EASTERN
LIVING N O RT H
C A R O L I N A
All in the
FAMI F AMIL LY Y Multi-generation
Businesses
Spruill Farms
McKellar Law
Powell & Stokes
Family roots run deep in Tyrrell Co.
Father & Sons serve Northampton
Serving neighbors for over a century
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LET’S EXPLORE.
WE COVER THE PLACES YOU KNOW & LOVE AND THE PLACES YOU SHOULD GO & LOVE!
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FEATURES
ROANOKE RIVER
50. PARTNERS
Organization supports Roanoke River Region
ON THE C OV E R
54. REEL STORIES
Top Water Largemouth Fishing with Mike Sweeney
All in the Family Cover Design by Becky Wetherington
VOL. 12, NO. 5 SEPTEMBER 2020 STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS
56. DAY TRIP
Craven county has a surplus of hiking trail destinations
68. PLYMOUTH
Rediscovering a hidden gem
Publisher
Staff
Kyle Stephens
Gene Metrick
kstephens@ncweeklies.com
gmetrick@rmtelegram.com Sarah Hodges Stalls
Editor
shstalls@ncweeklies.com
Thadd White
Miles Layton
twhite@ncweeklies.com
mlayton@ncweeklies.com
Creative Services Director
dgriffin@ncweeklies.com
Deborah Griffin Michelle Leicester mleicester@ncweeklies.com
72.
GRANDMA’S KITCHEN
Generations of recipes handed down
76. BIOGRAPHY Tom VanStaalduinen: A Legacy of Love
Editorial Contributors Sandy Carawan
Layout & Design
Sarah Davis
Becky Wetherington
Sylvia Hughes
lotuscircusdesign@gmail.com
Gene Motley John Walker
Photo Editor
Todd Wetherington
Jim Green
William F. West
jgreen@ncweeklies.com
Lewis Hoggard Mike Sweeney
Advertising Executives Lou Ann Van Landingham
80. MARK IT!
82. PARTING SHOTS
Hyde County part of original North Carolina colony
Places and people you’ve known for generations
lavan@ncweeklies.com
Eastern North Carolina Living
Jessica Mobley
Magazine
jmobley@ncweeklies.com
P.O. Box 69, Windsor, NC 27983
Kelly Ayscue
252-794-3185
kayscue@rmtelegram.com
twhite@ncweeklies.com
Eastern North Carolina Living is published by APG Media Eastern NC, and is a subsidiary of the Bertie Ledger-Advance, Martin County Enterprise & Weekly Herald, Tarboro Weekly and Rocky Mount Telegram.
5
Bertie
Powell & Stokes grows, changes Story by Gene Motley Photos by Gene Motley & Contributed
6
O
f the nearly 30 million small
100th anniversary of the original business in
“And while he says he’s not – he’s checking
businesses in this country, almost 20
2019, three more generations have added
up on us from 7:30 to 5:30 every (work) day,”
percent are family-owned.
their names and influence to the rolls.
chimed in Jeff. “But with 50 years experience,
As that type of business grows and
“Our word is our bond, and our handshake
evolves, it begins to benefit from the
is still good,” says president Jack Powell Jr.,
many generations running the day-to-day
who represents the third generation of the
Those who have operated a business
operations.
business. “We treat folks like we want to be
for decades can teach their children or
treated. If it weren’t for our customers we
grandchildren in it the importance of
wouldn’t still be here.”
structure, customer service and workplace
While the older generations possess the skill and insight that comes from lived
he knows a little bit of something about everything.”
experience, the younger generations are
The fourth generation are company vice-
etiquette. This sharing of entrepreneurial
often familiar with current trends in the
presidents - and Jack Jr.’s sons - Jon and Jeff,
values is what keeps many family businesses
marketplace. Once joined together, these
both of whom returned to Bertie County
up and running.
assets become a collective strength that
after several years away from Windsor
enables the family business to reach a wider
pursuing other career ventures.
audience.
“We’re doing our best to maintain and build what we’ve got, and we want to put
“I think it’s difficult to roll immediately into
things in position for our kids if they ever
Powell & Stokes, an agricultural supply
a family business and assume responsibility
want to come back and work it,” Jon noted.
business in Windsor, and it’s subsidiary -
too early,” says Jon. “Whether it’s your
“But at the same time they know they have
Bertie County Peanuts - is a good example.
mother, father or grandparents, you’ve still
Founded in 1919 by brothers-in-law W.L.
got to prove your worth to a certain extent.”
Powell and J.T. Stokes, Powell & Stokes is an
Though their father as company president
agricultural icon in the region. In the early
is the one most older farmers in the region
1930’s, Powell & Stokes was located in a giant
rely upon, Jon mainly oversees Bertie
warehouse in downtown Windsor on King
County Peanuts’ ever expanding footprint
Street (across from Bunn’s Barbecue) and
in the snack-food trade, while Jeff deals with
remained there until 1978 where it moved to
agricultural sales (fertilizer, pesticides, seed).
its present location on US 13 North. Over a century later, having celebrated the
“Dad’s still here, and he’s the boss,” jokes Jon.
“
Our goal since our grandfather started this business was to do everything we can for our farmers and our friends. We do everything we can to make things as easy and financially affordable for our customers. And that’s what we’ve done for over 100 years.” - Jon Powell
7
to bring something to it. They need
uptown and bought an old popcorn
to learn something that will help and
popper,” recounted Jack, Jr. in an earlier
that’s important because our business
interview. “He bought some oil and
is so diversified.”
began frying peanuts in that popper
“It’s all about growth,”adds Jeff. “If
during peanut harvest season. We’d
we stay where we are it’s going to be
then take a newspaper, fill it with fried
awfully hard to make it.”
peanuts and daddy would stand over
As much as the farming landscape
From that legendary beginning,
to mention challenges offered to
Bertie County Peanuts now offers
farmers in the Roanoke-Chowan
dozens of varieties, many named for
region, the Powell’s feel they’re in
recognizable county landmarks like
position with their businesses to
“Smoky San Souci,” “Batchelor Bay,”
adapt to the changing times. “We’re in a part of the state that’s seeing a decline in population,” acknowledged
Jon.
“That
affects
everyone in the farm industry, and we see that. As your elder farmers retire you see farms consolidating into larger farms and there’s more competition than there used to be. “Our goal since our grandfather started this business was to do everything we can for our farmers and our friends. We do everything we can to make things as easy and financially affordable for our customers. And that’s what we’ve done for over 100 years,” Jon said. “Bottom line is if the farmer’s not successful, then we’re not successful,” stated Jeff. “So we do everything we can to help them seven days a week,
or “Weeping Mary Ghost Pepper.” The Powell’s are proud of how their product promotes their home county. “We put that name on (the products) to try to help advertise the county,” Jeff said. “Peanuts have been very good for Bertie County and one of the reasons we chose that name Bertie County Peanuts, was to try to help advertise the county and to do what we could to market the area, and people appreciate it. We figured if it did well, maybe we’d have something to be proud of.” In December 2018, Powell & Stokes and Bertie County Peanuts was selected runner-up in Business North Carolina magazine’s annual Small Business of the Year competition. The publication called the family
and not many companies can say
company “rich in history, but not stuck
that.”
in the past.”
When Jack Powell Sr. decided
“We continue to make products
to blister fry peanuts in a popcorn
that make us proud to be from Bertie
popper, he probably didn’t know he
County,” Jeff said. “We’ve been able
was creating what would go on to
to distribute our peanuts to several
become a Bertie County tradition.
markets, here locally and outside our
“I wasn’t here when it all started,
region, and have received positive
but I come along pretty quick,” jokes
feedback. That fact alone makes all of
Jack, Jr. “One hundred years is a long
us here strive to do even better.”
time, and I probably won’t see the next one.” “Back around 1980 or so, my dad (Jack Powell Sr., aka, “Papa Jack”) went
8
it and salt ‘em down,” he revealed.
has changed in the 21st century, not
Gene Motley is a retired Sports Editor and Sports Director and
a regular
contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.
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BERTIE COUNTY 9
Martin
Six decades and still going strong... Story & Photos by Jim Green
S
o many businesses have left, yet
sons of a man named Doc Chandler, who had
one has remained – for more than
died a few of years earlier. Scraping together
60 years. Robersonville
Furniture
Company,
a
family-owned Main Street business during its entire tenure, is still going strong six decades after its inception in 1959.
didn’t want it sitting here with nothing in it.” Business
was
good
in
downtown
what money they could and securing a loan
Robersonville during the late 1950s and early
with the help of Martin Savings and Loan, the
1960s.
Forbes had their own business.
“There were a lot of people downtown
“They wanted to sell the building,”
walking the streets,” Glenn said. “We had
Magnolia remembered. “There were a lot of
restaurants, a hardware store, a clothing store,
The business is currently run by the
businesses on Main Street at that time. Oscar
a shoe store, banks, a drug store and a jewelry
mother-and-son team of Glenn Forbes and
Roberson owned the business down the
store. There was quite a bit of business, and
his mother, Magnolia. Glenn’s sister Gail also
street and J.R. Crandall owned the insurance
having the tobacco market nearby had a lot
helps out, along with some delivery people.
office across the street.”
to do with what went on here in town.”
Magnolia, of Gold Point, and her husband,
Roberson and Crandall, close friends of
Guy, of Spring Green, took a chance in
the Forbes, convinced the couple to become
1959 when they moved from Williamston
partners in a new business venture.
to Robersonville and bought the existing
“Oscar and J.R, were trying to get more
Robersonville Furniture Company from the
businesses downtown,” Glenn said. “They
10
The gamble paid off. In just three years, the Forbes bought out their partners and the building – which was constructed in 1872 when Main Street was just a dirt road – was theirs.
“
Expansion became pretty much a necessity because we were storing things in mom’s garage because we didn’t have room here for it.” - Glenn Forbes Magnolia and Guy Forbes married in 1944 right before Guy headed off to war
the mainstay of the Forbes family, it has also been the mainstay of Robersonville.
expansion over the years. In addition to a storefront showroom,
with the United States Army. After returning
Glenn took over the reins of the business
Robersonville Furniture Company has added
to Williamston, he worked for the small
upon his father’s passing. Glenn was only 6
two additional rooms in which to house and
furniture company in Robersonville making
when his parents moved to Robersonville.
store their furniture.
deliveries for Chandler. Guy left town again to attend Kings
“Ever since I was old enough to lift a chair, I’ve been working here,” he said.
necessity because we were storing things in
Business College in Raleigh (now defunct).
After playing baseball at East Carolina
When he returned, he worked at Olin
University, Glenn returned to Robersonville
Matheson Fertilizer Company in Williamston
in 1975 to help with the family business.
(now defunct). When the opportunity came to
“Expansion became pretty much a mom’s garage because we didn’t have room here for it,” Glenn said. Magnolia added, “I couldn’t keep a car
He has stayed since then.
in the garage, but when we built the new
buy into the furniture store in Robersonville,
“Glenn helped deliver furniture, and after
building, we brought everything back up
he took the chance and moved his family
he came back from East Carolina, he wanted
there.
to see if he liked it and he did,” Magnolia said.
The furniture business has not only been
Continued
success
has
led
to
here.” Glenn believes the way the family treats their customers is what has kept the business
11
alive, even during an economic
added. “The stimulus check may
Company was awarded the
Furniture Company has not only
downturn more than a decade
have helped as well.”
Outstanding Business of the
survived, but thrived.
ago as well as the current
Word-of-mouth and regional
Year in 2001 by the Martin
COVID-19 pandemic which has
advertising have also helped the
County Chamber of Commerce,
forced the closure of many mom
business grow.
an award Magnolia called “such
and pop businesses. “I’d like to think our secret has been customer service,” he said. “Because of the area
here who say they’ve seen our ads,” he said. Robersonville
Furniture
we live in, we have to rely on
Company is known for its
repeat customers, so we have to
higher-quality furniture and it
provide good customer service.
draws customers from as far
“In 2008 and 2009, when
12
“We have gotten people in
away as Raleigh.
the housing market went down,
“It’s challenging sometimes
we had a bad couple of years, but
being in this area, but it’s not
we survived because our good
like in Raleigh, where you lose
customers who would come
a customer but there are a
back. During this pandemic, the
million other people you can
first couple of weeks we didn’t
sell to,” Glenn said. “That’s why
do anything because people
customer service is the key for
were staying home. Since then
people coming back.”
though, we’ve been busy,” Glenn
Robersonville
Furniture
an honor.” In
an
era
where
the
Pretty good for a couple who arrived with next to nothing. Jim Green is Interim Editor of the Martin County Enterprise &
economy is struggling and so
Weekly Herald and a Staff Writer
are downtowns, Robersonville
for Eastern North Carolina Living.
