Newspapers / The Chowan Herald (Edenton, … / Aug. 18, 1938, edition 1 / Page 41
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i Mother Town of ] North Carolina f Capital of the Albemarle . '■-» * Volume VT~ Old Bay Rolls On Despite Progress COUNTLESS SHffS PLYM6 SOUND WATERS DEVELOPED LARGEST PORT M SOUTHEAST < Railroads, Bridges and Good Highways Grad ually Rob Beautiful •.. Body of Water of Its Usefulness By RICHARD D. DIXON This is the story of a bay and an old town beside it. You could not have a story of the bay without a story of the old town, neither could you get a complete narrative of the old town without likewise getting a full history of the bay. They have for so long been so interwoven in each other’s lives that they sort of go together, the one with the other. Os course the bay is countless eons older than the town and up to about 1685 no white man’s eyes had ever beheld it—it was up to that time dominated by the Indians and teemed with fish and all kinds of water-fowl, as the Indian could not begin to make any inroads into the wild life, so few was he compared with our white population of these times. But about the above date some explorers from the Sir Walter Raleigh colony at Roanoke Island pushed their small yawls far up the Sound and finally slipped into the bay. They beheld the creeks on either side of the bay’s north side and here they thought would be an ideal location for a town, protected as it was on three sides. But nothing came of their imagina tion for the Roanoke colonies were fated to be defeated and many, many years passed before a white man again came to our bay. It was about 1668, when the Virginia adventurers felt cramped for room around James town and a small expedition deter mined to push South and see what lay at the mouth of the river that flowed away from that state and in to an unknown land. So in rafts and other crude means of transporta tion down the Chowan they floated and reaching its mouth were easily borne by the wind into this same old bay that the Roanoke explorers had formerly found so alluring and peace- ful-lookm?. Here, on the North shore of the bay and between the two creeks, ex tending like outstretched, protecting arms, was founded the old town. Gradually land was cut out of for ests, cabins grew into abodes of some size and respectability, but over all hung the dread, peril, ever pres ent, of the hostile Indians. A barri cade fence was erected across the Northern side of the community, reaching from creek to creek, and guarded by rude block-houses, was set up behind these the inhabitants withdrew whenever the warwhoop re sounded through the dense woods. At the- shore of the bay two brick forts were erected into which the .settlers would retire when the outer works were rushed by the Indians and as a last resort there remained the bay, upon which they could spread their canvas and man their oars, if needs be, to escape from the savages. But as time went on and the bay brought many other ships with set tlers into the town, the Indians be came more peaceful and finally with drew many miles into the forests and were not heard from again, leaving the bay and the small struggling village to work out their joint fates alone. And then came the most flourish ing period in the life of the old town and hundreds of ships were ' borne in on the. waters of the bay, and the place grew into the largest port in the southeast and, as com merce and trade expanded, a verit able tide of gold flowed into the pock ets of the shippers who sent out Vessels over the seven sea 3 and tin old town became famed far and near as the metropolis of the Carolinas and to this day we can see the cost :ly mansions of the great importers exporters of that time, built hear the bay and all having a cupola or observatory, to which the rich master would ascend to watch out across the waters of the bay for that brigantine loaded with sugar, maybe, from Martinique, or with rum from Jamaica, which would soon be turned into thousands of pounds of profit All along Water Sheet In the oU ■ ' jr THE CHOWAN HERALD A HOME NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF CHOWAN COUNTY {Methodist Preacher j e » & % m I I imi A f REV. GEORGE W. BLOUNT Appointed for threa years as L pastor of the Edenton Methodist Church, Mr. Blount has enjoyed j considerable progress in every branch of church work. 1 bowsprits reaching heavenward clear i across the street. But» alas, ail things sooner or 1 later come to an end and so it was ■ with the shipping that the old bay ' brought into the old town. ’ Charleston, South