As time pushes forward, our collective technology advances at an ever-growing speed. Each year, new phones, computers, apps, and more are released, deeming their predecessors obsolete. It is so hard to stay ahead of the technology curve, that many consumers have adopted the “if it’s not broke don’t change it” rule. These advancements have also discarded some technologies and training as unnecessary. Things like watchmakers, cobblers, seamstresses, milliners, and stone carvers are not as common as they once were.

In this short series on lost arts, we’ve analyzed several different essential figures in our collective histories. One integral part of Surry County’s history is the North Carolina Granite Quarry. When quarry operations began in 1889 many talented individuals made their way to the foothills in search of secure work, one of those individuals was Big Jim.