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13
Nash
Bulluck auto dealership remains in the family Story by William F. West Photos by William F. West & Bryan Wilson
A
sk the senior member of the Bulluck
And Don Bulluck Jr. said, “I think that had
Don Bulluck Chevrolet is located along
Chevrolet dealership family in Rocky
a lot to do with it. People came to us because
the busy North Wesleyan Boulevard corridor
Mount how he and his sons have been able
we were hometown. They knew us and they
between U.S. 64 and N.C. Wesleyan College
to keep the business in the same clan and he
trusted us — and we treated ‘em like people.”
in Rocky Mount. The dealership has 50
will quickly reply with two words: personal service.
“It also takes a unique person,” Trey
employees.
Bulluck said of being an automobile dealer.
The dealership dates back more than a
“We were here,” Don Bulluck Jr., 90, said.
“Not that we’re special, but there’s been a
century, with D.O. Bulluck, more commonly
“We were always here. You didn’t deal with
lot of people that have gotten into the car
known as Don Bulluck Sr., having been a
somebody, you dealt with the owner. And we
business thinking it’s easy — and not knowing
door-to-door gramophone salesman.
gave personal service to ‘em.”
it, they don’t do very well.”
One of the sons, Don Bulluck III, 60, and better known as Trey, also is quick to say the dealership has “an open door policy.”
14
“They lose a lot of money,” Bill Bulluck, 57, said. “Yeah, quickly,” Trey Bulluck added.
Don Bullock Sr. also had a race car and he and his wife also would go to Richmond, Va., to get used cars to sell locally. Eventually, General Motors asked Don
Bulluck Sr. whether he would like to be
been a Rocky Mount city
Chevrolet dealer.
councilman from 1981-
Much of the early history of the Bulluck
84 and his having served
dealership is not recorded, but the family’s
as president of the Rocky
official history of the dealership says the
Mount Area Chamber
business began in 1917 at what was a vacant
of Commerce in 1982.
lot along Tarboro Street.
In
2000,
he
was
The business was there until being
named the Chamber’s
relocated in 1924 into a building along South
Distinguished Citizen of
Washington Street and named Bulluck Auto
the Year.
Sales.
Presently
at
Don
A couple of years later, the business was
Bulluck Chevrolet, Bill
relocated to a former livery stable along
Bullock is the dealer,
Sunset Avenue and was there until 1931.
while Trey Bulluck is
After the Great Depression resulted in the
in charge of the parts
foreclosure of a building nearby along South
and service side of the
Church Street, Don Bulluck Sr. acquired that
business as well as the
location.
body shop.
By the start of the 1961, Don Bulluck
With their father
Jr. had purchased the business from his
present,
father and another family member and had
Bulluck sons recently
renamed the location Bel Air Chevrolet. The
spoke freely — and
new name was a play on the-then popular
quite candidly — about being able to stay
full-size model of Chevrolet.
Bill Bulluck said, “They say the first to
in the automobile business so long and at
second generation is the easy move. The
the same time keeping that business in the
second generation is the one that tends to
family.
lose it because they’re complacent. They
A grand opening advertisement of Bel Air Chevrolet in the Rocky Mount Telegram
the
two
included a special in which one could
Trey Bulluck said, “We’re here every day.
purchase a 1961 six-passenger sedan by
We’re hands-on here every day, rather than
paying $1,995, plus 1 percent taxes and
being an absentee owner and let someone
tags, or by putting up a down payment of
else run it for you.”
$295 and by following with 36 payments of
didn’t have to work. The dad gave ‘em everything.” In the Bulluck family’s case, Bill Bulluck said, “Dad didn’t just sit here and run the
$62.68. In 1968, the business was relocated to the then-new facility along North Wesleyan. By 1977, the dealership was renamed Don Bulluck Chevrolet. Don Bulluck Jr. is long since retired from the day-to-day operations, but his experience in the automobile business can be traced to when he was 10. And he can talk about as a young man when the dealership was downtown, filling motorists’ cars with Gulf gasoline at a full service island and selling them soft drinks. He worked his way up in the parts and service side before eventually entering the management part of the business. He also has been active in civic and government affairs, as shown by his having
15
whole place and one day say: ‘Here,
“We get to make decisions,”
worked in it. We had to learn the
Bill Bulluck said. “I make a decision
trade.”
good, bad or indifferent. I’m
Trey Bulluck noted when he
Bill Bulluck also spoke of the
students, “We started out in the
ability to be flexible in providing
parts department, dusting parts
customer satisfaction.
bins. Then we eventually worked in
He said if a customer is planning
the service department. Then we
to drive to the beach for the
worked in the F and I (finance and
weekend and cannot wait until the
insurance part of the business).
start of the next week to get his or
so that we knew what was going on before we actually ever came out of college and became a manager,” Trey Bulluck said. The Bulluck men were asked about how having a family-owned business gives them an advantage in earning profits and also setting and achieving goals for the future. “People are price conscious, I’ll give ‘em that,” Trey Bulluck said. Trey Bulluck made clear he is all for potential customers going to the
“
- Bill Bulluck 16
allowed to make a decision.”
and his brother were high school
“We worked in each department
Dad didn’t just sit here and run the whole place and one day say: ‘Here, y’all have it.’ We came in here. We worked in it. We had to learn the trade.”
of what a manual says.
y’all have it.’ We came in here. We
dealerships in the big cities, getting price quotes and then coming back to Don Bulluck Chevrolet. And Trey Bulluck said when they walk onto the dealership’s lot and into the showroom, “You’re going to deal with us one on one.” He also said that potential
her vehicle serviced, his approach is not to tell the customer the dealership is sorry, closing time is at 5:30 p.m. and to return on Monday. Instead, Bill Bulluck said he is going to pass the word to the employees, “Hey, guys, I may need a technician to stay over an extra half-hour to get this customer out of here.” Trey Bulluck also said he has told customers, “You’ve got my cell number. You can call me.” And
Trey
Bulluck
said
he
has even told customers, “If it’s midnight and you’ve got a problem, call me. I don’t have a problem with that.” The Bulluck men were asked what advice they could offer to a family business that is either
customers and customers and the
starting or that has been in business
employees are not just a number
as to how to stay in business.
and that he believes this adds to
“Take care of your customers.
much repeat business. “That’s
the
difference,”
Bill Bulluck was quick to reply:
Bill
Bulluck said.
Take care of your employees. Employees are the key. You can’t
And Bill Bulluck said when a
do it by yourself. Employees,
customer phones with a problem,
employees, employees. That’s 90
he or she is going to be speaking
percent of our thing here — is get
with the man who can make the
the right people.”
decision.
William F. West is a Staff Writer
And he emphasized that he and
at the Rocky Mount Telegram and a
his brother do not have to check
regular contributor to Eastern North
with a committee or follow the text
Carolina Living.
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17
Halifax
Like father, like son times four Story & Photos by Thadd White
D
18
o whatever you can to be of service
“Each generation of our family has treated
fought in World War II and then returned to
to your customer.
several generations in this community.”
Halifax County with a desire to help people
While customer service is something
Thomas McDowell added, “We are here
many business operators talk about, its
for our customers. We have time to talk
something four generations of McDowell
to them. We try to be the most accessible
generations of McDowell men going to the
pharmacists have taken to heart.
health care providers.”
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
as his father had. Norfleet
McDowell
began
four
“Our family has always striven to take
While there have been four generations
all earning a pharmacy degree. He finished
care of Scotland Neck and its people,” said
of pharmacists among the McDowells,
requirements for the degree in 1922 and
Thomas McDowell, the fourth-generation to
there have been five generations of medical
returned to Scotland Neck.
operate McDowell’s Pharmacy.
professionals in the town.
Once in town, he purchased what was
“I always wanted to help our customers
Joe’s great-grandfather, William Owen
then E.T. Whitehead Drug Company from
the way my dad did,” added Joe McDowell,
McDowell, was a physician in Scotland
the family of the late E.T. Whitehead. He
who still works every day in the pharmacy.
Neck. His son, Norfleet Owen McDowell Sr.,
began operating the business in the same
facility it occupies now – a turn of the century storefront in downtown Scotland Neck. The McDowells said they believe the business itself began in the 1880s or 1890s, but records make pinning down a date difficult. Norfleet McDowell operated the business while paying off his debt, which was accomplished in 1957 – and the business officially became McDowell’s Pharmacy. “I think because his father had been in the medical field and he had a medical background, he was influenced into staying in the medical field,” Thomas McDowell said of his great-grandfather. Norfleet McDowell was an ambulance driver in the 319th Ambulance Company in World War II. While Norfleet McDowell was working as a pharmacist, his son N.O. “Spec” McDowell Jr. graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in 1944 – at the age of 20 - and joined his father in the Scotland Neck business. Spec McDowell served as a Corpsman in the United States Navy and worked at Bethesda Naval Hospital in the psych ward. “He saw things in war that were unbelievable horrific,” Joe McDowell said. Following his time in service, he joined his father’s business and eventually bought out the older McDowell. In addition, he was a longtime public servant as a Scotland Neck Town Councilman and Mayor Pro-Tem. Spec McDowell had a reputation as one of the hardest working men in Halifax County, and worked tirelessly in
“
I always wanted to help our customers the way my dad did. Each generation of our family has treated several generations in this community.”
- Joe McDowell
the pharmacy. At that time, no medicine was prepackaged and the McDowells made all their own pills. That required working from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m. most days, only closing long enough to attend church. Joe McDowell followed in his father’s footsteps, but he didn’t always know that would happen. “I did think about doing something else,” Joe McDowell said. Joe said he considered architecture, but also knew he was the last of Spec’s children who might take over the family business. “I was the last of the three children because my brother and sister went into their own careers,” he said. “Even so, my dad never pressured me, but I knew once I decided he was appreciative and proud of the fact I did.” As for Joe, he has never been sorry for his decision. “I never regretted it – not for one minute,” he said. “I found out being able to help people was so rewarding – something that was the same for my father and grandfather.” Joe McDowell followed his father and grandfather to Chapel Hill, graduating with his pharmacy degree in 1981.
19
He returned home and began working with his father, but Spec allowed him to lead the store – as Joe has done for Thomas currently. “When I came back they were still typing on a typewriter,” Joe McDowell said. “We transitioned into computerization.” In fact, Joe McDowell worked with a programmer at Edgecombe Community College in Tarboro to write their own software. In addition, Spec McDowell had renovated the building during his tenure leading the business and Joe McDowell returned a large portion of the business to how it was beforehand. One thing that some people still ask about is the old fountain that used to be a staple at the drug store. Joe and Thomas McDowell said though it has been gone for more than 30 years, people still remember it. “It was a lot of maintenance and my dad decided it had run its course,” Joe McDowell said. “We still have it, but fountain drinks aren’t even done that way anymore, so it wouldn’t be feasible to restore it.” Despite that, both McDowells said they are glad people have such fond memories of it being part of the business. While Joe McDowell wasn’t sure about following in the family business, Thomas McDowell decided in his teens he wanted to come back and be part of the tradition. “I decided about 16 or 17 to pursue pharmacy and come back and work here,” he said. “I saw the impact my dad made as a pharmacist. It’s a very rewarding field and I enjoy the customer interaction aspect of it as well.” Thomas
McDowell
became
the
fourth
never had before.” Those new services include
packaging
medication for patients, giving flu shots, and medication reviews. He
also
led
the
addition of a gift shop in the store, helping the people of Scotland Neck since no true gift shop was serving the town. While
McDowell’s
currently has a younger group of workers, the family has had many employees who spent
decades
working
for
generation to earn a pharmacy degree at UNC-
them, including Peggy Joyner
Chapel Hill, finishing his credits in 2016 and
Duke, Blanche Newsome, Harry
immediately returning to Scotland Neck to join the
McDaniel and Flora Dickens.
family business.
What
hasn’t
changed,
is
While he had offers from large companies, he
customer focus. That has led
said he never considered leaving his home or his
McDowell’s to nearly 100 years
family business.
of serving their community, and
“I never wanted to work anywhere else,” he said. I loved growing up here. I care about our neighbors.” When Thomas McDowell returned, his father
the future appears to be much more of the same. McDowell’s
Pharmacy
is
gave over day-to-day operations and let his son
located at 1004 Main Street in
put his on stamp on the business, just as his dad
Scotland Neck.
had done for him. “Thomas brought in new services and ideas,” Joe McDowell said. “He has opened up avenues we’ve
20
Thadd White is Editor of Eastern North Carolina Living and the Bertie Ledger-Advance.
