Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
>> HELLO. I'M TONY ZEISS,
PRESIDENT OF CENTRAL PIEDMONT
COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
YOU KNOW, THE RICH AND DIVERSE
HISTORY OF MECKLENBURG COUNTY
AND CHARLOTTE IS JUST WONDERFUL,
AND WE AT THE COLLEGE WANT TO
BRING IT TO YOU AND SHARE IT
WITH YOU.
WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF
HISTORY.
WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF
LEARNING FROM THE PAST SO WE CAN
DO BETTER IN THE FUTURE.
I WANT TO TELL YOU THAT YOU'RE
IN FOR A REAL TREAT.
THE HISTORY DEPARTMENT AT
CENTRAL PIEDMONT COMMUNITY
COLLEGE HAS PARTNERED WITH CPCC
TELEVISION TO BRING YOU THIS
SPECIAL, ONE-OF-A-KIND HISTORY
PROGRAM.
STAY TUNED.
I'M SURE YOU'RE GOING TO ENJOY
IT.
(MUSIC)
>> THE PEOPLE OF MECKLENBURG
COUNTY ENJOY HISTORY, BARBECUE
AND POLITICS, AND EVERY OCTOBER,
THOSE THREE COME TOGETHER AT THE
ANNUAL MALLARD CREEK
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH BARBECUE.
>> HI. HOW ARE YOU.
NICE SEEING YOU, TOO.
>> IT'S BEEN REAL IMPORTANT IN
HOW SOUTHERNERS DEFINE
THEMSELVES.
FROM THE TIME WHEN HOG
SLAUGHTERING TIME MEANT BARBECUE
AND BARBECUE MEANT THE WHOLE PIG
IN CERTAIN PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.
THAT DEFINITION OF WHO WE ARE IS
WRAPPED UP IN WHAT WE EAT.
>> THERE IS A HUMAN DESIRE AND A
HUMAN WANT TO CONGREGATE, TO
HAVE AN ABILITY ESPECIALLY TO
HAVE PERSONAL CONTACT TO LOOK
PEOPLE IN THE EYE TO SHAKE THEIR
HANDS TO SORT OF HAVE IMPROMPTU
CONVERSATIONS.
THAT'S VERY FUNDAMENTAL TO BEING
HUMAN AND ESPECIALLY RELATED TO
POLITICS.
>> CERTAINLY IN EARLY AMERICA,
THE CHURCH WAS THE VOICE FOR THE
COMMUNITY.
BOTH SOCIAL AND POLITICAL.
>> POLITICAL BARBECUES ARE JUST
ONE PIECE OF COMMUNITY
CELEBRATIONS THAT INVOLVE FOOD
AND CELEBRATION, THAT GO ALL THE
WAY BACK TO THE COLONIAL PERIOD.
>> THE BEST OF ATMOSPHERE.
IT'S PEOPLE COMING THAT HAVEN'T
SEEN EACH OTHER SOMETIMES IN A
YEAR OR TWO, SOMETHING LIKE
THIS.
IT'S REALLY CASUAL AND PEOPLE
HANG AROUND AND TALK FOREVER.
>> THE INDIANS HAD A TRADITION
OF ROASTING VENISON OVER COALS
AND THEY JUST VERY QUICKLY BEGAN
TO USE HOGS THAT WERE SEMIWILD
AND DID THAT SAME TECHNIQUE, AND
THIS WORD BARBECUE COMES FROM
THE INDIAN WORLD BARBACOA WHICH
WAS THE INDIAN TECHNIQUE OF
COOKING MEAT OVER COALS ON A
KIND OF RACK, AND THESE INDIANS
SPLIT OPEN A HOG, RUBBED THE HOG
WITH SALT AND LEMON JUICE AND
CHILI PEPPERS, ROASTED IT SLOWLY
OVER COALS AND THEN THE
DOMINICAN PRIESTS, WHO WAS
DESCRIBING THIS SAID THEY RIPPED
OFF HUNKS OF THE MEAT AND THEY
HAD TWO TYPES OF DIPPING SAUCE,
A MILD SAUCE AND A HOT, SPICY
SAUCE.
THE BARBECUE WAS THROUGHOUT THE
SOUTH BECAUSE HOGS WERE RAISED
THROUGHOUT THE SOUTH.
THEY'RE VERY, VERY EASY TO
RAISE, AND THE CONSUMPTION OF
PORK WAS MUCH, MUCH HIGHER THAN
BEEF IN THE SOUTH.
[ MUSIC ]
>> DURING THE COLONIAL PERIOD,
LIKE OTHER TIMES IN HISTORY, THE
CHURCH WAS A GATHERING PLACE FOR
THE COMMUNITY.
THIS TOOK ON A MORE POLITICAL
ASPECT AS THE GREAT AWAKENING
BEGAN TO CHANGE NOT ONLY THE WAY
INDIVIDUALS VIEWED THEIR FAITH
BUT ALSO THEIR POLITICS.
