Latest news with #N.C.DepartmentofNaturalandCulturalResources
Miami Herald
10-07-2025
- Miami Herald
Mystery surrounds inmate's 11th and final escape 95 years ago, NC historians say
Mystery surrounds an inmate's escape nearly 100 years after he broke free from a North Carolina prison, historians said. 'On July 10, 1930, Otto Wood made his final escape from Central Prison,' the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources wrote in a blog post. 'To this day, no one knows how he did it.' Wood, accused of murder and other crimes, was a 'serial prison escapee' before his death at age 35, historians said. Here's what we know on the 95-year anniversary of his 11th and final stay behind bars. The start to a 'life of crime' Wood was born in 1895 in Wilkes County, west of Winston-Salem. He reportedly ran away to West Virginia at age 7, starting his 'life of crime.' As a teenager, he was accused of stealing a bicycle and breaking into a hardware store, according to a state encyclopedia called NCpedia. 'Involved in criminal activity from an early age, Wood learned to gamble, fight, and make bootleg whiskey from his famed McCoy-Hatfield relations in West Virginia,' East Carolina University wrote on its website. Over time, Wood came to be considered a 'legend' due to his alleged crimes and escapes. The exploits were even more intriguing given he 'had a lame foot and lost a hand in a hunting accident as a teenager,' according to the N.C. Arts Council and state historians. One time in Tennessee, he reportedly left a prison yard in a box. He was chased by bloodhounds, 'knocked out a 250-pound guard' and then posed as someone joining the search, according to NCpedia. The final prison escape At the time of his final escape from Central Prison in Raleigh, he was serving 30 years for the killing of A.W. Kaplan. The man, a Greensboro pawnbroker, reportedly wouldn't give a watch back to Wood before he was shot to death. 'From 1923, when he began his sentence for murder, he escaped about once per year until, in 1926, he was placed in solitary confinement,' state historians wrote. 'Wood's autobiography convinced many of his sympathizers that he was a reformed man. Removed from solitary, he escaped again.' Wood became known across the country as his cases received news coverage. Despite Wood being accused of killing Kaplan, some Western North Carolina residents adored him. 'In a time of severe economic hardship, he was a Robin Hood character, a generous man who robbed only the rich and was kind to all who remembered him,' the arts council wrote on its website. But it turns out, 'his notoriety was his undoing.' Wood escaped from Central Prison for the final time in 1930, starting a six-month period on the run, state officials said. 'He was finally recognized by Salisbury police as he walked through town on December 31,' historians wrote. 'In a bold move, Wood drew a gun on the officers and got into their car, demanding that they drive out of town. When the officers drew their guns, a shootout ensued and Otto Wood was killed on the street.' After the shooting, people in Salisbury — a roughly 45-mile drive northeast from Charlotte — collected money so his body could be buried in West Virginia. Two songs were made about Wood the year after he died.
Miami Herald
23-06-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
12-foot ‘prehistoric' canoe found floating in NC river by sportsman, state says
A dugout canoe found bobbing in one of eastern North Carolina's blackwater rivers could prove to be centuries old, state archaeologists say. Made from a single log, the 12-foot, 4-inch 'prehistoric' canoe was 'quite sound and in very good condition,' officials with the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources told McClatchy News. The canoe was discovered in the South River near Autryville and it's likely the canoe was sitting at the spot where it was abandoned by the original owner, according to deputy state underwater archaeologist Stephen Atkinson. Autryville is about a 70-mile drive south from Raleigh. Carbon dating has not been done, so archaeologists haven't settled on an age for the canoe. 'In most circumstances, these canoes predate modern memory and current indigenous holdings by hundreds if not thousands of years,' Atkinson told McClatchy News in an email. 'As a state agency we do not presume judgment over what tribes determine to be a part of or representative of their cultural heritage, but rather work to support their goals and do right by all involved to make sure our state's archaeological resources are preserved. In that regard, the tribe we have worked with most closely on this recovery has been the Coharie.' The discovery was made by 'an avid sportsman' who notified the Coharie Tribe, officials said. Tribal representatives visited the site and reported their findings to the N.C. Office of State Archaeology's Underwater Archaeology Branch in June 2024, officials said. State archaeologists say the canoe 'had become dislodged from the bank and was neutrally buoyant.' It was recovered June 10, with experts working together to lift the canoe out of the river with straps to tow it up river to a waiting truck, state officials said. It is currently being kept wet in 'a secure pond for safe keeping.' The canoe will next be taken to the Queen Anne's Revenge Conservation Lab in Greenville for stabilization, a process that could take five to 10 years, according to Kim Kenyon, head conservator and assistant state archaeologist with the Underwater Archaeology Branch. Careful preservation is needed, because 'waterlogged wood of this age will twist, crack, and crumble away' if allowed to dry in an uncontrolled environment, she said. 'Preservation is very dependent on the environmental conditions of the body of water where an object was deposited. Waterlogged wood submerged in silty, less oxygenated, fresh water, that is tannin-rich thanks to the trees surrounding the body of water (like many of the rivers and lakes in N.C.), has a better chance of remaining in good condition for very long periods of time,' Kenyon said. 'Fresh bodies of water in N.C. seem to be ideal for the preservation of dugout canoes, since 79 have now been found and recorded.' Archaeologists suspect 'there is potential for these canoes to exist in all bodies of water in North Carolina,' she said. Among the 79 canoes was another found in the South River near Autryville, state officials said. It was made of pine, 12 feet, 9 inches long and dated to the period between 1340-1396, Atkinson said. Twenty-three of the canoes were found in Lake Phelps in eastern North Carolina, with the oldest being 'carbon dated to 2430 BC,' officials said. The lake is about a 75-mile drive northeast from Greenville, in Washington and Tyrrell counties. 'The canoes from the South River seem to be unique in that they are quite short compared to the canoes found in lake environments, which can reach up to 27 feet in length or more,' Atkinson said. Details of how the sportsman spotted the canoe were not released, but state archaeologists say it 'was 'in situ,' or deposited exactly where it was last used.' Once preserved and stabilized, the canoe will go on display 'where it can help to tell the story of North Carolina's rich cultural heritage,' Atkinson said. That display site has yet to be determined. The canoe previously found in the South River is on loan at the Coharie Tribal Center in Clinton.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Yahoo
