Moon's Grill - High Point, NC

Moon's Grill is a small diner that has been in business for approximately 40 years, though previously under different names. Jamie G. and Erica B. recently took over management of the grill, and it is one of my favorite stops when in the Triad.

Echos of the theme song from the old sitcom, Cheers, ring in my head every time I walk through the doors. Seemingly for every person who enters a cheery greeting is shouted out from both the grill and behind the register, along with some inquiry as to "Where were you yesterday?" or "How is that project you are working on at the factory?" Moon's Grill is evidence that there really are still places in America, despite our increasing social polarization and alienation, where "everybody knows your name."

The decor of the grill is both happy and homemade, with candles on tables bearing positive-thinking slogans and Biblical art and verses on the walls. In the corner sits an old-fashioned quarter machine, and it is a rarity when someone is not camped out in front of it attempting to get a five- or ten-dollar bill to drop. Moon's is one of those places where it is permissible to stop in and read the paper for a while, and coffee is available, and fresh, all day.




"We have a mix of customers here," said Jamie G., one of two owners and regular employees (between Jamie and Erica there is 39 years of restaurant experience!). "Some are so unusual we call them 'Moon's Loons.' We could start our own psychiatrists office here in the back. We have a really interesting - but good-hearted - group."

Moon's is placed squarely in the old industrial section of High Point, NC, at 506 Prospect Street. The clientele is largely working class, with occasional large orders flowing in from an entire office or work area. However, there is a sprinkling of retirees who come in for conversation and coffee, firefighters, and even professionals, along with people who wander in from the surrounding neighborhoods.

The food itself is both delicious and filling, as one would expect in a grill that serves the industrial worker. One specialty is called the "Moon Burger," a two-patty burger with chili, slaw, and just about any other fixins that you might like. I was once told, "we can even put a hot dog on it for ya." The chili cheese wedges are a great side that can be ordered alongside the main dish. Corn dogs can be had for slightly more than a dollar, and there are five combo meals available (as of this writing) for $3.75, for the value-conscious.

However, Moons also branches out beyond the traditional American cuisine menu of the typical diner and adds three salads to the menu (I recommend the Crispy Chicken Salad) as well as homemade cookies and brownies on occasion.

Moon's Grill is at 506 Prospect Street in High Point, North Carolina, 27260. You can contact them by phone (and even phone in an order for pickup) at 336.885.7550. The grill is open Monday through Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The next time you are in the triad, program the address into your Garmin and visit one of the remaining friendly, filling, value-oriented diners that once was typical across the entire country. And tell them that The Carolinian sent you.

The High Point Museum

If history as a concept involves the teaching of the past in such a way that the past is preserved both in its particulars and in its proportions, then the High Point Museum is an unhistorical venture.

In fact, certain definitions of the discipline of history seem to support such a definition of history. The Encyclopedia Britannica Online's article on historiography is

"Writing of history, especially that based on the critical examination of sources and the synthesis of chosen particulars from those sources into a narrative that will stand the test of critical methods.

Two major tendencies in history writing are evident from the beginnings of the Western tradition: the concept of historiography as the accumulation of records and the concept of history as storytelling, filled with explanations of cause and effect."

Noting that proper historiography involves not just storytelling, but storytelling that enlightens one as to certain explanations demonstrating cause and effect, certainly is an argument for proportionality in history. That which is most important (i.e., that which is the most central cause for the observed effects) ought to be belabored, while minor issues are minimized.

High Point, North Carolina, is a town that has been almost entirely defined by a few issues: transportation, hosiery, and furniture. Other issues that might be addressed in a proper historical explanation might be the founding of the town, the effect of the Civil War, and the role of tobacco (still grown in much of Davidson and Guilford Counties).

Unfortunately, the High Point Museum, rather than illustrating the actual history of the region, chooses to go the politically correct route. More than any other historical topic covered in the Museum is the issue of "Diversity" stated, implied, or illustrated. The High Point Museum is not nearly so much a historical essay as it is a political tract. A left-leaning political tract.

