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THE PROJECT
A Look Into Chatham's Past is a Girl Scout Gold Award. The project aims to address the issue of lost community identity in Chatham County. Chatham County has seen a dramatic increase in residents in the past few years making it one of the fastest growing counties in the state. In 2018, Chatham County had the 6th fastest growth rate in North Carolina according to Carolina Demography. Chatham County is a rural county filled with rich history. However, many new residents in suburban areas of the county have no concept of the history and culture of this area. Some longtime residents also have no idea about the history of the area.
Chart from NC Office of State Budget and Managment
Chatham County has become a popular county to move to in recent years due to developments like Chatham Park and Briar Chapel. New residents of Chatham are not likely to be aware of the history of their new community. Some long time residents are also not aware because of difficulty in finding Chatham County's history online. The majority of Chatham's history can be found in person at the Chatham County Historical Museum, in written texts, and by word of mouth. However, even with all these options, residents sometimes are not informed about local history.
Image from Chatham County NCGIS
A Look Into Chatham's Past addresses the lessening of community identity and culture in Chatham County by introducing viewers and listeners to eleven notable figures from Chatham County's history. Highlighted figures are diverse in many ways including time period, occupation and from which area of Chatham County they are from. By highlighting these differences and the impact each of these figures made - whether bad or good, - A Look Into Chatham's Past aims to inspire current residents of Chatham to look at the bigger picture. Just because you live in a rural North Carolina county doesn't mean you can't change the world.
DEDICATION
E. Lee Sullivan
June 28, 1946 - January 13, 2021
"To me, Lee Sullivan was Papa. When I began truely working on my Gold Award, I knew I wanted Papa's help. He was always talking about Chatham County history and bringing home unique artifacts. At the time of his death, he was the president of the Chatham County Historical Association and the Pittsboro High School Alumni Association - both organizations rooted in preserving Chatham County's history. He loved his community and wanted it's rich history to be documented and shared with residents. Papa signed on to help me with the project and offered to go around the Chatham County Historical Musuem with me while I was working on the project. Sadly, we never got to do that. However, after Papa's death, I heard so many stories from family members and friends remembering Papa. It reminded me why I was doing my Gold Award. Storytelling and remembrance are so important to community building. So many stories aren't told until after death. With A Look Into Chatham's Past, I hope I can highlight some stories - give some remembrance - for those who made a difference in our community of Chatham County."
-Ella Sullivan
THANK YOUS
A Look Into Chatham's Past would not be possible without the help and guidance given by the following individuals. The time and thoughts they provided on this project helped it become what it is.
Project Advisor
Beverly Wiggins
Chatham County Historical Society
Troop 697
Jennifer Sullivan
Troop Leader
Laura Hulett
Troop Leader
Lillian Byrth
Troop Member
Girl Scout Gold Award Committee Liaison
Dottie Gilbert
Girl Scouts – North Carolina Coastal Pines
Research
E. Lee Sullivan
Chatham County Historical Society
Linda Clarke
Chatham Community Library
Distribution
Elizabeth Brinkley
Northwood High School Journalism Teacher
Neha Shah
Pittsboro-Siler City Convention & Visitors Bureau
Christopher Poston
Chatham County Schools Executive Director for Elementary and Middle Grades Education
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