79. Sampson County -- Clinton -- 6/16/07

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sampson_County%2C_NC

Yeehaw! The 3rd Saturday in June is always the National Hollerin' Contest in Spivey's Corner, NC. Last year, I wanted to go to it, but when I went online to find out when it was, I realized I had missed it by about a day or two. I put it on my calendar so I wouldn't miss it this year. The winner has been seen on Leno and Letterman in the past, so I mean, you gotta see it!

I'm surprised that I grew up in Fayetteville, and never made it to the county just east of mine to watch the almost-lost-folk-art-form of Hollerin'. What is hollerin'? Read about it above, because I wouldn't do it justice. You can even listen to samples of hollerin' on that website. It's a form of long-distance communication and entertainment, and we're not even talkin' about your cell phone! But keep reading, and I'll tell you more about why I can't exactly describe hollerin'...

Well, Jenn and I left Durham sometime "late"...I was giving her a hard time about leaving. I just moved from one side of Carrboro to the other, and I have tons of junk I'm trying to get rid of. So, the back of my car was full of junk, and I told Jenn that I had to take some stuff to the Scrap Exchange in downtown Durham before we hit the road. I donated an orange barrel that my dad used as a hamper in college, some Christmas garland I bought 2 Christmases ago, and a plunger handle (unused!) that I bought so that I could use the plunger piece as a plunger mute for my trombone. The lady at the Scrap Exchange thought my orange barrel was "fabulous." I think so, too.

I tell people who move to the Triangle that the Triangle is not the "REAL" North Carolina. I mean, it's definitely a part, and really a happenin' place, and I'm thankful that it's here, but when you want to see how people live that have been in the State for more than a generation, you've gotta get off of I-40/I-85 (or at least out of the Triangle/Triad/Metrolina). I tried to get my friend Roe from NJ to come to the Hollerin' Contest, and she was going to, but at the last minute, had another obligation. I've enjoyed teaching Roe about NC culture. It funny to describe "pig pickin's" to people that have never seen it. I talked about Pig Pickin's in my Wilson County post (#8). She was surprised at our state fair that we fry everything and have pig racing.

Anyway, Jenn hadn't really spent too much time Down East, and she really enjoyed seeing the different farming techniques and interesting people that we met.

When we got to the Hollerin' Contest (which I accidentally passed on Highway 421...the Fire Department is actually on Highway 13, and the 2 of those roads makes "Spivey's Corner"), it was around 1:30, and time for some BBQ. The Hollerin' Contest is the SCVFD's main fundraiser for the year, so of course, everything that goes on that day costs a little bit. We headed inside the building to get our grub on.

The men stood outside cookin the pigs, and the ladies were inside dishing it out. I paid the lady my $6 and said I definitely wanted the BBQ over the chicken. My plate had cole slaw, baked beans, BBQ and a roll. Then, Jenn walked up. She's vegetarian, and I had a feeling that this exchange was going to be humorous.

Lady: What can I get for you?

Jenn: Umm...do the baked beans have meat in them? (aside: as we all know, ALL good baked beans have meat in them, and she knows that)

Lady #2 behind the serving line: Yes... (aside: she ALSO knows all good baked beans have meat in them)

Jenn: Well, can I just have cole slaw and a roll please?

Lady: What? No pork? (ladies behind serving line starting to get quiet and listening)

Jenn: No...I don't eat meat. (ladies behind serving line beginning to stare)

Lady: Do you want chicken?

Jenn: No, just the roll and slaw.

Lady to Jenn: You don't eat meat? (to ladies in serving line): Uhh...how do we charge for that?

Lady #2: I guess that's half a tray? I don't think there's enough meat in the beans to harm you...you sure you don't want any beans? I guess that's $3? (All ladies behind the serving line looking awfully concerned...you know how older rural ladies are)

Jenn: No beans, thank you.

Jenn took her tray, and we walked into the eating area as they stood, dazed and confused. In Carrboro, I'm the only non-vegetarian, so it was nice to finally be in a place where she's the only vegetarian within 100 miles.

Jason and his girlfriend Stephanie met us in the dining room (which is really where the fire trucks usually park) and they hung out with us the rest of the day.

