RUIN OF OLD BOAT—When the Chowan River and its tributaries were important arteries of
commerce, the flatbottom pole boat was one of the more common modes of transportation for
goods and people. Many of these boats survived until recent times. This ruin of a flatbottom-type
river boat was raised from the Chowan near Tuscarora Beach in 1958. Made of cypress, the
one-piece gunwales, of the boat are more than 16 inches wide, and all planking is more than
an inch thick.
FREE
(Continued from Page 2)
borers.” Seventy were listed as
‘‘farm hands.”
Thus, while most free negroes
supported themselves in the for
ests and on farms, there were
certain other trades in which free
negroes held a significant place.
Building Trades
This was especially true in the
buildings trades.
In 1863, six Negro carpenters
worked in Hertford County. One
plasterer, nine painters and five
brickmasons were listed among
the Hertford free negro popula
tion.
Some free negroel held expert
jobs. There were three free negro
blacksmiths in the county in 1860.
two shoemakers, and three seam
stresses.
Expert outdoor work was also
done Ly free negroes. The 1860
Hertford census lists five “timber-
hewers” and two ditchers among
the free population.
Eree .. negro • woemn were- also
listed in the occupations. Besides
the seamstresses also ' mentioned,
there were two “washerwomen”
and 19 “servants.”
Finally, the 1860 census lists
four free negroes of Hertford
County as “seamen.” These were
undoubtedly members of crews of
river boats which plied a busy
trade on the Chowan' and Meher-
rin rivers.
Racial Attitude
What was the attitude of the
races toward each other in Hert
ford during the ante'.beUum pe
riod?
It was unique in some respects.
For one thing, there were few
large slaveowners in Hertford.
Less than half of the-'white house
holds owned any slaves at aU.
Most owned only ong-’ family. The
few big plantations in -the county
had not more than 25”or 30 slaves,
and there were only • a handful
of these.
Thus, the society was a close-
knit one, and there . was. little of
the impersonality of’ relationship
which existed in the*^ areas of big
plantations. Many slave families
lived essentially as tenants did
and do in the 20th century.
The free negro families in Hert
ford during this period were a
group, comparing favorably with
many of the white population.
Many had owned land for dec
ades and many could trace their
ancestry to the beginnings of the
county’s history.
There was, thus, a mutual trust
and cooperative attitude between
the races somewhat stronger than
in other counties of the northeast.
Many Hertford County penole
were active in the -ante bellum
period in what was a major effort
at aiding slaves and free negroes
to form colonies in Africa.
This was the effort to form a
ne'^ro nation in Africia which
finally resulted in the establish
ment of Liberia.
Colonization societies' sprung up
in the area in the 1830’s. In 1830,
Hertford people were being solicit
ed for funds to help pay for the
colonization effort.
Danial Southall of Murfreesboro
gave ten dollars to the drive in
1830. Desnite the waning interest
in this effort, a subscription meet
ing to raise funds for the coloniza
tion society was held in Murfrees
boro in 1856.
In 1849, Thomas Capehart, then
living near Murfreesboro, willed
$3,000 to send 60 slaves to Liberia.
The money was never used for
that purpose, however. It was tied
up in a court litigation the results
of which are not known.
-ROY PARKER, JR.
(This article is based on the
book, “The Free Negro in North
Carolina,” by John Hope Frank
lin, on local sources, on stand
ard histories of North Carolina
and Hertford County, and U. S.
census reports.)
Insurance Agency Wqs First
In Ahoskie, Opened in 1908
AHOSKIE —Mrs. Una Bradley
Troxil is in a business which she
originally vowed she “wouldn’t
have on a bet.”
It was in 1940 that Mrs. Troxil
purchased the Curtis Insurance
Agency from the estate of its
founder, the late Walter Curtis.
For 16 years before Mr. Curtis’s
death, Mrs. Troxil (then Miss Una
Bradley) had been his right-hand
helper in the insurance agency.
The Curtis agency was the first
insurance firm to open in Ahos-
kie, having been founded in 1908.
At that time, it was merely a
sideline for Mr. Curtis, who was
cashier of the Bank of Ahoskie.
The Curtis family had come to
Ahoskie, then a thriving town of
about 800, when Mr. Curtis’s fa
ther assumed the pastorate of the
Ahoskie Baptist Church. Walter
Curtis entered into the spirit of
community growth in his posi
tion at the bank, and with the in
surance firm.
