“We Are PRINT in Cleveland County”
www.shelbyinfo.com Our 42ND Year • Issue No. 39 • September 25, 2025
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Broad River Genealogical Society holds grand opening of expanded facility By Alan Hodge September 11 saw the Broad River Genealogical Society (BRGS) hold a ribbon cutting to celebrate the grand opening of its newly upgraded and expanded facility at 1145 County Home Rd. in Shelby. The event was attended by a large gathering of BRGS members, local and state dignitaries, as well as folks generally interested in finding out more about how to research what sort of ancestors might be hanging out in their family tree. Thanks to $495K in state grants, the amount of space at the BRGS headquarters has doubled. Those funds allowed the group, which was incorporated in 1980, to grow their building by an additional 1800 sq.ft. from its original 1,200Sq. ft. NC State House representative Kelly Hastings, NC Senate representative W. Ted Alexander, and former NC Speaker of the House Tim
Moore (now in Congress) were instrumental in getting the funds approved. Hastings and Alexander were at the ribbon cutting. The facility is a cornucopia of historical material. Rev. Jonathan Glisson of Pleasant City Church across the street nailed it when he called the place “a house of discovery”. Inside, shelf after shelf of books chronicle the heritage of not only Cleveland County, but also Rutherford County and other counties and states across the nation. “We have something from most all the states,” said BRGS secretary Ann Wright. In addition, there are cases and file cabinets full of archival photos and clippings from local and regional families. Several glass cases hold artifacts dating back as far as the American Revolution. In the rear of the building are bound volumes of local newspapers and city directories going back decades. There are also back issues of the society’s own
Pictured are some of the BRGS board members who were at the ribbon cutting, from left- Dolores Ashworth, president; Carlisle Cloninger, board member; Ann Wright, secretary; Patricia Poston, vice-president; Martha Bridges, treasurer. Photo provided by Martha Bridges
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Ann Wright cuts the ribbon as BRGS president Dolores Ashworth, NC House Rep. Kelly Hastings, and NC Senate Rep, W. Ted Alexander look on. Photo by Martha Bridges news bulletin “ E s w a u Huppeday” featuring stories and articles on local/regional history and g e n e a l o g y along with a listing of BRGS publications for sale. Wait, there’s even more. Other materials include area high school annuals, copies of historic land deeds and grants, census records, church histories, rare maps, records of marriages, and military service, BRGS president Dolores Ashworth points to an archival photo of a local c o m p u t e r i z e d family. Photo by Alan Hodge research aids, genealogists and family and airy and there are plenty DAR records, of large tables to spread research Civil War records, and tons historians salivating. of other things that get The facility interior is light See SOCIETY, Page 2 Like Us On
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