After eating (it was now around 2:05), we went to see what was going on outside. There was the souvenir stand, a few booths (one selling Confederate merchandise), a climbing wall, a dunk tank where it used to save "Jesus Saves", except the "Jesus" was covered up with tape, a big slide and lots of people hanging out watching the gospel group on stage, which was pretty good.

We saw the National Guard out there with a fleet of vehicles, so we played in them, and talked to the National Guardsman for a while. The vehicle he drove (a "wrecker", which is actually ENORMOUS and can drive through about 6 ft. deep water)can tow 75 tons, and does 4 miles to the gallon. If you know Fayetteville, he and a buddy once drove that thing down Yadkin Rd., which is this 4 lane road with a turn lane (so 5) that is about the size of a normal 3 lane road. So even for me in a small car, that road is HORRIBLE. He joked that the wrecker took up like 2 travel lanes and the turn lane (which isn't really much of a joke...I can see it). He used to be a firefighter at SCVFD and had been to many Hollerin' Contests. He thinks the crowds have been getting smaller since they outlawed coolers and alcohol.

Spivey's Corner is not the county seat of Sampson County.

Yes, I fooled you (or maybe not), by talking about Spivey's Corner and the Hollerin' Contest.

I couldn't find online when much of the festivities took place. I just knew that the festival began at 11AM. Well, for you Google-ing the Hollerin' Contest for your middle school paper or whatever, and you've somehow navigated to my blog, I'll give you the scoop.

2pm: Deadline for entries in all of the following events

3:30: Conch Shell Blowin' ($5 entry fee)
4:00: Junior Hollerin' Contest (ages <=12, $5 entry fee) 4:30: Teen Hollerin' Conetest (ages 13-17, $5 entry fee) 5:00: Ladies Callin' Contest (females 18-up, $10 entry fee) National Anthem 6:00: 39th National Hollerin' Contest (males 18-up, $10 entry fee) So if you want to go out there, definitely do it...next year, of course. This year's is over. Around 2:30 or so, the 4 of us decided that we were going to go grab the Sampson County Courthouse. From Spivey's Corner, just hop on 421 right into Clinton. Except, not really. All the major roads in the area (421, 701, 24) all seem to create this enormous circle around the city. But it's not all limited-access highway (i.e., interstate). So it's kinda like a beltline, but...not exactly. Which is similar to the area around the courthouse. It's like a traffic circle, but...not exactly, either. So, when were were driving into Clinton, I knew that the roads bypassed the downtown. So I was looking for the "Business" routes, which means the "old" highway that used to run through the center of town that they bypassed. But I didn't see any! I guessed on which road to take. I think I took Sunset, which becomes Fayetteville St. when you get downtown. But that got us to the courthouse. This structure was kinda similar to Elizabeth City's courthouse, with a little bit of Fayetteville's Liberty Point built in. It also had Lady Justice on top, and various war memorials, including a Civil War statue, except this one faces kinda Southeast, instead of North, like I've claimed many do in the former Confederacy. We even found a bust of hometown hero William Rufus King! Yes, he predated Martin Luther King, Jr. by a few years, despite the way both names similarly roll off the tongue. But, William Rufus King had slaves in Alabama. That's a big difference between the two. WR King was apparently the man back in the day, minus his slaveholding. He was even Vice-President (for 45 days AND sworn in in CUBA!) under Franklin Pierce, who was voted one of the worst presidents in history (#40 of 42) by some Scholar Survey noted on Wikipedia. It's gotta be pretty sad to be voted worse than William Henry Harrison (#38) who spent his 31 days in office dying of pneumonia and pleurisy and receiving people wanting to be given government appointments. Our current president is apparently the 22nd best president, topping his father at #24. Clinton (the President, not the county seat) edges the current President at #21. Clinton, NC was not named after Bill Clinton. It was named after a Revolutionary War General, Richard Clinton.

Jenn REALLY wanted a milkshake. So we went to this little grill near the courthouse, but they didn't have milkshakes. So I bought a lemonade, since they told us to go to the Andy's to get milkshakes. We kinda nodded our heads at the directions they gave, and started walking. We didn't find the Andy's. But we did find this Episcopal Church that also had a Lutheran Church in it! That made Jenn and me happy, since she's Lutheran by birth, and I'm Episcopalian by birth, and we now go to the same church and make jokes about each other's denominations, despite the fact that they are in full communion with one another.

