Posted on: Johnston Co. NC Queries Forum Reply Here: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/NC/Johnston/1820 Surname: massengill, robinson, wilson, lee, harrison, wells, nicholls, ball, donaldson, george, deFiero, garrett ------------------------- Warren, I perfectly understand that this bulletin board is not the appropriate place to make plans for the Johnston County "invasion" next July. If you will direct me (and in case I am not the only one so ignorant, the others who have expressed interest -- Shelby Crocker Smith, John Hobby, Pearl Weaver, Edward Black, Betty Stancil and Vicki Canipe) to the place you recommend, I for one will be glad to take the discussion over there. I'm not sure how I came to be the ring-leader of this unruly bunch. All I said was: "Doesn't anybody else ever go to Johnston County?" And there followed from some quarters a resounding chorus of: "Great idea! When shall we come?" As such plans as we may make progress -- if, in fact, this first effort does get beyond a plan for those who wish to gather in Johnston County the week of the 4th of July, 2001 -- I'm sure you could work in an occasional mention of it in your site/digest. Obviously, you are very close to the people at the JCNC history center and can give us good guidance as to their capacity and level of interest. If you or they could answer my questions along these lines that were asked when the conversation first began to gather steam, it would be of great help in formalizing any such plans. (My main experience in mob leadership was Woodstock. All I'm interested in, really, is a private porta-john!) Otherwise, we shall be there, wandering leaderless throughout the county, no doubt over-running the Chamber of Commerce (if one exists) and the grounds of every school and churchyard in search of someone who wants to talk to us about anything involving our families. And if I know people, someone (perhaps not the appropriate one or even the truthful one) will make good money feeding our ancestor-worshipping appetites. My mother thinks it would be a good idea to block off the county with old-time Pullman cars and a couple of dining cars from the ACL Museum so all who attend may find accommodations there and enjoy an authentic experience in the real history of the railroad! My mother is a 5-foot-tall, 85-pound, 80-year-old, soft-spoken, demure, white-gloved doyenne of the old school. But she is NOT, repeat NOT, a gentle Massengill, Wilson, Robinson, etc., born of the sandy earth and gently rolling rivers of Eastern North Carolina. She is a Virginian of the South Carolina persuasion whose ancestors slipped entirely through the Old North State looking for better tobacco land and a decent rest stop, and she thinks plans for a Johnston County North Carolina Reunion next summer are a wonderful idea! I sure hope those businesses and industries that depend on the fine services of AMTRAK, if any still do, can make alternative arrangements to continue their business during this period. We haven't gone up against her too often since she and Daddy found themselves crossing the Andes on a busful of field-hands who were snorting a suspicious white powdery susbstance believed to be cocaine! Shortly thereafter, a kind Brazilian diplomat gave up his entire hotel suite in Rio so they could enjoy themselves during the World Cup! If we don't stop her soon, she'll have arranged an entire Elderhostel all around us and invited ALL of her friends. By then, she will have had the old carousel moved from Pullen Park in Raleigh to keep the rest of us out of their way! Looking forward to hearing from you in regard to a better place! Annie