MOUNTAIN REST COMMUNITY CLUB, Oconee County, SC
Mountain Rest Community Club

Version 2.3, 1-Apr-2003, MR-07.TXT


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Paul M Kankula - nn8nn
Seneca, SC, USA
Oconee County SC GenWeb Coordinator
 
Oconee County SC GenWeb Homestead
http://www.rootsweb.com/~scoconee/oconee.html
 
Oconee County SC GenWeb Tombstone Project
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DATAFILE INPUT . : Linda Flynn at ke8fd@@bellsouth.net.com in Apr-2003

DATAFILE LAYOUT  : Paul M. Kankula at kankula1@innova.net in Apr-2003


SCHOOLS
From the beginning, the schools have played an important role in the lives
of children and the community. In the early days it was not only a place to gain
knowledge but also served as recreation outlet for the students. There was an
hour-long recess for lunch; and after hurriedly eating lunches packed in lard
buckets, the children brought out balls and bats, and the daily ball game got
underway. Commercial bats were not available, so a crafty boy would bring one
of his own making. Homemade balls were frequently used, too. For those who did
not care to participate in ball games, there were always hopscotch, drop the
handkerchief, dodge ball, tag, or Red Rover.

Teachers have always been held in high esteem in Mountain Rest. For one
thing, they had more formal schooling than most other people did in the community.
Up until the 1940s, when more people began to own automobiles, the teachers who
did not live in the community had to board in a home near the school. They were
usually quite active in the church of the community, too. About once a year a
social was held at the school. Everyone in the community looked forward to box
suppers, cake walks, fishponds, etc.

Quite a few marriages took place between the teachers and young men of the
area; thus, several who came for just the school term found themselves permanent
residents and remained here.

Voting precincts were at each of the schools, and usually a "stump meeting"
was held somewhere in the Mountain Rest area during election year.  Most
political meetings were held outdoors in late spring, and who knows, maybe the
politicians stood on a stump while speaking.

The design of most of the school buildings was the same. Two classrooms
with several tall windows on one side, cloakrooms on either side of the front
porch. Heated with pot-bellied wood stoves, every classroom had a picture of our
first President, George Washington, on the wall, and an American flag. Students
were always excited when visitors were coming, which was a rare thing.

The truant officer, employed by the County Superintendent of Education, was
charged with checking on pupils who rarely attended school and trying to
persuade parents to get them back in school.

Most children looked forward to going to school-you got out of working at
home--like plowing or hoeing in the fields, helping with the weekly wash, or
maybe cutting and splitting stove wood. A pupil had to be present in school at
least ten days each year to be officially enrolled, and teacher allotment was
based on enrollment and average daily attendance, so it was important to be in
school every day.

A county nurse would visit about twice a year to give different
immunization shots. On occasion, the nurse had to come to the school to check for
head lice and the itch. A follow-up visit was also necessary in two or three
weeks.

About once a year, students were always glad when the Forest Service men
came to show a film. It was about conservation and fire prevention. In later
years, it was a special treat when Smoky the Bear made his visit to the schools.
He would always ride in parades held in the towns. 

Turner Lyles and his wife, the former Selena Vissage, lived between Double
Springs Church and Mountain Rest Post Office. They had four children who were
born in the 1870s and 1880s: James Robert, Amy E., William Clifton, and Oby B.
Lyles. Realizing the importance of an education even back in those days, the
Lyles sent all four of their children to college, and they all became school
teachers.

When one thinks back on the many tasks required of teachers in the early
years, it is doubtful if the teachers of today would like their job. In the
winter, the teacher built fires in a wood stove and had to keep it going all
through the day. In the summer, they had to find someone in the community who
would cut and haul wood for winter use. At the end of the school day with the
help of older girls the floors had to be swept. Hot lunches were not always
served, but if they were, the teacher sometimes had to help prepare the meals
and was always charged with seeing that it was done. When the blackboards needed
it, they had to be washed at the end of the school day. The students were always
eager to help with any of these tasks since it might get them out of a class now
and then--like taking the chalk erasers out to dust when needed. Water had to be
drawn from a well or brought in from a spring.