In 1924, Miss Bradley came
from Rich Square, where her fa
ther was a Methodist minister,
to become secretary for Mr. Cur
tis, who had left the bank to
devote full time to his insurance
agency. The first Curtis location
was in the old Farmers-Atlantic
Bank Building on Main Street.
During the depression years of
the 1930’s, Mr. Curtis also acted
as secretary of the Federal Land
Bank in this area, handling many
of the foreclosures and bank
ruptcies necessary during that
period. In the latter years of his
life, Mrs. Troxil acted as manager
of the insurance agency when Mr,
Curtis was incapacitated by arth
ritis, which caused his death in
1939.
In 1940, Mrs. Troxil purchased
the agency from his estate, and
moved to the present location on
Railroad Street. In her one-wom
an firm, she handled fii'e, light
ning, automobile and casualty
surance for the Great American
Insurance Company, the Niagara
Fire Insui'ance Company, New
York Underwriters, Merchant,
and Manufacturers Insurance
Company, and the Hartford
Steam Boiler Insurance Com
pany.
“Having worked so long with
Mr. Cui'tis in his agency, I saio
I wouldn’t want to continue the
work but in the past 18 years I
have managed to retain many of
his original customers and in
crease ray business,” said Mrs.
Troxil. Her husband is Elmer J.
Troxil, a mechanic for Charles
H. Jenkins Company.
Last year, the Curtis agency
celebrated its fiftieth year
business, and Mrs. Troxil is look
ing forward to more years in the
town’s oldest insurance firm.
The Chowan Story
(Continued from Page 6)
Conditions During Postwar Days . . .
It is fitting to turn aside here and see more of the conditions during
the Civil War and the Period of Reconstruction, fi'om 1860-1878.
Judging from the minutes of the Board of Trustees during this
period, you hardly realize that a war was fought and Reconstructioi.
followed. They had it hard financially, as the greatest struggle was
with debts for many people could not pay their bills. In view of the
real condition of the South, it Is difficult to understand how the doors
of the Institute were kept open. It was done only by a few people of
means and consecration who threw their lives and money into the
struggle and some consecrated teachers who put service ahead of
money. None of the teachers were fully paid any year. It is evident
that the Lord was in it all with His people.
Here are the conditions as described by Conner in his “History of
North Carolina,” Vol. Ill:
“The close of the war found the state well-nigh prostrate. The
people had been taxed to the limit during the war, the produc
tive male population had in the main been engaged in the most
unproductive of all occupations, the land had been ravaged by
invading armies, crops in large areas had been destroyed by
horses turned out to feast, vehicles had almost disappeared,
fences were gone, often stables and other farm buildings, and
even in some cases the dwellings, were destroyed, and ruin and
decay were on every hand.”
“Every bank in the state through the repudiation of the war
debt was forced into liquidation, the highest amount received
by the stockholders being thirty-six cents on the dollar.”
“Business was at a standstill for lack of money and people
were entirely unable to meet their obligations. Thousands,
probably, went into bankruptcy. To make conditions worse, bad
erbps were general. Those of 1865 were good, considering every
thing, but those of 1866 and 1867 were very small. The fact of
loss and disturbance among the male population by itself would
explain poor farming.”
“Other elements contributed to the distress of the state. Crime
increased and public morals degenerated. Theft was so common
that it became a menace to prosperity. Livestock was stolen
until in some commimities the raising of sheep and hogs was
abandoned.”
Moore in his History of North Carolina, Vol. II, describes the con
dition in eastern North Carolina;
“The condition of eastern North Carolina grew hourly more
deplorable. Frequent incursions of the enemy resulted in the
destruction of property of all kinds. Especially were mules and
horses objects of plunder. Pianos and other costly furniture were
seized and sent North, while whole regiments of “bummers”
wantonly defaced and ruined the fairest homesteads in eager
search for hidden treasure.”
“When the year 1869 came upon North Carolina, the people
had scarecly recovered from the stupor and astonishment pro
duced by such radical and pervading changes in their midst.”
The continued existence of Chowan Baptist Female Institute
through such conditions for eighteen to twenty years is indeed a
marvel and wonder.
During this period of ten years, 1868-1878, the number graduating
was as follows: 1869-6; 1870-7; 1871-8; 1872-9; 1873-8; 1874-10; 1875-6;
1876-20; 1877-7; 1878-8; 1879-11.
Total graduates for this period—100.
