The 1974 Winter Edition of the Foxfire Magazine contains a compilation of newspaper articles written by Harvey Miller. At the time of the magazine’s publication Miller’s weekly column had been around for sixty years and was till being published in the Tri-County News located in Spruce Pine, North Carolina.
1952
Pigeons, which formerly inhabited this section in such large numbers that its unique name, Pigeon Roost, was derived from the situation, are back again.
But they are not the wild kind as in the old days when they went to roost they broke down the topmost tree tops.
However, through the years, oldtimers recall, the wild pigeon flock became smaller until the birds were no longer about.
Some of the mountain farmers here abouts took a small number of young wild pigeons, kept them on their farms until they were tame. But within a few years, the new flocks were all gone, too.
There may have been some pigeons on Pigeon Roost since that early period but it is believed their number was few indeed. As some of the oldtimers used to put it, “Only a few fond remembrances remind us there were any pigeons any place here.”
Even with the long absence of pigeons, the quaint name liked by the hill folks remained just plain Pigeon Roost.
8/21/52
1953
It is reported that chatteracks began hollering here the first of this month. The old saying is it will frost within six weeks after they start their noise.
Garther Barnett has his store house and living quarters combined that he has had under construction here for several weeks now completed. He is planning on moving into the new building this week.
A man traveling out of Charlotte was here Wednesday buying antique furniture. He purchased a three-cornered cupboard from Dove Hughes.
8/27/53
1956
Mrs. Senia Ray of Pigeon Roost owns a bread tray made by her grandfather, Charlie Byrd, and carved out of a piece of buckeye wood.
The tray, Mrs. Ray said, was made long before her mother, Mrs. Mary Jane Byrd Hughes was born, who died the last of January 28, at the age of 91.
The tray has been used all these years and is still in good condition.
8/2/56
Always good to visit the archives of Harvey Miller. The first article is interesting to me because I’ve read similar accounts about the many pigeons that once called Pigeon Forge TN home. There’s not a whole lot of distance in the grand scheme of things between the two places. I like Miller’s point about the community name still being used and liked even though the pigeons are long since gone. I can think of many old place names like that in my neck of the woods.
I’ve never heard katydids called chatteracks have you? I have heard the old folklore about frost coming six weeks after they first start hollering, but I’ve never seen it happen exactly like that.
What a treasure the Ray family had in that bread tray. A lot of folks ask me about the bread bowl I have sitting on my kitchen island. I use it for a fruit bow. It is made from magnolia wood and was crafted by Pam Melton. I hope future generations of my family enjoy it as much as I do whether they put their apples in it, make bread in it, or use it for something else.
Be sure to jump over to the Foxfire website and poke around. They are still publishing the magazine and those wonderful Foxfire Books too.
Last night’s video: Celebrating My Double Nickel Birthday.
Tipper
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Nice to get the link for Foxfire. I had no idea it was still going strong but glad to see it is. I have a few of the books. They are a treasure with so much valuable information on how to do so many many things along with great stories. I’ve reread mine many times!
I have never heard of chatteracks. I have a friend in Spruce Pine who’s family calls them Frostjacks.
I love reading the excerpts from Foxfire Magazine. The little quaint things in life are the most interesting to me. I have never heard the word, chatterack. I have been to Pigeon Forge and Dollywood one time, but not to Pigeon Roost. I googled it and found that they are far apart from each other…but it would be a cool place to go explore. I really enjoyed your birthday celebration. Your whole family was so excited to make your dinner and honor you on your special day. It was also good to see your sweet mama and her holy smoke cake. Thanks for inviting us all to your party.
I wonder if the pigeons of Pigeon Roost were the now extinct passenger pigeons.
My Pa who was born in ’94 said there were so many that a flock could darken the sky when it flew over.
I was trying to say cosmetic damage but my chicken pecking finger hit the wrong key.
I have always loved reading columns in newspapers that were a retelling of articles from the past–my hometown paper use to call theirs ‘forty years ago’ when I was young, but in these latter years have retitled it to ‘seventy years ago’ so it can continue to republish the oldest and certainly the coolest articles. In last night’s video I could not hear Matt very well when he was telling you the history of that bowl—would you mind telling about it? I thought it was gorgeous and wished there was ‘feel screen’ so I could have had the pleasure of seeing what it felt like and how heavy it was (it did not appear to be super heavy but not lightweight either) Please keep praying for my friends family and me because we are all struggling—personally my heart is just constantly heavy and empty while my stomach feels like it has been punched and I have had no desire to eat for a week although I have forced myself from time to time because I am diabetic and it is imperative I eat or by blood sugar bottoms out because I wear an omnipod which is an insulin pump so insulin is constantly going in my body and if I dont eat I could be in health crisis quickly. Thank you for all you do for your viewers.