At Christmas time, there was always a program to prepare, which would include
every child in school.  It took weeks of practice for this production to be
ready.  It was always given on the day school turned out for the Christmas
vacation. Whenever possible, parents and younger brothers or sisters came and
sometimes older ones, if they were out of school, got to see the performance.

Some teachers enjoyed putting on programs all during the school year, and
one that is fondly remembered from the 1920s at Chattooga School is "Deacon
Dubbs." Rubye Jones was the teacher who worked for weeks in producing this play.

When pupils finished the last grade offered in the rural school, it was
always with some regret they looked forward to going to the town school.
Walhalla High School has had the reputation of being one of the best in the
state of South Carolina, and most would agree that the one person most
responsible for that is Mr. E.B. Stoudemire, of Walhalla, SC.  He came to
Walhalla as a teacher and football coach in 1923 and was soon to be made
Superintendent. He continued in this capacity until his retirement in 1968. The
boys who played football started calling him "Coach," and he went by that title
from then on. He and his wife, Violet, also a former teacher, still live in
Walhalla.

A student from Mountain Rest received one of the first 12th-grade diplomas
issued in South Carolina. She lived in the Whetstone community and had received
from Walhalla High School an llth-grade diploma in 1943 at the very young age of
fourteen. She was too young to work and after staying home for a year decided
she wanted to go back to high school. Given permission to do so, she earned four
more credits that year and went to work at the age of sixteen as a bookkeeper in
Walhalla. In January of 1947, Mr. E.B. Stoudemire, school superintendent, went
by her office, told her she was entitled to a 12th-grade diploma, and that he
would take the necessary steps to get it for her. She had to turn the first
diploma in, and in a few weeks Mr. Stoudemire came back to see if she wouldn't
like to participate in the graduation ceremony with the class of 1947. All the
arrangements were made by Mr. Stoudemire, and for the second time Margaret Sue
Ramey walked down the aisle of the old Walhalla High School Auditorium with a
graduating class and received her 12th-grade diploma.--[MSQ]

BELMONT SCHOOL
The first Belmont school was built in the 1800s on Land Bridge Road.
Remnants of it are on Marvin Moore's property. Before 1920, Belmont School was
relocated on the Whetstone Road. At first, it was a one-room building; but
enrollment increased, and in the summer of 1922 the building was enlarged to two
rooms. School was held there until 1949, when it was consolidated with the
Mountain Rest School. The old building was sold to Jack Beall, and he had it
moved onto his property.  School records show that in 1878 Lizzie Nicholson was
the teacher. Others who taught in the late 1800s were Hanna Moore, Ellen Smith,
Darcus Petty, J.D. Land, J.G. Massey, and C.W Harper. Some of those who taught
in 1900 and later were J.R. Lyles, Bessie Brown, Lena Abbott, Essie M. Todd ,
Harold Littleton, Grace Nicholson, Dora Thrift, Maggie Abbott Gillespie, Annie
Keown, Fletcher Mosley, Luther L. Davis, Frances Kaufmann, Bessie Lee, Loula
Rankin Beaty, Odell Wakefield Wilbanks, Louise Nicholson, Mrs. W.T. Smith, Lela
P. Earle, Corinne Mason, Mrs. C.A. Littleton, Hannah M. Light, and Leila 0.
Matheson. The Trustees in 1895 were Jasper S. Callas, John J. Vissage, and E.D.
Harden.  Some others who served as Trustees were Sherman Gillespie, Clem
Wilbanks, Evan Callas, L.E. Gillespie, Roy Arve, W.R. Burton, Lunie Land, 0.E.
Moore, C.S. O'Barr, Charlie Wilbanks, Oscar Davis, Harold Westmoreland, and
George C. Moody.--[MSQ]

BETHLEHEM SCHOOL
It is believed that a school was built in the Bethlehem community at about
the same time their first church was organized in 1831. There were several
families living in the area; and next to religious training, education of the
children was as important to parents of that day as it continues to be now. The
school was built near Bethlehem Baptist Church and remained at that site until
the early 1900s, when it was relocated beside Highlands highway on the Herndon
property.  The old building still stands, and the property reverted to the
Herndon heirs in 1949, when the Bethlehem School was consolidated with the
Village Creek and Belmont Schools to form the new Mountain Rest School.

