Fun story: When I worked for a TV station, I got to ride in the news helicopter one time. We were up covering something, and it was lunchtime, and the pilot said "Hey, let's eat there," and pointed out some roadside diner in Midland. So we landed in a farm field a few hundred feet away, had lunch, walked back out, and flew away in the chopper, much to the bewilderment of, like, everyone in that establishment.
Surprised that didn't get local lore treatment especially in Midland. Would ask some of the old-timers but hard to find them anymore. Most likely the Midlander (defunct) or Sundae Shop drive-up at crossroads (still booming).
I'm almost positive it was the Midlander. I don't remember the name, but I just pulled up that place's location on Google maps and judging by the location and Google Street View, I'm prettty confident that was it. We had to walk a little ways to get from the field to the restaurant. FWIW we were flying back from Goldsboro for this story in 2013: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPxRyelcxkg
Wow thank you for sharing the video and especially enjoyed pointed question August asked at 1:06 min mark (August seems like a character).
Since it was 2013 I'll revise and say it wasn't the Midlander but one of a series of post-Midlander spin-offs. You missed out on the original owner's (grand?)daughter named Debbie and her legendary tea refilling skills. If you fill a tea to the brim in Midland, it's called 'Debbie-ing' it'.
Re: Why the hell would someone name a town “Locust?”.
Can we get an honest explanation for Locust using the recently self-appointed moniker 'The City with a Soul"? I can think of at least two things wrong with that title.
My working theory is Otis Redding once flew over the area traveling from shows in New York to Florida or a local resident is claiming to have a lock of James Brown's righteous pompadour.
Where is Stanly County in your chart of subscribers?!? Do I count for nothing??? Please contact me about our bespoke meme. You’ve got plenty of material, since Locust, Red Cross, and Frog Pond are in that county you didn’t even mention.
Agggggh, I messed up there, and put the New London ZIP code in with Mecklenburg. You earned 18 points for Stanly County, which puts you all in 8th place. I'll make sure I mention this in the next Monday newsletter.
And three miles from Frog Pond: Big Lick. (Although technically Big Lick is unincorporated and may be considered part of Oakboro.) My grandparents lived in Stanly County, and I was in in the back seat many a time watching Locust, Frog Pond, Red Cross and Big Lick go by. Not that it takes long for those places to go by..
Anyone know why Reverend Robert Hall Morrison, first President of Davidson College, named the church he established in Lucia in 1852, Castanea Grove Presbyterian Church, rather than Chestnut Grove Presbyterian Church? Grove was dropped from the name in 1881. Anyone know why?
To the west of Locust is Midland, which many old timers still call Hell’s Half Acre due to their penchant for booze, music, and card-playing.
Fun story: When I worked for a TV station, I got to ride in the news helicopter one time. We were up covering something, and it was lunchtime, and the pilot said "Hey, let's eat there," and pointed out some roadside diner in Midland. So we landed in a farm field a few hundred feet away, had lunch, walked back out, and flew away in the chopper, much to the bewilderment of, like, everyone in that establishment.
Surprised that didn't get local lore treatment especially in Midland. Would ask some of the old-timers but hard to find them anymore. Most likely the Midlander (defunct) or Sundae Shop drive-up at crossroads (still booming).
I'm almost positive it was the Midlander. I don't remember the name, but I just pulled up that place's location on Google maps and judging by the location and Google Street View, I'm prettty confident that was it. We had to walk a little ways to get from the field to the restaurant. FWIW we were flying back from Goldsboro for this story in 2013: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPxRyelcxkg
Wow thank you for sharing the video and especially enjoyed pointed question August asked at 1:06 min mark (August seems like a character).
Since it was 2013 I'll revise and say it wasn't the Midlander but one of a series of post-Midlander spin-offs. You missed out on the original owner's (grand?)daughter named Debbie and her legendary tea refilling skills. If you fill a tea to the brim in Midland, it's called 'Debbie-ing' it'.
As always, enjoyable quirky nuanced writing. Love it!!
Re: Why the hell would someone name a town “Locust?”.
Can we get an honest explanation for Locust using the recently self-appointed moniker 'The City with a Soul"? I can think of at least two things wrong with that title.
My working theory is Otis Redding once flew over the area traveling from shows in New York to Florida or a local resident is claiming to have a lock of James Brown's righteous pompadour.
Where is Stanly County in your chart of subscribers?!? Do I count for nothing??? Please contact me about our bespoke meme. You’ve got plenty of material, since Locust, Red Cross, and Frog Pond are in that county you didn’t even mention.
Agggggh, I messed up there, and put the New London ZIP code in with Mecklenburg. You earned 18 points for Stanly County, which puts you all in 8th place. I'll make sure I mention this in the next Monday newsletter.
WHAT??? The explanation is worse than the error.
Let us not forget the community of Big Lick, just south of Red Cross.
And three miles from Frog Pond: Big Lick. (Although technically Big Lick is unincorporated and may be considered part of Oakboro.) My grandparents lived in Stanly County, and I was in in the back seat many a time watching Locust, Frog Pond, Red Cross and Big Lick go by. Not that it takes long for those places to go by..
Anyone know why Reverend Robert Hall Morrison, first President of Davidson College, named the church he established in Lucia in 1852, Castanea Grove Presbyterian Church, rather than Chestnut Grove Presbyterian Church? Grove was dropped from the name in 1881. Anyone know why?