Of the 24 discrete exhibits in the main upstairs portion of the museum (the downstairs was closed for renovations and I am excluding the "Commerce Museum," which appears to have been constructed by various large companies in the High Point area), 8 either refer to, illustrate, or imply some minority presence. By contrast, there was one exhibit on the Civil War, one on the Depression, two containing furniture, and one demonstrating certain hosiery tools. One of the initial exhibits actually contains the word "Diversity."

Of three exhibits containing fictional mannequins intended to illustrate residents of the High Point area at various times, one was an Indian woman, one was a Quaker woman, and one was a black man.

In the attached bookstore, there were dozens of books on African-American history of some sort, dozens of CDs of various black jazz musicians, and a small smattering of material (mostly children's) on indians. By contrast, there was not a single book on High Point history and only two books discussing the importance of tobacco.

While I went to the museum expecting to see an extensive exhibit of furniture, textiles, and transportation, instead I was beaten over the head with the blunt end of an uncouth excursion into liberal make-believe. While it is not the purpose of this article to demean any of the legitimate accomplishments of minorities anywhere, the disproportionate focus on the concept of "diversity" (along with poster at the exit for a local "Multicultural Festival") was not only unhistorical, but was dishonest and incomprehensible.

I remarked to my wife as we left, "The average person who might visit this museum with a total lack of knowledge about High Point, and who trusted the exhibits to tell them what High Point was about, would leave thinking that the town was some sort of liberal multicultural utopia, but would have no idea that furniture or textiles played a significant role in the town's history."

High Point grew up along a plank road constructed by the Fayetteville and Western Plank Road Company (see stock certificate above) between the larger towns of Fayetteville, NC, and Salem (now Winston-Salem), NC. In 1856, the North Carolina Central Rail Road was built joining Goldsboro in the East and Charlotte in the West, and it ran through an intersection with High Point at the plank road. The town received its name by the estimation of certain builders involved in railroad construction that it the area at the intersection of the plank road and railroad was the "high point" (at 940+ feet above sea level) between Greensboro and Lexington.

Transportation played an important role in the history of High Point. The town grew rapidly after the railroad's construction and High Point was incorporated in 1859. The area was the home of the High Point Buggy Company and the Thomas Built Car Company, the predecessor of Thomas Built Bus Company (Thomasville is an adjoining small town in nearby Davidson County).

But furniture soon came to define the town of High Point. An early furniture maker was Hayworth Industries, later Hayworth Roll and Panel, built a business in lumber and furniture for 98 years, lasting until 2003, when it closed due to its inability to compete with lower-paying foreign competitors. To this day, every six months the High Point Furniture Market is an international event for both wholesale and retail customers interested in the latest furniture concepts.

The one area of legitimate history that the High Point Museum does not give short shrift is the influence of Quakers on the area. I have lived and visited all over the southeast, and have never seen a more concentrated presence of Quaker churches in my life. As one resident put it, "The Quakers are growing around here like Johnson grass." The museum has examples of simple but beautiful Quaker architecture (see above), shows glimpses of Quaker life, and discusses Quaker influence on slavery in the High Point area. One fact that might seem counterintuitive to the average resident of North Carolina is that Quaker influence was responsible for a good deal of fraternization between area residents and carpetbaggers during Reconstruction, based on the Quaker distaste for the institution of slavery.

High Point has variously been known as "Little Chicago" (because of a crime wave that concentrated alternately on stealing cars and running moonshine during the roaring 20s and the Depression) and today claims the title of "North Carolina's International City."

The museum has decent displays on the Great Depression and excellent information on the founding of the city and the building of both the plank road and railroad. The exhibits in the Commerce Museum are excellent, and completely avoid the political correctness of the main museum.

While the city has its points, unfortunately, the High Point Museum is not one of them. If you are interested in genuine history and have an interest in High Point, I would recommend a visit to the Museum. But you will likely be disappointed, unless you yearn for a "Peoples Democratic Republic of High Point."