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Tyrrell
Spruill roots deep in Tyrrell County soil Story by Deborah Griffin Photos by Deborah Griffin & Contributed
S
pruill roots run deep farming the
bordered on the north by the Albemarle,
back 109 years, where records show his
Tyrrell County soil.
and the east by Alligator River.
grandfather,
Harry Spruill, a third generation
Because of the proximity to the ocean,
farmer, admits, “If farming ever gets in your
the tides here affect farming as much as the
blood, you can’t get it out.”
weather, said Harry, 74.
Walton
Spruill,
Mary Alice Davenport Spruill, in 1911. Harry’s father, Charlie, was 6-years-old
Records show the first Spruill in North
He has farmed ever since he was old
Carolina was Dr. Godfrey Spruill, an
enough to wield a hoe. One of his earliest
When Charlie was in the 10th-grade,
immigrant from Scotland, who owned a
memories is chopping weeds in the corn
he lost his father (Claudius). One of nine
plantation where the Scuppernong River
with his mother, Grace.
children — including three sets of twins—
empties into the Albemarle Sound. Nine
generations
later,
At five or six, “I wanted to be out there,” Spruill
descendants still cultivate land in the county,
24
Claudius
purchased 53 acres of land, with his wife,
he said. He can trace the original “homeplace”
when they moved to the farm.
Charlie dropped out of school to help his mother. “My daddy quit school, stayed home and
“
When I was a boy, there were about 50 different farms in the Scuppernong Community area. Today, there are two.” - Harry Spruill helped his mama. He helped pay
where they originally were found
the debt off the farm, and put his
growing wild.
two sisters through high school
“Most of our land drains into
and college; and his younger
the river,” which is less than a mile
brother through high school,” said
away, he said.
Harry.
He
remembers
when
he
“He and his mother, went
was a young boy, on Saturday
through a lot trying to keep the
mornings, he could hear boats,
place together,” he said. “After
“with
his mama died, he bought the
whine engines, going up river.
farm back from his brothers and
Then, about an hour later, you
sisters.”
would hear an explosion – they
Harry has that same sense of farming tenacity.
those
high-pitched-
[authorities] were blowing up a liquor still,” he said.
Over the years, he has invested
Now, Harry and his son Daniel,
in land, expanding the farm out
33, cultivate Scuppernong Farm
from the original homeplace.
together, growing corn, soybeans
“When I was a boy, there were about 50 different farms in the Scuppernong Community area. Today there are two,” he said, with his being one of them. “The land that we cultivate different farms,” he said.
Their annual crop acreage said, with soy beans and wheat being farmed in the same year. To ensure the land will be fit
For years, Harry and his Thomas,
“This is what I’ve always wanted to do,” said Daniel. averages about 4,500 acres, he
now, used to be about 46 or 47
brother,
and wheat.
farmed
together. In 1979, they named the expanded farm Spruill Brother’s Farms.
for farming for generations to come, the Spruill’s have moved away from traditional farming. In an effort to conserve the topsoil, Harry turned to “no-till
In 1992, they split the farm,
farming,” several years ago, as
and Harry renamed his portion
opposed to tilling, which breaks
Scuppernong Farms, a nod to the
up the land, overturns the soil,
nearby river.
and digs rows for seeds to be
Scuppernong grapes, the state fruit, are also named for the river,
planted. “About 25 years ago, we
25
became 100 percent no-till, in order to help preserve soil and water,” he said.
When he was growing up, “There were
He estimates land he farms has been
two gas stations, two grocery stores, a
tilled for at least 200 years. In that time, he
feed mill, a fertilizer store, which also sold
figures about 16 to 18 inches of topsoil has
gas, a small restaurant, three churches and
eroded.
a dairy,” he said. “There was also a train
“The average soil erosion for this area, in conventional tillage, is about 10 tons of topsoil per year,” he said. “Sixteen to 18
station. None of its there now. The only thing that is there now is us.” Almost
90
years
ago,
Harry’s
inches of topsoil has been lost. When I saw
grandmother, Mary Alice, started the annual
that, I thought, ‘somethings got to be done,’”
Spruill Family Reunion on the farm, which
he said.
still endures.
No-till has more advantages than disadvantages, he explained.
But over the years, attendance has dwindled.
“We’ve got about five different soil types and it is working in each of them.”
“All of the brothers and sisters (of Harry’s father, Charlie) are gone,” he laments. “I
In 1994, he won State Champion for
am one of the youngest grandchildren (of
the highest wheat yield in the state – with
Claudius). Now, a lot of the grandchildren
119.29 bushels per acre.
are gone.
“The good Lord has greatly blessed us,” Spruill said.
“At one time it was huge. There is no telling how many Spruills there are directly
To give back, the father-son duo devote
from Claudius Walton and Mary Alice
about two acres to raising sweet corn,
Davenport Spruill. We’ve never been able
yielding about 1,500-1,600 ears.
to get a complete, solid count,” he said.
The Spruills keep around 200 ears, and give the rest away.
The reunions would bring in as many as 100 to 125 family members.
“He has blessed us, so we try to share,” Harry said.
“At the last reunion, we had 65. Even though that’s a good number, it is not as
“We give it to friends, family and people
many as there should be. If the reunion
we rent land from,” he said. “A lot of people
makes it to 100 years, it will surprise me,”
look forward to it each year.”
said Harry. “It’s really hard to keep the
Sharon, his wife of 45 years, said around
interest going, because we are talking about
50 people come to the farm to enjoy the
fifth and sixth cousins – not first and second
bounty.
cousins. We are talking about great, great,
Over the years, Harry and his brother,
great grandchildren.”
Thomas, have had strong ties with the
He was especially disappointed when
community. Harry was County Farm
the reunion had to be cancelled this year,
Bureau president for over 40 years, and his
the first time in 90 years, due to the
brother was the county’s longest serving
COVID-19 pandemic.
commissioner, with 28 years.
Harry has hopes that one day, one or
“There is so much history within the
more of his four granddaughters may want
Spruill family,” Harry said. “It is hard to keep
to to farm. His daughter, Ashley, has two
up, because there is so many of us.”
girls and lives in Benton with her husband.
According to records, Godfrey Spruill
Daniel and his wife of 9 years, Debbie, also
had three sons, then each of them had six
have two girls - Savannah, 7, and Aubrey,
or seven sons.
1-1/2.
“That
really
Daniel and his family live in the house
mushroomed. The land stayed within his
where Harry, along with his two brothers
direct descendants for 170 years,” he said.
and two sisters, grew up.
His
26
Harry.
is
when
grandparents’
the
clan
homeplace
was
Deborah Griffin is a Staff Writer for Eastern
located near a crossroads called Travis, said
North Carolina Living and The Daily Reflector.
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1078 Hwy 48 Roanoke Rapids, NC 27870
854 Tiffany Blvd. #101 Rocky Mount, NC 27804 27
Hertford
Thoughtful Care and Dignity Story by Sarah Davis Photos by Thadd White & Contributed
F
28
or more than seven decades,
Parker and Cindy Ruffin -have worked for
ability to retain heat and dirt, so he opted
members of the Hunter family
all the generations of the Hunter family.
for white ones; likewise, he preferred white suits.
have ensured that the motto of
Ruffin is described by Howard Hunter III,
Hunter’s Funeral Home - “Thoughtful Care
the present owner, as being “the first to
Saying that his grandfather founded the
and Dignity Characterize Our Service” -
arrive and the last to leave each day.” Both
business to serve the people, Howard, III,
is obvious to each and every family they
Chavis and Ruffin say it is an honor to work
explains that the same tradition still exists
serve.
at Hunter’s Funeral Home.
today. The Hunters have always done what
Office Manager Carla Chavis, who first
Currently, the group is led by Howard,
they do for others, and he is no exception,
worked for Howard Hunter Sr., said that he
III, following in the footsteps of his father,
declaring, “I’m not going to put anyone
taught her that the work is “all about the
Howard, Jr., and grandfather, Howard, Sr.,
away in anything I wouldn’t put my family
families we serve,” helping them in their
who founded the organization in 1949.
in. I’ll pay the difference if necessary.”
time of grief; that no matter how small or
Howard, III, notes that, in addition to
Howard, III, inherited a long history
how large the service, each family is to be
carrying out its motto, their business has
of service to the community through
treated the same - with care and dignity.
been distinguished by white hearses and
business and politics. His great-uncle,
In addition to Chavis, three other
white-suited morticians. Howard, Sr., did
Julius Watford, was also a Hertford County
current employees - Gene Futrell, Milton
not like black hearses because of their
businessman, operating Watford’s Motor
the community through politics. As did his father, Howard, Jr., he served as a Hertford County Commissioner (20042014) before being elected to the N.C. General Assembly, serving the 5th District (Hertford, Gates, Bertie, and Pasquotank Counties), beginning in January 2015. Service. Julius’s sister, Madge, married Howard Hunter, Sr., in 1945. In addition to the funeral business, each had a remarkable presence in the area. An art teacher, named art supervisor for Hertford County in 1965, Madge’s work is still visible in many places in the area, including a mural at New Ahoskie Baptist Church, and the work of her students, the recipients of local, regional, and national honors, attests to her influence. In 1976, a drawing by Ahoskie High School senior Ricky Lassiter was selected as the official seal to represent the Hertford County
Bicentennial
Commission.
A
President of the Ahoskie Arts Council and a member of the board of directors of The Gallery Theatre, in 1989 she was selected as a “Woman of the Century” by the Hertford County Council on the Status of Women. Howard, Sr., was the first African-
He, too, works for the people he serves and is known for his quick responses. One
Hertford
County
High
School
teacher still tells the story of Howard, III’s accompanying his son, Montario, to her classroom one day. It was a particularly warm day, and the school was particularly hot because the air conditioning was not working. Taking off his coat, Howard, III, then a county commissioner, disappeared for a moment. Finishing their business, he and his son left, and very shortly, the
“
Just as Howard, III is the third generation to serve the community through business, he also has a long family history of
serving the community through politics.
teacher could feel air conditioning in the building. From the maternal side of his family, Howard, III also inherited the concept of service through business and politics. His great-grandfather owned a funeral home in Yazoo City, Mississippi, where Howard, III’s grandfather established the first hospital for African-Americans in Mississippi. Howard, III’s uncle, Mike Espy, was the
American to serve on the Hertford County Public School Board, and both sons, who assisted him in the funeral business, were politicians - Andrew, serving on the Ahoskie Town Council, and Howard., Jr., first serving as a Hertford County Commissioner and then in the State Legislature. During his years in the legislature, (1989-until his death in 2007) Howard, Jr., worked tirelessly for this area, gaining an immediate reputation with one of his early bills, one designed to improve the health of the area by eliminating outhouses. At that time, North Carolina led the nation in the number of in-use outhouses per capita population. Just as Howard, III, is the third generation to serve the community through business, he also has a long family history of serving
29
first African-American from Mississippi
Andrew), working for their fraternity, Kappa
Howard, Jr., to Howard, III, and now to the
to be elected to the U.S. Congress since
Alpha Psi, (Howard, Sr., Howard, Jr., and
next generation (Montario, Zaria, Kayla
Reconstruction; he later became the first
Andrew), establishing recreational activities
and Mariah), the Hunter family brings to
African-American
Deep
for youngsters (Andrew and Howard, Jr.) or
Southerner to serve as Secretary of
playing Santa Claus (Andrew for the Zodiac
Agriculture and is currently a candidate for
Wheels Motorcyle Club), or inspiring art in
the U.S. Senate from Mississippi.
its many forms (Madge), the Hunter family
and
the
first
Whether working as a referee (Howard, Sr.,and Howard, III) or Boy Scout Troop Master (Howard, Sr., Howard, Jr., and
30
has served the community in a myriad of ways. From Howard, Sr., (and Madge) to
Hunter’s Funeral Home whether in Ahoskie or Murfreesboro or Gates County or even Suffolk, Virginia, thoughtful care and dignity. Sarah Davis is a retired librarian and regular contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living and the Bertie Ledger-Advance.
31
Edgecombe
Boyd’s: A Tarboro mainstay for 81 years Story by John H. Walker Photos by William S. Manley
F
or more than 81 years, the corner of
Jerry’s son, Leslie, works at the station part-
Over the years, Boyd’s pumped gas
Main Street and Howard Avenue in
time when he’s off from his full-time job with
branded for Pure Oil, Sinclair, B-P and Shell,
Tarboro has been home to Boyd’s
the Tarboro Fire Department.
with Shell being the last.
Service Station.
