Fiction is more than entertainment. It informs readers about the times in which it was written. An Inch of Snow (1964) is such a novel. It was written by William E. Cobb, a Burke County Republican, who served as a minority leader in the North Carolina Senate and served as the North Carolina Republican Chairman.
A recent history column briefly described An Inch of Snow (1964), an out-of-print novel depicting a state legislative race in North Carolina. It was more than entertainment depicting small-town North Carolina life. The novel’s fictitious speeches by Democratic and Republican candidates reflect the actual economic concerns of North Carolinians in the 1960s. The arguments offered are often repeated nowadays in print and on air and behind debate podiums and at dinner tables across the state.
Luther Hodges was the 64th Governor of North Carolina (1954 to 1961). He also served as United States Secretary of Commerce from 1961 to 1965. Hodges was known for his role in creating Research Triangle Park.
Located in Wilmington, Oakdale Cemetery is the largest in the city, and many prominent Wilmingtonians are buried there. Oakdale is also known for being North Carolina’s first rural cemetery.
Harris Teeter is a grocery store chain founded in Charlotte, North Carolina. As of 2012, Harris Teeter operated 208 stores in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, Delaware, Maryland, Florida, and Washington, D.C.
James Spencer Love was the founder of Burlington Industries, the biggest textile manufacturing company in the world by the mid-1950s. His entrepreneurship helped to expand the textile industry and provide funding for education.
The Fayetteville Observer is one of North Carolina’s oldest and largest independent newspapers.
Family Dollar is a discount store chain, with headquarters in Matthews, North Carolina. The company operates over 7,100 stores in 45 states and in Washington D.C. As one of the first discount stores, Family Dollar expanded to over 6,800 stores in 44 states and competes with large companies such as Costco, Dollar General, and Wal-Mart.
Currituck Beach Lighthouse is located on the Outer Banks in Corolla, North Carolina. It was put on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1973; the lighthouse is the last brick lighthouse built on the Outer Banks.
Drexel Furniture Company began operations near Morganton. The Appalachian Mountain company, in time, became one of the world’s leading furniture producers.