Early school records show Miss Hattie King as teacher in 1878. Others in
those early years were Miss Rose Barnett, O.M. Abbott, Hattie A. Logan, John H.
Brown, and Katie Robinson. Some listed in 1900 and later were Bessie Brown,
Katie Robinson, and Beatrice Bruce. After 1930, these were listed: Maggie A.
Gillespie, Annie Ballenger, C.F. Capell, William Lankford, Frances Roberson,
Bessie Lee, Susie Taylor, Hannah M. Light, Mrs. Guy Woolbright, Mattie Russell,
Hattie S. Nicholson, and Annie Vissage. Some of the trustees who served at
Bethlehem were William Hunter, J.F. Orr, A.M. Brown, L.A. King, J.P. Orr, N.F.
Keown, J.S. Carter, Noah Bottoms, and Roy Duncan. Bethlehem School was closed at
the end of the 1948-49 school term and consolidated with the new Mountain Rest
School.--[MSQ]

CHATTOOGA  SCHOOL
In 1915, a new school building was built in the Whetstone community.  The
Double Springs and Whetstone Schools were to be closed at the end of 1914-15
school year, and the pupils would go to the new school. In July 1915, the new
building was not ready, and some pupils missed going to school that year; but
some parents arranged for their children to go to Rabun Gap School in Rabun
County, Georgia, and others went to Long Creek Academy. In July of 1916, the new
building was ready; and the pupils were eager for school to start. Some of the
teachers were Ruby Beaty Duncan, Ira and Alice Holden, Mary Fowler Hamby,
Bunyan Phillips, Bessie Seawright, Corilla Seawright, Myrtle Thrift, Mr.
Bramlett, Cora Burgess, Rubye Jones, Carrie Bleckley, Miss Nesmith, Crawford
Nicholson, Luther Lee, Nelle Holden, Etta Adams, Lottie Rowland, Velmer Jo
Broome, Corinne Mason, D.P. Matheson, Mae Blanchett, William Reeder, Annie E.
Vissage, Bessie Smith, Bessie B. Ramey, Eleanor K. Vissage, Edith T. Phillips,
Laura M. Thrift, Odell W. Wilbanks, Maude K. Head, and Ila T. Chalmers. At the
end of 1962-63 school year, Chattooga School was closed, and the pupils were
bussed to Mountain Rest.

Some of the trustees who served the Chattooga School were R.P. Galloway,
V.H. Ramey, M.E. Hamby, J.H. Brown, Harley Thrift, M.R. Barker, C.M. Harbin,
C.B. Brooks, John R. Owens, Conley Henry, Jim Hedden, Arthur Woodall, Carlie
Wilbanks, H.B. Elrod, G.B. Turpin, Curtis Wilbanks, Harmon Webb, and Henry
Robins.--[MSQ]

CHERRY HILL SCHOOL
Cherry Hill was a one-room school located up near the present Cherry Hill
Campground. It was built in the 1800s to be used for school and church services.
The Cherry Hill Baptist Church was organized August 13, 1881. Records in the
Oconee County School District office show Clara Mashburn taught there in 1878.
In 1895, trustees appointed to Cherry Hill were C.M. Ridley, J.G. Davis, and W.A.
Kelly. In 1911-12, trustees were Jas. Burrell, Geo. Ridley, and J.M. Ridley.
During the 1930s, the following taught there until 1939-40, when the school
closed: Eliza Keown, Hattie King, Edward Callas, Loula R. Beaty, Cora Burgess,
and Lula Mae Greene. Some other trustees who served at Cherry Hill were B.P.
Rogers, Mrs. Hassie Chastain, and Lawrence Burrell.--[MSQ]

DOUBLE SPRINGS SCHOOL
After the church was established at the new location, a new one-room school
was built on the same property and had an enrollment of fifty or more throughout
the years. This being a larger school, teachers were better paid and returned
for several terms.  Among the teachers were Dee Hunt, Robert Lyles, W.L.
Ballenger, and C.K. Wright.  Some of the trustees were K.B. Fretwell, W.J.
Barker, and M.L. Phillips. When there was a protracted meeting (church meetings
held during weekday mornings),  the teachers sometimes took the children to
church and then had a longer lunch recess, cutting the school day short.

