About luddie's kitchen

Luddie France Strickland

Proverbs 31:10-31. Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.

This scripture in the Bible describes our grandmother and her love for her family. Memories we have of her was going to her house morning or night and it was always a delicious meal prepared. We cherished that meal and appreciate it to this day ....the love, sacrifice, and care put into her amazing ability and gift to make us healthy and happy. We love her and thank her for mothering 14 children including three set of twins and lots of grand and great grandchildren. Our grandmother didn’t only feed her children and grands she feed the community and did it with love. We can see you smiling in heaven knowing that a restaurant is named after you. You deserve this praise!!!!

Elkin, North Carolina

The flowing together of the Yadkin River and the Big Elkin Creek has drawn people to the area of what is now Elkin, since the coming of the Paleo-Indians 10,000 years ago. The Sioux Indians settled along the Yadkin River as early as 500 BC. The first English colonists came in the mid-eighteenth century with some from Irish. Cherokee Indians were also in the area, although the Cherokees had been active in the French and Indian War, they had joined in treaties with the English in 1763, followed by the events of the American Revolution.

Alexander Chatham opened a small woolen mill in 1877 that grew to become Elkin’s largest industry for many decades, but as other mills in the area it has dwindled. The Northwestern North Carolina Railroad arrived in 1890; the town was ready to take the opportunities the railroad brought for commercial and industrial expansion. It’s strategic location near the Yadkin River and the Big Elkin Creek and as a stop on the railroad caused prosperity that produced brick stores, many industries, and fine houses.

The beginning of industry with the cotton mill, the Civil War involvement, the coming of the railroad, the town’s coping with the depression of the Thirties, and the two world wars heavily influenced the town's development. For example, Chatham Manufacturing was famous for making World War II wool blankets for the troops. There is a Civil War marker on W Main Street across from the Elkin Library.

The Elkin Municipal Park was the location during the Revolutionary War of a mustering field. Troops gathered to march on the Overmountain Victory Trail towards Wilkesboro then on to Morganton, NC, before they headed south to victory. There is a viewing site along Hwy 268, just west of the Rec Center that tells the story on an information panel.