At Boyd’s one can get his or her vehicle
“We stopped when the state said the tanks
Thomas H. “Mr. Tommy” Boyd, opened
washed and waxed, have the oil changed, get
had been in the ground 20 years and we’d
the business on March 1, 1939, and in the
the engine tuned up, brakes repaired, batteries
have to replace them,” Jerry said, adding, “So
ensuing decades, the family-run business has
replaced, flat tires fixed or purchase new tires.
we dug ‘em up.”
developed a reputation as a place where the
But one can’t get gasoline.
service is reliable and the prices are reasonable.
In fact, the pumps have been gone long
“We pretty much do any small job,” said
enough that neither Jerry nor T.H. could
Jerry Boyd who, along with brother T.H., are on the job most of the time. In addition, they are joined by T.H.’s sons, Mike, Tee and Tim, and Jerry’s grandson, David.
32
remember when they came out. “Gosh, I guess at least 20 years,” Jerry said after T.H. gave a definitive “Nah” when Jerry asked if he remembered.
At one time, Boyd’s operated out of different building that was located closer to the corner. “There was a shelter on it and Daddy sold watermelons, Christmas trees ... whatever,” Jerry said. Jerry said that the current building was
“
We work hard to take care of our customers and to give them a quality product at a fair price. We stand behind our work and appreciate the support we’ve gotten from the community.
- Jerry Boyd being built while the business was being run out of the other. “When the new building was finished, the other one was torn down,” he said. But for some, Boyd’s was better known for bicycles. “He was the bicycle man,” Jerry added. “That’s what he was known for. He sold so
and they never took the picture,” he added. “Mr. Tommy” took care of bicycle tires and bicycles for generations of Tarboro youngsters, as is evidenced by posts on Facebook as people reminisce. Boyd’s corner always seems to be busy with cars and trucks covering the pavement as their operators seek help.
Jerry said if a customer needs a tire, Boyd’s can get it. “We work hard to take care of our customers and to give them a quality product at a fair price. We stand behind our work and appreciate the support we’ve gotten from the community,” he said. He said Boyd’s tries to support local causes.
many one Christmas that he had to rent a
“It seems like a hundred cars come in here
“You do your best to support your
building to store them. And Schwinn ... one
on a busy day,” T.H. told Welcome to Tarboro
community like it supports you,” he said. “You
year, he was named 'Dealer of the Year' for
magazine back in 2015.
can’t always help everybody, but you do your best.”
Schwinn and they sent a photographer down
Jerry said tires are the station’s No. 1 item.
here to take a picture of him in front of his
“We sell a lot of ‘em, both new and used,
John H. Walker is a Staff Writer for the Rocky
and we’ve got a lot of faithful customers," he
Mount Telegram and regular contributor to
said.
Eastern North Carolina Living.
dealership. “He told them he didn’t have a dealership
33
Beaufort
(left) Curtis Potter with sons Brian and Brad and extended family/employee J.L. Overton.
Tragedy Did Not Stop One Family Story & Photos by Sarah Hodges Stalls
O
ne tragic night could have easily
“Potter Oil Company as we know it today
been the end of a Beaufort County
started in 1954 when my father bought it,” he
business. Instead, it became the next chapter in one family’s legacy.
said. “It was up on Main Street in Aurora. “On Dec. 28, 1968, there was a fire down
the driver over ran the tank. There were two open flame gas heaters in the office. “The liquid never hit,” Potter paused, “it exploded.”
On Dec. 28, 1968, Curtis Potter was an 18-
there and three people – my father, the
One of Curtis Potter’s four younger
year old freshman at East Carolina University.
secretary and the truck driver – died as a result
siblings was brought out by their father and
“I was home on break, and (I’ve) been here
of that fire,” explained the original owner’s
fortunately was not really hurt.
ever since,” he explained. That is because he took over Potter Oil &
eldest child. Including their father, there were only four employees at the business.
The Washington Daily News reported on Dec. 30, 1968, those burned included H.C.
Tire Company, Inc. after disaster struck his
Potter explained the Potter Oil & Tire
Potter Jr., owner of the company; Preston
family and the town of Aurora on that fateful
Company, Inc. office was next to a service
Jones, a company truck driver; and Doris
day.
station. The fill port was in the doorstep and
Fulcher, secretary and office manager. The
34
“They let an 18-year old boy keep right on servicing them. That was good of them.” As a teen, he delivered fuel oil to the future site of the company when it was being cleared, before it was built. One contractor once told him “one day son there will be lights and paved roads down here like a city.” Potter laughs now, but he did not believe the man then. “They stuck with me and the family,” he said. Since he had time to stop and realize all the support he received as a fledgling businessman, Potter has never forgotten Dec. 31, 1968 edition listed the fourth person injured as Thomas Turner of Morehead City, a long distance tanker truck driver. Curtis Potter said at the time of the explosion, which was reported to have been just before 9 a.m., Turner was sitting in the bay window of the office and was blown out into the street. Fulcher succumbed to her injuries first. Potter survived 15 days, according to his son. Jones died later. The oldest son would not return to East Carolina University. Even though he was no old enough to write checks, he took over the
“
The secretary had to sign all the legal documents and checks until I was old enough.” - Curtis Potter
business after his father’s death. “The secretary had to sign all the legal documents and checks until I was old enough,” Potter said. At the time, a person had to be 21 to even write a check. He found it difficult to run a business and not even be able to borrow money if necessary. But the Aurora community rallied around him, some even threatening to pull their money from the bank in question if they declined to support the young
what the kindness of others meant. Whether or not it resulted in a good outcome, Potter has never hesitated when given the chance to help another business in the area. Later on Potter would bring two of his sons into the business. First as young teens working around the shop and today as leaders responsible for different aspects of the company. Reminiscing about what it was like to bring a couple of his sons into the business which he grew up in, Potter answered calmly, “it was a relief.” After a brief pause he began laughing and completed the thought, “eventually.” “No really, they took a lot off me,” he said of Brad and Brian Potter who were sitting nearby and never even flinched at their father’s kidding. Brad Potter said he once thought it “pretty cool” when his father said he would show him how to do payroll. “Twenty years later I can’t give it to nobody,” Brad lamented. Curtis Potter simply giggled.
businessman. When asked how it felt to have the community rally around him at that time, Potter’s answer was heartfelt and honest. “I was so busy I didn’t even realize it,” he admitted. Potter said he must give credit to the company then known as Texas Gulf, now Nutrien. “We had sold them fuel oil,” he said.
35
The brothers began working
since
1974,
but
began
his
around the shop at around 11 and
relationship with the Potters
13 years of age and they point
when he went to work for Brad
out they did not start in any air
and Brian’s great-grandfather at
conditioned offices.
his oyster house.
Today, they have divided responsibilities
to
continue
running the company while Dad comes and goes as invested
needs to in a given day.
Antique Mall, Art & Craft Gallery, Designer Outlet, & Furniture
Overton’s most memorable to
the
family,
Brad handles the tire shop
according to Brian and Brad, were the years he spent putting
Brian oversees the fuel and
together
lubricant operation. Since 1974,
gifts on Christmas Eve. “He
children’s put
Christmas
together
our
has also been in operation.
presents, our kids presents,”
Today they are down to 11 trucks
Brian explained. “But they are
from 18.
getting big enough we don’t have
Attention Farmers
Brian explained the next
generation, ranging in ages from
enough from him to do during the holidays.”
13-18, make appearances around
Overton was even there the
the business getting a taste of
night of the fire that took Curtis
the family business. He and his
Potter’s father, responding as a
brother agree that taste is a bit
fireman.
milder than the one they got
Spacious Antique Mall - Over 50 Dealers
“Worse thing I have ever seen,” Overton said shaking his
early on. Potter Oil Company has provided jobs for many in the general area, which includes close
So Much More!
mission doing “whatever” he
and front of the building while
Potter Transportation Company
and
Today he’s a man for any
contributions
years have earned.
ANTIQUES • CRAFTS • GIFTS
neighbors
in
Pamlico
head. “I will never forget it, and I have tried.” To hear the Potters and Overton together, it’s obvious they have a special relationship.
County. “Most of the shop employees
“They are good to work with
are pretty local,” said Brad, “from
or I wouldn’t have been around
Beaufort or Pamlico counties.”
this long,” Overton said.
Furniture, Rugs & Accessories
Parker Fittings:
“We’ve got good employees,”
And when Overton speaks of
2 wire, 4 wire & 6 wire hoseheassembly the business, takes pride in it as if his name were on the door. 1/4” up to 1 1/4” hose “Our biggest thing is to please take a lot of pride or maybe Bolts 1/4” to 1” & metric sizes ” he said. more like comfort knowing the the people, A way 8 of business that has company has helped 5 the to local 16 - Grade Curtis Potter added.
The elder Potter said he does
economy all these years.
One employee of the 44
made Potter Oil & Tire Company,
Inc. a cornerstone of southern
Open Monday-Friday Beaufort and neighboring 8AM-5PM Inc. falls into a Pamlico county for decades.
employees at Potter Oil & Tire Company,
category all his own. J.L Overton may not be a blood relation,
Authorized Dealer
but it is clear he is family to the
1294 Potters.
Sarah Hodges Stalls is a Staff
Greenville Avenue, Writer forWilliamston The Enterprise and Eastern North Carolina Living. 252-789-1150
Overton has worked onsite
36
Check them out on the web at www.potteroil.com.
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37
Washington
Womble Drug Company:
where everybody knows your name Story & Photos by Thadd White
W 38
hen a customer walks into the Womble
Drug
Company
And while the pharmacy is clearly a
in
place of substance and history – complete
Plymouth, it is easy to see the
with deer mounted on the wall – it is also
store harkens back to yesteryear. There is a
a place of innovation and somewhere the
pharmacist whose family has taken care of
future is being embraced.
Washington County citizens for 80 years.
Currently Kerri Lundy and her husband,
There is a staff who knows exactly which
Jonathan, own the pharmacy which has
regular customers like a cone of ice cream
been in her family since 1940. She is the
and which wants a diet soda.
third generation of the Womble family to
own and operate the facility in Plymouth. Lundy said her family has always put their customers first. “We have an interest in how we treat people,” Lundy said. “We treat people well because we want them to come back. Our business is built on return customers.” Lundy said some big chains treat customers as numbers and they don’t worry so much about getting the same people to return each time. “We are more accessible,”Lundy added. “You can see us working. We’re not stuck around the corner somewhere out of sight. “We know people by name and a lot of times we’ll have their stuff waiting for them when they get to the counter,” she added. Lundy’s grandfather, Logan Nyal Womble, was known by the entire community as “Doc” and took care of the
“
We see them. They see us. If someone comes in they know what kind of drink the customer wants, what ice cream they prefer and even what brand of test strips they favor.” - Kerri Lundy
pharmacy needs of Washington County from the purchase of the business in 1940 until the 1970s. “Doc” then sold the pharmacy to his three children – Logan Womble, Ed Womble and Nyal Watson. “My mother and my two uncles purchased the pharmacy and all worked together from the 1970s until the store was bought by the Lundys in 2009. Lundy’s mother, Nyal, worked as a pharmacy technician and accounts receivable clerk. It was Lundy’s uncle, Logan, who was the pharmacist. He had been working in the pharmacy for many years, and was even licensed to help his father before going to pharmacy school. “He wasn’t licensed, but was working in the pharmacy to help his dad,” Lundy said. “The board said they knew he was needed, but couldn’t without a license. They helped by letting him be licensed to practice just to help his dad.” Logan then went off to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – just like his father – and earned his pharmacy degree and returned to Plymouth to work. “He got out of pharmacy school and then came back and worked with his dad. He went to pharmacy school to do that.” Lundy was one of six grandchildren and the only one to follow in her uncle and grandfather’s footsteps. Instead of following her family to Chapel Hill, however, Lundy went to Campbell University where she completed the Pharm D program, which at the time was the only one in North Carolina. Unlike her uncle, Lundy didn’t return immediately to Plymouth. She went to work for a national chain and then moved to Florida where she worked for both a national
39
pharmacy and an independent one. Eventually,
Lundy
and
her
husband moved back to North Carolina and she began working at Womble’s Drug Co. for her family. Then, in 2009, she and her husband purchased the business. Logan Womble, who passed away in 2012, continued to help out in the pharmacy, but Lundy’s mother and other uncle retired “almost immediately.” While working in the family businesses has its rewards, it also has its challenges. “Any
time
you
deal
with
insurance, things change,” she said. While holding on to family traditions – such as the mounted deer heads, bobcat and bear on the walls of the pharmacy – the Lundys have also embraced the future.
wakers and even hospital beds. Lundy currently does most of the pharmacy work, but she does have someone to fill in when it’s needed. Many of those working with the Lundys are longterm employees, some of whom have been with the business for more than 10 years. “It makes a difference to see the same faces,” Lundy said. “We see them. They see us. If someone
The couple put a drive-thru
comes in they know what kind of
window in their current facility –
drink the customer wants, what ice
located at 454 U.S. 64 in Plymouth.
cream they prefer and even what
In addition, the pharmacy also has a
brand of test strips they favor.”
delivery service available.