Children from the following families attended the school: Barker, Bearden,
Burton, Fretwell, Harden, Hamby, Hunt, Phillips, Lyles, Powell, Symes, Roach,
and Wilson.

MILL CREEK SCHOOL
The Mill Creek School, on the banks of the Chattooga River, was a one-room
school built sometime in the 1800s on land owned by the Russell family. This
building was used for both school and church services for many years. It was
also used as a voting precinct.

Some of the teachers who were there were Ossie Mabry, Kate Russell, Clara
Russell, Eve Manning, Ella (Ramey) Nicholson, Mary Gaines, Beulah Holland (1913)
and 1914), Mamie Douglas, Salome Williams, Robert Craig, Ada Craig, Robert Lyle,
Mary E. Swan, Catherine Fant, Bessie (Lee) Ray, Hattie (Smith) Nicholson, and
Mattie (Cromer) Russell.

In the school year 1897-98, there were twenty-five children enrolled. Funds
from the state for this year were $7.07.

Preachers at Mill Creek were Rene Medcalf, Bluford Smith, L.B. Morton,
Floyd Dendy, Rev. Watt, and T.R. Teague.

Trustees for Mill Creek School of years 1911 and 1912, and possibly more
years, were J.T. Ramey, Elisha Snider, William H. Nicholson, A.B. Nicholson,
Otto Russell, Evan Nicholson, Mrs. J.V. Ridley (Lina), Louie Ridley.

The school was moved to Bethlehem in early 1943.--[PN]

SQUEGELUM SCHOOL
This was the first school known to be on Whetstone and was built in the
mid-1800s by Abel Robins on his land near his home for the children of the
community and his own. School was in the summer during college vacation.  A
Wofford student, Jim Moss, was one of the teachers. He was mayor of Walhalla in
later years. These students were given college credit for their summer work.
Other teachers were Corrie Crisp White, Lizzie Nicholson, Mrs. M.A. Pitts,
Joseph Colley, Richard Grubb, and Bill Craig, who was later a dentist in
Walhalla. The Blue Back Speller, penmanship, math, and reading were
taught.--[VR]

VILLAGE CREEK SCHOOL
Due to poor methods of travel each group of settlers living close together
would build his or her own school building and hire a teacher to teach reading,
writing, and arithmetic to their children. The multiplication tables were always
memorized.

The First Village Creek School was a one-room wooden building with wooden
plank shutters that could be opened in the warmer weather. In the center of the
room was a wood stove. Straight wooden benches were the only furniture.

Early records show that in 1898 J. Robert Lyles was the teacher at Village
Creek School. Among others who taught there were Eva Alexander, Ida Alexander,
Elizabeth Moody, Frankie Ward, Mrs. Mae Blanchett, Hattie Smith, Clara
Wigington, Essie M. Todd, Annie Ballenger, Elizabeth Baumgarner, Minnie Deaton,
Eunice Burgess, and Dora Thrift. Village Creek School was closed at the end of
the 1948-49 year and consolidated with the new Mountain Rest School. Some of the
trustees down through the years were Mrs. O.E. Lombard, J.E. Orr, Milton
Nicholson, and Baylus Nicholson.

At an unknown date (about 1924), the one-room school building was sold to Joe Hicks
and moved to Pine Mountain, Georgia. A two-room building was constructed on what is
known as Village Creek Road.  This school had glass windows and desks.  In
1948-49, the last year the school was occupied, hot lunch was served. Mrs. Dora
Thrift was the teacher. Her transportation was an A-model car.

The school trustees closed the school, and the students attended Bethlehem
School on Highway 28. This school was closed and the Mountain Rest School built.

