Newspapers / The Enterprise (Williamston, N.C.) / Aug. 18, 1942, edition 1 / Page 47
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Old Story Tells About Williamston In The Year 1860 Brink Of River Hill Was Center Of Town There Was No West Main Street Until - Fairly Late Years Article Written Forty Years Ago By the Late Miss Hattie Thrower While there may be a few disci ep- 4 ancies in the facts, an article writ ten, presumably by the late Miss Hattie Thrower, in 1902, offers fairly good picture of the town of Williamston in 1860. The story, found in the State library files, is reprint ed from the November 14, 1902, edi tion of The Enterprise as follows: In the year 1860 the corporate lim its of the town were stretched no further from the river hill than the street crossing Main above J. K. Carstarphen's residence. This street was then a county road. The Episco pal Rectory stood in a field the only house above the home of Elder C. B. Hassell on Main Street. The Staton residence, combining architectural design with beauty of finish, was situated on the lot now occupied by the Slade home, and marked the limits of the town in the Northwest. This whole section was a grove of magnificent oaks, pre senting a very different appearance from now. That part of the town known as "New Town" occupied the same space as at present. The most noticeable residence in this part be ing that of Duggan's built in 1849 by Mr. Friely Moore. ? The business houses were of small dimensions that of Elder C. B. Hassell, a large three-story building, was the largest and stood on the corner now occu pied by J. H. Ellison and Co. The only brick building was on the lot now occupied by N. S. Peel and Co. In this was kept a general mer chandise store by John C. Lamb who raised the first company of volun teers in the county. He was promot ed to the office of Colonel of the 17th Regiment, and gave up his life for the Confederate cause. Mr. Amelick Williams in the building now occupied by T, C. Cook and Mr. Doctrin W. Bagley in a ? store situated on his residence lot, were two of the most prominent merchants. Capt. John Lanier occu pied a Store in the corner of his yard which was removed just a 1 few years ago. W. H. Carstarphen occupied a building (since burned) situated on the present site. The merchants went to New York to purchase goods?frequently driv ing to Plymouth, and taking a steam er to Franklin, thence by rail to the North. This was considered quite a Journey. Goods were brought by sailing vessels. The vessels went North laden with shingles and naval stores. Three of the prominent of these were the "Alice Gibson" own ed by Henry P. Gobson, the "Mar tha Moore" and "Coenine" owned by Messrs. F and G. Moore. These vessels were built at the shipyard about a mile above the wharf on the Bertie shore. A trade with the West Indies was carried on by these ves sels, cargoes of salt and molasses being given in exchange for naval stores. Two steamers came up the river?daily?the "John G. Styles," Capt. Moore ,and the "Alice of Wind sor," Capt. Lafayette Thrower. The goods displayed by the mer chants were calicoes, 10 cents the yard. French calicoes, 15 cents the yard; ginghams, organdies, silk tis sues, bereges, etc. The materials were not so different from those of the present day only in quality. Mails were carried through the country?the route through here ex tended from Halifax to Plymouth. People received mail once or twice a week. The political situation was discussed as portrayed in the Ral eigh Sentinel and Richmond Exam iner. The Bar was represented by Jesse Stubbs, William Eborn, Asa Biggs and Col. Caraway. Hon. Patrick Win ston, of Windsor, and Judge Henry Gilliam, of Edenton, were the most prominent lawyers attending court at that time. The court house and jail which stood at the brink of the river hill marked the center of the town at a still earlier period. The medical fra ternity was represented by Drs. Halsey and Yates. The Episcopal and Methodist Churches were the only ones in town. A large number of the citi zens were Primitive Baptists and worshipped at Skewarkee as now. Rev. Alfred Watson, who is now Bishop of East Carolina, was Rector of the Episcopal Church. He lived at Plymouth, and frequently walk ed the entire distance. The Metho dist pastor was Rev. Mr. Chaff in. Elder C. B. Hassell was pastor at Skewarkee. Two good schoou nourished in the town. The Male Academy at the present building and the Female Academy in which is now Mrs. Alex Smith's residence. Prof. Chase, of Vermont, was principal of the Male Academy. Northern women were employed to teach as it was consid ered degrading for a Southern wo man to do any work outside of the home. Boys studied Greek and Latin and were prepared for Chapel Hill and other colleges The girls were usually sent to Salem, Greensboro St Mary's and Murfraesboro Now, almost forty years after the \ .ory was written and printed, the id land marks have again been lost i history, many here today know 1 s little about the physical features f the town in 1902 as they know bout the town as it was back in B60. In her article, Miss Thrower stat d the town limits stretched no fur ler than J. K. Carstarphen's corner, he location referred to is now Elm treet. There were two big posts landing in the middle nf the street, larking the end. Traffic to and from Iveretts moved to the left and on ut the Washington Road to Ske ?arkye and then back to what is ow the main road to Everetts, mak ig it a trip around the elbow, so to peak. The Episcopal rectory refer ed to stood where the Standard sta ion is now located on Main and laughton Streets. The rectory was loved some years ago to make room or the station. The Staton residence referred to ias located about