house across the street in the video is still standing and looks just the same.] Page 76:Farmington High School operated from 1919 to 1956. Page 92:Smith Grove was built in 1923. Page 119:Cooleemee Rosenwald School was built in 1925.[This was before integration.] Page 126:Cooleemee brick school was built in 1923. Page 154:Mocksville Colored High School,the second Rosenwald school in Davie,was built in 1923 and renamed Davie County Training School in 1939 because of teacher training at the school. Page 226:Shady Grove,the brick building,was built in 1924. Two Videos on YouTube Video One:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J3njUVt9Fw&t=367s,48 minutes. Identified information follows: 1:00 Mocksville High School band 3:39 Shady Grove school 5:11 The year 38 written on a basketball 6:00 Cooleemee school 8:50 Farmington 10:00 People at Mocksville square 11:04 ?Where is this building? 12:45 Mocksville High School 13:00 Cherry Street School;First Bapt.Ch. 14:13 Davie Training School 15:50 People on Mocksville square 16:02 Pure Oil;Kurfees Paint 16:20 Pearson Law School across the street 17:02 Cooleemee old square 19:00 Mill workers,men and women 25:48 C.C.Sanfords in Cooleemee 28:16 A-models on Mocksville square 31:20 Farmington school 32:50 Mocksville Chair Factory 34:38 Davie County Court House 35:00 American Cafe 37:36 Mocksville Chair Factory 39:20 Smith Grove School 42:33 Yo yos 43:00 Davie Training School 46:30 Fast ride through town Davie Dossier,January 2024 page 4 Video Two:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm9IyoBk9Rw&t=233s,52 minutes 1:00 People in Cooleemee 2:00 Cools baseball team 7:00 Cooleemee school 9:00 Cooleemee mill employees 12:40 School library 13:42 Typing class 15:04 Mr.Wall at Cooleemee school 15:28 Mocksville High School 20:30 Cherry Street school 22:30 Yo yos 22:58 Children 23:00 Cooleemee children at home 27:43 Dog riding bike 28:00 Pet monkey! 29:37 Swimming pool at Cooleemee 30:03 Lake;Bullhole 32:00 Children 33:07 Sawmill 34:35 Old cars 35:36 Cooleemee old downtown 38:52 Long shot of downtown 39:25 Davie courthouse 41:28 Old timers 42:06 Davie Cafe 43:14 Davie Training School 45:03 Cooleemee school 48:01 ?Big building in the background? 48:39 Home Economics 49:33 Shop class Cultural Value of Films Even though there is no audio and the images are not really sharp,it’s still interesting to see people from 85 years ago in everyday situations such as these.A serious videographer could edit this and put all the Mocksville High School images together,for example.They would also remove the sound track which is distracting.The title that the person put on the VHS tapes is 1938 to 1944,but one of the articles stated that he did this from “the summer of 1936 to the summer of 1942.” The video of interviewing him also uses 1936 -1942.He describes 1942 as increased business as the Depression was ending but WWII was happening.Military persons and families came to his studio to have images to remember each other as they were separated by war. Historian Jim Rumley made a study of the Cooleemee sections of these two videos and made stop action shots which he attempted to identify. Photographer and filmmaker H.Lee Waters displayed these words on a plaque in his studio,conveying his role as preserver of the world around him: I turn the pages of the Book of Memory.I bring you thoughts of past years and old-time friends.I keep forever green the happy hours of childhood.I dull the pangs of bereavement and blunt the edge of the Grim Reaper's scythe.Though men may pass and empires crumble to dust,my magic will preserve their likeness for future generations.-Charles Abel Davie Dossier,January 2024 page 5 To Learn More To view Waters’films from other towns,search YouTube for “H.Lee Waters.” To view other towns in North Carolina filmed by Waters at the North Carolina Archive Website,click on https://archive.org/search?query=creator%3A%22Waters%2C+H.+Lee.%22. DigitalNC also has films to view online:https://www.digitalnc.org/exhibits/hleewaters/ Duke University’s collection online: https://archives.lib.duke.edu/catalog/watershlee_aspace_5cb7006e6ded9e3b541076baaedbaeb1 Our State magazine article about Waters:Interview with his daughter https://www.ourstate.com/h-lee-waters-photographer/ Davidson County Historical Museum has many items and photographs of Waters.Their Website featuring him: https://www.hleewaters-photography.com/about-hleewaters Davidson County Historical Museum:H.Lee Waters Photography Collection 2 S.Main St,Lexington,NC 27292 •(336)242-2035 •Tues-Fri 10a-4p •Sat 10a to 3p Farmington chair factory early ads Mr.Wall,Cooleemee Davie Dossier,January 2024 page 6 BOOKS,MAPS FOR SALE,postage and tax included;check to DCHGS,371 North Main St.,Mocksville NC 27028 Description of books and maps for Davie:https://sites.google.com/view/dchgsbooksmaps Title Author Total Cost #Cost Davie County.A Brief History,paperback James W.Wall,128 pages $6.50 The Boone Families in Davie County Wall,Howell Boone,Flossie Martin $8.00 Davie County Marriages 1836-1900 Nancy K.Murphy $25.00 Davie County Marriages 1901-1959 Nancy K.Murphy $25.00 Davie County Cemeteries,a 2-volume set D.C.Historical/Gen.Soc.