CN r4 ra Ny) S u\y OD Cb CN FA * eee ans GATES COUNTY TO 1860 * By Isaac S. HARRELL INTRODUCTION In the northeastern part of North Carolina, bordering Virginia and about thirty miles as the crows fly from Norfolk, is situated the county of Gates. On the west lies the county of Hertford and the boundary to the south is marked by the his- toric counties of Chowan and Perquimans. On the east the county is cut off from civilization by the dense Dismal Swamp, which is as rich in fine timbers and wild beasts as the old town of Edenton, in Chowan County, is.in tradition and legend. The county thus situated has an area of 356 square miles and in 1910 the Federal Census reported a population of 10,455; with the exception of a few of the more thrifty and enterpris- ing counties of the State, Gates is about the average in size and population and a little behind in industry.? The county is dotted over with small swamps and pocosons leading either into the great Dismal Swamp on the east or into Bennett’s Creek and thence into the Chowan River to the south. Along these swamps, pocosons and creeks lie some of the rich farming lands characteristic of eastern Carolina; the people have no difficulty in producing a large crop if the season is suitable, but too much rain means disaster. Between the low, marshy lands scattered here and there over the county are sand ridges, and on these ridges it is extremely difficult to make a good crop; if there is too much rain the crop will drown, and a short drought will parch vegetation. The money crops of the county are cotton and peanuts ; occasionally some thrifty farmer succeeds in marketing an early crop of Irish potatoes, Corn and other grains are raised for home consumption only. The low fertile lands bordering the swamps are covered with reeds that remain green throughout the year and apparently offer a good opportunity for stock raising; but in summer the flies and mosquitoes make grazing impracticable and in winter a large area of the land is flooded with water. However many of the farmers raise a few hogs for the nearby meat packers * The following topics are discussed: Early Descriptions, The Negro, Churches, Education, Politics, Economic Conditions. a a =e = SS cme ae as — ES St ‘y et TS _ a ee ee - 58 HisrortcaL Papers of Suffolk and Norfolk; but even these have to be kept in a pasture by the farmers who live near the great swamps, in or- der to protect them from beasts that frequently make raids from their homes in the swamp to nearby ranges. There are no large landowners in the county ; all belong to the small farmer class. ‘The products of the county are not as great as they are in some of the other counties of similar area. In 1910 the farms with their live stock were valued at $1,330,000 and the products not fed to live stock were valued at $528,348. There are no manufacturing establishments and no cities. There is only one navigable stream in the county, Ben- nett’s Creek, and this leads through a circuitous route to the Chowan River and the Albemarle Sound. Thus in industrial pursuits Gates falls into the class of the unimportant counties of the state. The county of Gates was established by the General As- sembly in 1788.2 The names Gates was chosen in honor of General Gates, who had just triumphed in his famous cam- paign over General Burgoyne in New York. The law of in- corporation reads in part: “Whereas by reason of the width of the Chowan River and the difficulty of passing over the same, especially in boisterious weather, it is extremely incon- venient for the inhabitants of the north-east end of the said river, to attend courts and other public business, as also for the convenience of the inhabitants of the north of Chowan and Perquimans Counties, it is necessary that the same be divided into a distinct and separate county.” After the county was created by the General Assembly, it was laid off into townships. That part which was formerly in Perquimans went to make up Mintonsville Township. This township was in the eastern part of the county, and was bor- dered by the Dismal Swamp. In the northern part of the county, just above Mintonsville and bordering the Virginia line, the township known in the early days as Folley and later as Holley Grove, was formed. West of the Folley Township and bordering the Virginia line was Hasletts. Adjoining this township and to the west was Reynoldson Township, or the Brick House as it is designated in the early returns because of the place where the elections were held. This township Gates County To 1860 59 was joined on the west by Hertford County. To the south of Reynoldson the township known as Hall was laid off. East of this township and south of Hasletts and Folley Townships was Gatesville. The townships of Gatesville, Reynoldson, Hall and Hasletts were formed from Hertford and Chowan counties and in politics always stood exactly opposed to the township of Mintonsville, formed from that part of the county taken from Perquimans. Holley Grove or the Folley Town- ship was formed from parts of Perquimans and part of Chow- an and was about evenly divided in local political strife as will be explained later. In the earliest returns that can be obtained (those of 1842) there are returns from Hunter’s Mill but in many of the returns that follow there is no mention of this township and whether it was united with other townships for several years and later re-established or whether the returns are lost, cannot be ascertained. ‘This township is situated in the middle of the county between Gatesville and Mintonsville and south of Folley Township. The situation of these town- ships and their political status were important influences in the development of the county. The history of Gates County“is not attractive because of any illustrious achievements within its border; there were no great leaders in state or national politics in the early days who hailed from Gates. It was an inert county from the very be- ginning; there were no agitations for reform; everyone was Satisfied with things as they were. Hence the value of Gates County history is that it illustrates life in North Carolina under average conditions uninfluenced by the stress of progress or extreme poverty. EARLY DESCRIPTIONS In order to understand clearly the social and economic con- ditions in Gates County, it will be necessary to trace briefly the development of the territory from which the county was formed. The best authority for conditions in the country Prior to its formation is notes that are to be gathered from the records of travellers visiting the Albemarle section. The territory included in Gates County was first settled about 1660. ‘Tradition has it that the first settlethent was 60 Historrcat Papers made near Corapeake (then Oropeake, an Indian name) about two miles from the Virginia line and in what is now Holley Grove Township. The first record we have of a visit to this section, is that of George Fox, the great Quaker preacher, who visited the country about 1672. He came by way of Summer- ton, Virginia, and proceeded to what is now Gatesville, the county seat of Gates, and reports to have seen only one house during the trip of twelve miles. He describes the country as being very barren, especially on the sand ridges, and the many swamps and marshes made his travel slow. He reports only one house at Bonner’s Creek (now Bennett’s), the present site of Gatesville. Here he spent the night and made the best he could of the pioneer accommodations and on the next day proceeded down the creek to the Chowan River and thence to Edenton, then the most important place in the Province of Carolina. The tradition has it that the first settlement was at Corapeake, one mile from the Dismal Swamp, and Fox en- tered the colony ten miles to the west. Probably there were houses in the western part of what is now Gates that he did not see.® It is evident that settlers came in rapidly after 1705, for in 1711 a visitor reports that a Mr. Mashburn was conducting a school at Sarum and that he had children under him who could read and write. From all indications this school was for the Indians and was supported by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, a society in England organized to establish churches in America. ‘This same place is called Indian Town in 1719 when an Episcopal Chapel, the first in the region, was established there.