Articles in regional publications that pertain to a wide range of North Carolina-related topics.
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for "Greenville Times / Pitt's Past"
Record #:
22841
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There is no question that television changed the nature of life in America. In Pitt County, the same can be said. The drive that changed lives began in 1949. Two years later, in May 1951, Channel 9 (WNCT) was granted affiliation by the Federal Communications Commission to become Pitt County's first television station. A construction permit was granted in December 1953 and they built a tower. However, due to FCC rules and population problems, the first television broadcast did not take place until December 22, 1953 at 5:00 p.m. In October 1953, it was reported there were 3,437 TV sets in Pitt County and a total of 24,000 TV sets in eastern North Carolina.
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Record #:
22972
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The small community of “Whitehurst Station” or "Grindool" had a very rich social and educational history. The village of Grindool was developed by Samuel Clayton Whitehurst (1861-1932) after the railroad brought its line through the community in 1890. In 1892, Grindool consisted of Samuel C. Whitehurst’s store and post office, the depot, James I. Barnhill’s sawmill and B. T. L. Barnhill and B. M. W. James’ cotton gin. In 1893, Prof. C. H. James erected his “James Improved School” in Grindool. In 1910 the depot closed and the post office became known as “Whitehurst.”
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Record #:
22910
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The town grew around John Cannon Cox and his cotton planter factory. This plant in 1887 became known as A.G. Cox Manufacturing Company. On May 20, 1891, a post office was established with the name of "Winterville." The town received its name from a similar town in Georgia. After receiving the post office, the town was incorporated on March 3, 1897. The town charter states that the town should remain dry until 2500 AD. In 1901, Winterville High School was established. Unfortunately, all the economic and population booms throughout Winterville's past could not prevent the high school from closing in 1971.
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Record #:
22887
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Ten miles east of Greenville, there once stood a large house and vital center of a community called Yankee Hall. The area was known also as Pactolus Landing and Perkin's Wharf. This house was owned and operated by the local businessman and store proprietor, Samuel Ralston (1778-1829) an Irishman. After his death, the house and land became the town landing for Pactolus, which was located a mile north. Following Ralston's death, the Perkins family inherited the house. The house was shelled by gunboats in the Civil War. Later, Henry Dixon, inherited it, watched it burn down in April 1890. Today Yankee Hall is a recreation area for boating, picnics, and fishing.
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Record #:
23375
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Because there were Catholic congregations in Washington, NC by 1824 and in New Bern before then, Catholic missionaries probably visited Pitt County during this time. The first reference to Catholics in Greenville is from March 1, 1828. Rev. J. F. O’Neill, a Catholic priest, preached in Greenville at the Greenville Academy on March 21, 1829, and held mass in Thomas Hanrahan’s house the following day. Rev. Richard S. Baker preached in Greenville and held mass in May 1831. Several other Catholic priests visited Greenville. St. Peter’s parish was organized in Greenville in 1884 in the old Episcopal Church. The congregation consisted of about 45 families in 1917. In 1927, the new St. Peter’s Catholic Church was built. The congregation outgrew the building in 1954, and then held services in the St. Raphael’s Parochial School until the completion of a new church in 1991.
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Record #:
22967
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It was after the great Greenville fire of 1879 that many saw the need for a fire alarm. In 1884, Col. Isaac A. Sugg formed the “Greenville Hook and Ladder Fire Company.” This group was made up of volunteer black men headed up by Sam O. Mason. The town bell was used as a fire alarm. In 1896, another volunteer fire company known as the “Hope Fire Company” was formed. In 1897 a fire bell was erected on the Court House square. In 1899, Fire Chief A. J. Griffin, obtained a 700 pound steel train rim as a fire gong and erected it over the fire station on Fourth Street. The fire gong was moved to the new fire station on Fifth Street in 1909 and was replaced in 1913 with a steam whistle. Before WWII the whistle on the electric power plant by the river was used as the fire alarm and in 1943 a fire siren was placed on top of City Hall.
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Record #:
30357
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Once called New Town, Farmville is more a conglomeration of several communities than one large town. Farmville grew out of Marlboro, Maysville, Grimmersburg, and Moye's Crossroads. Marlboro, once called Joynerville, was known for its marl beds. A post office operated sporadically from 1853 to 1891. Maysville was the home and settlement of Major Benjamin May and his descendants from the early 1700s until the 1860s. Grimmersburg was named for W.L. Grimmer. Moye's Crossroads was home to Alfred Moye and his descendants. The first building (1840) in Farmville was "a pig-raising spinster's" (Sallie Williams) log cabin. James Williams May (picture available) owned much of the land in Farmville. From 1867 to 1869, it grew into commercial importance. The Farmville community was incorporated as New Town in February 1872. As early as 1848, John H. Hines named the community Farmville. The post office for Farmville operated from July 27, 1848 until January 10, 1851. Open sporadically after 1868, it was finally reestablished and has been in operation since November 2, 1871. (Pictures are available for Josiah Barrett, James Williams May, Thomas E. Hill [22 years of age], and Rev. Peter Edmund Hines).
