Morganton, North Carolina is about one hour east of Asheville. We had a whirlwind visit there that lasted just a couple of days. During my time in this small town, I found a couple of great places to visit that I categorize as “unusual & unique” in the best possible way. Our hotel was an easy 15-minute drive to cool destination #1.
Catawba Meadows Park is, at first sight, a traditional recreational park with impressive offerings. The massive property spans 230 acres! Visitors can picnic, play disc golf, use one of the nine ballfields, warm up in the batting cages and even play volleyball on sand courts. For visitors braver than me, an onsite vendor even offers the chance to climb a sky tower and zipline through the air.
In the midst of all this, there is also an archeological site/living history village open for exploration.
In 1994, archeologists discovered a 16th-century Native American village on this land. This was not a surprise since this area of North Carolina ha been inhabited by various Native American tribes for approximately 12,000 years. What is somewhat surprising, is that rather than relegate their stunning archeological find to the academic world, locals opted to incorporate it into the park to foster the education of all visitors.
Volunteers from an organization called the Exploring Joara Foundation constructed a living history village a few hundred yards away from where the actual village once stood. There are reconstructions of two Native American homes, a typical crop garden from the era, and a stockade fence. Interpretive signage onsite explains the steps used to excavate the original archeological site, as well as the steps for building the two homes. Ancient building methods were used (whenever possible) to construct the fence and the homes.
School groups, residents and visitors have a place to see local Native American history in three-dimensional form. Nothing cements learning from a textbook better than experience. Catawba Meadows Park honors those who came before and reminds each generation what Morganton, North Carolina looked like before the settlers came.
Much has been said in America over recent months about the best way to acknowledge history. There have been monument debates and plaque discussions and author interviews. Monuments, plaques and books are all good ways to both honor and acknowledge history. There will likely never be one clear winner but, making an effort is rarely the wrong move. While it is certainly unusual, Catawba Meadows Park in Morganton, North Carolina has found a way to walk the line between recreational park and educational site.
Is there an educational site or living history exhibit you’ve found while traveling? Share the hidden treasure with all of us. We don’t want to miss out!
Leave a Reply