* When William Byrd surveyed the dividing line between North Carolina and Virginia in 1730, he was in territory that later became Gates County for more than a month, and from his reports one is led to believe that there were a good many inhabitants at that time; he writes that the priest accompanying the expedition married a few people and baptized many chil- dren. The impression one gets from reading Byrd’s History of the Dividing Line is that these early people of the section were very primitive, and for the most part very idle. He re- cords that they had adopted the Indians custom of letting the Gates County To 1860 61 women do all the work in the fields while the men sat around and smoked. The people lived in log huts and showed no signs of being discontented with their lot. Their only ambition was not to live in Virginia; to live in North Carolina meant less, and often, no tax.® By 1758 the country was taking forward steps ; in that year the first post route in North Carolina was established, running from Suffolk, Virginia, to Edenton, and on to Wilmington. This route passed through Gates and gave the people the oppor- tunity to come in touch with the civilized world. In all proba- bility this route went through Summerton, Sarum, and by Pipkin’s Store.* It is true the route through Corpeake and Sunbury was nearer and there was a road running that way, as the accounts of travellers show, but Summerton was quite a trading place and there must have been several houses at Sarum. Also there was a stage coach some twenty years later from Suffolk to Wilmington by way of Sarum, and in all prob- ability the coach line would follow the route of the mail line.® No definite conclusions can be reached through a study of the notes made by those who travelled the country in these early days. Some describe it as barren and destitute, covered with sand hills and swamps; other reports are more favorable. J. F. D. Smythe makes the following entry: “We remained in Edenton only a few days and then persued our journey northward, through a country covered with sand and pines, a country dead flat, infested with swamps, and the land every- where miserably poor and barren. On the second day after we left Edenton, in North Carolina, we came to a town called Suffolk, in Virginia, having travelled around on the edge of the Great Dismal Swamp the principal part of the journey.” Smythe made his tour in 1783.7 Some travellers coming before Smythe when the country was in all probability not so well developed, give a different ac- count. About 1760 the young George Washington, who was rising into prominence by virtue of his surveys for the great Fairfax estate, came to the country. His mission was to in- vestigate the possibility of constructing internal waterways * Until a few years ago there stood in Gates County, at Pipkin’s, an old tavern called “Pipkin’s Inn’ and according to tradition this adds one more to those “infinitesimal” number of places where General Lafayette was entertained. , i } | eo 62 Historica Paprrs as to open up the section. This was a business scheme and his observation can be reckoned as based on intense study. He has the following to say of the country that is now Gates County and its probability of betterment: “The Main Swamp of Oro- peake is about one-half onward from this, where stands the widow Norflets, Mi & Luke Sumner’s Plantations. This swamp cannot be less than 200 yards across, but does not nevertheless discharge as much water as Cypress Swamp. At the mouth of this swamp is a very large meadow of 2 or 3000 acres, held by Sumner, Widow Norflet, Marmaduke Norflet, Powel and others, and valuable ground it is.’’8 In 1777 Ekannah Watson passed over the same road trav- elled by Smythe and Washington and he writes: ‘“Proceed- ing: from Suffolk to Edenton, North Carolina, we passed over a spacious and level road through a pine forest, which, being in this district extended quite across in North Carolina. We travelled near the north border of the Great Dismal Swamp, which at this time was infested by concealed loyalist and runaway slaves, who could not be approached with safety. They often attack travellers and had recently killed a Mr. Williams. We entered North Carolina late in the day, availing ourselves of the hospitality so characteristic of southern man- ners, and threw ourselves upon the kindness of Mr. Granby,* a wealthy farmer and merchant.’ Five years later Watson again came to the same section and this time he found Gates County organized. He has the fol- lowing to say, which throws a good deal of light on the exist- ing conditions of the time in all of the mediocre communities of the State and of the South: “At Suffolk I had no alterna- tive but to embark in a returning coal-cart, with one miserable horse and a black boy as driver. I embarked this mode of con- veyance in order to reach the house of Mr. Granby, a wealthy planter of Gates County where I had been hospitably enter- tained in ’77._ I was compelled to travel two hours, in intense darkness, in this Tybun-like style, amid a storm of rain; and I * This Mr. Granby was one of the most wealthy men in the county and lived about where Sunbury is now located. As was frequently the custom, the place was called after the leading man in the community and thus a place grew up called Granby and can be Teand on the map by that name. Later it came to be called Sunsbury and then Sunbury. There is an old bridge near Sunbury that retains the name of Granby. Gates County To 1860 63 arrived dripping wet and bespotted with mud.” The writer goes on to say that Granby did not recognize him as his visitor of ’77 and wished to turn him out in the rain, but almost by force the traveller went into the house where he found a dancing party. Once in the light Granby recognized the traveller as his visitor of five years back and made profuse apologies.!! Thus from the records of these three men who visited the region that later became Gates county and who passed over the same route, we get an entirely different impression of condi- tions. It is very evident that the period that had elapsed since Byrd was in the community was one marked by progress. The country was opened, progress was on foot, things went forward by leaps and bounds; in fact all evidence leads to the belief that the period from 1740-1780 was the period in which the country that later became Gates County made great prog- ress. By 1790 the people of the county compared favorably with those that lived in wealthy counties of the state. It was during this period that the log hut was abandoned and a more comfortable structure erected; slavery was introduced; lands were opened up; roads were laid out; churches established— in short it was during this period that the county took on all of those things that go to make up southern culture of the eigh- teenth century. There were a number of substantial people who were recognized throughout the section, men had begun to build up considerable fortunes, and from all evidence they were intensely interested in local and national issues. The first Federal Census taken in 1790 shows that the county had a population at that time of 5,372. Of this number 73 were free negroes, 2,219 were slaves and 3,080 were free whites. There were listed 348 families in the county who had slaves and 282 who did not hold slaves. None of the slave-holders were exceedingly wealthy, most own- ed a few slaves, none a very large number. The outlook for progress was very bright; there was room for active com- petition, there was no apparent danger of a few men domi- nating the whole county. The distribution of slaves was as follows: i Secs Sashes: = ange: = : — " = 64 Hisrorican Papers Families who owned from 1 to 5 slaveS...........seeeeeeeevevees 205 Families who owned from 5 to 10 slaves............-.sseeseeeees 69 Families who owned: froin -10°t0: 20. slaves... 0. 05 dane oe enntawets 53 Families who owned from 20 to 30 slaves..........sseeeveeeeeees 14 Families who owned from 30 to 40 slaves.......0..c.cee eee eeeee 7 Apparently there was no family in the county which held over 40 slaves and the seven owners who held over thirty slaves were: Name Residence Number of Slaves METAS: FARM open 5 og 6 e248 eee Wiggins. XRoads: <6. ia. In 1859 the Board of Edu- cation in the county, through its chairman, S. W. Worrell, re- ported that there were twelve schools in the county and twelve teachers; only two teachers were women. There were 308 boys out of a possible 835 attending school and 258 girls out of a possible 744. The length of the school term for the year was seven months, the highest in the state with the exception of Halifax County, which also had seven months. During the year there was $2,679.85 in the hands of the chairman.