Record #:

22915

Author(s):

Kammerer, Roger

Abstract:

Frequent travelers or commuters around Pitt County might have seen the two crossroads on Highway 43, Shelmerdine and Calico. These two crossroads have an interesting history. Shelmerdine began in 1901 and was named after May Shelmerdine, the sweetheart of W.A. West, who owned the local lumber mill. It became a town in 1903, with the lumber company's commissary store serving as the focal point. A 1905 report noted that the population consisted of 325 black residents and 175 white residents. Many Croatan Native Americans and African Americans also came into the town to work for the mill and lived in a small community called "Stumptown." In 1909, the mill burned, and the town began to decline. By 1950, the town had only twenty-nine people. Calico, originally called Calico Hill and noted as being a rough place, was owned primarily by George Washington Venters. His store sold more calico than any other store in the entire county. A post office existed there from 1882 until 1902.

Source:

Greenville Times / Pitt's Past (NC Microforms), Vol. Issue , Apr 15-28 1987, p10

Subject(s):

Pitt County--History--Towns