History

In 1952, the City of Logan commissioned Thomas McEvoy Patterson, a professor in the Department of Dramatic Art at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, to write an original drama depicting the history of the Native American tribes that lived in our area.

Most of the events portrayed in The Aracoma Story took place on Midelburg Island where the 1952 and 1953 productions were staged and where Logan High, Logan Middle and Logan Grade Schools now stand.  After 1953, The Aracoma Story passed from the scene.

Then in 1975, under the leadership of Anna L. O'Briant, the Bicentennial Commission appointed Liz Spurlock and Pleasant Lohn to bring the story back to the stage.  Because of the extensive building on Midelburg Island where the show was first produced, it was decided that The Aracoma Story needed a new home.  With the approval of the Department of Natural Resources, a site was found at Chief Logan State Park where the swimming pools and tennis courts are today.  A professional director, Robert McCrary, was hired to adapt the show into a play and direct the production.  With the help of every part of the community, a set was built and people from throughout Logan County took part as both cast and crew.

In 1976, the show was so well received that The Aracoma Story became a permanent part of Logan County.  In 1977, in order to have a more natural amphitheater, The Aracoma Story moved to its present location in Chief Logan State Park.  Due to financial constraints facing the show's production, the people of Logan County pitched in with everything from bulldozers to sheets to cover the mountains.  The stage consisted of a dirt stage floor, railroad ties to make risers and a seating capacity of 350 people.

1n 1979, The Aracoma Story, Inc. began producing a musical to complement its outdoor drama.  In 1981, J.R. Wears designed and built the permanent set of mountains for The Aracoma Story.  The production is currently performed on a concrete stage floor, has proper risers and seats nearly 700 people.

Then in 2000 as we celebrated our 25th season of The Aracoma Story, the former Chief Logan State Park Amphitheatre was renamed The Liz Spurlock Amphitheatre in honor of Liz Spurlock who has dedicated more than 30 years of her live to our non-=profit production company.  

From our very humble start in 1975, The Aracoma Story Inc. has grown to produce many outdoor and indoor musicals and plays, dinner theatre presentations, Halloween attractions, and a revised version of The Aracoma Story.