*® The records of the Literary Fund show that from 1841 to 1860 the annual appropriation for education in the county ranged from $556.00 to $1,790.00 contributed by the state, and one-half as much contributed by the county.%* The next and the last educational move in the county before the war was the establishment of the Reynoldson Academy. The charter for this academy was granted in 1850 to the Baptist churches of the Chowan Association. This association had established a school for girls at Murfreesboro in 1848; many men from Gates had been instrumental in aiding the school for girls and now demanded that the school for boys be located in Gates. The object of the proposed academy was to prepare the boys of the community for entrance to Wake Forest Col- lege. In 1853 John W. Willey, Dr. W. H. Lee, J. D. Good- man, Edward Howell, R. L. Land, and E. B. D. Howell were appointed to select a suitable place and supervise the construc- tion of the academy. The summit of the rising ground in front of Piney Grove Baptist Church, Reynoldson or Brick House Township, Gates County, was selected. ‘The name Reynoldson was given the school to express the love and esteem held for a Baptist minister whose work in the Associa- tion had been praiseworthy. “Soon a large, commodious and handsome building was 76 Histroricat Papers erected, nicely finished, and furnished with more than the usual academic outfit. A small, but choice selection of chemical and philosophical apparatus was secured at a cost of $600. A large, convenient and comfortable hotel was built and furnish- ed for the accommodation of the teachers and pupils. It was not long before a store was opened and a post office.” Rey- noldson was one of the best schools in the entire section and its boarding attendance was encouraging. Some of the students came from Virginia, many from adjoining counties. The place selected had many good qualities; it was quiet, not half dozen houses within a mile, “a cool spring of water and a Baptist church within sight of the location.” The school was opened in 1855 under the auspices of James K. Delke, a graduate of the University of North Carolina. Charles Rawls, of Nansemond County, Virginia, was assistant. The next year George Morgan of Gates County, was added to the force of teachers. ‘The school was a success and many wanted to turn it into a college. A committee was appointed to investigate the matter but it advised against such action. From the wording of their report there must have been con- siderable feeling over the matter throughout the Association. In 1857 the Principal had trouble with the boarding depart- ment. Investigation was made of the condition of the school and a debt of $2,500 was reported. As a remedy the board de- cided to change the teaching force and Boushall, of Camden County, and Ellis, of Wilmington, N. C., were elected joint principals. Together they ran the school successfully until 1861 when Ellis left and James Taylor, of Gates County, a graduate of Wake Forest, became associated with Boushall. Soon it was closed for both teachers and pupils were called to take their places at the front. The record of the school was good, the situation was desirable. In 1856 the legislature passed an act forbidding liquor being sold within two miles of the school grounds ;*8 the attendance was large and there are many men in the county today who received their education at the Reynoldson Military Institute.®® From the study of available sources the conclusion must necessarily be drawn that in the early days of the county the people contributed little time and less money to the education Gates County To 1860 77 of their children. If the child received a fair education before 1820, he must leave the county; and if he was educated in one of the academies established during the period that followed, he must pay tuition. Some of the children attended schools out of the county, such as the son of Widow Baker, already referred to, but the great majority before 1820, from all evi- dence, never had the advantage of even a common school edu- cation. The period of the academies, 1820-1840, did not better the condition very much, for most of the teachers were brought from other states and the tuition had to be made so high to pay them that only the children of the more wealthy could afford to attend. However with the establishment of schools by the Lit- erary Fund the county took a new interest in education. Free schools were established throughout the county and all who wished to could attend a seven months school without paying any tuition. Then there were the academies that the children of the more wealthy could attend. This system of education was brought to an end by the Civil War; for several decades the people grew up in ignorance partly because they were lazy and partly because they could do no better. It took Aycock to re-awaken the people to their duty to child and state. THE CHURCHES During the colonial period the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel was interested in establishing churches in Am- erica. This society was active in the Albemarle section and with the aid of the vestry in Edenton it succeeded in estab- ing churches in several of the eastern counties. ‘The first of these churches to be established in Gates County was at Indian Town (Sarum) which was directed, in 17 19, to be built at a cost not to exceed $150.49 This church was active, as were the other chapels of the Church of England, until about fifteen years before the Revolutionary War. In 1720 Mr. Paul Phil- lips was lay reader at the chapel; in 1723 Rev. Thomas New- man was paid for holding twenty services a year. In 1724 Mr. Thomas Rountree was reader at the place near Mr. Abraham Hill’s, the location of which is not known. In 1732 Mr. John Chanpion was paid £15 for shingling the chapel near Indian 78 Historica Papers Town and in 1738 he repaired the church again and the vestry met there.*1 The next year it was ordered by the vestry that two chapels be built, each thirty-five feet long, twenty-two. and one-half feet wide and a pitch of eleven feet; one was to be erected at James Costen’s (near Sunbury), and one at James Bradley’s (location unknown). The one ordered to be built at Sunbury was erected, and the people used it under the auspices of the established church until a few years before the Revolution. The Hunters, Costens, and Gordons, were the leading families in this church. The other chapel that was ordered to be built was probably never constructed, for no trace of a chapel near James Bradley’s can be found. However this chapel may have been the one erected the next year by a man named Parker and known as the Knotty Pine Chapel. ‘This chapel was erect- ed at a cost of forty-two pounds and ten shillings and was located six miles from Gatesville. On the contrary we find that in 1744 Mr. Henry Baker gave one acre of land and the timber to build a chapel on the Knotty Pine Swamp and he was given the privilege to build a pew in any part of the church he pleased.42 These churches may have been the same, or per- haps there were two chapels near Gatesville. Besides these records we find that there were several other chapels in the county before the Revolutionary War. In 1744 it was ordered that the old chapel near Sandy Pine* be sold and a new one built at Tottering Bridge and that Thomas Hunter and Richard Bond attend to the matter. The old chapel was sold for $95. Again there was a chapel in the county known as Farlee’s Chapel; this chapel was doubtless somewhere near Sunbury (possibly at the Folley) for we find that Mr. Abraham Norfleet, who lived at Sunbury, was lay reader at the chapel in 1754.48 These churches no doubt were well supported by the people as is shown by the rapid increase in number and by the con- stant repairing and enlargement. In 1757 Mr. Elisha Hunter was appointed to repair and tar the three chapels, Constance’s (at Sunbury), Farlee’s and Knotty Pine, and cause glass win- * This was probably Sandy Cross for we find that there was a chapel here and Joseph Reddick was one of the leaders. Gatrs County To 1860 79 dows and sashes to be fixed in each. The church wardens were ordered to provide for the three chapels three quart- tankards, three pewter pint cups or cans, three table cloths and three napkins. Thus it is certain that these churches had good attention and the men who served them were of a high type. Mr. Gordon, who came over from England as a mis- sionary, was especially commended for his clean life. The same rector that served the people in Edenton generally preach- ed at Farlee’s, Constance’s and Knotty Pine. “In 1747 Rev. Clement Hall was ordered to preach at Constance’s Chapel from Lady Day to Michaelmas and on ye Saturday at ye house of Mr. James Farlee.”44 Again in 1754 Rev. Mr. Hall, the first man in North Carolina to write a book, officiated twenty- one Sundays at Farlee’s, Sarum (Indian Town), and Con- stance’s, and the remainder of the time at Edenton. These records all go to show that the religious condition of the country where Gates County is now situated was good before the Revolution. The church wardens that had charge of the church were not only officers of the church but they were pri- marily civil officers. These churches were attended by the most wealthy men in the section. Josiah Granberry, Timothy Walton, Richard Bond, Jethro Benton, Luke Sumner, and Elisha Hunter were all leaders in the church at Sunbury.