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Jugde R. A, Nunn, generally rec
ognized as New Bern’s Mr. His
torian, not only knows every street
in town, but in most instances can
tell you how the older thorough
fares got their names.
For example. Pollock street de
rived its handle from Gol. Thomas
Pollock, who owned 250 acres of
land subdivided into streets and
lots and called New Bern. Hancock
street honors William Hancock, the
colonel’s attorney. Incidentally,
Pollock had more money than you
could shake a stick at. He came to
America in 1682 from Scotland,
and first settled in Chowan county.
iBloomfield street is named for
Robert Bloomfield, the pastoral
poet who authored “The Farmer’s
Boy” and other exceptional works.
As for Metcalf street, it originated
■with Caleb Metcalf, a merchant in
this the first state capital.
It is rather common knowledge
among native New Bernians that
-George street is named for King
Georgie III of England. It was es
tablished in 1771. However, we
dare say that only a few citizens
know that King street got its name
from King George I of England,
who was the first Hanoverian king
of Great Britain. He succeeded
Queene Anne as sovereign in 1714,
and died June 10, 1727.
- Some of New Bern’s streets are
named for presidents of the Unit
ed States. Lincoln street honors
*aham Lincoln, and McKinley
•ds simUar recognition Jo Wil-
MclOniey. It is a gri|h“coinci-
\^ccr that both of these presidents
Were ilssassinatedi Garfield is st9
another atfeet in New Bern that is
for a president, and the
Washington street you may never
seen or heard of pays tribute
to the Father of our Country.
Elden street, which borders the
Tryon Palace restoration, is so
designated in recognition of
Charles Eden, who was governor
of the North Carolina Province
from May 28, 1714, until his death
on March 26,1722. Johnson is nam
ed for Gabriel Johnson, who was
governor frc«n November 2, 1734
until July 17, 1752. Originally it
was called Union street.
Like Johnson street. National
Avenue saw a change in names too.
Before it became National—bord
ered as it is by the National ceme
tery—it was known as Jack Smith’s
road or Whitford street. A nearby
stream, crossing Oaks road, is still
known as Jack Smith’s creek.
- Queen street is named for Queen
Anne of England. Since Queep
Anne lane is also named for her,
this feminine monarch has been
doubly honored in our quaint and
picturesque city on the banks of
the Neuse and Trent.
Broad street street got its name
because it was the widest thorough
fare in New Bern’s original plan,
'while Craven is named for the Earl
;,of Craven, who was one of the
Lords Proprietors. Our county is
also named for the same gentle
man.
Our idea for a Fleet street c^me
from Fleet street in London, while
.Kilmarnock street, where New
Bern’s great fire on December 1,
.'1922, had its beginning, is named
for a town in Ayrshire, Scotland.
End street, now renamed First
street, was so designated because
it marked the western boundary of
the town when it was first estab
lished. German street, changed to
Liberty street during the fervent
anti-Kaiser days of World War I,
wasn’t named for the country at
all, but was a family name—some
times spelled German and some
times spelled Jerman.
Other family names that turned
into labels for streets here were
Attmore, Armstrong, Avant, Bid
dle, Blades, Booker, Brown, Bryan,
Bui'n. Carmer, Carroll, Cobb, Coart,
Davis, Dillahunt, Dunn, Eubanks,
G6od, Graves, Green, Griffith, Gu-
The NEW BERN
/('Q
■re I
nc ncAKT OP
EASTERN NORTH
CAROLINA
Si Per Copy
VOLUMNE 3
NEW BERN, N. C., FRIDAY, JULY 1, 1960
NUMBER 14
ON THE JOB^MdtofistS in
notions about driving recklessly during the Fourth of July
holiday period are apt to be caiught by this special car of
the State Highway Patrol. Supervised by Corporal Arthur
Fields, it has a camera that gets just about everything but
your phone ntiihber. Recorded on filitu is your traffic be-
havior, and the exact speed of your vehicle at the time
the camera gives you the once over. You’ll never talk your-
of this
self out
!iis kind of evidence.
Highway Patrol Preparing
For a Real Busy July Fourth
New Bern, motorists will not on
ly have a pleasant Fourth of July,
but live to enjoy Thanksgiving
and Christmas too, if members of
the State Highway Patrol can
bring it about during the next
few crucial days of dangerous traf
fic conditions.
Grimly mindful of past tragedies
that have snuffed out hundreds
of lives in the coastal region
through the years, the Patrol in
tends to work around the clock in
a determined effort to prevent you
and your loved ones from becom
ing statistics in the terrific toll
expected on the nation’s teeming
roads.
