Hickory – Hickory professor Richard Eller will speak about the polio epidemic of 1944 at the March 14 meeting of Newcomers of Catawba Valley.
He will screen “Miracle: How a North Carolina County Named Catawba Battled Polio and Won.”
In 1944, Hickory was faced with one of the country’s worst outbreaks of polio. In response, the community transformed a camp into a fully functioning treatment facility in 54 hours.
Eller is a professor at Catawba Valley Community College and historian in residence of the Historical Association of Catawba County. He has made 18 documentary films and was named history teacher of the year by the Hickory Tavern Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
The meeting, and Eller’s talk, will begin at 10:30 a.m. at the Hickory Regional Airport, 3101 9th Ave. Dr. NW. The public is invited and welcome to attend.
Newcomers of Catawba Valley is primarily a social organization that enables new and long-time residents of the region to meet, make friends and participate in a variety of activities, including support of area charities and service programs. The club is made up of men and women and does not limit how long a member may belong. General meetings are usually held at the Hickory Regional Airport at 10:30 a.m. on the second Wednesday of every month. For more information, visit www.newcomersofcv.com.