** It is certain that some of the men named above were most ac- tive in the movement for independence. The Sumner named above was of the same family as General Jethro Sumner, the Revolutionary hero; and Luke Sumner was himself a mem- ber of the Committee of Safety of the Edenton district. For over thirty years after 1775 there is no record of a church in the proper sense existing in the county. There were societies, it is true, and there were some few persons who met for religious purposes but there was no church with a building and a preacher until the establishment of the Middle Swamp Baptist Church in 1806. The absence of churches immediately after the Revolutionary War does not necessarily indicate a lack of interest in spiritual things. It is true that religious en- thusiasm did not run as high during this period as it did for several years after the great revivals that took place from 1800 to 1830; however there was some interest as is shown by 80 HistroricaL Papers the continual visits of such men as Asbury and Burkett. The aid that the English societies had given to the Established Church was withdrawn and it threw the religious steering gear out of place. The people were at a loss as to how to pro- ceed; the entire church policy had always been shaped by the royal government. Doubtless the people accepted religion more as a social policy than as a means to salvation. However peo- ple were not enough interested in religious questions to erect churches and ask for ministers. ‘Those who attended services at all went to the churches on the border of the Virginia-Caro- lina line. ‘There was a church at Summerton, a church at Cy- press, and probably other churches for those who were disposed to attend. No doubt these churches along the line hindered religious progress in the county. Those who were wealthy and able to erect churches went to these border churches and were somewhat slow in aiding churches in their immediate vicinity. When churches were finally established in the county, it is a notable fact that they were almost invariably erected where the old established churches of the pre-Revolutionary period had stood, and in several instances the old buildings were used. THE BAPTISTS The first church to be established in the county after the Revolution was the Middle Swamp Baptist Church. This church was one of the eighteen churches that went to make up the Chowan Association which was formed in 1806. Most of the churches that constituted the new association had been members of the Kehukee Association. These churches with- drew from the old association when the general division of the Baptist Church over the question of paid clergy and educa- tion came up. There is no record of Middle Swamp ever being a member of the Kehukee Association and in all proba- bility it was formed about the same time these other churches withdrew and formed the Chowan Association. ‘This first church cast its lot as favoring education by the church and in favor of paying its clergy. The other churches of the county that were organized at later dates were influenced by this church and they, too, went with the Missionary Baptists.*5 Gates County To 1860 81 In 1776 the Western Branch Baptist Church was consti- tuted in Nansemond County, Virginia, and five years later the Ballard Bridge Church in Chowan County, North Caro- lina, was organized. These two churches were close together for churches in those days and they were often served by the same minister. In going from one of the churches to the other the road lay through Gates County and by the place where the present Middle Swamp Baptist Church stands. The ministers in going from one church to another, especially Lemuel Burkett, often spent the night and held prayer-meet- ings in the neighborhood of the present church. ‘These prayer- meetings were held in the homes of James Pruden, Micajah Riddick, Mrs. Granberry, Lewis Walters, and Abram Morgan, and it was out of these little meetings that the first Baptist Church in the county sprang.*® The first building was a log house built across the road from the present church. It was from all descriptions an un- imposing structure with mud between the logs to keep the wind away. Soon this became inadequate to accommodate the grow- ing congregation and a frame building was erected on the same side of the road on which the present building stands. Later this was torn away and another larger and more imposing building was erected, mainly through the activity of Mr. Willie Riddick. In 1874 a fourth structure, and a few years ago the Present and fifth building, were erected. Such has been the growth of this church founded by those old preachers of an- Other century. It is said that one of the new churches was to have a stove, something novel, as the old custom had been to have no fire in the church. Many of the old people objected to this worldly feature. They did not think a church was the Proper place for a stove and for a time it brought on a feeling that threatened to destroy the brotherly sentiment in the Church. It was only by wise leadership and cautious move- ments that the congregation was kept together.” All of these early churches had negro as well as white Members. After the Civil War the Middle Swamp Colored Baptist Church was organized and the colored members went to that church. There were no more Baptist churches in the county until 6 | | i i 82 HistoricaL Paprrs the organization of Piney Grove Church at Reynoldson in 1827. Why a church was located at this place, it is hard to determine. There is no record of any Baptist families being especially active in this locality and it does not offer a very imposing place for a church. However the church seemed to thrive and was always in good standing. This church was founded by John Harrell, an elder in the Middle Swamp Church, with the assistance of Elders Delke, Daniels, and Rice. ‘Then there was Cool Springs (below Gatesville) and Sandy Cross churches organized in 1828. The church at Sandy Cross was strong in its membership in the early days. It was located in the midst of a Democratic strong- hold and Joseph Riddick and Whit Stallings were both mem- bers of the church. The services were first conducted in the old Episcopal chapel located in the community and later a new church was erected. Elder Q. H. Trotman, a native of Per- quimans County and a member of the board of trustees of Wake Forest College, was the most influential man in the church for many years. He was very popular and it is told that the section offered to give him strong support if he would run for Congress, but he declined on account of his ministerial duties. He was pastor of this church for twenty-eight years.*® What Natheniel Pruden was to Middle Swamp and John Harrell to Piney Grove, Shadrach W. Worrell was to the Gatesville Church. He moved to Gatesville about 1837 and was chiefly instrumental in organizing a Baptist Church and building a house of worship in that place. The church was constituted in 1854 and admitted into the Chowan Association in 1855. While in Gatesville, Worrell also served as pastor of Cool Springs and Middle Swamp churches. After the war he went to Baltimore where he was unsuccessful as a commis- sion merchant, editor and broker. The last days of his life were spent in poverty.