Turn off TV/Devices, Ask Grandma & Grandpa

            Cascade is exceedingly lucky to have the fascinating history it does—a bit of which I have spent the last 15 month researching into and writing about, namely John Yates Beall, the Confederate “Spy,” who spent the summer of 1862 here.

            While doing this research, I encountered the idea that the Chew mansion was a stop on the Underground Railway, but that aspect is far more difficult to research. For the obvious reasons.

            I have written a manuscript that essentially tells the story of Beall’s life, and as next year is the 150^th anniversary of the end of the Civil War and Beall’s death, I am hoping we can produce it as theater over the 4^th of July. Anyone who would like a copy, please email me at keyronmcd@gmail.com. We need help getting community support for the production, and some wonderful musicians have already agreed to work on it.

The Holiday season presents us a unique opportunity to talk to older members of the community. If you know anyone who knows anything, or better yet has documentation—letters, diaries, etc.please let me know.

Margaret Chew may have been even more interesting that we thought—if she had a Confederate soldier in her 3^rd floor bedroom and a runaway slave in her basement!