It
is
that
dedication
and
“We wanted to do things to make
attention to detail that has allowed
it easier for our customers,” Lundy
the Womble family to serve the
said.
Washington
And, while they have added those additions, the pharmacy still
County
community
for eight decades, and what keeps customers coming back.
offers the durable medical supplies
Thadd White is Editor of Eastern
that could be needed by residents.
North Carolina Living and the Bertie
Those supplies include wheelchairs,
Ledger-Advance.
40
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history meets adventure history meets adventure
43
Northampton
Three Northampton-born lawyers continue local legacy Story & Photos by Gene Motley
W
hen Northampton County attorney
From first generation lawyer Angus
loaded with lawyers,” says John. “After working
John McKellar hired his sons over
McKellar, through son John, and later
for my Dad one summer, in the late sixties,
several summers while the two boys were
grandsons Scott and Joe, the roots of the legal
I was struck with how he loved what he was
in college, to run errands, do bookkeeping
profession runs deep within this family.
doing and I just took it from there following in
and housekeeping work, it wasn’t a case of favoritism.
From his compact office located on Bragg
his footsteps.”
Street in Jackson – right in the shadow of the
Sadly, the elder McKellar passed away
“We always admired our father,” said
Northampton County Courthouse – John
before he and his son could enter practice
younger son, Joe. “He’s an independent
McKellar has specialized in general practice
together. John spent several years in the
person, a critical thinker, reader, writer and
and more than a dozen other areas of law for
western part of the state before returning
someone who always thought for himself, and
over 45 years.
home and re-opening the McKellar Law office.
that was admirable for us.”
44
“Jackson, like most county seats, is just
On the wall overlooking John’s desk are
framed copies of four generations of law licenses, which he points to and beams with pride.
held it temporarily. “When Charles Vaughan retired in 2014, there was a chance to become
“This is who we are,” he noted,
the county attorney, and if this would
gesturing towards the certificates.
have happened in 99 other counties I
“I tried to get these boys to come in
wouldn’t have thought twice about it,”
with me, and we discussed it quite
recounts Scott. “But the only reason I
a bit, but all I and their mother, Nan,
applied was because it was home and
ever insisted was that they be good
it’s turned out to have been one of the
students and to keep their options
highlights of my career.
open.”
“I remember Dad stressing the
As for his sons, Scott McKellar is the
importance of education,” he said.
Northampton County attorney, while
“And while law school was hard
also practicing in nearby Rocky Mount
sometimes, (the law) was a natural
for the past 19 years. His brother, Joe, is a 14-year trial attorney, also based in Nash County. Counting the years the boys’ grandfather, Angus, practiced, that totals nearly 100 years (97) in the legal profession throughout the four generations. “Someone once said the practice of law is like murder and marriage,” joked John. “It carries a life sentence.” The elder McKellar admits his sons are more in tune with modern times (computers, social media, etc.). “Mine is just a small practice with walk-in traffic; people who need deeds drawn up and maybe just want to talk,” he acknowledged. “It’s probably more of a personal one-on-one relationship than maybe they are used to. They’ve got six or seven other partners in the firm, and I’m here working alone.”
progression that I just found my way into.” John McKellar says part of the beauty of his work is the selfdetermination
and
being
self-
employed. Though not necessarily driven by that, he won’t give even an inkling as to when he might retire. “Right now I have no intention of stopping,” he maintains. “But, naturally it depends on health. Simply put, this is who I am and what I like to do.” While the brothers admit deep respect and a love for their hometown and for the county, they won’t commit to returning to carry on the tradition in Jackson. A fourth generation of McKellars – also boys – are still a few
“
Mine is just a small practice with walk-in traffic: people who need deeds drawn up and maybe just want to talk.” - John McKellar
years off from making a decision on following in the profession.
Joe McKellar probably has the most
“Part of Dad’s legal education was
trial experience of advocacy in the
that critical thinking he passed onto
courtroom, practicing as he has with
us,” said Joe. “In a way, that was the
Batts, Batts, and Bell in Rocky Mount.
biggest influence for both of us.”
Older brother Scott, while a
“I hope the people of Jackson
member of the firm of Battle, Winslow,
realize what a treasure Dad is,”
Scott & Wiley, LLP, also based out of
echoed Scott. “He’s served these
town, saw an opportunity to return to
folks for many, many years and that’s
Jackson and serve his hometown six
something I truly, truly admire.”
years ago. His application to become
Gene Motley is a retired Sports
Northampton County attorney made
Editor and Sports Director and a regular
him the third generation to hold the
contributor to Eastern North Carolina
job, though his father and grandfather
Living.
45
Gates
Lilley Brothers oversee Gates County
farm and truck needs
Story by Gene Motley Photos by Gene Motley & Contributed
T
hey’ve been a six decades-old fixture
“The fact that our customers utilize
Currently they have four locations from the Capital to the coast.
southern Virginia for more than 66
our products and services to earn their
While the ‘International’ in their name
years now, and Lilley International wants to
living gives purpose to our lives,” said
doesn’t yet represent a global footprint. At
continue that tradition.
Laurence Lilley Jr. on his business’ web site.
the pace the company has expanded in the
“The ultimate goal being to exceed our
last 40 years, conquering the world can’t be
customers’ expectations on a daily basis.”
far behind.
That’s how long it’s been for what began as a tractor sales and service business and
46
in the region.
across eastern North Carolina and
grew into one of the top truck, trailer and
Laurence Jr. is president of the company
Lilley’s dad, Laurence Lilley Sr., together
farm equipment sales and service providers
while younger brother, Jim, is vice-president.
with several other business partners,
“
It’s been great to have a partner. We both agree it’d be really challenging if you didn’t have a partner to talk with, share ideas, discuss things and hold each other accountable.” - Laurence Lilley purchased the local International Harvester dealership in Williamston, then known as Martin Tractor and Truck Co., in 1953. “There were five (partners) at the beginning,” Laurence Jr. continues. “But the others just sort of lost interest over time, and by the late fifties, Dad ended up with sole ownership.” The younger Lilley boys both began working at the dealership as teens, then after college came more responsibilities within the company. “I came back after finishing the University of North Carolina in 1976 and became a full-time employee, and Jim came on board in 1989,” Lilley noted. “We had good people and good customers and more opportunities came along.” One of those first opportunities was the acquisition of their second dealership in Rocky Mount in the early 1980s. It came at the time I.H. Case bought International Harvester’s farm equipment division, and also when the Lilley franchise had it’s next expansion into Scotland Neck in 1997. Their third expansion was to Gates County in 1999. Despite closing the Halifax County location in 2015, four years later came their largest expansion with the purchase of the International dealership in Raleigh in 2019. The siblings are proud of the bond their business relationship has forged. “It’s been great to have a partner,” Laurence acknowledged. “We both agree it’d be really challenging if you didn’t have a partner to talk with, share ideas, discuss things, and hold each other accountable.” The Gates County facility had an original farm equipment dealership in a little building in Gates called Carroll’s Garage, owned by brothers Bob and Jack Carroll. After Jack retired in
47
the 1990s, his younger brother Bob – by then in his mid-70’s in age – began to discuss an exit strategy of his own. “He didn’t have any children involved in the business, so he contacted us and we went and looked at it,” Lilley said. “We liked the people and thought the area offered a good opportunity to continue on and that’s how it came to be.” Following the closing at the end of the century, Lilley International built a brandnew building on US-13 North in 2005. “Most of the time, these opportunities just sort of present themselves and things just kind of happen,” Lilley acknowledged. “Raleigh was a big acquisition for us, and in the times of this pandemic more things are challenging. We’re going to concentrate on refining and perfecting what we have right now. “For the farmers, our business is essential, and our customers are essential,” he stated. While the company has realized significant growth in broadening their primary product offerings to meet the needs of a changing
customer base, Lilley International has added a variety of trailer lines, that also include Isuzu trucks, and Maintainer service bodies. While the elder Lilley passed away in 2009, the combination of his 56 years in the business plus the work of his two sons represents 73 years of experience in the truck and farm equipment business in Williamston, Gates, and beyond.
“We want continue a legacy Two FAto Photo Adof innovative leadership and a deep appreciation
Maximum of two financial for our employees and the customers we advisor photos. serve, and have built relationships with in
the many decades of our business,” Lilley
Ifmaintains. more financial advisors should be included, use the Gene Motley is a retired Sports Editor and community name listing or Sports Director and regular contributor to 1-800-ED-JONES version. Eastern North Carolina Living.
Nancy Winslow, REALTOR
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"Where people, property and passion come together for a WIN-WIN"
Rod Cant Financial A See page 2 for financial 258 West advisor listing. Washingto
Serving Halifax, Martin, Bertie Counties and more.
.
252-975-2
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252.813.1096
email: nancywinslow@kw.com website: nancywinslowhome.com
48
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49
Hyde
Spanning Four Generations of Mercantile Heritage Through Three Centuries
Story & Photos by Sandy Carawan
G
ibbs Store, LLC not only provides
Once you pass through the metal-
an important service to an
framed glass doors and your foot meets the
Engelhard community historically
creaking of the wooden floor as the door
Gibbs Store, LLC, founded in 1895, is
steeped in agriculture and commercial
bell chimes, it’s as if you have crossed the
owned by siblings Greg Gibbs, Charles
fishing, but through its years in operation it
threshold of a time machine.
Gibbs and Regina Gibbs Jones. While Greg
boasts a rich history of its own.
50
the aisles and walls divert your attention to a familiar but different way of living.
As you peruse the aisles, the experience
manages the store, Charles manages
The historic building sits in the rounding
is like shopping in the twenty-first century;
different properties, surveys land, and
corner of Highway 264 where it lies along
however, the merchandise and objects of
supervises the hunting management for
Far Creek.
the two preceding centuries displayed along
duck impoundments.
“
Stores were built for folks within walking distance and people who could jump on the back of a horse and ride a bit.”
- Charles Gibbs With products appealing to the needs and interests of men,
Road and North Lake Road less than a mile from U.S. 264.
women and children no matter if
In addition to horse tack and
they are locals or tourists, much
farm implements, the Hyde
like
Gibbs
County History book states that
Store sells products to make
C.E.P. sold “... buttons, laces,
the workload easier, the home
threads and items for sewing,
life and living more modern
also men’s work shoes and high
and comfortable, and recreation
top buttoned shoes for the
more pleasurable.
ladies. Tools for the farmers and
its
predecessors,
They
sell
electrical, building
hardware,
harnesses for stock were popular
lumber,
items. Crackers packed in barrels,
painting
cheese and butter in tubs, flour
plumbing, materials,
supplies,
commercial
and
packed in barrels, molasses in
supplies,
barrels, coffee beans in barrels,
clothing, footwear, appliances,
and other household items.
food products, jewelry, knick
Candies were stocked for the
knacks and everything wanted
children.”
recreational
fishing
in a hardware and general merchandise store.
C.E.P.’s son, Closs Cordon Gibbs (1879-1943) worked in
These fourth generation store
his father’s business and about
owners and brothers know their
1895, with help from his father,
store and its history like the back
he built his business along Far
of their hands having grown up
Creek where the present store
in the business and exploring
stands today and more than a
its space and contents left from
century ago freight would be
decades gone by.
delivered by boats and hauled
According to Greg, their great-
by wagons.
grandfather, Charles Ebenezer
“They didn’t have a channel
Pettigrew (C.E.P.) Gibbs (1839-
dredged in,” said Greg. “They
1933), one of seventeen children
had shuttle boats or schooners
born
Gibbs,
that would go out in the creek in
was the founder of what their
Pamlico Sound to the company
business has become.
vessels and then shuttle the
to
Washington
As early as 1877 and until
cargo back into the village.”
1903, C.E.P. Gibbs operated a
“Everyone lived outside of
general merchandise store in a
the village, and they just come
barn near the corner of Swamp
to town to trade,” he continued.
51
“Stores were built for folks within
thicker rough cut. A lot of these boards
walking distance and people who could
are twelve inches wide and plus, right on
jump on the back of a horse and ride a
up to sixteen inches because I measured
little bit,” adds Charles. “As roads got
one of them. They crisscrossed the
better and the state took over a lot of
boards and left a little gap in between
roads in the thirties, tar and gravel, then
them. The only thing we can figure was
folks got cars.”
that if they had a storm or water in there
As a result, Charles notes, business started leaving in the county. Greg and Charles are uncertain about
a very solid built building. There’s a bunch of rough-cut pine in the structure itself.”
exactly when and how long it took for
Closs sold merchandise similar to that
Closs to build the building, but they know
of his father, but offered a much larger
that his father, C.E.P., helped him.
variety.