*® In addition to these five churches there was a congregation at Watery Swamp, admitted into the Chowan Baptist Associa- tion in 1851. ‘This church, from all evidences did not prosper, for we find that it made no report to the Association after 1857 and was consequently dropped. These Baptist churches have been instruments for good Gates County To 1860 83 in the county. Always aggressive, they have contributed much to the Baptist Association. They have sent out fully fif- teen ministers and many of the members have been patrons of Wake Forest College. Through their efforts at Reynoldson they gave the people the best school in the county and made it possible for many of the present citizens to secure an edu- cation. THE METHODISTS The first record of a Methodist sermon being preached in Gates County is recorded in Asbury’s Journal, Saturday, De- cember 17, 1785. Asbury records that he preached at Brother Reddick’s in Gates County, North Carolina. Evidently As- bury had been in the county before, for he speaks familiarly of the people. He also records having preached at Cypress Chapel several times before this record of his preaching at Brother Reddick’s.” It was at Cypress Chapel that he met for the first time James O’Kelly who later withdrew from the Methodist and formed the Christian Church. Asbury was in the county again in 1787 and preached at Knotty Pine, an old Episcopal chapel built near Sarum during the colonial period. He preached here Sunday, February 11, 1787, and reports that he had a large congregation and an Open time.” Although this is the first account in the journal of his being at Knotty Pine it is probable that he had been there before, for he speaks of there being “quite a little revival.”®° It will be needless to give an account of all the visits of Asbury to the county. His first visit was in 1785 and the last One is recorded in 1810. During this time he came to the county no less than thirteen times to preach. Doubtless he sae other visits that are not recorded in his journal, which ree rather sparing in the later years of his ministerial work. ‘ € preaching was done in the old Episcopal chapels or in the Ouse of some friend. He visited the home of one Mr. Baker, ing lived below Gatesville, on nearly all of his trips. This ies Baker was probably the son of Lawrence Baker, a wealthy B Rte of the colonial period. Asbury indicates that the er er’s were people of some means, for he once notes that Pr had just built a new house and again he arrived just as eir son, Marmaduke, who was to have “gone this day to 84 HisrorrcaL Papers finish his education at Princeton,” died. This man is also re- ferred to once as Colonel Baker. During the first visits Asbury made it a point to preach at Knotty Pine but after 1801 he preached at Gates Court House instead. Baker lived near Kotty Pine but even after Asbury stopped his ministry there he never failed to visit the Bakers on his trips through the county. When he went to Gatesville (or Gates Court House as it was then called), he often stopped at Daniel Southall’s and sometimes preached at his house; sometimes he preached at the Court House that stood on the lot in front of the present court house. On Thursday, March 10, 1803, he ordained B. Harrall to the deacon’s office. “He is a man of good repute, without slaves.” Asbury visited Sunbury at least twice and preached in Constance’s Chapel or the house of Isaac Hunter, his journal does not make it definite which. Monday, March 11, 1799, he says: “We rode to Constant’s chapel, on one of the branches of Bennett’s Creek. I was made very comfortable in in soul and body at Isaac Hunter’s; and had a happy meeting with the poor Africans at night.” Asbury’s efforts must not have been of much avail at Sunbury for two years later he says: “We went forward to Isaac Hunter’s, twelve miles. Alas for this place! Five souls of the white—some poor Af- ricans are seeking the Lord.” Asbury was the man who planted Methodism in Gates County. He came and labored among the people; he was in the county at least thirteen times and probably more, during his labors. ‘The conditions were not always encouraging to him; sometimes he says the people are wicked and would not listen to him and declares he will never come to them again. At other times he finds that they give him a warm welcome and come out in great numbers to hear him preach. The first Methodist Church in the county was erected in 1812 and we have no record of Asbury being in the county after 1810. However he may have preached in this church for he was cer- tainly in Norfolk and Suffolk several times after 1812.* * Asbury’s Journals contain the following references to being in the county: Jan. 1, 1783, (Vol. 1, p. 455); OP arta December 17, 1785, preached at “Brother Riddick’s” (Vol. I, P- ee — Gates County To 1860 85 During these visits of Asbury no churches were built and no regular organization was perfected. However Methodism was being established. At the various places where the Bishop preached societies were organized and services were held. There is no specific reference to any of these organizations in Asbury’s Journal, but reliable tradition says that as early as 1800 there was a society in the neighborhood of what is now Parker’s Church, and that the society met at the home of Thomas Parker. ‘T'radition also has it that Asbury preached at this home. Again we find that Mrs. Baker, who lived near Knotty Pine and of whom Asbury spoke so often dur- ing his visits to the county, wrote to Asbury concerning the condition of the Society in her neighborhood. It is from such societies as these that Methodist churches in Gates County sprang. In all of the early records of the churches we find that the first members were listed as be- coming Methodist long before the churches were established in the community. On the roll of Kittrell’s Church, Milly Williams’s name heads the list and the year 1781 is given as the time when she became a Methodist, and the church was not organized until 1827. Sarah Harrell’s name heads the list at Gatesville and the date of her becoming a Methodist is stated as 1801. These people no doubt were received into the Societies organized by Asbury; when these societies became sufficiently strong, churches were built and a definite organi- zation was made.5! The first Methodist church in the county was Savage’s. This church dates back to 1811. ‘The deed for the church Property is dated November 21, 1812, and is made by John a ee ea a re aa Sunday, February 11, 1787, preached at Knotty Pine (Vol. I, p. 6); Monday, February 28, 1788, preached at Knotty Pine (Vol. IL, p. 25); Tuesday, January 11,'1791, “Brother Baker's” (Vol. I, p. 105); Friday, January 27, 1792, records being in Gates County (Vol. II, p. 14); h Friday and Saturday, December 2 and 3, records being in Gates and at the Ouse of Colonel Baker (Vol. II, p. 323); ‘ h Friday to Monday, March 8-11, in Gates and at Knotty Pine, Gates Court- Ouse and Constant’s Chapel (Vol. II, p. 407); Wednesday, March 18, 1801, at Gates Court-house (Vol. III, p. 15); Friday, March 20, 1801, at Isaac Hunter’s (Vol. III, p. 15); Thursday, April 2, 1801, Knotty Pine (Vol. III, p. 18); Thursday, March 10, 1803, Gates Court-house (Vol. III, p. 106); Friday, March 9, 1804, at Gates Court-house (Vol. III, p._ 148); Tuesday, February 4, 1806, Knotty. Pine (Vol. III, p.. 215); Thursday, February 6, 1806, Gates Court-house (Vol. TH, p. 215); 329) 7iays January 19, 1810, Knotty Pine and Gates Court-house (Vol. ITI, p. Monday, January 22, 1810, records being in Gates County (Vol. III, p. 329). i 86 Historica Parrrs Savage to Jonathan Williams, Jessie Savage, and John Oden, trustees.52. The old church stood about where the present structure is and the old building was repaired several times before the erection of the modern one in 1907. The society that built the first church supposedly grew out of a society organized and frequently visited by Asbury at one Deacon Hasletts, near Summerton. The next church to be organized in the county was Par- ker’s. This church grew out of a society that tradition says was organized and visited by Asbury (there is no record of it in his journals) at Wiggins X Roads. Later the society met at the home of Thomas Parker about one mile from the loca- tion of the present Parker’s Church. Nothing definite is known of this society but it is evident that it was organized as early as 1800. In 1813 this same Thomas Parker gave the land on which the church was built. This church has had four buildings.