Historic Webster is a newsletter of the Webster Historical Society, Inc., created at the Society’s founding in 1974. The publication helped to serve the Society's mission of collecting and preserving the history of Webster, North Carolina. Webster, established in 1851, was the original county seat for Jackson County.

• Contributor
  • Webster Historical Society (Webster, N.C.)
• Format
  • Newsletters
  • Periodicals
• Type
  • Text
• Date
  • Date original: 1987
  • Date digitized: 2017-01
• Extent
  • Dimension: 15" x 11"
  • Pages: 8 pages
• Subject - Topic
  • Jackson County (N.C.)
  • Webster (N.C.) -- History -- Periodicals
• Location
  • Jackson County (N.C.)
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Source Collection
  • Historic Webster
• Identifier
  • HistoricWebster1987_Vol12_No01
• Repository
  • Western Carolina University Hunter Library

HIS TORI HISTORIC WEBSTER Vol. 12 Issue 1 Spring 1987 Features 3 Designer's New Spring Hats Reflect Influence of 1930's A review in the Richmond Times­Dispatch writes about Sara Sue's new spring hat collection shown in the famous Miller and Rhoads department store. by Anita Black 4 Designed for You by Sara Sue The world's most famous hat designer, Sara Sue Sherrill, was a Webster native. Her hats, now in the Valentine Collection in Richmond reflect the world. by Ann Melton 8 Reflections Janice Monteith Blanton continues her quarterly column with a por­trait of one of Webster's favorite neighbors -- Byrd Allison. The Cover: The program cover for Sara Sue Sherrill's annual spring show featured "Colorful California." SPEAKING EDITORIALLY A New Face For Historic Webster HISTORIC WEBSTER President Midred Cowan Box 186 Webster, NC 28788 Vice President Dale Coward Norton Road Cashiers, NC 28717 Secretary-Treasurer Margaret and Jim Simpson Box 126 Webster, NC 28788 Membership Chairman Kate M. Rhinehart Box 145 Webster, NC 28788 Editor Joe P. Rhinehart Box 356 Webster, NC 28788 The Webster Historical Society, Incor­porated, is a non-profit organization found­ed in 1984 to study and preserve the history and culture of the area. The annual membeship fee is $5.00 paid to the memrnlr­ship chairman, Box 145, Webster, NC 28788. The society publishes Historical Webster quarterly, and it is mailed to the members. The editor welcomes material for publica­tion and will give consideration to any sub­mitted articles. Spring 1987 is bringing a new and clean look to Webster and a new and clean look to Historic Webster. For the life of the publication it has been a tabloid. Because of the odd size it is hard to preserve, and now that our issues have become collector's items, many society members are saving their back issues. This new magazine size is much easier to fit into a notebook, easier to handle, and easier to read. We hope that you will enjoy our new layout. Ann Melton of Waynesville writes the feature article this issue. Sara Sue Sherrill left Webster to become one of the world's foremost hat designers. Her travels took her over the world, and her hats are now in museum fashion collections. You will enjoy Ann's article as well as the pictures that accompany it. It will soon be summer and one of the society's activities will get underway in July, the fifth season of "A Summer Evening in Webster." Plan to attend the programs on July Sunday afternoon at 5:30 at the United Methodist Church. Webster was saddened this winter with the death of two of its strongest members. Mrs. Davie Coward Sutton and Mrs. Gracie Hall Brown. Both were charter members of the society and contributed to Historic Webster. They will be profiled in a later issue. The summer 1987 issue will feature the Spencer Clark Trio, Mary and Spencer Clark, and Hoyte Roberson. The society this past winter, issued its first cassette, "A Summer Evening in Webster" featuring the music that the Trio has performed in the summer programs. The casette is selling an dis available by mail from Box 145, Webster. It will also be sold at the summer programs. The cost is $8.50. Plan to attend the society's annual Fourth of July celebration, "Miss Lucy's Picnic." The Karchers, who now own the Hedden House, Miss Lucy's home, will host the event. Local newspaper will carry information on the picnic and the summer programs. 