The school trustees had an "open air bid," and the Village Creek School was
sold to George Keown.  However, the night following the sale, the building
burned. All that was left was the lattice shelter around the well. Since the
deed had not been signed, another sale occurred. This time the bids were sealed;
again George Keown was the highest bidder, and the property became his.--[CH]

WHETSTONE  SCHOOL
In the 1890s Whetstone School was built near Tyler Branch on land now owned
by Bill Watson, the surveyor. This was a frame building with a wood stove for
heat. The benches were mostly without backs and the seating arrangement by
grades. 
Lunches were brought from home, usually in a dinner pail or bucket, and
one member of a family had charge. Lunch was a jelly biscuit, piece of pie,
boiled egg, apple, baked sweet potato, and tea cakes. The teacher usually sent
an older boy to the spring for a fresh bucket of water. Before they found out
about germs, we had a dipper, then individual collapsible cups. Older children
looked after the little ones. School started in July after crops were "laid by";
a two-week vacation for fodder-pulling time was observed in early September, and
school closed for the year when the money ran out. Whetstone teachers remembered
are Ora Arve, Kate Harrison, Amy Lyles, Clifton Lyles, Bunyan Phillips, C.H.
McCollough, and J.S. Colley. During the 1911-1912 school term, T.L. Blakely, W.T.
Ramey, and I.W. Henry were Trustees.--[VR]

MOUNTAIN REST SCHOOL
At the end of the 1948-49 school session, Mountain Rest School was formed by
the consolidation of Bethlehem, Belmont, and Village Creek Schools. Property was
acquired from the Fowler family behind Monte Vista Church on which a
four-classroom block building with a basement for the lunchroom was built. Mrs.
Alta Bonner from the community served as cook for the school the entire time.  In
1949, the pupils were moved to the new building. In the fall of 1963, the
Chattooga School pupils from the Whetstone Community were brought in.

This school was in operation until May 1964. That fall all the pupils from
Mountain Rest went to Walhalla schools. The teachers for Mountain Rest School
during this time were Mrs. Anne Vissage, Mrs. Mattie Russell, Mrs. Odell
Wilbanks, Mrs. Dora Thrift, Mrs. Telia Matheson, and Mrs. Edna Collins.- [ECS

TAMASSEE D.A.R SCHOOL
Tamassee D.A.R. School, located on Highway 11, was founded by the Daughters
of the American Revolution in 1919 for the purpose of offering an education to
mountain boys and girls who might not otherwise have the opportunity to go to
school. There were dormitories for the children to live in so they would go in
the fall to stay while school was in session and some would only get home for
Christmas vacation. Over the years, there have been many different educators who
managed this school, but the one whose name comes to one's mind first is Dr.
Ralph H. Cain.  He first began as superintendent at Tamassee in 1926 and
continued in that capacity until he retired in 1959. The first boarding student
to attend the Tamassee D.A.R. School was from the Mountain Rest area. She was
Mary Nicholson who first went to school there in 1919. Mary and her mother rode
horseback from their home just across Station Mountain to see about the school.
They returned home the same day.  Her parents were Jule and Rinda Grigg
Nicholson. Mary later became the wife of Courtney King.

In the years to come, many children from the Mountain Rest area went to
Tamassee School sometime in their school careers, and many went on to graduate
there.--[MSQ]

SCHOOL BUSES
It was not until the fall of 1929 that the first bus started running to the
Mountain Rest community to transport the high school students to Walhalla High
School. The first driver was Earl Kelley. The bus only traveled the main roads
so it was little wonder that many children dropped out of school at the end of
the elementary grades, because they lived too far back from the route. A few
parents would arrange with friends or relatives for their high school age
children to stay in Walhalla before the community had bus service.

The Oly Lombard family lived on the Turnpike road, which was not served by
the bus. In 1931, when Bob "Hoot" Gibson of Westminster took the mountain bus
route, Mr. Lombard offered Gibson and his family a log house in his yard to live
in so that the Lombard children would not have to walk to Highway 28 to catch
the bus.  Mr. Gibson hewed crossties in the evenings, and on Friday afternoon he
and his wife would set the homemade bus body off so he could haul a load of
crossties to the tie yard on Saturday. Of course, they would have to get the bus
ready again to haul children by Monday morning.

With the gradual closing of all the elementary schools at Mountain Rest,
there are now four buses serving this community.--[MSQ]

MOUNTAIN REST COMMUNITY CLUB
The Mountain Rest Community Club was organized in 1953 in the home of Fred
Chastain, with about a half-dozen people present. At the time of the
organization, the meetings were held in an unused classroom of the Mountain Rest
School.