According to a Washington Progress
During the 1920s and 1930s, Closs
article dated September 24, 1908, it
was the first dealer in Engelhard for
states: “Mr. Closs Gibbs is finishing a large
the John Deere Plow Company and
warehouse and getting ready to erect
International Harvester Company selling
a large store 40x70. He is thinking of
different
building a department store.”
as discs, plows, stalk cutters and corn
Then, another article dated April 1,
farming
implements
such
planters.
1909 states, “Mr. Closs Gibbs is putting
Closs sold groceries as well as
up a skyscraper, its floor space will be
country produce. In addition to stock
large enough, if used as a wholesale
garden seeds and seed potatoes, he sold
house to hold enough goods to furnish
Pocomoke Guano for fertilizer.
the retail trade of Hyde County.”
He also sold stag paints, oils, putty;
According to the brothers, the store’s
beds, mattresses, springs; galvanized
square footage is about 13,000 square
roofing and juniper shingles; stoves and
feet, with later additions added by Closs
fixtures; enamel ware; and piece goods
and later his son, Gilbert.
such as flat crepes, velvet, and other
Charles elaborates, “When Hurricane Isabel came through we had to take up
decorative prints ranging from 10 to 50 cents per yard.
portions of the tongue-and-groove floor
Ladies could buy coats, sport sweaters,
where it had buckled. The store was built
Jersey dresses, and hats especially
with a double-lap crisscross floor and
designed in the millinery department.
the cypress planks were a true inch or
52
it would drain back through the floors. It’s
Men
could
not
only
purchase
Craddock Terry Shoes and Lion Brand Work
But he stayed on top of his business and
Shoes, but also shirts, hose, caps, hats, ties,
watched it closely.”
winter underwear, three-piece slicker suits and suit ranging from $3.75 to $35.00.
get in.” Other glass counters offered penny candy
He, too, sold merchandise similar to that
and cookies for a penny.
of his father, but with the changing times he
He also sold Hackney wagons, buggies, harnesses, cart wheels, horses and mules.
offered more modern products backed by popular name brands.
While the upstairs offers a variety of merchandise, Charles and Greg like to think of it as a museum. Down through the
In February 1930, Closs traveled to St. Louis,
In the 1940s, Gilbert sold Glidden Paint
Missouri and purchased a train carload of
products, a gallon costing $2.98. Throughout
horses and mules that were shipped to
the decades, he sold McCullough Chainsaws,
Belhaven and later shipped to him.
Evinrude Outboard Motors, self-propelled
them. Those vintage items on display consist
heavy duty Lincoln Power Mowers and
of rotary telephones, a wood burning stove,
Snapper Lawnmowers.
electric radios, wooden wheels, harnesses, an
During Closs’s ownership, the store included a Social Security office, Drivers License office and a space upstairs for
“We both worked behind the counter in
Lawrence Roper who sold World War 1
here when we were little guys,” Charles says.
military surplus.
“Greg went off to school in ’78, and then
Greg says, “Closs was a big civics guy. He liked the Rotary Club and community events.”
when he’d come back I pretty much stayed outside.”
When he died, his son, Charles Gilbert
According to the brothers, the store sold
Gibbs (1923-2001), assumed ownership of
groceries such as meats, canned and dry
the store and renamed it as C. Gilbert Gibbs
goods until the late 1980s.
decades different items were discarded when newer and improved items replaced
old Coca Cola machine, and miscellaneous vintage items. The Gibbs’ brothers have continued what their forefathers have done —staying committed to their community for three centuries
by
providing
top-of-the-line
merchandise for everybody.
“We had counters that were lined with
Sandy Carawan is an English Language
“Gilbert’s passion was to be outside,” says
metal and kept all the flours and meals in
Arts teacher at Mattamuskeet Early College
Greg. “He liked to call himself a farmer. He
factory bags,” continues Charles. “But we had
High School in Swan Quarter, and a regular
liked to create things and develop the land.
those doors metal-lined so the mice wouldn’t
contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.
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55
Roanoke
River
P a rt n e r s
Story by Lewis Hoggard Photos by Lewis Hoggard & Contributed
T
he formation of Roanoke River
River Partners are involved with the section
Partners over 20 years ago was
of the river that is located in North Carolina
not only to establish a water-
and is less the 100 miles long. This area is
based
Roanoke
one of the last remaining that has hundreds
River Basin in North Carolina, but to spur
trail
on
the
of years-old cypress trees still standing in a
sustainable economic development in the
hardwood forest bottomland.
region surrounding the Roanoke River. The communities and counties joined
sixteen camping sites located in six counties
together to provide support to Roanoke
along and close to the Roanoke River. The
River Partners in their effort to build and
majority of these campsites were built by
maintain platform campsites along the
volunteers at the direction of Roanoke
Roanoke River. Merging a natural resource
River Partners. The campsites are generally
with an economic need takes advantage of
platforms built above the swamp water with
what this region has to offer.
primitive facilities. These sites are rented for
The Roanoke River runs from the Appalachian Mountains to the Albemarle Sound covering over 400 miles. Roanoke
56
In 2020, Roanoke River Partners has
$25 a night per two individuals with $10 per additional person per night. People from all around the United States
and foreign countries visit and spend the night at these campsites. It is important to note that these quests get off the river and visit the fifteen towns that are along the river. The approximate economic impact of the trail is half a million dollars a year to the region. The Roanoke River Basin with its pristine swamps provides a unique opportunity to see wildlife and old growth Cypress trees. Over 250 species of birds can be found during the year in the basin. Truly a birdwatcher’s paradise awaits the canoeist or kayaker. White tail deer, Black Bears, red and gray foxes, river otters may all be spied on the banks of the Roanoke. Northampton, Bertie and Hertford counties contain some of the largest population of deer in the state of North Carolina. Washington County has one of the largest populations of Black Bear in the United States. And, if you time your trip right, you can take in the Black Bear Festival in Plymouth, adjacent to and on the Roanoke River.
“
T h e s u p p o rt o f o u r local communities and municipalities serve as our primary financial backing...” - Carol Shields 57
The busiest time of the year for visitors
use of the Roanoke River in
is the spring, but people come all twelve
the underground railroad is
months of the year.
documented
The executive director of Roanoke River Partners is Carol Shields.
Roads.
by
Freedom
Freedom Roads is
a state wide trail system
She states, “while Covid-19 may have
recognizing the roads, rivers
slowed downed traffic a little, that getting
and ports in North Carolina
away from everyone is an ideal adventure
that were crucial to the efforts
during these socially distancing times.”
of enslaved African Americans
These trips are normally self-guided with
seeking freedom.
basically no contact with other individuals
The right mix of history and
besides passing the occasional boat on the
nature combining with local
Roanoke River.
communities supporting and
Roanoke River Partners is 501(c)3 non-
using their resources is part
profit corporation that exists from local and
of what makes the Roanoke
grassroots fundraising.
River
Partners
and
their
“Our typical fundraising amounts range
trail unique to Northeastern
from $1,500 to $100.” remarks Shields.
North Carolina. The spirit of
“The support of our local communities and
recognizing what is in the
municipalities serve as our primary financial
region and how to use it is trait of rural life that
backing, while we will apply for a grant where
is embedded in the culture. More information
applicable and are constantly looking for
and info on the Roanoke River Partners may be
alternative revenue streams.” Shields moved
found at their website – roanokeriverpartners.
Windsor/Bertie Chamber of Commerce and a
from volunteer to board member to director
org or on their facebook page – facebook.
contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.
com/RoanokeRiverPartners.
Reservations
may be made online for the campsites. Lewis Hoggard is Executive Director of the
out of a love for the organization and the area. The Roanoke River is a fast-moving river that should be traversed with some care.
2809 NC Highway 903 Stokes, NC 27884 252.717.5671
The original Indian name of the river was “Moratuck” which supposedly means “bad river or river of death.” Beyond the fall line in Halifax and Northampton counties there are no more rapids, but the river is to be respected. There is also flooding along the river at different times of the year which can
24 HOUR EMERGENCY SERVICE
cause damage to cropland and sites close to the river. The campsites can become flooded, but that usually only happens with tropical storm/ hurricane activity. Each campsite is placed in different sections of the river and basin, so that one can come all the way down river in North Carolina at a fast or leisurely pace. Or one can go across the Albemarle Sound to Chowan County and stay there. Approximately 1,200 guests stay on the platforms each year. The river also served as a giver of freedom with the smuggling of slaves down the river across the sound to the Outer Banks, where slaves were then ferried North. The
58
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59
Top Water
I
Largemouth Fishing
love top water fishing in the Albemarle region. This is a simple statement, but I truly believe that if everyone who ever wanted to fish did just one good day of top water fishing they would be hooked on fishing for life. It is an exciting feeling to be focused on a lure that you can see and to watch a largemouth explode out of the water and attack a lure. There have been times when it startles me and I jump back and set the hook too soon and miss the fish and it never gets old. There are a variety of fishing lures in the top water world some of the best are a hollow body frog, a Pop-R popping bait, buzz baits and the latest craze over the past couple of years is the Whopper Plopper. These are just a few but we can talk about each one and how to use them. The hollow body frog came out years ago and since catching on the industry has discovered new ways to improve the lure and to make other lures like ducks, snakes, and rats. Each
60
one has a chance of catching a fish, but I always seem to favor the old frog when I am out on the local waters. If you are on a boat you want to throw the bait upright on the bank if you can and work it back towards you. Because of the design, it is weedless so you can put it in lily pads or thick brush and it will come through no problems. I like to give the frog a steady pull with the rod tip then pause the bait. You want it to look like a frog that just jumped into the water and it is working its way down the bank. The fish will usually hit on the pause, but whatever you do don’t set the hook till you feel the fish pull on your line. You want the line to get heavy then set the hook. This can be a frustrating thing to do but trust me it will increase your hookups. The legendary Pop-R is a lure made by Rebel and has been catching fish for generations now. Its simple design makes a popping noise when you jerk the rod tip forward and the sound seems to drive bass crazy because they simply try to kill the
bait. Your best bet for a lure like this is to create a cadence with the noise so you snap the rod tip twice then pause the bait. The colder the water the longer the pause so pay attention to your electronics. This bait is armed with a pair of treble hooks so it is no good around heavy cover but it works great as a scouting bait when you are working your way down the bank. There have been a number of knock offs over the years but I always have a Pop-R in my box. A buzz bait is simply a spinner bait that has had the blade change to a propeller type design and when you throw the bait out you want to start reeling immediately to keep the bait on the surface. Your retrieve speed depends on the action of the bait. While some buzz baits you can creep along others you have to burn the reel to keep them on top. A lot of people think you just throw and reel these baits which will catch fish but the true expert varies his retrieve so it changes the pitch
or sound of the bait. It’s is called a buzz bait because that is the sound it makes coming through the water so you can pause it for a split second or pop the rod tip to speed up the bait or bounce it off a stump or stick if possible. It will draw an amazing strike when it happens and you will have a smile on your face when you catch one. The Whopper Plopper is a relatively new design in the industry and was created by a legendary angler Larry Dahlberg for musky fishing. It is a floating bait with a tail that spins while the body is stationary. This bait is as close as you can get to a throw it out and reel it in bait, but I still change the retrieve speeds to give it a more injured look. It comes in a couple of different sizes and I have caught fish on all of them but the large bait needs to be thrown on a heavier rod. Another tip on this bait is if you tie on a small swivel above the lure it will keep the line twist down and make your day easier. All of these lures will jump start your heart when you get a strike but remember don’t set the hook till you feel your rod get heavy and if you have a rod with braided line it will help pull the fish out of heavy cover. The line is out of the water so line size doesn’t really matter so go big or go home. Ask anyone who loves to bass fish and they will tell you that top water is their favorite way to catch fish. Mike Sweeney is a regular columnist for The Daily Advance in Elizabeth City and a contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.
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Mike Sweeney is a columnist for The Daily Advance in Elizabeth City and a regular contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.