Pioneer Ahoskie Drug Business:
Copeland Was First Pillpusher
AHOSKIE — It was 40 years ago
I December that young Robert
Royal Copeland set up his mortar
and pestle, and hung out a sign
saying “Copeland’s Drug Store” on
Main Street near the railroad.
Son of Ahoskie’s first postmaster,
Rob Roy Copeland had a good
spot in one of the three buildings
owned by his father. His store was
in the location formerly used by
Dr. Gardner, an optometrist who
visited Ahoskie.
Copeland had the distinction of
being the town’s first licensed
pharmacist, and as new doctors
moved into Ahoskie, he prevailed
ipon them to rise his services for
filling prescriptions instead of car-
•ying their own supply of drugs.
Copeland was graduated from
“-harmacy school in Virginia i n
'908, and went to work for a Suf
folk drug firm until 1916. From
there he went to a Tarboro drug
store until he returned here to set
up his own business.
Copeland was sole owner until
November, 1947, when he was join
ed by Earl U. Capps, a native of
Cumberland County. Capps, a
graduate of the UNC School of
Pharmacy, had worked in Green
ville, Nashville, and Rocky Mount
before purchasing the partnership
in Copeland’s Drug Store.
Copeland rounded out 37 years
as a pharmacist before retiring on
December 39, 1956, when Capps be
came sole owner.
During those 37 years, Copeland
had been president of the N. C.
Pharmaceutical Association i n
!927, and was honored as “Phar-
macLst of the Year” for North
Carolina in 1955.
He estimated that he had filled
230,000 prescriptions since the
start of his career. Still going
strong, he has just rounded out 33
vear.s of perfect attendance at the
Abnckie Kiwanis Club.
Since purchasing Copeland’s in
1957. Capps has given the store on
Main Street a complete face-lifting,
added new fixtures, and in 1958
ooer.ed another store, Capps Drug
Company, in the Roanoke - Cho
wan shopping center. Capps has
served on the County Board of
Health, the Ahoskie school com
mittee, is a Mason, Shriner, Ro-
tarian, and active in the Baptist
church. He and his wife are par
ents of two sons, Earl, Jr., and
Jimmy.
CHURCH
(Continued from Page 2)
In 1943, the trustees recom
mended that the church be reno
vated, with the work to be com
pleted by December 5, 1951. In
1944, the decision was made to
build a new brick building in
stead of repairing the old church.
In 1947, when Dr. Watkins re
signed because of ill health, $16,-
044 had been raised for the con
struction.
The Rev. Thomas J. Boyd of
New York City, a Shaw Univer
sity graduate, was to see the
dream of the new church come
true under his pastorate.
In 1949, construction on the
TOE HERALD/ATiofeVie^K. C.—MILESTONE TEAR IfiSS—PAGE 7
new edifice began. Sherman
Boone served as construction su
perintendent, with F. D. Robbins,
Soloman Keene, Samuel Hall, E.
M. Weaver and A. H. Brett on the
building committee.
One hundred years after the
establishment of the church, ded
ication services were held in the
new brick building on April 22,
1951. The Rev. Mr. Boyd preach
ed the sermon, and Dr. Watkins
conducted the dedication-. The
handsome new building cost
about $42,000.
It has been within the past sev
eral decades that the church has
relaxed the original rule of
descent for membership. Many of
the names found on the first
church roll are listed among the
present-day members, including
some of the most important color
ed families in the county. The,
Rev. Addison Williams, a native I
of Raleigh, has served as pastor I
in North Carolina." 'by John
Hope Franklin; and the history
of Pleasant Plains Baptist
Church compiled by Arthur H.
Brett for the dedicatory service
in 1S51.)
since 1954.
(This article is based on in
formation in "The Free Negro
MILESTONE
1937-1959
... .
r 2 , .r :
For 22 years we liave been
byilding our repotaibn
We know that only through Quality and Servicecanwegrow,
That is why we supply the citizens of the Roancke-Chowan,
through their local grocers, Fresh, Quality Fruits and Vege
tables. We thank you for your confidence and patronage
through the years and we pledge to continue to bring the
finest in Fruits and Vegetables to your table for years tocome.
We Join Our Fellow Citizens in Celebrating the
200th ANNIVERSARY of HERTFORD COUNTY
Ahoskie Fish & Produce Co.
CRAIG VAUGHAN, Owner
Ahoskie, North Carolina