Upon the closing of the school in 1964, the Mountain Rest Community Club
bought the building from the Oconee School Board and turned it into the Mountain
Rest Community Center. The purpose of the organization was to respond in any way
for the betterment of the community and the fellowship of neighbors. The center
is used for many community activities: Boy and Girl Scout clubs, teen meetings
and parties, Little League baseball, the Mountain Rest Softball League, square
dancing, clogging classes, guitar lessons, health club meetings, Civil Defense,
ceramics classes, aerobics classes, and a voting precinct. It provides a meetings
room for the Mountain Rest Homemakers' Club and a permanent home for the Etcetera
Club. It is also used for many other activities. The club also has a tennis
court, a basketball court, and a ball field.

The Mountain Rest Community Club was chartered on April 20, 1961. Some of
the early officers were Ben Vissage, Jack Lombard, Fred Chastain, Janet Land,
Lillie Gillespie, Bessie Smith, Jack Brown, Bob Ramey, Relton Vissage, and many
more. The club later purchased nine acres across the road, from the Neville
family, and part of it was cleared for a ball field. The other is used for
"Hillbilly" grounds. When the Mountain Rest Volunteer Fire Department was
organized in 1964 and was given one truck and needed land to build a firehouse,
the Community Club donated a 150-foot square of land to the Fire Department.
The firehouse was built by donations from landowners in the Mountain Rest
area. The first fire chief was Sam Fowler, with Ray Queen as assistant, and many
local men have held that position since. Their second truck was a four-wheel
drive; and in February 1984, they got the third large new fire truck. The
department depends on donations from residents and land owners for their
survival.

During the Oconee County Centennial in 1968, the Mountain Rest Community
Club played a very active role. The ladies organized the Oconee Belles, which
was fifty-four members strong. The Oconee Belles kicked off the Centennial
Celebration with a big square dance at the Oconee State Park, and brought the
Celebration to a close with a square dance. At one of the Ding-a-Ling (Oconee
Belles) meetings, there was one Ding-Dong present, Ray Queen. The counterpart of
the Belles was the Brothers of the Brush.

Sometime in 1967, Mrs. Betty Beall painted a 5xl2-foot wall mural in the
hall of the Community Center. The picturesque and permanent wall mural was
described as a four-month labor of love, a detailed painting of "Hillbilly Day."

The Community Center has for many years awarded a plaque to a Member of the
Year.

The first Hillbilly Day sprang from a "Community Gathering" on July 4,
1960. About one hundred people attended. The barbecue consisted of four hams
cooked by Jack Lombard and James M. Brown, and Mrs. Alta Bonner cooked Brunswick
stew, rice, and made cole slaw. There were also bread and drinks. The ones
remembered who made music were Bill Smith with banjo; Frances Fowler, guitar;
Relton Vissage, fiddle. The music makers were up on the back of a truck, where
they could be seen and heard by the crowd. With the success of this venture, and
the evidence that the people enjoyed themselves, it was decided to make this an
annual event and call it "Hillbilly Day." The second Hillbilly Day was similar
to the first. Again there was barbecue, and trimmings, homemade cakes and pies.
The crowd was larger. The main event on this day was the boys from Camp Chatuga
playing the Mountain Rest boys in a Little League baseball game under the
direction of Fred Chastain and Nield Gordon. Gerald Duncan pitched for Mountain
Rest and won, 1 to 0. There was music, dancing, and good fellowship enjoyed by
all. The format of Hillbilly Day is strictly country, and Ben Vissage has been
the Master of Ceremonies for every Hillbilly Day.

Over the years there have been many different contests: Best Dressed
Hillbillies; Best Fiddler, Banjo, Mandolin, and Guitar Players; Best Buck
Dancers, and more. The contests in the field are geared more to the younger
participants, such as greased pig chase, tow sack races, shoe kicking,
egg-throwing, rolling-pin throw, rope tug-of-war, and more. For many years Jack
Beall, with the help of others, directed the field games.

