My father-in-law was 9-11 yrs old when he, his brother, and two cousins, performed at the Carolina Theater in Spruce Pine, NC during the Carolina Barn Dance. Performers included well-known, up/coming, and local talent. Scotty/Lulu Belle Wiseman were just two of the well-known performers on the show. They were part of the local talent, as The Chestnut Grove Quartet. O.D. Calhoun was one of the owners/operator of the Carolina Theatre and the Barn Dance.

Through connections w/the Liberty Broadcasting Company in Dallas, Texas, together, they put Spruce Pine “on the map” by broadcasting the Carolina Barn Dance live on 512 radio stations across the United States. From 1949 until sometime in 1954 the Carolina Barn Dance was broadcast by radio to every state in the nation, except Washington. Someone would climb up a pole and hook up wires before the show on Friday nights and it was sent by wire to Liberty Broadcasting Co. They would then climb back up and disconnect the wires after the show.

I have received conflicting times of the actual broadcast days (Sat am, Mon am, etc.) My father-in-law remembered the family sitting around the radio and listening to their quartet sing. I have contacted several libraries, and numerous other contacts trying to find archives of the radio broadcasts.

Liberty Broadcasting went out of business and archive broadcast locations are unknown. Even the local radio station, WBRM, in Marion, NC, did not keep archives. I just know that somewhere there has to be archives of the broadcast, especially when it was broadcast to more than 512 stations.

I am looking to find even a small clip of my f-i-l singing w/his family. It would be such a treasure to have and pass on for years to come. If anyone can provide assistance or information that may help with my research of "hope," I would (and I know the family) would be most appreciative. Thank you!

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Paragraph spacing added for readability. ---mudelf