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"
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22899
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People in Greenville enjoyed various Christmas social activities eating oysters and turkey for dinner and blasting firecrackers. Other activities included dances, parties, and competitions. The Daily Reflector printed the December 24, 1894 news on pink paper to enhance the holiday spirit.
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Record #:
22900
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Originating from the local tradition of community sings, this festival promoted local folk and country traditions to help raise funds for local groups. One of the largest in the event's history took place on March 19, 1908. Sponsored by Ola Forbes at the Greenville Opera House, this event featured many local talents and several prominent folk songs. Not associated with the fiddlers' convention was another event that reflected Pitt County's folk heritage. On June 5, 1954, Greenville hosted at Wright Auditorium the Annual Statewide Folk Festival, which highlighted folk artists from throughout the State along with Pitt County's folk artists.
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Record #:
22901
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Located near Belvoir along the Tar River, Bensboro was once the ancestral home of the Atkinson family of Pitt County. In the late 1700s and early 1800s, Benjamin Atkinson made it a thriving commercial center with his store and consistent transporting business. When he died on February 2, 1816 at 63 years of age, his businesses were divided and sold. However, the 1,500 acres of plantation were not sold. Ben Ashley Atkinson inherited the land and tried to use the plantation as the cocoonery for a Greenville Silk Company. Peyton Ashley Atkinson took over Bensboro on October 1, 1839 after his father Ben Ashley died. Peyton married the very prominent Susan Virginia Streeter of Greene County on July 27, 1843. This marriage caused Peyton Atkinson to run two plantations in two different counties: Bensboro in Pitt County and Streeter in Greene County. By this time, Bensboro was apparently a beautiful place with its lush trees and rich furnishings. After Peyton died on February 2, 1863, Benjamin Streeter Atkinson took over the plantations. He was elected to serve in the state legislature. However, debts and economic recessions caused Bensboro to become disarrayed. Bensboro burned in 1895 and Susan Streeter Atkinson died on December 4, 1895. Thus, Bensboro finally was lost forever.
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Record #:
22902
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This group of local stories tells of a rat drinking whiskey till he dies and of a still found three blocks from the Court House. In the 1940s, Bob Rankin owned a pet terrier, called “Rufus the Terror” who patrolled Fifth Street killing rats and howling to music. In 1945, a black couple named their son Tojo Hitler Mills to be unique. But the county pressured them to change the name to Odell Mills. A hilarious story is told of the mayhem caused by a hog that fell off the back of a truck north of the bridge. Another funny story is told of a panther that was causing alarm in the Winterville community in 1887. One night 24 hunters went out to find and kill it and after scared shooting into the dark woods, it was discovered that it was only an owl making the frightening noise.
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Record #:
22903
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In November 1760, John Simpson presented a bill to form another county from the upper region of Beaufort County to the legislature. It passed January 1, 1761, forming Pitt County. Colonel John Hardee's homed served as Pitt County's first courthouse and records office in 1761 to 1774, and also served as the local parish house for the Church of England. After the construction of a permanent courthouse, Hardee's land and historic house changed owners several times. In 1924, James E. W. Cook encouraged the county to restore the first historic courthouse; later destroyed in 1926. In 1930, a marker, erected on Highway 33 East across from the entrance to the Brook Valley Country Club, commemorates the site of the courthouse.
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Record #:
22904
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In the 1800s, bridges were the major lifelines to other parts of the county. Quicker than ferries or swimming, bridges served to link different communities separated by the Tar River. By 1830, Greenville finally got a bridge to span the Tar. The bridge was wooden and could not last very long with all the horse traffic. In the 1880s alone, the bridges were known to receive many repairs. By 1900, these bridges were in poor condition, as the included photograph illustrates. However, with the increased production of steel, Pitt County gained several steel bridges. In 1907, a steel drawbridge was constructed on Pitt Street. In 1928, a new bridge was erected at Greene Street.
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Record #:
22905
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This collection of stories tells of the original Tom Thumb’s visit to Greenville in 1845 and of Johnny Morris, Jr., the famous Philip Morris midget and ambassador, who visited Greenville in 1948. An official seal for the City of Greenville was designed by K. A. Conway and Mrs. R. B. Starling. It was made official in 1957. There is a funny story about a woman parking in a no parking zone and leaving a note for the cop. The cop left her a ticket and a funny note. A history is given of Cornwallis’ horse and how it died in Pitt County after 1823. In 1952, Mayor W. L. Whedbee, proclaimed Greenville Clean-Up Day and 60 businessmen swept Evans Street from the Court House to Five Points. In 1952, W. L. Mayo of Pitt County was named national Father of the Year for raising 14 kids and financing their college education out of a farmer’s income.