>> THE FIRST GREAT AWAKENING IS
A RELIGIOUS REAWAKENING IN
AMERICA THAT BEGINS IN THE EARLY
1700 S AND LASTS REALLY UP UNTIL
THE TIME OF THE REVOLUTION IN
AMERICA, 1770ISH.
BUT IT'S A SIMULTANEOUS MOVEMENT
IN EUROPE AS WELL.
OUT OF THE FIRST GREAT AWAKENING
THAT MOVE INTO THE RELIGIOUS
SPHERE, AND AS THE MOST POPULAR
SOCIAL VOICE OF THE TIME, THAT
RELIGIOUS GROUP THEN BEGINS TO
CARRY AND FUEL THOSE IDEAS
THROUGHOUT EARLY AMERICA.
SO AS YOU ENTER THE PERIOD FROM
BETWEEN ABOUT 1780 UNTIL ABOUT
1830, YOU SEE A DRAMATIC SHIFT
IN THE POPULOUS MOVEMENTS IN
AMERICA.
>> ESPECIALLY IN NORTH CAROLINA,
I THINK IT'S EVEN MORE TRUE THAT
BARBECUE'S BEEN ASSOCIATED
WITH-- WITH CERTAIN KINDS OF
CHURCHES, AND PART OF IT HAS TO
DO WITH THE-- WITH THE FACT
GOING ALL WAIT BACK TO THE 18 T
H CENTURY THAT THE SCOTCH IRISH
WERE PROMINENT RAISERS OF PORK
AND SO WHEN THEY MOVED INTO THE
CAROLINAS, BOTH NORTH CAROLINA
AND SOUTH CAROLINA IN THE 18 T H
CENTURY, THEY BROUGHT PORK WITH
THEM.
>> CERTAINLY, THE FIRST GREAT
AWAKENING BEGINS THIS PROCESS,
BUT BY THE TIME WE REACH
POST-REVOLUTION PERIOD IN THE
EARLY 180 0 S , WE HIT ANOTHER
AWAKENING IN RELIGIOUS HISTORY
FOR AMERICA CALLED THE SECOND
GREAT AWAKENING, AND WE'RE
ROUGHLY TALKING ABOUT 1805 TO
ABOUT 1830 OVER A TIME PERIOD.
THIS IS WHEN COMMUNITIES BEGIN
TO REALLY COALESCE AROUND THE
CHURCH.
>> WELL, IT USED TO BE THAT
CHURCHES WOULD HAVE AN ANNUAL
DINNER ON THE GROUNDS WHERE
EVERYBODY BROUGHT FOOD, A DISH
TO PASS.
THE KIDS PLAYED OFF IN ONE
PLACE.
THE YOUNG FOLKS COURTED.
THE OLD FOLKS REMEMBERED THE
COMMUNITY AND FIGURED OUT HOW TO
MAKE IT MOVE FORWARD, AND THE
MALLARD CREEK BARBECUE IS A
CONTINUATION OF THAT.
>> AND AS THESE CHURCH PEOPLE
GET TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE THEIR
FAITH, THEY'RE ALSO BECOME THESE
CENTRAL SOCIAL GATHERING OF THE
AREA.
(MUSIC)
>> ONE OF THE WAYS WE CAN SEE
THE EFFECTS OF CULTURAL CHANGES
BROUGHT ON BY THE GREAT
AWAKENING WAS THE GROWTH IN
COMMUNAL BARBECUES HELD AT LOCAL
CHURCHES.
THE ANNUAL BARBECUE AT MALLARD
CREEK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
CONTINUES THIS TRADITION.
>> MALLARD CREEK WAS A PLACE.
STILL IS A PLACE, BUT IT'S
CHANGED A LOT, BUT THE CHURCH
WAS THE CENTER OF THE COMMUNITY
GOING BACK TO THAT EARLY 1800 S
.
>> MALLARD CREEK PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH HAS PUT THAT ON SINCE THE
BEGINNING.
IT GATHERS AROUND THE OLD
SCHOOLHOUSE.
USED BE THAT THE CHURCHES
PLANTED THE SCHOOLS HERE BEFORE
PUBLIC SCHOOLS REALLY GOT
STARTED AND THAT SCHOOLHOUSE
REMINDS US OF THAT.
>> WHEN IT FIRST STARTED BACK I
WOULD BUY A HOG.
I'D GIVE YOU THE PIG, AND YOU
WOULD RAISE IT, AND THEN YOU'D
TURN IT BACK INTO THE CHURCH.
AND THEN WE HAD A FARMHOUSE OVER
THERE OF MR. YOUNG GALLOWAY AND
THAT'S WHERE WE KILLED THEM AND
DRESSED THEM AND EVERYTHING.