$55.00 1850 Federal Census-Davie County Forsyth Genealogical Society $15.00 1860 Federal Census-Davie County Nancy K.Murphy and Everette Sain $20.00 1870 Federal Census-Davie County Nancy K.Murphy and Everette Sain $20.00 POSTCARDS OF DAVIE COUNTY SCENES,(set of 8)$2.50 Maps:Prices below,postage is $5,mailing tube is $2;example:all 4 maps cost $12 Lagle Land Grant Map,$2 Hughes Historical Map,1700's,drawn in 1977,$1 J.T.Alderman Map,1887,$1 Wilson F.Merrell Map,1928,$1 Davie County Heritage Book,cost is $45;Make check to Davie Co.Heritage Book.371 N.Main St.,Mocksville NC 27028 The Historic Architecture of Davie County,$13;History of Davie County,hardback,by James W.Wall,$13. Make check to Davie County Public Library.371 N.Main St.,Mocksville NC 27028 Davie County History Books by Marie Craig.Check to Marie Craig,139 Sterling Dr.,Mocksville NC 27028: .History of Davie County Schools,318 pages,has photos,locations,longitude/latitude,names of students,and teachers. There is an 18 page index of 3,222 names.318 pages.$43 .Davie County in World War One,670 biographies of Davie men and women who served,photographs,old letters,description of military bases,and extensive index.400 pages.$45 .Davie County Veterans’Memorial,has lists of all war deaths,biographies and photos of WW2,Korean,Vietnam,and Beirut Bombing deaths.Tom Ferebee’s talk at the dedication in 1987.190 pages.$33. .Remembering Davie County Protection and Service Personnel,contains biographies of the five law enforcement personnel who died on duty and also photos and descriptions of the monument erected in their memory.Paperback,14 pages.$17. .Davie County in the Spanish-American War,biographies of the 15 men who served in this war and the Philippines.65 pages.$20 .Mary Ellen’s Diary,1924,the fictitious diary of a twelve year old girl in 1924 in Mocksville.Included are clippings and illustrations to verify the events.Paperback.49 pages.$15. .Composite Index of Davie County History Books.The indexes of 16 Davie County history books are combined.17,000 entries. Order from:Lulu.com.Search for book title. .Davie Doctors Born Before 1900,biographies of 79 doctors.Hardback,125 pages,$25. .Davie Sheriffs,information about 30 sheriffs.Hardback,143 pages,$25. Looking Back at Davie County II by Charles Crenshaw and Ron Smith.$45.Mail orders to Charles Crenshaw, 421 Park Avenue,Mocksville NC 27028 .Davie County Mavericks,Four Men Who Changed History by Marcia Phillips,Daniel Boone,Hinton Helper,Thomas Ferebee, and Peter Ney in Davie County.$25.Mail orders:Marcia Phillips,189 West Church Street,Mocksville NC 27028. .Historic Shallow Ford in Yadkin Valley,by Marcia Phillips.$30.same address. Eatons Baptist Church Cemetery in Davie County,North Carolina by Pat Mason.A book which lists all burials through June 2020.Dates,obituaries and articles are included.$30.Pat Mason,295 Griffith Road,Advance NC 27006. Davie Dossier,January 2024 page 7 Davie County Historical and Genealogical Society 371 North Main Street Mocksville NC 27028 If you would like to receive your Dossier as a PDF attachment in an E-mail instead of a paper copy, please send an E-mail message to the editor at dchgslist@gmail.com. Please state “E-mail my Dossier instead of mailing a paper copy”and include your E-mail address.This saves money,time,postage,effort,and paper. The number beside your name,above,shows the year for which you last paid $5 dues.Example:if you have a 23 by your name,you have paid dues through 2023.DUES CAN BE PAID FOR 2024 NOW. MEMBERSHIP for a calendar year is still just $5.00/year.Life Membership is $100 per person. We are 501(c)(3)and dues are tax deductible. Below is a registration form for your use;checks,payable to the Society. DAVIE COUNTY HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY (DCHGS) Davie County Public Library,371 Main Street Mocksville,North Carolina 27028 NAME ________________________________________________________________________ ADDRESS _____________________________________________________________________ E-MAIL ADDRESS ______________________________________________________________ Send my copy by E-mail instead of paper;yes,no Davie Dossier,January 2024 page 8