Carolina, and Norfolk, Virginia, nearer and with ! better outlets to the sea, the closing of the Carolina inlets and the build -1 ing of . larger vessels requiring more draught than the old bay could fur ’ nish, all conspired to sound the death [ knell of the old town and the shipping center and with the advent of steam ’ her foreign commerce suffered a death blow and she passed out of the | picture as a port of entry and be ' came merely a stopping-place for J small schooners and river steamers. But the old bay continued to pro- the old town with as much trade 'll" ■■ Edenton Is Blessed With Beautiful Churches Bg M sm/Km § S S 'MI £| jaMßls■■ H 1b M* '"'Mm . iliS _ B j|||| j|ff fl »Ui IMaMBk mmß&z. If?* ffT7 " flHBi 9 Jar- si mT' ■ ' ||BBhe' • ' mm- *m WmmM&' " v ' MVft. JM|p§i mil % l BB Bf * Ff ilfll p' ! ;®j *&, Top-left—St Anne's Catholic Church. Center—Old St Paul’s Episco pal Church, outgrowth of the first church in North Carolina Started in 1786 and known as “Westminister Abbey.” In its adjoining churchyard sleep several Royal Governors and dozens of the founders of the Common wealth. Right top—The Methodist Church. Lower left—lhe Presbyterian Church, and the Baptist Church. i,- Edenton, North Carolina ► as was left and for many years the river steamers brought thousands of tons of products from the farms in the counties of Tyrrell, Washington, Bertie and Halifax for transhipment by rail to the Northern markets. But, alas, the old bay soon lost even this freight for the railroad people constructed a long bridge over the sound and a large part of the water transportation abrouptly ended. Then came the day of the auto mobile and the old faithful bay again became useful to the old town by making it possible for a ferry to use its waters in the quick transportation of cars and trucks to the other shore, and for many years there was again a scene of great activity over the bay as several fast boats made fsequent trips across. But, alas again, the end to this, as the other activities, came in time. For now a" great vehicular bridge is about to be opened to the public, toll free, to the other side and soon the merry whistle of the ferryboat will be dead, never to be heard again. And so it seems, after countless (Please Turn to Page Four) St. Paul’s Rector ——C — B REV. C. A. ASHBY Following the long ministry of beloved Dr. R. B. Drane, Mr. Ashby immediately endeared him self not only to members of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, but all people with whom he came in contact. Climate And Soil Os Albemarle Ideal For Many Tps Plants Early Albemarle Set tlers Found Great Va riety of Semi-tropical Birds and Plants Boys who like to fish could grow their fishing poles in Chowan County, for Japanese bamboo thrives in this region, though few realize it. Chowan should be a beautiful place in which to live, for the climate and soil are suitable to trees and shrubs of many kinds. With but little attention Indian cedar, Chinese elm, Italian cypress, Colorado blue spruce, California red wood, long leaf Southern pine, Aus tralian palms, Scotch heather, Japan ese red maple, pampas grass and the heavenly bamboo of Japan, will all grow readily. The Norway spruce will flourish beside the Lombardy poplar and the Chinese poppy. .Early settlers, it is said, found the woods of the Albemarle area full of parrakeets and other semi-tropical birds. These were driven out as fast as possible for they were very trou blesome to farmers and destroyed many crops. Logging operations dis turbed them and slight changes in the climate have evidently occurred so that they have not come back. Northern white pines will grow well here' and so will birch. The two planted together are charming, as the soft dense green of the pines sets off the slender white limbs of the birch. Chestnut trees will grow beside palms, and oaks are so common that the woods are full of squirrels, which depend on them for most of their food. Fly trap plants grow by the road side, strange plants—half animal, half vegetable, they live in the earth, grow green leaves, and produce long yellow-green flowers with which to trap the insects to satisfy their car- WHTEO LEADERSHIP GAINS RECOGNTIDN FOR SOUTHERN ALBEMARLE ASSOCIATION ® <■———— | Leads Baptist Flock | I L My* REV. E. L. WELLS Accepling a call in October, | 1910, Mr. Wells has served as pastor of the Edenton Baptist Church continuously for 28 years. • | niverous appetites. [ One of the finest streets in the ■ | South is native magnolia, which for il weeks- every year is covered with i large white flowers that are delight- j fully fragrant and so delicate that if ■ touched by a human hand they soon i wilt and die. 1 Roses of every description find the 1 soil and climate ideal and the frag ; rant honeysuckle springs up every where. English ivy adds dignity and charm to many older buildings and during the spring and summer, countless • birds come to live and sing in the green foliage. They Will Banker says that women will have all the wealth in the country by the! year 2035. Well, by that time they’ll j be welcome to ours.