UPCOMING EVENTS

The following events are open to the public, although membership in the WCHS or special appointment to the Digital Watauga Project Committee is required for voting eligibility on action items at WCHS and Digital Watauga Project Committee meetings.

Wednesday, October 18, 2023, 9:00am
Digital Watauga Project Committee

HYBRID (WCPL Community Room/Zoom)
The agenda for this meeting will be posted three to four days ahead of time and available on the link below.

Wednesday, October 18, 2023, 5:30pm, WCHS Speaker Series: Benjamin Cleveland, the Terror of the Tories

Join us either in person or via Facebook Live as award-winning historian Michael Hardy leads a discussion about the life of the complicated and fascinating Benjamin Cleveland, the “Terror of the Tories.”

For a Tory or dissident on the Southern Appalachian frontier during the American Revolution, few names struck fear as did that of Benjamin Cleveland. The Wilkes County farmer and politician roamed the back country looking for Tories. When caught, they were frequently hanged. Cleveland was a friend of Daniel Boone, exploring Kentucky in 1772; fought against the Cherokee in 1776 and was present during the Treaty at Long Island; and commanded one wing of the Patriot forces at the battle of Kings Mountain.

Michael C. Hardy has a passion for sharing history. He is the author of twenty-six books, over 1,200 blog articles, over 300 newspaper articles, plus many other articles in various regional and national publications. Michael has appeared on various podcasts, including Civil War Talk Radio, and on Blood and Fury: America's Civil War on the American Heroes Chanel. He is the 2010 North Carolina Historian of the Year. When not researching and writing, he and his family spend time volunteering as historical interpreters at various local, state, and national historic sites.