61
ALL IN A
Day’s Trip These trails were made Story & Photos by Todd Wetherington
for walking
E
astern North Carolina is a veritable paradise for walking trail enthusiasts and nature devotees of all ages and
experience levels. In addition to providing an invigorating way to enjoy the region’s national forests, trail walking also offers an isolated but relatively accessible route for those looking to shed a few pounds during the COVID-19 lockdown. For trail seekers in Craven and surrounding counties, local parks and nature preserves offer a bounty of options for both the fleet of foot and the slow and
Glenburnie Park, New Bern
steady ambler. Latham-Whitehurst Nature Park, one of the newest parks in Craven County, opened to visitors in 2011. Located in a quiet eastern section of New Bern a few miles from Fairfield Harbour, the park is a popular destination for wildlife fans of all varieties, including hikers, kayakers, birdwatchers and fishermen. Latham-Whitehurst
Nature
Park
comprises 133 acres of pristine coastal land. The park features a series of nature trails which range from .16 miles to .8 miles long that can easily be combined for a longer trek. The trails offer a range of amenities, including a 2,000 foot boardwalk
overlooking
Broad
Creek,
restroom facilities and picnic shelters.
62
Island Creek, Pollocksville
For those looking to explore Craven County’s wartime history, Battlefield Park in Taberna, just east of New Bern off of U.S. 70, includes over 30 acres of original Civil War battlefield. The New Bern Historical Society received the core 24.65 acres of the battlefield from the Civil War Preservation Trust, and additional acreage adjacent to that site was later acquired. The ground where nearly one third of the Battle of New Bern occurred is in near pristine condition, allowing visitors to walk in
and signage providing an overview of the
the footsteps of Confederate and Union
entire Battle of New Bern and a starting
soldiers who faced off on March 14, 1862.
point for the guided and self-guided tours.
Around the park’s visitors center and
Just down the road from Battlefield
along the battlefield trails are arrayed
Park at Flanners Beach, walkers can
36 interpretive panels that recount the
stretch their legs on an accessible one-
impact of the Civil War on the city’s
mile trail that winds through the mixed
inhabitants and infrastructure.
pine-hardwood forest near both the
The Gateway Plaza at the trailhead
campground and picnic area. More than
provides seating for interpretive talks
five additional miles are also available
and serves to orient visitors with a 20
to bikers and hikers, but no motorized
foot concrete color-coded ground map
vehicles or horses are allowed.
In addition to providing an invigorating way to enjoy the region’s national forests, trail walking also offers an isolated but relatively accessible route for those looking to shed a few pounds during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Lantham-Whitehurst Nature Park, New Bern
63
ALL IN A Lantham-Whitehurst Nature Park, New Bern
Day’s Trip Travelers heading east from
in the state’s second-smallest
Flanners Beach on U.S. 70
national forest, the Croatan.
will find Neusiok Trail, a lightly
North Carolina’s easternmost
trafficked point-to-point trail
forest consists of 160,000
located near Havelock that
acres bordered on three sides
winds more than 20 miles,
by water, including the Neuse,
from a sandy beach on the
Trent, White Oak and Newport
Neuse River to a salt marsh on
rivers, and by Bogue Sound,
the Newport River. In between,
which separates it from the
it crosses cypress swamps and
Atlantic Ocean.
hardwood
ridges.
Walkers
The
forest
contains
a
should keep an eye out for
variety of natural habitats,
signs of those who walked
including freshwater pocosin
the area in centuries past —
(an Eastern Algonquian word
from Native Americans to
meaning “swamp on a hill”),
early settlers, woodsmen and
longleaf pine savanna, and
moonshiners.
saltwater marsh, and is home
Located near Pollocksville
to a wide range of wildlife,
in Jones County, Island Creek
such as waterfowl, deer, bears,
Forest Walking Trail is a 3.7
snakes and alligators. The area
mile loop that features a
is also known for its population
number of activity options and
of
is best used from March until
eating, plants, including the
October.
pitcher plant and the Venus
carnivorous,
The Island Creek Forest
flytrap.
Walk is one of the shorter hikes
This
corner
or
of
insect-
Eastern
North Carolina also provides a number of shorter nature walks. The Johnny Monroe Ward Memorial Nature Trail in Cove City Park is found 13 miles west of New Bern at 110 Trenton Road. This park has a rustic .4 mile grass path trail that encircles local tobacco fields. An Eagle Scout project has provided numerous markers throughout
the
tree-lined
trails detailing local wildlife and fauna. Located along the Neuse River in New Bern, the 0.8 mile
64
Lantham-Whitehurst Nature Park, New Bern
Glenburnie Park Trail offers hilly terrain and trees draped in flowing Spanish Moss. The trail encircles
Plan a hike that is suitable for everyone in your party and let the slower person set the pace.
the perimeter of the park, once the site of a WWII
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, park hours may
POW camp, and winds through woods for scenic
be subject to change. Hikers should check online or
views of the river.
call ahead to make sure the trails are open to visitors.
One of New Bern’s most popular summertime
Todd Wetherington is a Staff Writer for the New
boating sites, Lawson Creek Park also features a
Bern Sun Journal and a contributor to Eastern North
.8 mile trail with views of both the Trent River and
Carolina Living.
surrounding nature. Walkers will encounter a mix of wooden walkways, gravel and grass as the trail winds through the park, which encompasses 140 acres located west of Tryon Palace. As with any outdoor activity, trail walkers should take precautions to protect themselves from the elements. For longer treks, use hiking sticks to take stress off your legs. Wear well-fitting and broken-in hiking boots. Drink often to stay hydrated. Other helpful tips include: Bring snacks to keep energy levels up rather than waiting for a meal after you’ve emptied your body’s reserves. Keep a small amount of surplus food ready, just in case.
Lawson Creek Park, New Bern
Use sunscreen and a hat to prevent sunburn, even on cloudy or cold days.
Lantham-Whitehurst Nature Park, New Bern
65
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67
Washington
Plymouth
Rediscovering a hidden gem
Story by Jim Green Photos by Tom Harrison
*Due to a technical error, a portion of the Washington County Plymouth feature was missing from the July 2020 edition. We wanted to ensure this hidden gem was rediscovered in its entirety, and have reprinted it for your reading pleasure.
T
om Harrison walks along Water Street and looks out onto the Roanoke River. He sees so much potential in the town of Plymouth, which is why he fell in love with the area many years ago when he moved from upstate New York. “If you ask me why I love Plymouth, the easy answer is the people – but that’s true anywhere you go in America,” said Harrison, 63, who has lived in the town since 1984. “If you ask people what they like about their town they say the people. But this is where my roots were put down at a very young age and why I fell in love with this area. “It’s rural, and I created the tagline ‘where traffic ends and adventure begins,’” he added. “That’s what this is – there is no traffic here. There is something to be said for the fact that this (town) is crowd free, traffic free and has so much nature all around you.” Established in 1787, Plymouth is older than Washington County. For 70 years prior to Plymouth’s founding, generations of the Rhodes family had been planters in the area. Arthur Rhodes founded what was to become Plymouth from land he acquired through inheritance, gift deeds and purchases. This collection of property became his plantation and was called Brick House. From that property he sectioned off 100 acres, subdividing them into 172 lots, which he would sell. The 16 lots he sold were the beginnings of Plymouth. In 1807, Plymouth became the first incorporated town in the newly-formed Washington County.
68
Several theories exist about how Plymouth got its name. Early in its history, Plymouth was a thriving port. The most popular theory supposes that sailors on ships from Plymouth, Massachusetts, regularly stopped there for cargo – thus the name Plymouth Landing. Later, the name was shortened to Plymouth. Water has played a major role in the development of the town. Flatboats floated down the creeks and rivers loaded with goods and produce to be reloaded onto sailing vessels. Early in the 1800s Plymouth was one of six main ports in North Carolina and ranked ninth in population among towns. In 1790, the United States Congress established Plymouth as a port of delivery, complete with a customs house. Schooners bound for the West Indies sailed from the port heavily loaded with hogsheads of tobacco, barrels of tar, pitch and turpentine, masts and spars, corn and rice. The town prospered and grew, the first public school was formed in 1810 and the first two churches were established in 1830 (Methodist Church) and 1837 (Episcopal Church). By 1840, there were 1,123 inhabitants, but 10 years later, there were only 951, as a ship stopping at the port brought an unknown fever to the town, taking the lives of many residents and causing others to live in fear. A few years later, Plymouth’s location on the Roanoke River, which had been such an asset, suddenly became a liability. It was one of the ports targeted for blockade by Union forces
during the Civil War. Plymouth has the historical distinction of being the site of the second-largest battle in North Carolina and its last Confederate victory, the battle of Plymouth (1864), during the Civil War. The Port O’Plymouth History Museum, located in the circa-1923 former Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Station in downtown Plymouth, has a nationally-recognized collection of Civil War artifacts, including one of the most complete belt buckle and button collections in the U.S., and a model of the ironclad ram CSS Albemarle. The primary industry for the region is Domtar Paper Company, LLC, a paper manufacturer. The paper mill and its related facilities have been the largest employer since 1937. It was owned by Kieckhefer Container Company, which was merged into Weyerhauser in 1957. Weyerhauser sold its paper interests to Domtar in March 2007. However, when Domtar announced the end of paper machine operations in 2009, the workforce was reduced by 33 percent, to about 360 employees. Over the past few years, the town has been re-branding itself as a tourist destination to offset the reduction in paper-making employment, by taking advantage of its natural environment being surrounded by tracts of forests and swamplands. “We’ve been trying to reinvent ourselves,” said Harrison, the town’s local historian who has also worn many hats as he has served in leadership roles with the downtown development
association,
the
downtown
merchants
“We haven’t done a good job of attracting
association, the chamber of commerce and
the resources to develop that,” Harrison said.
the Washington County travel and tourism
“Our downtown has struggled – we have ebb
authority, among others.
and flow like waves crashing on a beach. We’d
In 2015, Harrison started the Black Bear Festival because he wanted to bring attention
have this crash of momentum and then that wave recedes back into the ocean.”
to a North Carolina superlative that most
The town is riding a wave right now, as
in the area weren’t aware of. With just three
Riverview Café and an artisan’s market in
months preparation, the festival earned
addition to a French café that’s opening,
Best New Festival from the N.C. Association
as is an antique market, a Bears and Birds
of Festival and Events. The next year, it was
Shoppery (retail), The Black Bear Discovery
named the best festival in the state, and was
Center (Bear-ology), pontoon boats for rent
third best in the southeast in its third year.
and others are looking to make Plymouth
In 2019, it won again for Best Festival in the state, and Harrison has received Festival Director of the Year honors as well. “The Black Bear Festival has really put Plymouth on the map,” he said. “We have had estimates of 30,000 attend. Last year, we had people come from 28 states and four foreign countries, and the year before, we had people from 18 states attend. We continue to grow.” Other added attractions during the festival since its inception have included a 5K race, a motorcycle stunt show and a fireworks show held on the river. This past year, the COVID-19 pandemic forced festival organizers to make it virtual and save the money earmarked for this year to be saved for 2021. “The branding process (in 2017) prompted us to ask, ‘What do we want to be in our second act?,’” Harrison said. “What do we want to be when we grow up?” Plymouth adopted the black bear in 2018, just months after the rebranding started. “One of the criteria was, what do we have that none of the surrounding towns
home. “The rebranding is an accelerator. There’s nothing anyone can really do to stop Plymouth from being developed because of its half-mile waterfront,” Harrison said. “Development is coming – I just want to be a catalyst for it and see it here in my lifetime.” The goal, Harrison said, is to make the town a destination – not just a stop along the way. To that end, the town has hired a code enforcement officer to help facilitate the cleaning up of downtown, according to Joanne Floyd, who serves as the town manager and has been a resident for 21 years. “There is more to our town than driving on Highway 64 from one end of town to the other,” she said. “We want to present a better aesthetic. One of our biggest assets we can utilize is the riverfront. We have so much going on here and so many businesses and places to explore and we have new businesses coming. The town is in the middle of revitalization and revival, and the Black Bear Festival has been a big part of that.”
have, something that makes us unique and
Harrison concluded: “This is a wonderful
different? We have the most black bears and
little town steeped in history, strategically
arguably the best public black bear viewing in
located on the banks of the Roanoke River
the state if not North America,” Harrison said.
and the Roanoke River Delta. We encourage
“I’ve done bear tours where we’ve seen 100
people to come and visit us, and do business
bears in three hours.”
here because we feel like this is a place of
With so many resources – the wildlife, the
opportunity.”
migratory birds and a half a mile of buildable
Jim Green is Interim Editor of the Martin
waterfront – what Plymouth is aiming to do is
County Enterprise & Weekly Herald and Photo
bring more businesses to its downtown area
Editor and Staff Writer for Eastern North
located on Water Street.
Carolina Living.
69
COVID-19 Let’s Stop the Spread As the economy begins to reopen, it’s important we continue to stand up for eastern North Carolina and work together to stop the spread of COVID-19. Your health – and the health of your loved ones – depends on it.