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Record #:
22906
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n 1727, the Williamses were the first family to settle in the region near present-day Falkland. In 1779, George Faulkner operated a tavern there, which might be how the town got its name; however, no one is sure. In 1902, the town had a population of 139 people. Some of the more prominent people in the town were Frank Dupree and F.L. Fountain. The area has supported several noteworthy businesses.
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Record #:
22907
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Harper Donelson Sheppard, born 1868, was the son of William Henry Haywood Sheppard and Elizabeth Anne Neal Turnage. Sheppard, orphaned at a young age, helped his uncle oversee three plantations. Harper Sheppard married Henrietta Dawson Ayres in 1896 and later, became a wealthy man after the successful establishment of his shoe company. In 1929, Sheppard's nephew asked him to contribute to Greenville's library building fund. Sheppard contributed $50,000 under three conditions: (1) the town had to provide the site; (2) two of the three building committee members had to be his two nephews, Dr. R. L. Carr and Haywood Dail; and (3) future support had to come from Greenville citizens. With the conditions met, Harper Sheppard increased the total donation to $60,000 and the library opened in 1930.
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Record #:
22908
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The crossroads once described as "16 miles from everywhere" is Bethel. Later known as Brandon, this village which grew around a church which was formed by 1774. On April 28, 1858, the town finally received a post office with Bethel as the official name for the town. The town was incorporated on December 18, 1873. In 1883, the population of Bethel stood at 200. Professor Z. D. McWhorter opened his Bethel Academy to educate the local male population. Although this little town had a small population, the businesses and social life in the town thrived during the late nineteenth century.
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Record #:
22909
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This collection of unusual local stories reveals that the first color movie in the county, "Wanderer of the Wasteland," was viewed at White's Theater in downtown Greenville in 1925. A short history is given of the trees on Fifth Street planted 1935/36 by Simon B. Tucker and a funny story of name changes of the Greenville streets. In addition, Mrs. Laura (Dudley) Griffin, a confederate widow lived in Ayden in 1955. Other widows included Mrs. Lanie A. Baldwin, Mrs. Willie P. Gardner, Mrs. Bettie J. Moore and Mrs. Lucy Worthington.
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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 #:
22912
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In this group of local stories, Benjamin Streeter Sheppard, a pilot from Farmville, NC and Raleigh, NC, flew the first airmail out of NC from Raleigh. A number of female firsts in Pitt County included Mrs. Lula (Tucker) Bowen was the first Greenville Public Library librarian, who worked from 1903 to 1913 without compensation. In 1947, Bessie Tucker of Winterville was the first woman in Pitt County to be called for jury duty. In 1949, Mrs. Abe Wooten of Farmville was the first woman to be drawn to serve on the Pitt County grand jury. Several unusual weddings are described and in 1942, a goat ate a tobacconist’s car. In WWII, Proctor Hotel towels were seen on an island in the Pacific. Gov. T. J. Jarvis saved an oak tree which helped to determine where the buildings on ECU's campus were placed.
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Record #:
22913
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A collection of Pitt County Civil War stories about various topics is documented. In this collection there is a humorous story of Confederate soldiers waiting for Greenville to be invaded by Union troops, upon hearing noises coming, prepared to fight, only to find it was only a drove of cattle. In 1909, Don L. Carson, found a gun in a tree while hunting. It was believed to be the gun of Thomas Crisp, a Unionist who was captured there. In 1862, J. H. Barnhill grew a cantaloupe that weighed 40 pounds. The story of the Old Brick Store in Greenville is given, being a base for Confederate Officers. The Civil War tale of Miss Rutha Dennis, sister of Skilton Dennis, who walked to a Virginia Hospital to tend to the wounds of her brother. And lastly, the funny tale of a boat of 400 Yankee prisoners which stopped at Taft’s Landing. The prisoners were allowed to bathe and they stirred up tar that covered the bottom of the river.
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Record #:
22914
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A collection of different stories told around the county. In this group there are stories of opossums wandering downtown Greenville causing mayhem and an old safe dug up in 1947 causing excitement. Several World War II ships and planes were named after some famous Pitt Countians, one being a Boeing flying fortress named “Miss Greenville, N.C.” In 1928, E. G. Flanagan and Matt R. Long of Greenville were named Kentucky Colonels by the Governor of Kentucky. And lastly, there is a funny story of trail-blazer of a man going into a Greenville beauty parlor in 1927 and having his hair done.
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