T AHOSKIE PUBLIC ARCHITECTURE—These photograhic studies of famous Ahoskie buildings evoke a mood remir-iscent of imposing public architecture in big cites, At right the facade of First Baptist Church, on Main Street, built in the 1930’s. The Gothic lines of ‘the v^indows are repeated in the paneled interior. At left, the columned front of the old Farmers-Atlantic Bank on MSln, built in the mid- 1920’s. When biylt, the classic-fronted institution was one of the most imposing public buildings m the Roanoke-Chowan section, HERALD (Continued from Page 2) the mud and dust; support of the state-wide campaign for better roads which culminated in the present-day system of highways; improvement of agriculture through the employment of home and farm demonstration agents— a long and hot battle against lethargy and conservation; im provement in court'; pfocedures and the establishiji^Kt of a Re corder’s Court.. And -there were many more in which The Herald assumed initiative./,afid became the voice of liberal and progres sive--, leadership .in. town and county. ,(I know about these things, for soon ^ after Roy Parker became edit^’ of The Herald in 1915, as his kid brother of 14 years I was taken into the print shop for sweeping chores after school and to learn to set type. It was all done by hand in those days. I learned to set type. I also learned many other things about printing and newspapering and of the business of being an adult, as I stood at the type cases and heard the talk of the partners, Vinson . and Parker, and of the lawyers, politicians, farmers and business men who came into the news paper office to transact business or for simple conversation. Life was more leisurely in those days when autopiobiles were a novel ty, telephones were just coming into use, there were no paved roads, radio was not invented, and airplanes had not been heard of. Among the things I learned was an abiding appreciation of the influence of the printed word and a high regard for the art and craft of printing. And through employment in the printing plant of The Herald, working after noons after school and Saturdays, I became a printer. It has been a rewarding art and craft to prac tice.) In 1928, after schooling when summers were spent at jobs in printing plants in various places Belk-Tylers Is Success Story AHOSKIE—A good sign that the depression was nearly over' came to Ahoskie in 1937, when the first big Belk-Tyler Depart ment Store opened on Main Street. At that time, it was locat ed in the Parker building at the junction of Railroad and Main streets, formerly the office and plant of the Hertford County Herald. William Henry Belk, founder of the Belk chain, had started in 1888 with $1,200, in a store he called the “New York Racket” in Monroe. He believed that he would prosper, selling all mer chandise for cash, with price tickets displayed on each item — an idea over which older mer-' chants shook their heads. But Belk’s "store, and the many which followed it, proved the wisdon#of this principle, and to day there are Belk’s stores throughout the southeastern states. Ai'thur L. Tyler, execu tive vice president and general manager of Belk-Tylef Stores, joined Mr. Belk in 1932. The Belk-Tyler stores are now locat ed in 14 eastern North Carolina communities. When Belk-Tyler’s opened in Ahoskie, its first manager was Rupert V. Massey, who had been manager of the Elizabeth City store. During the past 22 years, he has seen the Ahoskie store grow in importance and size to the present location at the corner of Catherine and Main streets. From the 1937 site, Belk-Tyler’s moved across the street to the op posite corner of Railroad and Main in 1942, That building, now leased by Thornton’s Furniture, was vacated in 1957, when the new Belk-Tyler store was opened at the present location. that intervened between 1934 and 1957. They were busy years, years during which Ahoskie and the ex panding community that The Herald serves have experienced much growth and progress. There were bitter years of World War There were frantic years of The present building is leased speculation and inflation follow- from E. R. Evans, who construct- j^g the war. Through all these ed the $100,000 building, using,yga^-s The Herald has not deviat- the walls of the fbrmer Ahoskie from its purpose of communi- Motor Company building struc ture. The store has a modern 100- foot front on Main Street, en trances at the