where the J. D. Voolard home is now on Academy itreet. It is understood that the Sta on home was burned by the Yan :ees during the Civil War. but oth rs say that it was destroyed when lamp turned over and fired the luilding. The Duggan home in New 'own is the same one occupied by he Godards on Marshall Avenue. Elder Hassell's store referred to vas located on the corner of Main md Smithwick Streets, covering the ots now occupied by the Alpha 'leaners, the Willard Shoe Shop ind the Welcome Inn Cafe. The brick wilding was located where the Virginia Electric and Power Com >any now has its offices. The struct ire was brick to the second story ind finished in wood. It was burned n 1883 and another store was built here and later burned. B. B Watts hen built two stores, the first two itories being of brick. Following Mr. Tobe Watts' death, N. S. Peel bought he property and made the struct ire into two story brick stores. Amelick Williams in 1880 did bus ness about where the Courtney Furniture store is now located, and Doctrin W. Bagley operated a store ibout where the Presbyterian Church row stands on the corner of Main and Watts Streets. Diagonally across :he street Capt. John Lanier operat ed a long one-story store where the Mortons now live. The W. H. Car starphen store was on the lot corner if Main and Smithwick Streets where the Sinclair Filling Station is now. Miss Thrower did not mention it, but the old Joe Biggs building, a large two-story wooden structure built about 18)0 and which saw the town around it burn up, was located on the corner of Main and Smith wick Streets where the old Martin County Bank Building now stands. The old wooden structure was moved off the lot to make room for the brick bank building and finally went up in smoke on its new site about where the Carolina Telephone Com pany now has its offices on Smith wick Street. The Main Street today presents an entirely different picture, but that picture is married indirectly by war. Starting at Watts Street and travel ing westward on the north side, one finds the following properties: J. E. King home, the Joe Cowen boarding house, B. S. Courtney Furniture store .Wheeler Martin's law office, the town hall, Sinclair station, and across Smithwick Street, the Geo. Reynolds hotel, housing Bunch's barber shop, Harrison and Carstar phen's insurance offices and Ann's Variety Store, The Enterprise Pub lishing Company, Pittman's Clean ers, Williamston Cafe, Nat Israel's general merchandise store, Virginia Electric and Power Company, Sam Zemon's bargain place, Guaranty Bank and Trust Company, Western Auto Store, old Peoples Drug Store, Woolbrd Hardware Co., Branch Banking and Trust Company, Watts Theatre, Clark's Pharmacy, old Economy Auto Store, Western Un ion Telegraph Company, Davis Pharmacy, Central Cafe and the Tar Heel Building. The union bus termi nal adjoins the apartment building. Crossing the street at that point and walking eastward, the traveler will find today: the Central Filling Station, and across Washington Street, Eagle's dime store (the old Atlantic Hotel building), Woolard's Furniture store, the old Farmers and Merchants Bank Building, Fowden's Insurance office and H. G. Horton's law office in what was once the Den nis Simmons Lumber Company of fices, Belk-Tyler Company, Pender's Grocery, Darden's department store, Rose's dime store, Peele's Jewelers, Proctor Shop, Laundry substation and plumbing shop, Hall's barber shop, Edmondson and Ward groc ery and meat market, Margolis Bros., the old Biggs Drug store building, Welcome Inn, Willard's shoe shop and Alpha Cleaners. Across Smith wick Street are, the old bank build ing, county liquor store, Cherry's furniture store or old Peel building, two vacant office buildings, Harri son shop, post office, John Peel resi dence and the Presbyterian church. On the east side of Washington Street, going from Main, one finds Davis' outlet store, McClees groc ery, Jenkins barber shop, and just back of the shop, the Lindsley Ice Company, then two vacant shops, the pool room, another vacant store, Leggett's Soda shop, Martin Supply Company, Fanners Supply Com pany, Williamston Hardware Com ?any, and across the railroad, the Loanoke-Dixie Warehouse, Sinclair illing station, vacant store, Farmers :ooperative Exchange, Planters Varehouse and Evans Horse Ex hange, the last four businesses fac ng South Haughton rather than Vashington. Across the street from Ivans' stables is the Williamston Ma hine Works and on the corner of Vashington and Haughton Streets is mother filling station. Continuing lut Washington Street are Buck's >eer place, Paul Auto Supply store, Dixie Motors, Colored cafe. Carolina varehouse, the remainder of the itreet being lined with homes and >usiness firms, including the old ?tables that once stood where the jus station is now located, the old Hand Made Furniture shop, Jenkins garage. Standard filling station, rexaco filling station Wiliiatn?t^n peanut Company's factory and across ;he railroad the Farmville-Wood vard Lumber Co. plant. Across the street is the colored school. Travel og back toward the main business tenter, one finds on the corner ol sycamore and Washington Streets :he Red Front grocery. Dr. Early's ?ffice. Brown's grocery, colored cafe Did tin shop. Gulf filling station Farmers Warehouse. On across the railroad ahe, Moore's Grocery, autc license bureau and Chamber of Com merce office, Williamston Motor Co. Community barber shop, J. Lawrence Peel's jewelry store, Roanoke Chev rolet garage and Eastern Bond anc Mortgage Co. On the corner of Haughton anc Main Streets is a Standard filling Pays Fitting Tribute To Memory Of The Late Elder C. B. Hassell Of Williamston By CHAS. SMALLWOOD When I first began visiting WU liamston as a