"The lengths to which people will go to memorialize their beloved hounds is a tale of tenacity, as tenacious as the dogs themselves. One such is the story of Bob Plott. The Plott hound is the only officially recognized breed of dog developed in North Carolina, and one of only four breeds native to the United States. Lore has it that Bob Plott’s ancesters brought five dogs to America from Heidelberg, Germany and carefully refined the breed to serve several purposes. They wanted big game hunters as well as farm and herding dogs all in one – a huge order. It’s said that the breed has some Hanoverian Hound and Weimaraner blood lines. But get ready for the best part. Bob Plott, some 259 years later finally realized his dream of having the hound breed acknowledged on a highway historical marker. Your eyes do not deceive you – the dog breed actually has an historical marker. It was no small feat, either. Bob Plott and some other dedicated individuals lobbied the State of North Carolina for years to have The lengths to which people will go to memorialize their beloved hounds is a tale of tenacity, as tenacious as the dogs themselves.the marker erected in honor of his family and the breed. After many turn downs, Plott turned his efforts to writing, resulting in a book about the breed’s lengthy history: “Strike and Stay – The Story of the Plott Hound”. Once published, Plott thought “what the heck, nothing else has worked so I’ve nothing to lose”, and sent a copy of the book to the North Carolina Historical Association. The book made its way to a research historian named Ansley Wegner, who was a vegetarian and against all forms of hunting. Uh-oh. The historian was fully prepared to dislike the book, but duty called and she surprised herself by loving it, saying it was like a good movie or soap opera. She called Plott and together they spent the next few months poring over the details – where it would be placed, why, and so forth. The most daunting chore of all was trying to get 250 years of history into twenty words, which is the most those markers will support. The marker was dedicated on June 8, 2009, and stands at the crossing of Plotts Creek Road and Sorrell’s Cove Road in Haywood County. Bonus: Plott and Wegner formed a solid friendship. How’s that for a twofer?"
Source: Twisted South
