During the early decades of the 20th century, stories abounded that Robert O. Colt, allegedly a son or nephew of Samuel Colt of Colt revolver fame, was a frequent visitor and sometime resident of Blowing Rock. Some stories even claimed that Robert Colt shot his own child during a party at his home near Cone Manor. To this day, such myths continue to percolate in the lore of the Cone Estate and nearby Blowing Rock. Want to know the real story? If liquor, gunplay, and run-ins with the law are your kind of thing, don't miss this fascinating discussion of the Colt family, historical sources, and how to find the truth, presented by Dr. Eric Plaag, chairperson of the Digital Watauga Project and a local historian.
About the Speaker
Dr. Eric Plaag is the principal consultant at Carolina Historical Consulting, LLC, and also serves as Chairperson of the Boone Historic Preservation Commission and the Chairperson of the Digital Watauga Project. He earned his doctorate in American History with a specialization in Historic Preservation at the University of South Carolina in 2006. He has been instrumental in a number of preservation efforts throughout the Carolinas in general and Watauga County in particular. He has lived in Boone since 2011.
About Digital Watauga
The principal aim of the Digital Watauga Project (DWP) is the digital preservation of Watauga County, North Carolina’s historical images, documents, and other materials. By serving as a digital clearinghouse of Watauga County’s history, the DWP encourages its members and the citizens of Watauga County to make our history more accessible to the general public while also allowing the owner of historical materials digitized through the DWP to retain ownership and control over their original images, documents, and artifacts. In addition, the DWP sponsors regular public events designed to highlight components of its digital collection and educate the Watauga County community about its rich, multifaceted, and important history. The Digital Watauga Project, working in partnership with the Watauga County Public Library, is a project of the Watauga County Historical Society, a non-profit, 501 (c) 3 organization.
ZOOM LINK - https://zoom.us/j/94691165239
IMAGE CREDITS:
File name - Gastonia Gazettee Slapped is from October 17, 1902, issue of the Gastonia Gazette.
File Name - Daily Concord is from - November 13, 1896, issue of the Daily Concord Standard