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Record #:
22939
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In 1916, Drs. Charles O'Hagan Laughinghouse, Karl B. Pace, and M. T. Edgerton attempted to establish a hospital by advocating a bond issue for funds and the effort failed. In 1923, Drs. Laughinghouse, Pace, E. T. Dickerson, and W. I. Wooten mortgaged their property and borrowed money raising enough to build a forty-two room private hospital. The hospital opened on April 24, 1924, on Johnston Street in College View, with two full-time doctors. A nursing school operated there from 1923 until 1932. After the need arose for a facility for African Americans, the hospital officials renovated the basement, serving 12 to 15 patients and added a children's wing during 1933 and 1934. The hospital closed in 1951 after serving 42,216 patients.
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Record #:
23383
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Charles Green built the Greene-Skinner House during 1845 - 1850. After Greene's death in 1861, David H. Dill rented the house. Robert Greene became sole owner in 1863, and later sold it to Dill's wife, Harriet L. Dill. The house was a hospital during the Civil War. When the Dills died, the house went to Harriet Dill's sister, Ann Delaney, and then to David Dill's heirs. The Dill brothers sold the property to Frank W. Brown, who mortgaged the property back to the Dills. They sold the property to Joseph G. Moye in 1898, and the Moye family sold the property in 1917 to Dr. Louis C. Skinner. Skinner and Dr. Joseph Smith opened a clinic and emergency hospital in the house. The clinic remained in the house until Dr. Smith moved it in 1946. The Skinner heirs sold the house in 1968 to the Eastern Realty Company.
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Record #:
23705
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Greenville needed a fire department for many years before 1884, when their leader, Captain S. O. Mason, organized the first company, the Rough and Ready Fire Company. This group of men consisted of forty black volunteers carrying their own buckets. In 1896, the Hope Fire Company was founded. The Greenville Fire Company followed this company in 1902. A united fire company did not occur until A. J. Griffin took over the Hope Fire Company in 1902. After this time, the Hope Fire Company and the Greenville Fire Company united. A. J. Griffin was the first of many fire chiefs of a united fire company in Greenville. There have been various fire alarms over the years.
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Record #:
22838
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Built in 1849 to educate the local male population, Greenville Male Academy had a interesting history. William H. Ragsdale was the principal of this school twice, reflecting his love for education. During the Civil War, the building was used as a hospital. The student body, attendance, and teachers made it a very important institution for Greenville in the nineteenth century. Unfortunately, it was closed and disposed of in 1903.
Greenville Male Academy, built in 1849 to educate boys, had an interesting history such as its use as a hospital during the Civil War. William H. Ragsdale was principle of the school twice. In 1903, the Academy was closed and demolished.
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Record #:
23029
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It has been a long held belief that the New Bern Masonic Lodge was the first one in North Carolina in 1771, but Thomas Cooper chartered the first Masonic lodge in Pitt County at Crown Point in 1766. Crown Point Lodge was located upstairs the home of Col. Shadrach Allen. President George Washington on his Southern Tour, stayed the night at Col. Shadrach Allen’ home In 1791. In 1901, James Hanrahan, a grandson of Col. Shadrach Allen, recalled what his grandmother called the “Mason’s Room,” from which children and servants were kept away by the stories of “butting goats, coffins and other hobgoblins.” The second known lodge, Sharon Lodge was established before 1822. The Greenville Lodge #284 formed in 1868. The Woodson Lodge Number #16, Knights of Pythias, was founded in 1874. In 1888, Greenville had five lodges. Many lodges emerged in Pitt County after 1900.
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Record #:
23398
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The earliest reference to a \"Town Constable,\" \"Magistrate of Police,\" or \"Town Marshall\" in Greenville is from May 1832. Names are not available until after the Civil War. S. Humphrey from 1869 is the first name of a Town Constable in Greenville. Names of Town Constables, Chiefs of Police, and assistant policemen are available from 1881. There were two policemen on the force in 1905, and six policemen on the force in 1919. In 1911, Police Chief George A. Clark made his rounds on a bicycle, and two officers made their rounds on motorcycles in 1924. The Greenville Police Department established a fingerprinting department in 1925 considered best in the State.
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Record #:
22796
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Started in 1948 by fire-chief George Gardner, he started a public campaign to raise donations from individuals and area businesses for $4,500 worth of equipment. With this money he purchased a 1948 panel truck, iron lung, a hospital type oxygen tent and small tools. The rescue Squad was operated by the Fire Department and by donations only. As the calls grew, in 1955 the Junior Jaycees and Fire Department sponsored the formation of a Volunteer Rescue Squad composed of four firemen and 10 volunteers. In 1959, a Rescue Squad annex was dedicated beside the central Fire Station and was showered with gifts of equipment by area businesses. The Greenville Rescue Squad was recognized as the best in the State and was one of the best on the eastern seaboard.
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Record #:
30288
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Started in 1948 by fire-chief George Gardner, he started a public campaign to raise donations from individuals and area businesses for $4,500 worth of equipment. With this money he purchased a 1948 panel truck, iron lung, a hospital type oxygen tent and small tools. The rescue Squad was operated by the Fire Department and by donations only. As the calls grew, in 1955 the Junior Jaycees and Fire Department sponsored the formation of a Volunteer Rescue Squad composed of four firemen and 10 volunteers. In 1959, a Rescue Squad annex was dedicated beside the central Fire Station and was showered with gifts of equipment by area businesses. The Greenville Rescue Squad was recognized as the best in the State and was one of the best on the eastern seaboard.
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