2 Historic Webster Spring 1987 ... Designer's New Spring Hats Reflect Influence of 1930's The look of the 1930's is influen­cing couturiers and hat designer­including Richmond's Sara Sue. There are several creations in her spring collection-which will be presented in a fashion show at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday in Miller & Rhoads tea room-which probably have delighted Jean Harlow or Carole Lombard. The are off the face on one side are worn asymmetrically, so that the face shows-on one side. And lucky is the lady whose good pro­file is the one that shows. The show this year is called "Colorful California and the Wonders of the West." Spring hats this year are characterized by their light airy look and one of Sara Sue's innova­tions is the lightest, airiest im­aginable. It's a snood of coarse veiling, designed to be worn with by Anita Black or without a calot to which it at­taches with snaps. There are flowers on the veiled snood, but not enough to keep a lady's crowning glory from showing through. Sara Sue is known for her "con­vertible hats" and the one she has named Coronado is in three parts of matching silk print. There is a ca:p. A scarf to protect the hair pulls through the cap. This ar­rangement is topped by a match­ing Mexican sombrero. Customarily her spring-to­summer show is geared to hats in­spired by place names and this col­lection includes not only Califor­nia, but all of the far western part of the country. For example, there is "Reno" for a second wedding. There is a great variety in silhouettes ranging form oversize cartwheels to the traditional spring floral confections. However, the flowers are not California flowers. Sara Sue uses imported flowers and fabrics almost exclusively. "Sunset Strip," a turban, is fold­ed away from the face to the back of the head, in an orange-pink­yellow- white print. "Farmer's Market" is a wide­brimmed straw with a detachable wreath of field flowers at the crown. "Champagne Music" is straw with glitter and maline. "Palm Springs" is a big-brimmed multi­color straw to wear with a good linen dress of almost any shade. "Young Star" is shaped almost like a baby bonnet, but with sophistication. And "Carmel," (Carmel is known for its artists' colony) is a hand-blocked linen ar­tists' colony) is a hand-blocked linen artist's tam. Historic Webster Spring 1987 3 Let Sara Sue's hats lift your spirits. Drop by the Amethyst Room, try on the hats, and you will find yourself a prettier, smarter person in a hat DESIGNED FOR YOU BY SARA SUE. HISTORIC WEBSTER SPRING 1987 DESIGN FOR YOU BY SARA SUE Sara Sue Sherrill and some of her models from shows that she presented an­nually in Miller and Rhodes department store in Rich­mond where she was the milliner for many years. by Ann Melton Sara Susannah Sherrill (Sara Sue) was born September 16, 1908, in Webster, the daughter of William Robert Sherrill and Mary Mabel Cowan, grand-daughter of Joseph Cowan and Sara Allman Cowan. Sara Sue lived in Webster until she was 10 when the family moved to Sylva. Her father, Will Sherrill, was a lawyer, and when the court house moved from Webster to Sylva, he bought property there to be closer to his work. Sara attended and graduated the Sylva Col­legiate Institute, a private Baptist school. The following year she attended the North Carolina College for Women in Greensboro. Home in Sylva for summer vacation, she worked in a store in Sylva called The Paris Store, which was owned by Mr. Simons. She worked with a lady named Inez Sullivan. Ms. Sullivan realized her creativity and encourag­ed her to go to Atlanta and study fashion. Sara Sue's mother, Mary Cowan Sherrill, had worked for some time for Mattie McKee (Mrs. Lyndon McKee) making hats in a millinery shop which Mrs. McKee had in her home. This inspiration, plus the encouragement of Ms. Sullivan took Sara Sue to Atlanta where she trained as a milliner. Her first job was in Toc­coa, Georgia. From there she moved to Asheville where she worked for Denton's. Leaving Asheville, she moved to West Palm Beach, Florida, and then to Richmond, Virginia, where she became the chief designer for Miller and Rhodes, Richmond's premier department store. Shortly after moving to Richmond, she met Gorden Francis (Bud) Hamon, Jr., and they were married November 26, 1930. Eight years later they had a daughter, Francis Sherrill Hamon, born November 6, 1938. Sherrill married Charles DuVal Aiken II in 1959, and they had a son Charles DuVal Aiken III. Sherrill died in 1966. Sara Sue Retired from Miller and Rhodes in October 1973 after 38 years. During those 38 years she gave two shows a year, one in September, the fall and winter show, and one in February, the spring and sum­mer show. The s)lows were candlelight teas given in the Tea Room at Miller and Rhodes. The models at times wore native costumes which Sara Sue had bought in a particular country, and the stage and runway were decorated with art objects also bought in that country. To gather inspiration and materials for these shows, her summers were spent traveling. She traveled to, and did shows on such places as the Orient, the near East, India, the European cuntries, the British Isles, the Mediterranean world, Mexico, and Canada. She also design­ed hats depicting geographic areas in the United States such as New Orleans and the Mardi Gras, the West and Hawaii. Her plans for hats began on the trip with both mental and written notes, and included shopping trips for fabrics and appropriate ornaments. An excert from one of her travel logs gives and idea of her work : "The Far East will be the inspiration for our Fall and Winter collection to be shown at a fashio tea, in early Fall in the Tea Room, Richmond. "Japan, Hong King, and Thailand