child, Mr. Cushing Biggs Hassell was yet among the living, though I have no direct rec ollection of him. When I went there to live, not so many years later, he had departed for the higher sphere of continuous life among all reap ers for good deeds done during their earthly short sojourn. That hiS re wards were of angelic, multitudi nous. and righteous hue, lingering earthly associates held no doubt; as evidenced, not so much bv words as by expressions oil countenance, whenever being reminded of him He was preacher, teacher, states man. author, merchant, humanitar ian. and Martin County's greatest citizen. His ministerial devotion to his God, his church, and his people was the dominant chord in his life, and which mingled a Christian spir it mongst his every-day deeds. Such a man was the father of such worthy scions as Elder Sylvester Hassell, Mr Walter Hassell, and station, and on out South Haughton Street, are a doctor's office. Marco Theatre, another filling station, the AC L. railroad station, and Martin Elliott Wholesale Co. There are sev eral other business houses scattered here and there over the town. Doctor Alonzo Hassell; and 1 may say, foster-father to my own Mr. Samuel Romulus Biggs. For in Mr. Hassell's store, and under his guid ing hand, Mr. Biggs grew from boy nood to a manhood of which, at least i myself, would be proud to be alike. And when I went to William - ston to live, and until the "big fire" converted it also to a memory, Mr. C. B. Hassell's big store building, the oiggest in town, stood on a corner of Main and Smithwick Streets, a si lent sentry to his life's duty of bread making among his tellow-man. And to so make, in fairness to his fellows, as to leave them heralders of his goodness, is the Christian spir it the world so greatly needs to day. Eliminate greed (hard bargains) from all transactions of this life, and there, will be no man-made mis ery in this world; and hand-outs" from Heaven w ill be only for deeds well done and the antithesis of mis ery. Mr. Gushing Biggs Hassell's bread making was virtually a "bread breaking"' with his fellow-man, and symbolic of the above. Elder Hassell, as most folk chose to be-speak him, was know through out the county, and much of the world outside, be it of touch with church, stale or business, and the spirit of the first?was always found mingling with matters of the other two. His earthly remains lie "sleeping" on the edge of the heather at old Skewarkey grounds, where he so often lifted his life's voice in right eousness, and the epitaph on the modest stone standing there reads Sacred to the Memory of Elder Cushing B. Hassell Born Febember 14, 1809 Died April 11. 1880. A kind husband, a wise and lov ing father, a steadfast friend, an honest man of business, a zealous patriot. an active patron of educa tion. beloved pastor of the Primitive Baptist Churches at Skewarkey and Spring (Jreen. esteemed moderator >f the Kehukee Association, and an accurate historian of the Church of Christ, he was for forty years a most able and faithful minister of the New Testament, showing him self a pattern of good works, and adorning the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. Industrious, methodical, calm, temperate, con ciliatory, reverant of Divine things, and full of faith, hope and charity, he served his generation according to the will of God. and then gently fell asleep in Jesus. Trailer Thresher Solves A Problem The 'trailer thresher," light in weight and an "all crop" machine, is helping to solve farm- problems, the U. S. Department of Agriculture re ports, in areas where "one crop" farming has been the rule, even though farmers recognized it as a, bad rule. Designed by TVA engin eers, the new machine makes it practical to diversify by growing small acreages of various crops that would not be profitable without this aid in harvesting. By acting together in buying a thresher. 25 neighbor farmers in the Claxton Community, Anderson County, Tennessee, were able to thresh small fields of grain at small cost. The baby thresher is mounted on rubber tires. Hitched to the back of an automobile it can be moved ov er a paved highway at 50 miles an hour, and is so light it can be set up m places inaccessible to the ordi nary machine. The thresher is of | hammer-mill type, because crops cut | with a mower and raked with a | dump rake often include rocks and roots that ruin cylinders with rigid j parts. i Martin farmers have no trailer threshers, but there are quite a few regular harvesters. Hi' resigned his body to its mother dust, and his spirit to God who gave it. confidently expecting a happy reunion beyond the grave. HOW THE New War Conservation Order Effects Telephone Service To conserve vital war materials, the War Production Board lias limited re placements or additions to existing telephone plant equipment. As a result, some types of equipment and services normally provided by the telephone company will not be avail able to civilians as heretofore. The order is expected to save many thousands of tons of vitally needed rubber, copper, zinc, lead, iron, steel and oilier wearer nietalw. Carolina Tel ephone am! Telegraph Co. iw eom ply in?r with the order by doing iiw ul inowl in rvcrv rcupccl to achieve the desired results in saving materials. Within the limitations imposed by the order, the Company and every man and woman in its organization will continue in every way to furnish yon dependable, efficient service. We know that we may depend upon vonr wholehearted cooperation. C. W. SESSOMS, Manager Carolina Telephone & Telegraph Co., Inc.
The Enterprise (Williamston, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Aug. 18, 1942, edition 1
47
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