Historian in Residence Richard Eller Presents the Final Installment of Series on the Origins of Western North Carolina Furniture

Join Catawba County Museum of History’s Historian in Residence Professor Richard Eller for the last in his series about Western North Carolina furniture at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 10, at Patrick Beaver Memorial Library. The presentation will be offered as both an in-person and as a virtual presentation.

This session wraps up a comprehensive look at furniture manufacturing in western North Carolina. At the dawn of the 21st century, the growing trend of offshoring case goods caused layoffs in factories throughout the region. Coupled with the trend of companies selling to corporate interests, the best days of furniture as an economic driver seemed to be over. However, the upholstery side of furniture proved resilient. A number of firms survived, new ones started up, and a leaner model for the industry emerged. The presentation is the last in the series that unveils research done for the new book Industry in the Wood: The History of Furniture in Western North Carolina, debuting later this year from Redhawk Publications.

Richard Eller is a historian who focuses on Western North Carolina, its people and traditions in an effort to understand the role the area has played in creating its own vibrant and unique culture. He has written books on Piedmont Airlines, the 1944 Polio Epidemic and is writing an upcoming volume on the western North Carolina furniture industry. Professor Eller has also written articles about local subjects for Foothills Digest, the Hickory Daily Record, and Focus. His recent works include Hickory Then & Now, Hickory: A Complete History, and a documentary film and book about the 1964 Ridgeview High School Panthers football team entitled Untouchable: The Perfect Season of the 1964 Ridgeview High Panthers.

This presentation is available in an in-person and a virtual format. Registration is required to receive the Zoom link to the virtual session. To register for the virtual session, call 828-304-0050 or sign up online at www.hickorync.gov/calendar/events/category/library/. Registration is not required for in-person attendance; however, it is limited to 45 people first come, first served. For more information, call 828-304-0500. Patrick Beaver Memorial Library is located at 375 3rd Street NE on the SALT Block. All library programs are free and open to the public.