We also found this store front near the courthouse that had been gutted. The glass was still there and the name of the place (Albert Kaleel's Hot Dogs, Burgers & BBQ), but the building behind the glass was completely gone. If you know what happened to this place, please paste it on this blog's comment space. The menu was still hanging in the window, and they HAD milkshakes! We were sad. Then folks needed to go to the bathroom, so we went into the Christian bookstore next to the Courthouse and used the facilities. And looked at books. We were good patrons.

Everyone seemed to want to fit in another courthouse, to my surprise. I said, HEY! Let's head on to DUPLIN COUNTY!! Their county seat is Kenansville, right down 24. So that's where we went, after driving around the CRAZY traffic circle that's not a traffic circle that's not numbered in any way, shape or form, giving any clue how to get out of town. I just knew "Fayetteville St." was the wrong direction. Not only that, but no one apparently is from Clinton, because 100% of the people was spoke to (a total of 2 that we asked) were not from there. Then, I got out of downtown Clinton, and drove in a big circle around some focus point I don't know, until I finally listened to Jennifer who told me the correct direction like 15 minutes previous that I had ignored. Clinton, in this regard, is like a black hole.

Ok, now, go read the posting about Duplin County, and come back to this one.

(Play Jeopardy song)

Welcome back!

Now, we have to get back to the National Hollerin' Contest.

Remember, Spivey's Corner is NOT the county seat of Sampson County. Clinton (not the President) is. Remember, the one with William Rufus King (not Martin Luther King)? That's the county seat.

We've now re-entered Sampson County, and get to the Hollerin' Contest at...6:27pm!

UGH.

We jump out of the car, with our hand stamps ready (they stamped us on the way out with the picture of that dude with his tongue hanging out), only to hear, "Alright, we're going to announce the winners!"

I couldn't believe I had missed my registration time to holler.

I guess I was never meant to be on Leno or Letterman :(

JUST KIDDING! I didn't actually register to holler. Maybe next year. Or the year after, once I actually hear it in action and practice for a while.

So after a year of waiting, and actually BEING at the Hollerin' Contest, I had missed it. Unbelievable. But I wouldn't have had the great stories.

We did get to hear the winner holler "Shortnin' Bread" as an encore. That was neat. That counts!

Jason's parents drove to the Hollerin' Contest in their RV from Myrtle Beach...their RV was actually bigger than the National Guard's wrecker. But the wrecker could tow that thing, I bet. It was the only RV there, but somehow, it seemed like an event like this would have TONS of RVs. Ah well. We all went and hung out inside and chatted with Jason's parents until we were pretty much the only folks left.

We walked out of the RV, and these two people (a lady and a gentleman) came up and asked us if the party was in the RV. I told them that Prez Bush was partying in there, but then I told them that I was joking, because I was. The lady had just interviewed all the winners for the Independent and I said, hey, I read that. I live in Carrboro. They asked how I liked the hollerin', and I told them that I didn't hear much because I was out Courthouse Chasing.

Then, the guy said, HEY! I KNOW YOU! I'VE READ YOUR BLOG! And I said, "What?" And he introduced himself as Chase. I said, HEY! I KNOW YOU! You're my competition who's friends with Jim (he's in many of my courthouse pictures) who tries to spend an ENTIRE DAY in every county in North Carolina! I couldn't believe this. Here I was in rural NC, talking to the guy doing the same thing as me in a different setting, joined by a love of NC travel and a friend who lives in NYC. It was so awesome. I had to take a picture of this guy with me. This is the 3rd such coincidence. The first was when Laura and I ran into a coworker of hers in Nashville, NC in Nash County, and the second was when I ran into the author of "A Guide to the Historic Architecture of Eastern North Carolina" which I keep in my car when I drive around Eastern NC. I met Catherine Bishir (that's her name) at Ollie's beach house (one of the original beach houses in Nags Head) in Dare County. She thought Courthouse Chasing was cool, and autographed my book for me! Chase and I are planning on getting a set of courthouses together.

After that, Jenn and I got in the car and took Highway 55 all the way back to Durham with no interstates, after, of course, I got the "Holler if you Hear Me" Geocache virtual cache. It was a fun day and fun courthouse.