Chimney Rock State Park to reopen June 27
ASHEVILLE - Chimney Rock State Park and its namesake attraction, a 315-foot freestanding rock spire, will reopen June 27, exactly nine months after Tropical Storm Helene devastated the surrounding communities. The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and N.C. State Parks announced the reopening date in a June 6 news release. 'Chimney Rock is a western North Carolina jewel,' said Governor Josh Stein in the release. 'Reopening the state park will draw tourists back to this area. I am pleased that (the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources), (N.C. Department of Transportation), and local leaders in Chimney Rock were able to get this park open for people to enjoy and so local businesses can thrive.' Much of the park has been closed since after the storm when essentially all of the village's bridges were washed out, including the main public access to the popular Chimney Rock attraction at the park, which drew upwards of 300,000 visitors in 2021. NCDOT recently completed work on a temporary bridge and repairs to the park's roads. Only the park's Rumbling Bald access is open now on the north side of the river, an area popular with rock climbers, featuring about 1.5 miles of hiking trails. Park hours and additional details will be announced soon, the release said. Advance reservations will be required to access the Chimney Rock attraction. The ticketing reservation system at will go live approximately one week prior to the reopening. Capacity will be limited due to ongoing recovery and rebuilding efforts in the area. More: Free things to do around Asheville this summer: Get outside, stay indoors or catch a show More: What's new with Asheville's proposed 1.3-mile greenway extension in the RAD? Sarah Honosky is the city government reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. News Tips? Email shonosky@ or message on Twitter at @slhonosky. This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Chimney Rock State Park to reopen June 27
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Yahoo
Iconic North Carolina Park Is Finally Reopening 9 Months After Hurricane Helene
Chimney Rock State Park reopens June 27, nine months after Hurricane Helene's devastation. A temporary bridge and road repairs now allow access to park. Advance reservations with limited capacity will be required via Rock State Park is set to reopen exactly nine months after being devastated by Hurricane Helene. The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and N.C. State Parks announced today that Chimney Rock State Park, as well as the iconic Chimney Rock attraction, will reopen to visitors on Friday, June 27—the nine-month anniversary of Hurricane Helene's deadly assault on western North Carolina. Chimney Rock, the tiny North Carolina town roughly 25 miles southeast of Asheville that's home to the park, was nearly wiped off the map by flooding caused by the storm. Experts say it was the hardest-hit spot in a region where the destruction stretched for hundreds of miles. 'Chimney Rock is a western North Carolina jewel,' Governor Josh Stein said in a statement. 'Reopening the state park will draw tourists back to this area. I am pleased that DNCR, DOT, and local leaders in Chimney Rock were able to get this park open for people to enjoy and so local businesses can thrive.' Access to the park, where tens of thousands of visitors climb the famous 315-foot granite monolith for sweeping views of the Blue Ridge Mountains each year, has been limited since September 2024 due to the loss of the park entrance bridge. The N.C. Department of Transportation just recently completed work on a temporary bridge and repairs to the park's roads. 'The reopening of this iconic park is another positive step toward recovery in western North Carolina,' N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary, Pamela B. Cashwell, said in a news release. 'We could not reopen Chimney Rock without the swift work of the N.C. Department of Transportation and the leadership from Governor Josh Stein and his recovery team.' Park hours will reportedly be announced soon. Capacity will be limited due to ongoing recovery and rebuilding efforts in the area, a news release notes. Advance reservations will be required to access the Chimney Rock attraction via which will go live approximately one week prior to the reopening. Read the original article on Southern Living
Axios
06-06-2025
- Axios
Chimney Rock State Park in Western North Carolina will reopen June 27
Chimney Rock State Park and the Chimney Rock attraction in Western North Carolina will reopen June 27, the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and N.C. State Parks announced Friday. Why it matters: Much of the park has been closed since Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina last fall. It will reopen exactly nine months after the storm hit the state. Zoom in: Helene wiped out the park's entrance bridge. There were also landslides that blocked the park road, and damage to railings and retaining walls, according to the park's website, plus flooding in the elevator for the Chimney Rock attraction, a 315-foot freestanding rock spire. What to expect: Park hours will be announced soon. You must make reservations in advance to access the Chimney Rock attraction. Reservations will launch roughly one week before the attraction reopens. Capacity will be limited as recovery efforts are ongoing. The park includes views of the mountains, Hickory Nut Gorge and Lake Lure. The big picture: Outdoor recreation, including hiking, is a major draw for tourists to Western North Carolina. N.C. Gov. Josh Stein recently went on CBS' " Late Show with Stephen Colbert" to talk about Helene recovery and to "say to all of America, Western North Carolina is open for business." What they're saying: "Chimney Rock is a western North Carolina jewel," Stein said in a statement. "Reopening the state park will draw tourists back to this area. I am pleased that DNCR, DOT, and local leaders in Chimney Rock were able to get this park open for people to enjoy and so local businesses can thrive."