Always it is the same. Fed up
with toiling in the midst of sultry
weather that hovers over them, and
anxious to get to the .'rippling
waves and cooling breezes of North
ion, Harrison, Henderson, Jarvis,
Jenkins, Jerkins, Jqpes, McCarthy,
Miller, Mitchell, Murray, Norwood,
Nunn, Pasteur, Pavie, Primrose,
Randolph, Rhem, Rountree, Sitter-
ding, Stanleyr Sutton, White, Wind-
ley and Wright.
New street is named for New
street in London. Trent Boulevard
is of course named for the river
Trent, which in turn was named
for Trent river in England. North
avenue was once the northern
boundary of our town, and West
street was the western boundary
of Dryborough—laid out into
streets and lots prior to 1800.
As you can see, a lot of history
is tied up in the names of our
(Continued on Page 8)
Carolina’s beaches, thousands of
Tar Heels will be taking chances
that never should be taken.
In most instances, there will be
the inevitable late start, and a
foolish rush to make up for lost
time. Human nature being what it
is, other tardy motorists will be
speeding to their destination too.
There will be crowding of ve
hicles, and laughter and conversa
tion. Participating in the pleasan
tries are going to be drivers who
can’t possibly' give their attention
to unexpected dangers while chat
ting with friends and relatives.
Since to many North Carolinians
any sort of celebrating ties in with
drinking alcoholic beverages, a
disconcerting large number of the
motorists will be under the influ
ence. Even the most conservative
imbiber is going to be a menace
to himself and to other motorists
who have the misfortune to be on
his route.
A still greater menace, of course,
is the driver who not only imbibes
a beer—or maybe two—but in
dulges in swilling that invariably
leads to maiming and killing. Ask
any patrolman—and who would
know better—and he’ll tell you
that drinking and speed will cause
the majority of serious highway
tragedies during the Fourth of
July period.
Quite a few drivers, with the
best of .intentions, will refrain
from drinking on their way to the
beach, or en route to a well select
ed fishing spot. Once there, how-
over, they will be less cautious. As
a result, they start the trip back
home with too much to drink un
der their belt, and ar^e doubly dan
gerous because they feel the su
preme self-confidence that over-in
dulging brings on.
Even the driver who hasn’t been
drinking is mighty apt to be tired,
and if he has picked up too much
sunburn—which is likely—he is
miserable and irritable. In such a
frame of mind, he lacks the pa
tience to drive properly. An im
patient driver is inclined to pass
on curves, hog the road, and dodge
in and out of traffic.
All of which adds up to the per
fect setting for horror on the high
ways. So persistent are North Car
olinians and other Americans in
thieir highway recklessness, that it
is possible each year to predict
well in advance the carnage that
is bound to come.
It is one of the peculiar facets
of human optimism that most mo
torists, while undoubtedly aware of
the grim situation, take the atti
tude that someone else will be the
victim. This may be soothing syrup
for one’s peace of mind, but it
won’t keep people from landing
in hospitals and morgues, and even
the optimist, if he takes chances,
may have the law of averages catch
up with him.
Assuming that you’re the sort of
driver who won’t be speeding and
won’t be drinking, you still can’t
be complacent. Because a lot of
other folks won’t be as conserva
tive, you’ll not only have to drive
carefully yourself, but be prepared
for the recklessness of others.
All you can take for granted, as
you cruise along, is the strong pos
sibility that another car will bob
up out of nowhere and get you in
a predicament that wasn’t of your
own choosing.
Under some circumstances, there
is nothing you can do about it, but
the saner you drive, the better
your chances to counteract the idi
otic behavior of some foUl behind
a steering wheel. We might add
that you may be saving the lives of
others when you report dnmken
and careless and reckless driving
to the highway patrol.
Inexcusable though it is, far too
many reputable citizens won’t
make such a report, simply be
cause they are afraid of becoming
involved. If there were less mo
torists assuming this attitude,
there would be fewer processions
wending their way to the ceme
tery.
Here in New Bern, for a number
of years, there has been a trend
toward staying at home on the
Fourth of July. Seeing as how it’s
less than an hour’s drive to the
ocean, and there are plenty of oth
er times during the summer to
head for the seashore, it would ap
pear that the stay-at-home line of
reasoning is a sound one.
However, if you can’t resist the
urge to get out of town, at least
see to it that you don’t stack the
cards in favor of the Grim Reaper.
A lot of people will do just that,
and the consequences are ghastly
to contemplate.
So ghastly in fact that members
of the State Highway Patrol who
will be called upon to work along
the roads of coastal Carolina for
the next few days are fearing the
worst while hoping for the best.
4,
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