* The church at Sunbury (Philadelphia) and the one at Gatesville grew out of the old chapels that had been erected in the colonial days, just as the Baptist church at Sandy Cross grew out of an old chapel. When Asbury visited the county, he preached at these chapels. It was natural for the people to come to the same place to worship that they had come to as little children forty years back. We find that Isaac Hunter’s name heads the list of Philadelphia. It is also noteworthy that one Isaac Hunter was very prominent in the old Constant’s Chapel under the colonial rule. When at Constant’s, in 1801, Asbury preached to the negroes and from the remarks in his journal he had more hope for these black souls than he did for the white people of the community.5* During his visit in Gatesville in 1803, Asbury ordained one R. Harrell as a deacon and doubtless this man played a prominent part in the develop- ment of Methodism in that section of the county. The first church at Sunbury was erected sometime after 1815; the date of the appointment of trustees is thus dated but no record of a building or a deed can be obtained. The Gatesville church was built about 1828. Jesse Brown, Reuben Harrell and * This is secured from local tradition and cannot be relied upon altogether. However with the aid of the church records beginning some years later and an occasional deed the facts are to be relied upon as stated fairly accurately. Gates Country To 1860 87 Thomas Wright Hayes were its founders. Of these churches, as of the others, little is known. Of the remaining four Methodist churches organized be- fore 1860, still less is known. Kittrells was organized in 1827 through the offorts of George Kittrell, a local preacher. There was a quarrel in Savage Church and the dissent- ing element withdrew and formed Kittrells, two miles away. It was at this church that Henry Willey, the most prominent Whig of the county, held his membership. Allied with him were the Crosses, Williams, Parkers, and Kittrells.54 It is evident from the names on the roll of those who went to make up this membership that the church was strong, not so much in number as in personnel. The people in this community were building a new church when the war came on and it was decided best to put off construction until after the cessation of hostilities. Then there is Zion’s church which was built in 1820. The church grew out of protracted services that were held under an arbor not far from the location of the present church. ‘The deed for the church property was made October 6, 1819, by Samuel Brown and his wife, Sarah Brown, to Tim- othy Walton, Jonathan Lassiter, Samuel Brown, John B. Walton, John Walton, Richard Bond and John Davis, trus- tees.55 Fletcher’s Chapel and Harrell’s church were both organ- ized before 1860. The date of Fletcher’s is 1849 and the man most instrumental in its construction was Asa Hofler ; nothing more is known of its early history.5* As to Harrell’s nothing is known. It is probable one of the oldest churches in the county, for Asbury was in close touch with the people in this section during his visits in the county. Gates was first reported in the conference minutes in 1821. By this time the churches in the county were certainly as many as four and perhaps five. They were considered worthy of recognition and were placed on a charge with Edenton. The next year the circuit was reported with Edenton again and so on until 1825 when it was placed with Murfreesboro. In 1826 Gates became a separate circuit. The reports. at this time show that there were 484 white members and 74 black. Dur- ing these early days the county was in the Norfolk District and 88 Historica Parrrs Gates was given a preacher every year except 1830-1, when the county is united with Bertie. In 1828 there were 661 white members and 88 colored. In 1832 there were 703 whites and 200 colored but the next year the colored members fell off to 90. In 1835 there were 790 whites and 100 colored members; in 1839, 758 whites and 95 colored. During these early days Isaac Soule, James Morrison, Irvin Atkinson, Vernon Esk- ridge, T. Jones, George W. Nolley, A. Norman, James P. Oliver and Isaac M. Arnold all served the people as preachers. However, much of the preaching before the ’forties was done by the local preachers and often the conference makes men- tion of these local ministers. In fact there are several in- stances where the conference appointments make special men- tion of local preachers who are to assist the regular preachers in the work in Gates.57 As has already been said these early churches, like the Baptist churches of the same period, had negro as well as white members. There was a gallery built in the rear of the church where the negroes were placed. They would come up and commune after the white people had partaken. The presence of the negro in the churches in the county may be traced to Asbury with a reasonable degree of certainty; while in the county, he preached to them and seemed to delight in having them progress in the faith.* When the white people had their great camp meetings that lasted for two or three weeks, and there were at least two camp grounds in the county, one near Gatesville and one near Sunbury, the negroes would come, too, and have their meetings. An old negro preacher and slave, Jerry Harrell, was often a leader of the negroes of the Meth- odist faith when they came to the camp ground meeting.®8 In 1841 Philadelphia Church, Sunbury, had forty-one members of the negro race on its roll. After the war many of these ne- groes left the white churches and formed a negro church, but some of them stayed with their white friends even to their death.5® Joe Hunter, an old colored preacher, did not leave the church at Sunbury after the war but continued to attend and hold his place in the gallery. Every time the whites would ee a ear a aR Ee 2S OT ES ee Ee CEM oF OMEN TH * See account at Constant’s Chapel in Vol. III, page 15, of Asbury’s Journals. Gates County To 1860 89 commune, he would be*¢here and wait until they all were through and then come down to be served. Another thing that is very noticeable in going through the old church records is the frequency with which members were dismissed for misconduct. Every time a page is turned you will see some name scratched through and the word “dis- missed” written beside it. If we may be guided by the custom in vogue after the war, each of the eight Methodist churches in the county had preach- ing once each month. This meant that the preacher had to preach twice every Sunday. Sometimes services would be held on a week day, for there were more than eight churches in the Gates Circuit. It must be remembered that Gates was in the Virginia Conference and the church at Summerton and probably other churches in Virginia were connected with the Gates Circuit.%° THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH One would expect to find the Christian Church, strong in the county, for it was in this section that James O’Kelly began his work. O’Kelly was presiding elder of the district in which Gates County is located when he made his break with Method- ism. At Cypress Chapel, Virginia, not far from the Gates boundary line, the Christian church had its beginning.* How- ever, there was only one Christian church in the county prior to the Civil War. This church was the one at Sunbury. The date of its organization is not known but it was sometime about 1830. The story is told that the church was an offspring of Philadelphia, the Methodist church in the community. The separation was due not so much to a matter of doctrine as to a Spirit of personal revenge. It is said that two men, brothers, had a dispute over a ladder. They were both members of the Philadeplphia church and the little quarrel found its way into church affairs. ‘The result was the organization of a new church, Damascus. Several families in the community divided, Some going to the new and some staying with the old church. Nothing can be learned of the early history of this church. George Costen was the man of the early days who really con- tributed most to its growth.®? 90 Historica Papers From this survey of the churches we find that there were thirteen churches in the county before 1860. There were four Baptist churches with a total seating capacity of eighteen hun- dred, and property valued at $2,200. There were eight Meth- odist churches with a seating capacity of thirty-three hundred and fifty, and property valued at $4,100. ‘There was one Chris- tian Church with accommodation for four hundred and prop- erty valued at $400. All of the old chapels of the Established Church of the colonial period had sunk into oblivion.