Gaylia, I will keep praying for you. I’m so sorry. I will tell the story of the bowl in tomorrow’s post 🙂
Chatteracks is new to me. Thanks for the new information, Tipper. By coincidence, I was telling my wife just this week, sitting on the swing in the early evening, how I miss the night sounds of my youth. Many were the summer nights I fell asleep to the soothing drone of kaydids and other insects in our yard trees in upstate South Carolina. That was in the days of open windows, of course. I can testify that here, in east-central Florida, at least, the night air is silent.
Happy belated birthday, Tipper! Tomorrow is my husband’s double-nickel birthday and my 57th. Growing older is interesting. It’s got its goods and its bads, but on the whole, I prefer it to the alternative! 😉
Good morning Tipper was wondering if there is any connection between the Foxfire Magazine and the old Foxfire books from the 70s. I was just a teen at the time and my besties mama had some of those books. I used to love reading about all the ole timey ways
Robin, the magazine is from the same place as the books 🙂
I’ve never heard them called Chatteracks. We didn’t call them Katydids either we called them Kittydids.
We have two areas here in West Columbia, SC that pigeons and gulls still frequent in mass numbers on occasion. They are parking lots where huge ponds used to be before being developed and paved. I’m not sure if it’s migration or just familiarity for them. The pigeons often roof under overpasses of the nearby I-26 and US Hwy 1. I always enjoy seeing them sitting side by side along power lines in the area. But, there are fewer than in previous years. As a child, we had pigeons and doves as pets; I think daddy provided them and their elaborate houses as a teaching tool for us to learn to care for and respect nature.
Happy belated birthday, Tipper! It was so nice to watch your family loving on you for your birthday. Thank you for all you share with us!
I never heard of chatteracks either. Also, in southeast Kentucky the folklore was that there would be frost 90 days from the first night the Katy dies were heard. That usually fell about Oct. 10th or so. I had never thought about the time being changed to match local conditions but it makes a lot of sense that it should be. And about place names, you know I am intrigued by them. There is so much information in them. I just hope they don’t fade away entirely due to some mistaken idea of “better” as in the old saying about throwing the baby out with the bath water. Us humans can get above ourselves without much encouragement.
We love you Tipper Matt Nd Paul and granny and cowrie and Katie and your sons in laws and grand babies. We love y’all and wished one day to come and visit. It’s on my bucket list and will let you know way in advance so as not to be interrupted or intruding. We are poor so it may take a minute to save but we will. We love tall
Richard
i have a bread bowl much like yours that i use for fruit in the kitchen also. i vaguely remember my mother bought it for me as a present sometime after i moved here and we must have been at an antique place, as much as she disliked such things. that would mean i’ve had it some 35 years, but who knows how old it really is.
happy birthday!
I was wondering if Pigeon Roost was what we know today as Pigeon Forge, TN. That was interesting about the pigeons that use to live there. I’ll have to share this post with my niece who lives around that area. She loves learning the history of the surrounding areas in TN that is close to her. They visit Pigeon Forge just about every weekend. Tipper that wooden bowl on your counter is beautiful! I agree it will be passed down for many generations in your family. I have my grandmother’s on my mom’s side wooden bowl, however, it is not a crafted art piece like yours is. Mine is a very simple wooden fruit bowl. It sadly now has a split in the wood, but I still use it in my kitchen to hold fruit or snacks. My daughter or granddaughter has no interest in keeping it, so I’ll probably pass it on to my niece. I’m just hoping the wood doesn’t split any further or it will have to be discarded. I might try to find a local wood worker to see if it can be repaired. I know it’s not fancy, but it’s just sentimental to me and I’d like to keep it in my family if possible. Everyone have a great weekend!
Pigeon Roost isn’t in Tennessee. It is in North Carolina about 70 miles, as the pigeon flies, to the Northeast of Pigeon Forge. Pigeon Forge is named for the Little Pigeon River that flows through it. I assume somebody had a forge there at one time.
My Mama has here great Grandmother’s bread bowl and I’ll get it. I’d love to imagine my daughter using it one day.
I’ve wondered about that bowl on your island. It is a nice one. That was also a lovely bowl that Matt gave you for your birthday. If that bowl could talk. Wouldn’t it be interesting to hear it’s history.
Carolyn, I have collected and restored Coleman lanterns for many years. I do not not care for the ones made after the late 80’s. The newer models work and are useful but have been “cheapened” by using plastic and metal. I have a model 200 Christmas tree lantern made in 1950 that would be pretty valuable if it was in good condition, it will still burn and could be used but a lot od cosmetic It belonged to my wife’s granddaddy and saw a lot of hard use. My father in law and her granddaddy would take this lantern with them when they were coon hunting. I have hard some stories but how I wished it was possible to sit by a campfire and listen to the stories that lantern could tell if it could talk. My father in law gave it to me and said I know you will keep and take care of it. There was only a few true Christmas Tree lanterns made for one year (1950.) called Christmas tree because of have a green fuel tank (fount) and a red top (ventilater). Something else I have that money can’t buy.