STEELE CREEK NEWS
Historical Society
Preserves History of Families, Homes, Buildings, and Traditions of
Steele Creek
(January
6,
2012) The first meeting of the
Steele Creek Historical and Genealogical Society was held
in November 1993. For 18 years the society has published its
newsletter Gleanings, which has preserved much of Steele Creek's
history with contributions from society members and others.
But members are
no longer submitting many stories, family histories, letters, or
pictures. The society needs more participation by the community to
try to save the history of Steele Creek.
The following
article was published in the first issue of Gleanings in January
1994. It was taken from discussions and plans made at the first
meeting of the society in November, 1993. About 20 people attended
the first meeting.
PURPOSE OF
STEELE CREEK HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY
The Purpose of the organization was to put forth the effort to
preserve the history of families, homes, buildings and traditions of
Steele Creek.
So many of our
homes and landmarks are gone and we grieve over the loss but don't
do anything about reconstructing our history in pictures and print.
There are so many ways we can make a record of our history if we but
join together and share our records, photos and memories. Even if
you do not wish to come to our monthly meetings or become involved
on a committee, we hope you will join our organization so that you
may help us with preserving your family records and share your
knowledge of the community with us. Our newsletter will be sent to
you quarterly and your dues will be spent primarily for postage,
copies of records and printing.
We have already
discovered at our first meetings that there are families looking for
their ancestors and others already have the information. Steele
Creek families in the late 1700s and early 1800s intermarried and
most of our grandfathers are related in some way. Hopefully we will
be able to collect all of our data and store it at the new library
that is coming to Steele Creek to be located in the shopping center
at York Road and Sandy Porter Road within the next few months.
[This was the
original location of the shopping center library before York road
was renamed s Tryon Street and before the new library was built on
Steele Creek Road, where it now houses a file drawer with some of
the family histories and an entire section of Mecklenburg County and
adjoining county research books and many genealogy books which the
Carolina Room downtown has sent to help establish a small library of
our local history.]
In the
collection 'of community history we are looking for the following:
1. Old Home
places - present & past
a. Pictures with identification
b. Where located, when built & what family
c. What happened to it, i.e., sold, burned, etc.
2. Old Schools
a. Name, location, grades, when started and ended
b. Pictures and records (teachers, students, etc.)
3. Stores, business, post offices, etc. (Saw mills, grist mills,
blacksmiths, etc.)
a. Where located, who operated them and when.
4. Old roads and communities.
a. Name, location on maps
b. Names of communities such as Rannelsburg, Rama, Shopton
In the collection of family histories:
1. Organize
your known family history and put it on file with us so that
information can be
shared.
2. Interview
older people about the memories of Steele Creek.
3. Copies of
old wills, bible records, letters, etc. to put on file to help each
other.
4. Pictures of
the family with names and information about the people in the
pictures.
Keep in mind that Steele Creek history included the original
boundaries, which today, is Berryhill, and part of Charlotte from
about Remount Road to Wilkinson Blvd, west to the river. On the east
side it went to what is now near South Blvd to Pineville to the
South Carolina line. [Actually in the 1700s it went further down
into York County, which was part of North Carolina before the
boundary with South Carolina was set in 1775. The actual east
boundary was primarily the west side of Sugar Creek but further on
toward town following the Nation Ford Road through the today's
Woodlawn area to about Remount Road, or what was originally the
actual boundary of the "berg" of Charlottetown which was somewhat
north of Morehead Street.]
If you have
information about Steele Creek history, including its families,
buildings, and traditions, that you would like preserved for
posterity, please contact Linda Blackwelder at
llblckwldr@bellsouth.net or 704-588-6575. She welcomes
contributions.
The Steele Creek
Historical and Genealogical Society meets on the last Monday of each
month (except July and December) at 7:00 P.M. (unless changed for a
special function) at Central Steele Creek Presbyterian Church. Room
300 in the Family Life Center, located at the Intersection of S.
Tryon St. & Westinghouse Blvd. At each meeting they have a speaker
on Steele Creek and area history, genealogy, and other related
topics. (Meetings had been at the Steele Creek Library until the
library cut back its hours.) Meeting announcements are typically
posted on the
Steele Creek Forum, or
contact
Linda Blackwelder to confirm meeting locations and times.
Annual dues are $15 a
year, payable by January to PO Box 411711, Charlotte, NC 28241.
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story, please visit the
Steele Creek Forum.
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