are the most colorful countries I have ever visited -­each one so different, each so beautiful in its own way. "I worked through our Far East buying of­fice, William E. Conner Ltd., Far East Buying Service. in Tokyo I worked with Mr. Ando of that organization, buying exquisite silk brocades. A pleasant experience here was a visit to the factories where I watched the weav­ing of materials. It was so interesting to see the Historic Webster Spring 1987 5 beautiful patterns to come to life as a shuttle was passed back and forth by skillful hands. The weaver sits on a low cushion with his legs crossed under him while working. Invitations for our Fall Show will be printed on wood block prints. I saw the artist carve the design in a block of wood. Each color is put on separately and rubbed with a buffer pad, - sometimes a print will be handled eight or ten times depending on the number of colors used. My first stop was Tokyo, a big, busy city, with much construction going on due to the Olympics being held there. I learned in Tokyo that most of the things I was looking for would be found in Kyoto the old capital of Japan. I drove from Tokyo to Hakone. Enroute stop­ped at Kamakura for a look at the second largest Buddha in the world, and the most beautiful. I stayed at the Fijiyama Hotel. Next day drove by Hakone Lake with Mt. Fuji ris­ing above it in the background. Luckily for me, the clouds parted long enough for me to see Fu­ji in all of its snow-capped glory. Took the train to Kyoto where I found what I had always pictured Japan to be .. . beauty everywhere ... temples, gardens, flowers, all so picturesque and colorful. Here I bought beautiful silks, ornaments for the hair, and handwoven obis (the wide sash worn with kimonos) to be made into gorgeous hats. Work­ed with Mr Ken Yamamoto of Conners, Ltd. After a successful three-day stay in Kyoto and Osaka, drove to Osaka airport for flight to Hong Kong. Our flight was delayed by typhoon "Viola" and we spent most of the night in the airport. Arriving in Hong Kong at sunrise next morning, thankful that it was Sunday and a day of rest. Hong Kong is a British Crown Colony - much too colorful to be true. Modern Hong Kong is an Asian "West Berlin," bordered by Red China. Its harbor is as beautiful as Rio de Janeiro. The seeker of true Asia can find only small bits of ancient China. It is a melting pot of every nationality because of its free port. There were 700 custom tailors within a radius of six blocks of our hotel. In Hong Kong I was assisted by Mr. Andrew Xavior of the Far East office. Bought gorgeous silks, brocades, satins, bead work and motifs, all handmade. The Chinese, like the Japanese, are so very artistic . .. everything is a work of art. My husband said you could go broke in Hong Kong saving money ... there were so many bargains. Saw two beautiful fashion shows. One on the roof garden of the Hong Kong Hilton, where the peaks and beautiful harbor formed the background. The audience, as well as models, was beautifully dressed and bejewelled. The other was a showing of Thai fashions designed in all Thai silks. This show, held in the Nine Dragon Room of the New President Hotel in Kowloon, included a performance of the Thai classic dance. 6 Historic Webster Spring 1987 VIRGINIA'S FINEST DEPARTMENT STORES I K E B A N A I s~ra Sue's showing of her spring ond Summer het ' ploce this coming Tuesdoy, Februory 9th, ol 3:30P.M., in the M&R Teo Room, Fii Using the beautiful ond delicole moteriols which she personally collected in Jopo• endeavored to lronslote into her new designs the exquisite style end spirit of the or! ond life of Jopon. We show Sera Sue~s design entitled "Ikebana," only one of this collection "made for you by Se; Reservations for the showing this coming Tuesday may be mode et the M&R Customer Service [ Stroot Floor. J oa, l r. Sara Sue, M&R's Own Cuatom Millinery Designer Glistening world of inspiration for Sara Sue's new millinery collection, at a Candlelight Tea Showing in M&R Tea Room, Wednesday, September 7th, 3:30 p. m. All the dozzle of sun·glint on silver gl ocier . . . reflected in Soro Sue's newest, most f~scin~ting millinery collection-inspired by her recent vis it to the Sco ndinavian countries. Come to the Premier Showing for your own inspiration. Rediscover the delights of high fo shion in breothtolingly beautiful military creations that con be .. designed for you by Soro Sue'' from the finest of furs ond fobrics. A fe stive l(lpplond hot of red end blue cob- rec reates the ·.