corner and or ty service and of fostering and encouraging economic, cultural, educational and spiritual progress and growth. It has followed this Maple, and a parking lot for 125 purpose in example as well as W. Vfsco Greene, who recently received the Distinguished Serv ice Award from the Ahoskie Jun ior Chai^ber of Commerce, is as sistant manager. Both Massey and Greene iiave been noted for their precept. Grown now far beyond the one-man efforts of the youthful years df its beginnings fifty years ago, "rhe Herald and all its staff neveyrheless are guided still by the ^purposes of those who found- service Hn civic and church or- ^ ed it and established it firnlly as ..anizatibns in Ahoskie. i -. t , _ i .. the weekly newspaper at White- ville in Columbus County. I be came a partner with my brother in the business of publishing and printing The Herald by buying the half interest of Vinson. The modern age of Ahoskie and Herjford ' County was beginning then. Ahoskie was emerging as the business and commercial leader in the Roanoke-Chowan section, outstripping the older towns and communities in popu lation and business expansion. A lively and aggressive newspaper. The Hertford County Herald, had played its part in encouraging and establishing this leadership. And, the Newspaper and pub lishing firm followed in the pat tern of business and trade exten sion throughout the Roanoke- Chowan area that had been set for growing Ahoskie. There were local newspapers published in ad joining Bertie and Northampton counties, but they were languish ing, run-down newspapers that clung to old traditions and meth-; ods. With modern printing facili ties available in the printing plant of Parker Brothers, this firm acquired these newspapers and injected into them new and stimulating editorial qualities which they have grown to be come accepted and influential in- and three years of editorship of stitutions serving the public in thel^’ respective areas. In 1932 the company, with the assistance of Miss Addie Mae Cooke, also es tablished a newspaper in Gates County where none had existed for many years. The acquisition of the printing and publishing pf these additional newspapers was the beginning of the expansion which has contin ued until the present time. In 1928 the company had four employees —J. Roy Parker, J, Mayon Park er, one linotype operator and one apprentice printer. Today the firm of Parker Brothers, Inc., em ploys thirty-four persons in its publishing and printing opera tions. Coming to the partnership in 1928 as linotype operator-ma chinist was John J. Hill. He today is vice president of the corpora tion than in 1940 succeeded the Parker Brothers partnership. His ability and diligence in the me chanical field matched the edi torial and business enterprise of. the senior partner, Roy Parker, giving a solid foundation for the expansion that has resulted in today’s newspapers published by Parker Brothers, Inc. But today’s Herald, now' pub lished twice weekly, and today’s printing service furnished by the publishing firm of Parker Broth ers, Inc, have not reached their fiftieth anniversay without their trials and tribulations. For just after the formation of the Parker Brothers partnership in 1928 there followed , soon after the great depression of the 1930’s. But the thinly stretched financial re sources of the partnership held togetl^er until better times ar rived with the Rooseveltian era of recovery in 1934. Yet it suf fered a grievous blow in that year, for the strenuous efforts of newspaper work and commu nity activity had taken its toll of vitality from the senior part ner. Roy Parker in that year suf- ..ered an attack of tuberculosis which incapacitated nim Irum further active participation in the business operation of the news paper he had made into an in stitution of leadership and of community service. But The Herald and the corpo ration called Parker Brothers, Inc., which took over the partner ship, has followed in the pattern established by The Hsrald’s first editor, W. G. Smith, and of his successor, Roy Parker, Sr. It is a pattern of service and of growth — of community service and growth through better service. Out of necessity when my brother became ill in l934 I be came The Herald’s edtor and served in that capacity u.itil 1957. That was following hi; death and the acceptance of the eiitorial mantle' by his son, Roy Parker, Jr., who is an able successor to