** POLITICS The geographical conditions in Gates County did much to- wards shaping political issues. ‘The county was isolated and interest in state and national politics never ran as high as it did in some of the neighboring counties. When issues did arise, they were dominated mostly by exotic influences. As a whole the county was about evenly divided in local issues. The people in the eastern part of the county, especially in the southeast, had more difficulty in marketing their products than those in the western part. The eastern section, especially in Mintonsville Township, was more isolated than the other sections. Markets were far away and the roads were across sand ridges and swamps. Here a more democratic spirit de- veloped. Mintonsville was always the stronghold of the Demo- crats; in every election for state and national officers from 1840 to 1860 Mintonsville polled a strong, and in several in- stances, an unanimous vote for the Democratic ticket. In the other townships conditions were somewhat different. They seem to be about evenly divided and this tendency is noticed more and more as the crisis of 1860 approaches.°4 If the vote was a one-sided one, it was sure to be against the man who was being supported in Mintonsville. A few election returns taken at random from the scanty files that have been preserved at the county court house at Gatesville illustrate this well. The first returns from all the townships that can be obtained are those for governor in 1842. John M. Morehead was the candi- date on the Whig ticket, and Lewis D. Henry on the Demo- cratic. The returns by townships are as follows :*° Garrs County To 1860 91 Morehead Henry * QGaetlg SaaS EN Gs Case a 8S 35 See ORE 112 103 Ee en a ee es Peery Poeree Pree x 27 88 WEMa ee Sek vas Hating Maks aso ateae ee 50 25 Wee SIG 55 5505's iB s Cadet niin Vvese 14 32 BR hin 5 ees tin a0 Sane saa eR eS 63 53 Weiter ’s MR. AE CRANE 22 8 Mint Gail Free Suffrage Against SOE Cpa SS ec cape tpeied 123 20 BBE ee CEE Se PETITE SOV EOE 49 29 ESP Ase AIOUNO 45 o LTE cate ie ey 20 18 Pasties ia sss ee eae BA 5 54 Tees csesd Gcnaepinannas ais cama cain ee 73 51 ES | Speen aeons ew ena ener tinea aes 108 6 MOE Ts OCA I ERS 378 178 ae ee a es RD See OM a SN OEE ea eS ET EY * Joseph Riddick was the leading man in the county from the close of the Revolutionary War to his death in 1839 or 1840. He was in the Assembly from 1781 to 1811 and again in 1815 and 1817. For nine years he was the speaker of the House, was a_ member of the convention at Hillsboro that debated the Constitution of the United States. During its sessions he made himself dis- tinguished on account of his common sense. He bitterly opposed the ratification by the state of the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions and their defeat is largely due to him, He was also a member of the convention of 1835 for a new con- stitution for the state. In 1798 Governor Johnston wrote to James Iredell, “There are some men of very good understanding in both houses. " Riddick, from Gates, has more influence in the Senate; he seems generally disposed to do what is right, but will go about it in his own way.”*? He made his trips to Raleigh in a stick-gig and never missed a session. At his old home is a grape-vine that he brought from Raleigh when he was a member of the Assembly. Garrs County To 1860 97 It is seen that the county as a whole was strongly in favor of free suffrage; the democratic spirit prevailed. This vote on suffrage can no doubt be accounted for by the general con- ditions in the county. There were few schools and these were inadequte ; the people were not large property-holders, yet all wanted to vote for the man who was to represent the county in the state Senate. There was no party change, however, in the next senatorial election; the Democrats were in power be- fore the suffrage clause was voted upon. Mr. Willey was the man in the county to lead the movement against suffrage. He came from the community where there were the best schools. As will be noticed, the old Democratic stronghold, Mintons- ville, was strong for free suffrage. In February, 1861, the question of calling a convention to consider secession was submitted to the people. The county was strong for the convention (vote: 377 to 141.™) Only two townships voted against it, Hunter’s Mill and Holly Grove.* In this vote on the convention we find Mintonsville strong for the movement. The vote was 79 to 9.8! It is hard to give any definite reason for this division in the county on political issues. However, there are three ex- planations that are fairly plausible: first, when Gates County was created, that part taken from Perquimans went to make up Mintonsville Township. That taken from Hertford and Chowan went to make up Gatesville Township. Later Chowan and Hertford were Whig counties, while in Perquimans the tendency was more towards the Democrats. The townships in the north were made up partly of one county and partly of an- other. Gatesville, made up from counties that became Whig, was Whig; Mintonsville, made up from a county that became Democratic, was Democratic; and the other townships that had a mingling of each were never very solid. In colonial days there was rivalry between Perquimans and Chowan counties. ee A more plausible reason, however, for this sectionalism in the county is to attribute it to the race of a few of the leading a a i i eC *It is certain that the leading Whig in the county, Mr. Re aon wen, Senaees to secession. Mr. Willey’s opposition to the war cost bien Bee 9 "R.. Pg Senate for the next six years.” After the war he oo oo okt y — Arie was sent to the Constitutional Conventions of 1865 an . Senate several times. _— 98 HisroricAL Paprrrs men for office. We always find that the Whig leaders came from points surrounding Gatesville, while the Democratic leaders came from Mintonsville Township. In the early days of the county the feeling was probably not as strong as it was after the development of parties in 1836. Joseph Riddick, from Mintonsville Township, an anti-Federalist, represented the county in the House and Senate for 32 years. If the spirit had been as strong along party lines as it was in 1850, it is not probable that one man would have held office for this length of time. Other men held office, not for one or two years, but for a number of years. However, after 1840 no such condi- tions prevailed, there was a constant change in the personnel and in the party principles of the men elected to the various offices. John Willey, and later, his brother, Henry, came from Haslett’s Township and made politics interesting. On the other hand, Whitmel Stallings, of Mintonsville Township, was always ready to put up a good fight. Stallings was a Dem- ocrat and the leading man in his section of the county. Willey was a Whig and had an equal distinction in his section. It is very probable that it was these men who stirred up political questions and put them before the people. The people evidently did not see many newspapers, and politics, so far as the prin- ciples were concerned, appealed to them very little. Their only interest was a personal one, centering about Stallings and Wil- ley. These men formed their ideas and appealed to the people for support. It is most likely that this sectionalism in the county was due to the political feeling that these men had formed in their respective localities. The spirit, once created in the com- munity where people had nothing to do but talk politics during the winter months, did not easily die out. It took the Civil War and its hardships on all the people alike to make them see that they had’a common interest and the best way to get things done was for all to stand together. The question of internal improvements also played an im- portant part in the division of the county. The people who lived in Mintonsville Township had the democratic spirit of the pioneer. Internal improvements would not help them and they were opposed to paying taxes to help the other part of the county develop. The men who came from this section were OOO Torr emma a Gatrs County To 1860 99 always opposed to internal improvements, and it was Stallings that made such a fight with Willey, of Haslett’s Township, over this question. There were no waterways that could be opened to their advantage, and according to the true democratic spirit they were bitter opponents of spending money to develop trade routes. ECONOMIC CONDITIONS The people of Gates County were an optimistic people and when it came to financial affairs they were care-free and loose. Content with their three meals a day, they never worried over the perplexing problems that were threatening the economic de- velopment of the country. They had their slaves; every man that was of any consequence held a few, none were large slave owners. The slaves did most of the work, and then they were not worked very hard. As has already been stated no man in the county was a magnet who controlled its finances. At only one time in the county did any one man list as many as one hundred slaves. In 1860 Mills Roberts, who lived in the Mintonsville section, listed this number. The people raised only those things that were used at home. It was not profitable to raise cotton, for it would have to be hauled to Norfolk in a cart that would carry only one bale each trip, and only so much cotton as could be consumed at home was raised. The people sometimes raised a little corn to sell, however it took most of the corn produced to feed the hogs that were necessary to afford meat for the slaves. A large crop of corn, peas, potatoes and hogs usually constituted the crop of the Gates farmers.