—Western Leader, i Progress and Prosperity Edition Single Copies—loc Four Counties Working Together In Nature of Chamber of Commerce For Section’s Welfare In an effort to bring about a closer union of the counties in the Southern Albemarle section of North Carolina, an association was formed in the summer of 1935. Called the Southern Albemarle Association, the new organization set out to improve the economic situation in the individuals conscious of the fact that their needs, and the needs of their counties were also the needs of the entire section. C. Wallace Tatem of Columbia, re presentative to the State Legisla ture for many years, and a man con scious of the great possibilities for development in this region, was made president of the Southern Albemarle Association, and has served in that capacity since the organization was formed. D. V. Meekins, of Dare County, was made Secretary, and George W. Jones, of Columbia, was made recording sec retary, and P. W. Brown, of Ply mouth, treasurer. Vice presidents were chosen from each of the fqur counties in the Southern Albemarle section. They ‘ are Hon. W. W. Watson, of Lake Landing, chairman of the board of commissioners of Hyde County; Mel vin R. Daniels, of Wanchese, register of deeds of Dare County; Judge John W. Darden, of Plymouth, representa tive of Washington Countyand C. Earl Cohoon, of Columbia, represent ing Tyrrell County. Because of the poor highway con nections between the counties in this section, the Southern Albemarle As sociation has been able to hold few meetings, but despite this and other drawbacks of the same nature, it has • established itself as a governing body j for the Southern Albemarle counties, j Functioning along the lines of the I average Chamber of Commerce i though broader in its activities, it has I tended not only to improve relations between the counties in the Southern Albemarle, but it has actually com bined them in an organized program for their development. In the past the lack of an organi zation of this kind had made difficult a union of the citizens of these coun ties, but the fact that they are linked geographically as well as economic ally and socially made it almost in evitable that an organization of this nature would be formed at some time. The fact that several men with vision realized this need, was the only reason for the formation of a South ern Albemarle Association in 1935 in stead of in 1940, or 45, or 1950. Association meetings are held at irregular intervals in different sec tions of the Southern Albemarle and as an outgrowth of them the counties in this section are finally working to i gether in gaining important local im | provements as well as publicizing | the entire Southern Albemarle. Not able speakers have attended these meetings. Governor Hoey spoke at Plymouth, and Congressman Lindsay C. Warren at Englehard. Record Hay Crop Apparent For State Farmers of North Carolina have prospects for the greatest hay crop in the State’s history, say the State Department of Agriculture July crop report has revealed. Setting an all-time record, grow ers have planted 1,028,000 acres to hay this year, a six per cent increase over last year’s crop of 967,000 acres. “The July 1 crop survey indicates a hay production of 874,000 tons, with an average yield of .85 tons per acre,” W. H. Rhodes, the department’s chief statistician said. “This production, if realized, will be greater by 50,000 tons than that harvested last year, although the yield per acre in pros pect is the same as last year’s har vest. “Last month was ideal for the growth of all grasses and grass type crops, as abundance of moisture is a most favorable factor in its develop ment,” he said. “The condition of pastures July 1, averaging 92 per cent -of normal for the State, represents an improve ment of eight per cent over pasture conditions on June 1, and was tan per cent above July conditions a year ago.” „*v. f ■
The Chowan Herald (Edenton, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Aug. 18, 1938, edition 1
41
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