>> IN 1929, THEY HAD SOME DEBT
THEY WANTED TO RETIRE.
AND SO THE COMMUNITY GOT-- THE
CHURCH COMMUNITY, MALLARD CREEK
PRESBYTERIAN COMMUNITY CHURCH
GOT TOGETHER AND HAD A BARBECUE.
I THINK THEY MADE ABOUT 89
BUCKS, $90.
AND IT'S JUST GROWN AND GROWN
AND GROWN SINCE THEN.
>> IN THE 1850 S , LATE 1840 S
WHEN LOCAL LEADERS WERE TRYING
TO RAISE MONEY TO BUILD THE
FIRST RAILROAD TO COME TO
CHARLOTTE, THEIR PRINCIPAL MEANS
OF RAISING MONEY WAS TO HAVE
BARBECUE.
>> IT WOULD HAVE FIRST STARTED
WITH, I THINK, A GOAT AND ONE
GOAT AND A PIG.
AND IT STARTED OUT.
>> AND SO THE NAME, THE CHURCH'S
NAME GOT ASSOCIATED WITH THAT
BARBECUE AND VICE VERSA AND SO
ANY TIME YOU'D MENTION THE
MALLARD CREEK BARBECUE, OH, YOU
GO TO THE BARBECUE CHURCH.
>> WHEN WE FIRST STARTED, WE DUG
A DITCH RIGHT OUT HERE IN THE
GROUND AND THEN JUST LAID A RACK
ACROSS THERE AND JUST LAID THE
HOG, THE WHOLE HOG RIGHT ACROSS
ON THAT.
>> MR. DEATON, I BELIEVE, IS
GOING TO BE 102 THIS DECEMBER,
IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, AND HE'S
LIVED IN THIS AREA FOR A LONG,
LONG TIME, AND HE'S BEEN TO
QUITE A FEW OF THE BARBECUES AND
HE'S, OF COURSE, OLDEST MEMBER
OF THE CHURCH, AND HE'S SORT OF
LIKE YOUR GREAT, GREAT GRANDDAD.
EVERYBODY LOVES MR. GEORGE.
>> I STARTED THE 14TH ONE, WHICH
WAS MY FIRST ONE AND THAT WAS IN
1941 AND I HADN'T MISSED ONE
SINCE.
>> EXCEPT FOR THE LENGTH OF OUR
HAIR AND THE CLOTHES WE WEAR, IT
WOULD BE GOING BACK 82 YEARS TO
THE WAY THINGS WERE, A VERY
RURAL SETTING.
DESPITE THE TRAFFIC NOWADAYS,
VERY USUAL SETTING.
VERY NICE PEOPLE, A COMMUNITY
FELLOWSHIP EVENT.
>>I MEAN, THERE ARE A GROUP OF
PEOPLE IN THAT CHURCH THAT GO TO
THE TROUBLE TO PUT THE THING ON.
SOMEBODY'S GOT TO ORGANIZE IT.
IT DOESN'T JUST HAPPEN.
IT'S NOT LIKE GRASS GROWING.
YOU GOT TO GO AND WORK ON IT.
SO MALLARD CREEK PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH MAKES IT HAPPEN.
(MUSIC)
>>> BUT IT TAKES A WEEK.
IT TAKES TWO DAYS TO COOK THE
MEAT, 14,000 POUNDS ROUGHLY OF
PORK TO DO THAT.
IT TAKES TWO DAYS TO GET READY
TO MAKE THE STEW.
IT TAKES A DAY-- RIGHT AT A DAY
TO MAKE THE SLAW, AND THEN, OF
COURSE, WE WORK ALL DAY TODAY
PUTTING THAT ALTOGETHER.
SOMEWHERE AROUND 300 VOLUNTEERS
WOULD BE MY GUESS, BUT IT TAKES
A YEAR TO GET READY FOR THAT.
WE'VE DONE IT SO MANY TIMES
YOU'D THINK IT WOULD BE ON
AUTOMATIC, BUT THERE'S ALWAYS
THINGS WE LEARN.
THINGS THAT HAVE CHANGED IN THE
COMMUNITY.
TRAFFIC HAS CHANGED.
PEOPLE'S EATING HABITS, BUYING
HABITS HAVE CHANGED.
>> I WAS STRUCK BY, FIRST OF
ALL, BY SIMPLY THE SIZE AND THE
SCALE OF IT.
I MEAN, I HAD BEEN TO CHURCH
PICNICS BEFORE AND WHEN SOMEBODY
TOLD ME, OH THIS IS GOING TO BE
A RURAL CHURCH PICNIC, I WAS
STRUCK BY JUST THE SIZE-- THE
SIZE AND THE SCOPE OF THE
MOUNTAIN OF FOOD THAT GOT SERVED
THERE.
>> THIS IS MY PALM PILOT.