Stay home as much as possible
Avoid large gatherings
Wash your hands often
Wear a mask when out
Practice social distancing
We are here for you Vidant has taken steps to provide you and your family with a safe environment. It’s important not to delay care. This includes emergency visits or treatment for other health conditions. Talk to your doctor if you have questions about scheduling a surgery or procedure.
Not feeling well? Call our Community COVID-19 Helpline at 252-847-8000 or see a doctor from the comfort of your home – visit VidantHealth.com/VirtualCare for more imformation.
Help flatten the curve and stop the spread.
For more information visit
VidantHealth.com/StaySafe
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71
Grandma’s
Kitchen Sylvia Hughes with her grandmother, Bertie Dameron.
Well heat and humidity are a part of
I may have mentioned this before, but I
summer in Eastern North Carolina and we
remember my grandmother trying to write
have had quite a bit of it this year. If you are
down a recipe for someone in the family
out in it at all, you come home hot and sticky.
and it went like this: You take a piece of
Many times the last thing you want is a hot meal for dinner. There are good options such as chicken salad, ham salad, deviled eggs, potato salad, coleslaw, sliced tomatoes, corn salad, cucumbers in vinegar and so on. In this issue of Eastern Living, we learn
butter about the size of a hen egg and add two handfuls of flour. Mix until it looks like small pebbles. Add milk until you have a soft dough. Really it is not hard to follow, but not what we are used to in a recipe.
about many businesses that have survived
Sometimes in this column I have tried to
for generations. The recipes we all love
put down measurements from the things
for summer have also been around for
I saw them do. This time I think I will go
generations. Sometimes we have cooked
with one recipe I have used for many years
alongside older members of our family and
and enjoy during the summer months
learned to make the recipes the way they
and another I have kind of put together by
did. Sometimes we just enjoyed what they made and have not been a part of putting it together. The problem I have most often is that I have seen how my mother or grandmother make things but don’t have the measurements
taste. Since I am a grandmother and greatgrandmother, maybe it can count as multigenerational. The coleslaw recipe is one I’ve had so long I don’t remember where it came from, but it
so it is difficult to tell someone else how to
is called Susan’s Coleslaw. It is one I get many
prepare it. They sometimes used a recipe but
compliments on. The recipe for ham salad is
often made things the way they had it passed
a combination of what I make and finding a
down to them.
recipe I could adapt to what I prepare.
Sylvia Hughes is a retired newspaper editor and columnist residing in Windsor. In addition to three sons, she has a gaggle of grandchildren, many of whom love cooking with her just as she did with her mother and grandmother.
72
S u s a n ’ s C o l e s l aw Dressing: 1 cup mayonnaise 1 ½ teaspoons salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon sugar 2 tablespoons vinegar 2 tablespoons milk
nded.
Beat with a fork until well ble Refrigerate Slaw
ed celery, 1/3 cup 4 cups cabbage, 1/3 cup dic ishes. grated carrot, ¼ cup sliced rad (Add in’s are optional) dy to serve. Store in refrigerator until rea u are ready to eat. Do not add dressing until yo
Ham Salad 1 pound ham (You can buy small cooked hams at grocery store) 1 cup mayonnaise ½ cup sweet pickle relish 1 stalk celery, diced Dice the ham and swirl a few times in a food processor until fine Mix all ingredients together Some people like green pepper or onion in their ham salad. If you do, you can add a small diced onion and a sma ll diced green pepper.
73
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75
biography •
Story by Sarah Hodges Stalls Photos by Sarah Hodges Stalls & Contributed
Tom VanStaalduinen
Mr. Bill would rather talk about his family, his faith and the industry he loves -
Petals, Produce &A
Legacy of
Love
yet his own story is the stuff movie scripts are made of. At six years old, Bill Van Staalduinen and his family left Holland. His mother and nine of the 10 children crossed the ocean on the last boat available before Hitler declared war in 1938. “Some of his relatives said look, you better get your wife and nine children out of here or they will be stuck in Holland for the duration of the war,” Van Staalduinen explained. “So they loaded us on the boat there and we took off.” The large portion of the family headed for Hamilton, Ontario, Canada where the family was reunited with their father and brother. Dad and brother, Hank, had gone ahead to find a place to live for the family of 12. This is where Mr. Bill’s English education began and he had little choice. “From Dutch to English just like that,” he explained. “Not a word of Dutch anymore.”
Van Staalduinen Patriarch’s Life Story Could be a
Movie Script 76
He went to school for the first day with one of his brothers and when they were told it was time to go home, neither knew what they were telling them. “But you learn fast that way,” he smiled. His mother spoke English pretty well and their father spoke mainly Dutch, so the children were able to retain both languages. After four years, they left Canada and brought the gifts of flower and produce growing down south.
smiled. “I’ve got to meet this girl.”
In 1943, the family boarded
He did manage to get early
a train bound for Rocky Mount,
Christmas leave and met that
North Carolina and then on to
Dutch girl.
Terra Ceia in Beaufort County.
Martina spoke no English and
His father, Leonard, purchased a
learned much while writing letters
240-acre farm in the area where
to Bill when she had to return to
there were a lot of flower growers.
Holland for a year.
Mr. Bill went on to serve his
“She learned better English
new homeland for 15 months
than I did writing me letters,” he
during the Korean War, stationed
added.
in Seoul.
The children in the home
“I enjoyed it really,” he said.
helped worked with her after
“They signed the truce as I
dinner using their Dick and Jane
crossed the ocean.
books.
“They heard I was coming and quit fighting,” he laughed. He would come back to his new home of Terra Ceia to meet the love of his life, Martina. While he was still in Korea,
Today, they have been married 63 years with 10 children and 105 in their immediate family. “I’d do it all over again,” he said smiling. “I have to give her a lot of credit.”
Martina’s brother helped arrange
Now Mr. Bill is caring for his
her relocation to Terra Ceia. She
best girl after decades of her
had lived in Holland through the
doing the same for all the family.
war.
Youngest son Tom says, “We
“She came over from Holland
might have been an exceptional
to help a family that needed help
family because of the numbers. I
at home,” Mr. Bill said.
know we were poor but you never
“I heard there was a Dutch girl here in North Carolina and I said Captain, I’ve got to go home,” he
knew it. All I knew growing up is we were happy.” Mr. Bill ran Terra Ceia Farms for
“Some of his relatives said look, you better get your wife and nine children out of here or they will be stuck in Holland for the duration of the war.” - Bill Van Staalduinen 77
20 years after returning from service. Today it is still being operated by his nephews. In 2000, Mr. Bill joined forces with son, Tom, to open Petals and Produce, which began in Yeatesville, providing flowers, produce and more to the area. Four years in they would add the Washington location. “Work is my middle name,” he explained as son Tom nodded in agreement. “I never really retired.” “The Lord has blessed us,” he said. “Money was never the biggest thing, but service was.” Tom explained that in that spirit, it was not unusual to come home to find you have been volunteered for a task their Dad felt strongly about. To talk with Mr. Bill, it’s obvious his family, their happiness and his faith are the most important things in his world. At 87 years young, his servant’s heart is not even derailed by COVID 19. He still works to share that faith he holds so dear. For more than 20 years before the pandemic, Mr. Bill has been an active part of a prison ministry at the Hyde County Prison and, at times, the Beaufort County Jail. Today he still makes out Bible lessons and mails to the facility. “It’s been a big part of my life the past 20 years,” Mr. Bill said. Sarah Hodges Stalls is a Staff Writer for The Enterprise in Williamston and Eastern North Carolina Living.
78
79
County: Hyde Marker ID: B-7 Original Date Cast: 1938
MARKER TEXT
GRANVILLE GRANT Formed northern half of colony of North Carolina. Survey of southern boundary began 28 1/2 miles east across sound, 1743.
MARK IT! Title To Begin Here
Rabore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam Information courtesy of the voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no
O
n March 24, 1663, King Charles II granted eight men, the Lord Proprietors, the charter for a tract of land called
Carolina in the American colonies. The charter was renewed in 1665. By 1729, seven of the eight Proprietors (or their heirs) had sold their interests back to the English government. The eighth Proprietor, John Lord Carteret, inherited from his grandfather the title of Earl Granville and one-eighth of the Carolina territory, which ranged from modern-day Virginia to Florida and from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Granville refused to sell his territory back to King George II, and his one-eighth of Carolina became the Granville District. John Carteret retained his interests and, from 1729 until 1742, representatives of Earl Granville and the Crown met sporadically to address Granville’s claim. In September 1742, King George II and the Privy Council officially approved
the
Granville
grant.
Although
Granville’s claim was to one-eighth of Carolina as a whole, it was decreed that it be measured from
the
southern
border
of
Virginia.
Therefore, the Granville Grant included lands within sixty-five miles of the southern Virginia border, comprising the northern half of present-day North Carolina. Following the establishment of the Granville
Location: US 264 at Engelhard
District, survey of the grant began in 1742 at Cape Hatteras. The assessors took several REFERENCES
William S. Powell, ed., Encyclopedia of North Carolina (2006) William S. Powell, North Carolina through Four Centuries (1989) Thornton Mitchell, “The Granville District and Its Land Records,” North Carolina Historical Review (April 1993): 103-129 Helen F. M. Leary, ed., North Carolina Research: Genealogy and Local History (1996) Margaret M. Hoffman, The Granville District of North Carolina, 1748-1763: Abstracts of Land Patents (1983-1984)
80
years to complete the project, continuing only as far as Bath in its early years. The southern boundary of the tract may be traced across modern-day North Carolina: from Engelhard in Hyde County, to a point in Beaufort County near Bunyan, to the Haw River near Moncure, to points along the Cabarrus/Rowan county
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Lord Granville relinquished his control in government in 1742, but retained the power to grant land which was done through local agents, including Francis Corbin and Thomas Child. Between 1748, when the granting office was established, and 1763, when John Carteret died, the
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agents granted land, collected rents, and surveyed for settlers. The largest tract of land granted in the Granville district was to a Moravian colony led by Bishop August Spangenberg, and included 98,985 acres, later called Wachovia. The Granville district had many problems stemming
throughout from
the
it
history,
corruption
of Granville’s local officials, and culminated with the Enfield Riot of 1759. After John Carteret’s death in 1763, the granting office closed under Carteret’s heir, Robert Earl Granville. The office’s problems soon became irrelevant with the outbreak of the Revolutionary War when the district was dissolved by the North Carolina state government. In the
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early 1800s the heirs of Earl Granville attempted to sue for reinstitution of their land, but the suit was rejected and the appeal dropped in 1817.
81
PARTING SHOTS Thadd White on the Tar River in Rocky Mount
T
given us their all generation after generation.
This edition also contains an excellent
We’ve been there as have our
For me, I have been walking in the doors
story from a first-time contributor as Lewis
parents before us. And, sometimes, even our
of Powell & Stokes in Windsor since I was
Hoggard explains the mission and work of
grandparents.
a child. It is still a place that is warm and
Roanoke River Partners. The organization
inviting and where they welcome you with a
and its director, Carol Shields, have done an
smile and warm greeting.
excellent job of growing RRP and making it
hey are places we all know.
They are businesses who have survived generations in our neighborhoods. Places where people receive genuine customer
Each of you probably has similar
benefit the entire Roanoke River region.
memories, whether it involves your parents
You also can learn recipes handed down
That’s why we chose multi-generation
buying a car from Bulluck in Rocky Mount,
through generations from Sylvia Hughes in
businesses for our theme for this edition. We
getting a tire changed at Potter’s Oil & Tire or
the latest edition of Grandma’s Kitchen.
service. Where they are known by name.
wanted to celebrate the families who have
We wanted to celebrate the families who have given us their all
generation after generation. 82
getting a prescription filled at McDowell’s or Womble’s.
We’ll be back in November with our next edition which will feature stories on men and
You also may remember taking the
women of faith. We look forward to sharing
hand of your grandfather as you walked the
those stories with you, and introducing our
hardwood floors of Gibbs Store in Englehard
readers to people from across our 12-county
or bought a bicycle at Boyd’s or a new piece
region and their faith.
of furniture at Robersonville Furniture Company. What we often don’t know is the story behind the business. The pages of this
We are already working on themes for next year’s six edition so we welcome any ideas you may have. Just drop me an email at twhite@ncweeklies.com.
magazine are filled with those stories – from
Until then, remember… all who wander
the people who are part of the history for
are not lost. Continue joining us as we wander
generations.
through Beaufort, Bertie, Edgecombe, Gates,
In addition, there are multi-generation
Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Martin, Nash,
businesses who have taken care of us. They
Northampton,
include places like Hunter’s Funeral Home in
counties.
Ahoskie or the Spruill family farm in Tyrrell County.
Tyrrell
and
Washington
Thadd White is Editor of Eastern North Carolina Living and the Bertie Ledger-Advance.
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84
