Haywood joins effort to celebrate Declaration of Independence anniversary

Apr. 14—Haywood County will be part of a nationwide effort to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence thanks to a resolution passed by the county commissioners Monday.

The Haywood County Historical and Genealogical Society is partnering with the local chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the USA Sons of the Revolution to spearhead efforts in Haywood. The state effort is being coordinated by the N. C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

Counties forming an America 250 steering committee will receive a $10,000 grant to develop projects that will tell stories of North Carolina's contributions to the Revolutionary War, said Mike McLean, president of the Haywood County Historical and Genealogical Society.

There are three themes to choose from, but counties can only receive the $10,000 grant for one of them. Grants for up to $30,000 are available for the other themes but require a local match.

Because the land that would later form Haywood was part of the Cherokee nation at the time of the American Revolution, McLean said Haywood will work with other counties west of Old Fort to tell the story of Rutherford Trace, which opened the area to white settlers.

Working on a multi-county project opens the door for additional funding, he added.

Telling the story of the Rutherford Trace, a military movement to quell opposition from the Cherokee nation, which was siding with England during the war, will be "a touchy subject," McLean conceded during a later interview.

That's because the campaign led by Gen. Griffith Rutherford involved eradicating part of the Cherokee population, he said.

"Old Fort is where the white settlers stopped," he said. "We only became Haywood after a treaty was signed in 1783. The county's beginning was soldiers coming back through here after they had seen the area as part of the campaign."

McLean said an effort is underway to recruit a tribal member to serve on the committee so a balanced view of history will be told.

The America 250 effort also encourages activities that highlight issues such as the Civil Rights movement, women's suffrage and even scientific and industrial developments that have shaped North Carolina, McLean said.

Now that the Haywood County Board of Commissioners has approved the county's America 250 resolution, an official steering committee will be formed, and the grant application will be submitted.

There will be plenty of opportunities to become involved, McLean said.

"Anybody who cares about history can have an active part," he said. "All these things are done with volunteers. We will have an exhibit at the Museum of Haywood County (the former Shook-Smathers house) where Jacob Shook settled after Rutherford Trace. ... Since Rutherford Trace went past the Shelton House, we'll collaborate with them, and there is another grant with the town of Clyde."

Steering committee members involved so far include McLean, Constance Daly with the local DAR chapter, Joe Sam Queen, with the Sons of the American Revolution, Dillon Huffman, the Haywood County public information officer and Amy Newsome with the Haywood County Tourism Development Authority.