THE BATTERY ON THIS WON'T DIE,
BUT IF I WASH MY HANDS, HIS
ORDER'S GONE.
>> A LOT OF FOLKS DON'T REALIZE
HOW LARGE WE ARE AND EVERYTHING
AND WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT, ALL
THESE FOLKS-- WELL, LOTS OF
FOLKS THINK THEY'RE COMING OUT
TO EAT AND NOTHING LIKE THE
MALLARD CREEK BARBECUE.
WE'RE KIND OF RATED AS NUMBER
ONE BARBECUE IN NORTH CAROLINA
AS FAR AS ATTENDANCE AND
EVERYTHING.
>> AND YOU KNOW, I SAID, WELL,
WHAT DOES THE CHURCH AND PIG
ROASTS AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS
HAVE TO DO WITH POLITICS?
EVERYTHING.
>> LONG, LONG TRADITION OF
BARBECUE AND POLITICS.
THAT-- THAT GOES WAY BACK.
>> IT'S A PLACE WHERE POLITICAL
CANDIDATES MEET THE FOLK.
YOU'LL FIND NATIONALLY KNOWN
PEOPLE THERE, SHAKING HANDS
RIGHT ALONGSIDE SOMEBODY YOU
MIGHT NEVER HEARD OF THAT IS
RUNNING FOR OFFICE FOR THE FIRST
TIME.
>> THE POLITICIANS ARE
ASSOCIATED WITH THE 19 T H
CENTURY DEMOCRATIZATION OF NORTH
CAROLINA, AND THERE WAS A LARGE
UPSWEEP BEFORE THE CIVIL WAR IN
THE PERCENTAGE OF THE POPULATION
THAT WAS ACTUALLY VOTING.
THE QUESTION FOR THE POLITICIANS
IS HOW DO I GET TO THE VOTERS.
>> IF YOU WANT TO COME AND EAT
AND NOT TALK TO A POLITICIAN,
YOU CAN.
IN FACT, WE HAVE TWO LINES.
ONE FOR IF YOU WANT TO GO SHAKE
AND MEET A POLITICIAN'S HAND AND
ALL THAT AND ONE IF YOU DON'T.
THE LONGEST LINE IS ALWAYS THE
POLITICAL LINE BECAUSE PEOPLE
WANT TO BEND THE EAR OF THEIR
LOCAL POLITICIAN.
>> YOU DON'T SEE PEOPLE COMING
TOGETHER IN THE FALL TO
CELEBRATE A CHURCH FUNCTION WITH
A BARBECUE WITH POLITICIANS
VISITING.
YOU WON'T FIND THAT ONCE YOU
LEAVE WHAT WE NOW ALL THE BIBLE
BELT.
(MUSIC)
>> THE FIRST THING THAT KEEPS IT
GOING IS SIMPLY THE FOOD.
IT'S SIMPLY IT'S GREAT BARBECUE
AND GREAT BARBECUE IS NOT EASY
TO COME BY.
GREAT BARBECUE IS THE OPPOSITE
OF FAST FOOD.
IT'S A SLOW FOOD.
IT TAKES-- IT TAKES A LONG TIME.
IN MANY CASES, THEY BURN THE
FIRES FOR AN ENTIRE DAY.
>> TRADITION FALLS BY THE
WAYSIDE A LOT NOWADAYS.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE PIECES.
THAT'S PART OF IT IS THE
TRADITION.
IT'S BEING HANDED DOWN FROM
GENERATION TO GENERATION.
WHETHER THE GENERATION WAS
INVOLVED IN THE CHURCH IN THE
1800 S OR NOT, IT'S PAST DOWN.
YOU SEE IT PAST DOWN FROM, YOU
KNOW, FROM PARENTS TO CHILDREN.
>> NOW I THINK THE MALLARD CREEK
BARBECUE-- I THINK PART OF IT IS
JUST SIMPLY INERTIA THAT IT'S A
TRADITION.
IT'S BEEN DONE.
IT TENDS TO GO ON.
>> IT MEANS A YOUNGER GENERATION
IS COMING AND DOING WHAT WE USED
TO DO OURSELVES.
THEY'VE TAKEN OVER BECAUSE I
HELP COOKING ON THAT FOR SEVERAL
YEARS AND BECAUSE OF MY AGE, I
TURNED IT OVER TO THE YOUNG ONES
TO DO.
>> IT IS THE COMING TOGETHER OF
A COMMUNITY IN A TRADITIONAL
KIND OF WAY.
>> WELL, THIS CONCLUDE OURS LOOK
AT THE HISTORY OF COMMUNITY
BARBECUES AND POLITICS.
WE THANK YOU FOR WATCHING AND BE
SURE TO JOIN US NEXT TIME FOR A
TRAIL OF HISTORY RIGHT HERE ON
CPCC TELEVISION.