•1\l<"'med mt1j~ly of the .REINDEER HERO. SONG OF NORWAY echoed in e sumptuous swi.4 of natural rt~nch mint STOCKHOLM remembf!r~ o mysterious movie queen ir. a slouch-y hat of beige end ten. M11ht your Tee Showin<'l r~~~tv<"linn~ 111 M.tR Tir~#ll . B.,nth, D(lwnt{)wn. Tell , $1 The city of Bankok is like a jewel, all the temples are so colorful and graceful, many of them bordered by canals filled with pink lotus blossoms. The temples are encrusted in floral and other designs made in porcelain and gold leaf ... the roof tops all pointing to the sky in graceful design. I bought beautiful Thai Silk and quaint farmer hats. I went to the factory where the famous Thai silk is made and saw it being hand loomed. The beautiful colors are indescribable. I was told that the silks are rinsed in the dirty river water and that is the secret to their beauty. With the assistance of Mr. Lert Sirimonkol of Metropolitan Trading Co. I visited some of the places of interest ... the Royal Palace, walked through the gardens and public buildings including the golden throne room where the Royal receptions are held, saw the emerald Buddha which was draped in stoles of precious stones. Left Bangkok, for home, Tuesday, June 9 at 11 :00 A.M. and arrived in Honolulu Tuesday the 9th at 10:45 A.M., having crossed the Interna­tional date line. We were very interested when the pilot announced, "your are now flying over South VietNam," ... but were thankful we did not have to land there. There is much more to tell but time and space do not permit. This was the most in­teresting of all my trips. Materials have arriv­ed now, and many of them have been worked into hat designs for the Fall and Winter season. Occasionally the hat collection ideas were gleaned from books, such as mythology, the fairy tails of Hans Christian Andersen, or the Romantic period from artist Gainsborough to Charles Dana Gibson and the century-old Gody's Lady's Book. A customer would come into her shop, "The ·Amethyst Room" for a hat to be custom design­ed for her. The materials were selected, many times chosen to match a particular suit or dress, pinned together, and fitted in the presence of the customer. The hat was then sent to the workroom where 13 women did all the sewing and two men did all the blocking. Each hat bore a label which read "Design­ed for you by Sara Sue" and refleted artistry, symmetry, and individuality. They were made of the finest furs and fabrics bought while in a particular country. She endeavored to translate into her design the exquisite style and spirit of the art and life of each country, region, or period. Each hat was given a name which reflected a mood of the country. After retiring, her personal collection and scrapebooks were given to the Valentive Museum in Richmond to become part of its per­manent costume collection, the third largest in America, and which dates from 1668. After retiring Sara Sue spent her time in traveling (doing a six month cruise around the world), painting, cooking, reading, and club and church work. Historic Webster Spring 1987 7 REFLECTIONS BYRD ALLISON by Janice Monteith Blanton As I grew up in Webster, "There goes Byrd," would be repeated several times a day as Byrd Allison was seen going up and down the street, gathering and sharing in­formation as she went. And if you listened carefully you could usually hear Byrd humming. Byrd could always be relied on to know what was going on with each Webster neighbor and to freely communicate hap­penings appropriate with other neighbors. Some neighborhoods had a local news­paper, we had Byrd, and we all loved her! Byrd's routine presence on the streets of Webster is missed now by her neighbors and friends because she now lives in a Haywood County nursing home. Her friendliness and jolly chuckle during her brief visits served in inform and cheer folks. Thinking about Byrd, I'm remined of HISTORIC Box 145 Webster, NC 28788 many things. First, she is the mother of Jack, my special friend. Byrd raised Jack single-handedly during a time when the go­ing was tough. Byrd was tough too, and she always kept going, doing whatever she could to best take care of herself and "her boy." She loved Jack dearly and constant­ly kept his needs upmost in her mind. Byrd welcomed us Webster kids into her home and talked with interest with us about our various endeavors. I've spent many hours in her various Webster homes sitting, talk­ing, and philosophizing with her and Jack. Byrd is very special to me and my fami­ly because after my mother's car accident and while she was in the hospital so long, as well as after she was convalesing, Byrd was Billie and my interim mother. She stayed with us during the day doing house­work taking care of Mama, and "mother-ing" Billie and me. I don't know what we would have done during this time when our mother was away or an invalid without Byrd. It was Byrd who taught me the beginnings of cooking and who listened to my various childhood catastrophies for a long time. Byrd was always welcome in our home for she felt like one of our family. Even after Mama was better and did not need constant help, and Byrd was on another job, Byrd never ceased to routinely check on our welfare. Byrd was from Savannah community. I don't know what brought her to Webster--I never thought to ask. But I'm glad she came because she is a good Webster "daughter" and contributed a fine Webster "son" in Jack. They will go down in Webster's history as fine Webster residents and good friends to all.