®4 Some of the people who lived on the edge of swamps se- cured a little cash by sending their slaves in the swamp to make shingles. Most of the shingles were hard to market, and this trade was followed only to a small extent. ‘Those around Holley Grove and Coropeake sent their products down the Washington Ditch to the Dismal Swamp Canal and thence to Norfolk, while those around Gatesville marketed their crops, what little was left to market, after the slaves had been pro- vided for, by sending them down Bennett’s Creek to the Chowan River. 100 Hisroricat Paprers The land around Gates was fairly productive and the prob- lem of providing for some easy way to market the crops once raised early arose. Before the Revolution the advantage of accessible markets, that could be obtained if an inward water system was opened, presented itself to the people. Washington when in this section investigating the proba- bility of internal improvements, says that a swamp runs near Farley’s plantation, this plantation being 16 miles from Suf- folk, and he indicates that a system of water-ways opening this country would be very profitable.8* The people did not forget these things and they labored for a long time to get such a system of canals; after their day the fight was taken up by their children. In 1790 the Dismal Swamp Canal was chartered, but such a move was not of benefit to the inhabi- tants of Gates. It was impossible for them to get their products in this waterway that would carry them down to Nor- folk to market. The next step was to get some kind of canal to the county that would make the Dismal Swamp Canal of benefit to the people of Gates. The leaders in the county saw the advantage that such an outlet would afford and they began to work for it. The first attempt to get a canal in the county came in 1829, when an act was passed by the General Assembly of North Carolina, entitled “an act to incorporate the Lake Drummond and Orapeake Canal Company.” This act pro- vided that the canal since it would be a great benefit to the entire section, should be constructed and those furnishing the capital, since they would run some risk, be allowed to charge one-half the toll charged by the Dismal Swamp Canal Com- pany. The capital was to be $50,000 and the books for sub- scribers to stock were to be opened in Norfolk, Deep Creek and in Gates County on the first of April, 1830. In case one- third of the capital was subscribed by the second Monday in the following July the work of securing subscribers: may continue until one-half the stock was subscribed and then the construc- tion could begin. Tillery W. Carr, John C. Gordon, and John D. Baker were designated as the ones to receive subscriptions in Gates County. ‘There was to be a president and three di- rectors elected every three years who were to manage the i ere: rn stain ee a Garres County To 1860 101 canal. ‘The canal was te run from Lake Drummond to the south side of the Orapeake Swamp and was to be sixteen feet wide and five feet deep. ‘The work must begin within two years and be completed in ten years. The canal company was chartered for forty years.8® As to what steps were taken to get stock subscribed and as to the willingness of the people to back the project, it is hard to determine. It is evident that there were a few of the larger planters who had plantations situated near the proposed canal who were anxious to see the project materialize; but it is equally true that there were some in the county who fought the plan. The act chartering the canal was passed while W. W. Cooper represented the county in the senate and W. W. Stedman and Risup Rawles were the members representing the county in the lower house.8* At least two of these men, Cooper and Rawles, were from near Gatesville, and from all account they took no special interest in the project one way or another. The people in one section of the county wanted the canal, and it did not matter materially to the people in the other sections. ‘They had a roundabout way out of the county by the Chowan River and such a canal would not effect their interest. However the next year there was a change in the lower house and a man come in who was always an ardent Democrat and therefore always opposed to anything that looked like internal improvements. Whitmel Stallings, of Mintonsville Township, made his début in the political history of the county. Associated with him was John Willey, another Democrat and the brother of Henry Willey who later became the leader of the Whigs of Gates County. The question of the canal took on a political aspect and was made a party issue for several elections in the county. Stallings and the Democrats in Min- tonsville Township fought the canal because they were Demo- crats and as such were opposed to internal improvements ; and again if the canal was constructed it would still leave their section without any available markets. If the lands in Hol- ley Grove Township were opened, it would make the land in Mintonsville have a comparatively smaller value.** The first check to the canal was made when the session “ Fen wrscimEe ss 7H SEROMA SS ae er Te OTA a ial donc arate atl wlio SHE TS 102 Histortcat Parrrs of 1830-31 met. During this session an act was passed by the General Assembly of North Carolina, entitled, “an act to amend an act, passed at the last session of the General Assem- . bly of this state, entitled an act to incorporate the Lake Drum- mond and Orapeake Canal Company.” This act provided that the said company should be compelled to extend their canal from the Orapeake Swamp to the Bennett’s Creek or the act would be null and void.8* This was probably a frame-up of the member from Mintonsville and the members from around Gatesville. The company would in all probability not care to cut a canal over this high hand, and if they did, the people in Gatesville would also be benefited. The charter was extended to seventy instead of forty years. The next session of the General Assembly passed another act that virtually nullified all that the act passed in 1830 had accomplished. The former charter was to be amended; the canal must go to Bennett’s Creek; and was to be increased $50,000, making a total of $100,000; the right to construct a canal from Orapeake Swamp to Bennett’s Creek, in order to be retained, must be begun in two and finished in ten years after the completion of the Orapeake Canal.89 It is hard to say exactly what all of these laws meant, only one thing is certain and that is that Whitmel Stallings was at this time fighting the canal with all of his power. However, the people were determined to have a canal and they were equally strong in their opposition to Stallings. It is noticeable that at this time Holley Grove Township is inclined to go Whig. Even as late as 1850, Mr. Willey, the Whig candidate for the State Senate, polled 48 votes to Stallings’ 25.9 From all probability little was done to construct the canal. The reasons cannot be obtained. The matter must have been dropped for the time being, but we find another act passed by the General Assembly in its session of 1844-5. “An act to revive and continue in force an act passed at General Assembly of 1831-32, etc.” ‘This provided that the work on the canal must be finished in ten years or the charter forfeited. In all probability new men had taken hold of the affair for we find that this act names Jesse Wiggins, Samuel R. Harrell, J. R. Lassater, Andrew Voight, Isaac S. Har- Gates County To 1860 103 rell, Dr. John Gatling“and Burrell Brother to open the books in Gates County. As soon as $25,000 of the capital is subscribed the stockholders are to meet and elect officers and proceed with plans.®!_ The plans of these men like the plans of those planters of 1829-30 seems to have fallen by the wayside. The capital was not raised and everything must have been dropped for we hear nothing more of the canal. However in the early fifties a few men of the neighborhood got together and decided to cut a large ditch that would put them in touch with Norfolk.