BY KARISSA MILLER
Tucked away for quite some time in a little corner of Iredell County history was a missing photograph with its own history.
Don Stevenson Jr. took “the missing photograph” of his father, Don Stevenson Sr., when he was county manager around 1948.
“This photograph was made for a trade edition of the Statesville Record newspaper,” Don said, explaining that he was about 16 years old when he took the photo of his dad and county board of commissioner members sitting around a table in the county manager’s office.
The photo captured a moment when the board was working closely with the county manager.
In 1943, Don Stevenson Sr. was appointed county manager, for which he earned a monthly salary of $360. He served in this position for seven years until his death in 1949. When he passed away, the county budget that he was preparing was still in his typewriter.
Don Jr. shared Tuesday night that his dad had differing political views than the newspaper editor. However, upon his untimely death, the editor wrote in a column that his father was good to his word and that the only thing that would keep him from keeping his word was death itself.
“My father — if he would have heard that and I’m not sure if he heard that and maybe he did — he would have been very proud of his accomplishments as county manager of Iredell,” Don Jr. said.
On Tuesday night, during a special presentation the missing photograph was presented to Iredell County Manger Beth Mull to help keep its history alive.
“Tonight’s a special evening. It’s long overdue. It’s about 73 years overdue. Tonight, my father Don Stevenson, myself and the descendants are going to present this photograph of the county manager and the board from 1943-1949,” said Scott Stevenson, a grandson of Don Stevenson Sr.
Scott, who was overcome by emotion at times, said that he never got to meet his grandfather because he had not been born when he died, but knows he played an important part in Iredell’s history.
“This is the missing photo that I’ve been promising (County Manager) Ms. Mull forever. We looked for it about the past two years. There are many others who had the photo — we just didn’t know,” Scott said.
Scott collaborated with the descendants of the Board of Commissioners to create an accompanying booklet titled “The Missing Photograph.” It contains a biography on each board member from 1943-1949 and gives a glimpse into their family background, education and years of service to Iredell.
Board members include William Edwin Webb Sr., John Fletcher Long Sr., John Lowry McLain, Roderick Houston Kennedy Sr., and Robert Lee Shumaker.
The research was a collaborative effort by local historians Steve Hill and Joel Reese.
On “The Back Page” there are some ancestral lines that are very special — some tracing back to before the Revolutionary War, and even a few whose ancestors participated in that war.
Now that people know how special these board members were, Scott said he hopes that the county will display The Missing Photograph in a place befitting its value as a treasured family heirloom and important piece of Iredell’s history.
“May their creativeness, drive, and love for their fellow man, woman and child, county, state and country be instilled in the current and future generations of the Iredell County Board of Commissioners, and its County Mangers,” Scott said.
Board Chairman James Mallory said it’s a valuable photo that links the past to the present.
“It’s a good visual reminder that you don’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you have been … we are fortunate to be standing on the shoulders of giants,” Mallory said.