The success of Hillbilly Day is made possible with the help of Rescue
Squad, Highway Patrol, and the County Law Enforcement. They come early and stay
late to handle traffic and parking. Hillbilly Day has grown to nearly 10,000
each year. All the help is volunteer. It takes many people, and much hard work
to make the day a success. Jack Lombard and family play a very important role in
the success of Hillbilly Day. They start preparation several days before the
4th. The cooking is actually done on the grounds, behind the fire station, but
Jack works for about a day hauling big pots and pans from home. These have to be
cleaned and set up for Brunswick stew, pinto beans, and other good food. The
meat is cooked for sixteen to eighteen hours, over open hickory wood fire. This
would not be possible without the help of many dedicated people who come year
after year. It is not unusual for these men to get little or no sleep during the
cooking. It also keeps many ladies busy making cole slaw, cakes, cookies, and
pies to serve on Hillbilly Day. The fire station is used for serving the food.
There are many different crafts, such as basket-weaving, blacksmithing, and
cross-stitchery. Several booths have souvenirs for sale. In early years, the club
would sponsor a raffle. The Etcetera Club ladies work most of the year designing
and making a quilt to be raffled off at Hillbilly Day.

Every year, there are several country and bluegrass bands. They take turns
making music on the stage. This starts toes tapping to many different dances.

Every year, there are some politicians on hand. In the early years, when the
club sold advertisements, Miriam Dawson always said when she and Bessie Smith
went out to sell advertisements for the Hillbilly brochure, she had the gas and
Bessie had the nerve to ask for donations.

Due to the mountains, streams, weather, and the congeniality of the people,
the Mountain Rest area has become one of the most popular retirement sections.

Bessie Smith was labeled Governor Mountain Bessie about the first Hillbilly
Day. She was one of the ones who helped organize Hillbilly Day, and worked with
the Community Club and other community activities for many years.

Lillie Gillespie was labeled Hillbilly Lil, and worked for many years with
Hillbilly Day as nurse and was known countywide as a good friend and neighbor.
-[MD]

ETCETERA CLUB
The Etcetera Club is an extension of the Government O.E.O. organization for
senior citizens of the Mountain Rest area. The O.E.O. support was terminated at
the end of the allotted four years. With the termination of that support, a
charter was drawn by the participants, and the Etcetera Club came into
existence. This charter is dated May 22, 1972, and names Mrs. Charles (Dell)
Greaves as the first president.

The word Etcetera implies "multiple things," and is therefore very
appropriate for this club as all crafts are explored. This name was suggested by
Wanny English, who was the instructor of crafts under the O.E.O. Hand weaving,
loom weaving, basket weaving, ceramics, hand-molded ceramics, decoupage,
tatting, quilting, candle wicking, candle making, and crewel embroidery are some
of the crafts in which the club has participated.

Meetings are held once a week during the year. Besides the good fellowship
by being with neighbors, crafts are made. Each year, along with working on
crafts, a quilt is designed and quilted. The crafts and quilt are sold at the
annual Hillbilly Day, July 4th. Hillbilly Day is sponsored by the Mountain Rest
Community Club. This once-a-year event, along with a Thanksgiving sale, is the
only place and time the Etcetera Club sell their crafts to earn their working
monies for the year. With the earned money, the club sponsors trips for members,
usually these trips are to craft shows. The club also has several charities that
benefit from donations, one of which is the sponsoring of two underprivileged
children at Christmas.  Another project of this club is sending cards to
seriously ill members of the community and/or sympathy to family members of
deceased.

The Etcetera Club is open to anyone living in the Mountain Rest area.--[MD]

OUR SONG
Sorta like "Turkey in the Straw"
by Miriam Dawson
If you want a place to live that will meet your every need,
A place that's nestled in the Great Blue Ridge,
Where the people are friendly and the climate is the best,
Then you belong-in Dear Ole Mountain Rest.

CHORUS: Mountain Rest's the best. Mountain Rest's the best,
Look to the east and look to the west,
Look all around but Mountain Rest's the best.

If you want a place to hunt for wild turkey, bear or deer
A place to fish in the mountain streams so clear,
Where the lakes are plentiful and boatin' is the best,
Then you belong-in Dear Ole Mountain Rest. CHORUS.

If you want a place to set on a porch and rock away,
A place to retire and you better not delay,
Where the corn is liquid and will add to life more zest,
Then you belong-in Dear Ole Mountain Rest. CHORUS.