his father. There are many things that could be written about the y?ars THE HERALD. Ahoskie. N. C MILESTONE YEAR 1959—PAGE T Barnes-Sawyer Ahoskie s First Big Wholesale Distributing Unit AHOSKIE — First of the largo wholeslae distributing firms to locate in Ahoskie was Barnes- Sawyer Grocery Company, Inc., organized by the late J. Bailey Barnes and the late J. L. Sawyer. The Herald of September 4, 1919 announced the firm’s opening on September 1. with headlines pre dicting great success for the op eration. Barnes had come to Ahoskie from Roxbbel, where he operated Barnes Brothers retail firm, and before that had been a traveling salesman for several lines. He was joined in the Ahoskie firm by Sawyer, who had been a traveling salesman from Gates County. One of the stockholders i n Barnes-Sawyer was the late H. S. Basnight, whose son, the late W. H. Basnight, learned the wholesale business and branched out into his firm in 1927. In 1923, J. L. Darden of Union became an office employee at Barnes-Sawyer, later traveling for the firm. Later in that same dec ade, Sawyer sold part of his stock in the company, finally dis- •'osing cf the remainder in the 1930’s. Original offices were located in he Ihrce-story warehouse building on Railroad Street, which burned .0 1946. The warehouse was re- uilt by the corporation, but of fices were moved to the west side -f the street, in. their present lo cation at the corner of Hayes and Railroad Streets. Heavy and fancy groceries, with some drugs, sundries and hard ware were the first lines handled by Barnes-Sawyer, which had about 12 employees when it open ed. These same lines have since been augmented by building ma terials, and the payroll has grown to 35 persons. Mr. Darden, who became a partner in the firm after Sawyer sold his interest, has been presi dent and manager since Mr. Barnes’s death in 1950. Present of ficers are J. P. Nowell, vice presi dent; John B. Barnes, Jr., secre tary and assistant manager; and J. 'W. Barnes, treasurer. Walker Came With Model T in 74 AHOSKIE—Dr. L. K. -Walker hit town in 1914, with his medical satchel and a Model T Ford. By 1915, he had acquired a bride—Miss Grace Stoneham of Lancaster County, Ya.—and a medical practice. 'The newlywed W'alkers stayed at Zeb Bellamy’s hotel, then boarded in a home where the present Standard Chevrolet building stands on Railroad Street. Hii first office was in a little wooden shack near the Copeland .tore on Main Street. Several old Negro wome:/i used to sit there all night long, afraid to go home where “there was somethin’ under the doorstep.” In 1923, Dr. Walker obtained the first loan made by the newly- organized Hertford County Build ing and Loan Association, and erected his own building next to the Ahoskie Department Store location. The doctor’s offices were in the rear of the store, with a soda fountain and drugs available in tile front. Dr. Walker acted as his own pharmacist, dispensing drugs as he had before he opened the drug store. E. D. Cherry was his first partner, and the firm was called Walker - Cherry. In succeeding years, Henry Holloman and Tom Boone became partners with Dr. Walker. The name remains Walker- Boone Drug Company, although Boone has since opened his own drug store and Dr. Walker died in 1956. Dr. "Walker was prominen"! in county and civic affairs during his lifteime, serving on the County Board of Education during some hot controversies, and on the Ahoskie town council. He owned several important pieces of prop erty in Ahoskie, including the site of Sessoms Brothers garage, and a number of farms. He was also active in the Ahoskie Methodist Church. Dr. and Mrs. Walker became parents of three daughters. One of them, Margaret, married Oscar Speed, who now manages the drug firm. Another married W. Dare Boone, Jr., Charlotte archi tect. Miss Brinkley Hardin, who was Dr. Walker’s nurse for 15 years, managed the drug store from his death until this year. Jenkins Started Sales in Stable AULANDER — In August, 1912, he late Charles H. Jenkins opened an automobile business in a livery table in Aulander. Working with 'aim were his brother, Wayland L. ■’’enkins, and Eddie Ward. During the company’s first year, the "trio sold one automobile. Last August, Charles H. Jenkins ■’nd Company celebrated its -ISth year in the automobile business— and total new car sales for 1958 Were in the thousands. > By fall of 1923, the young Jenkins irm had grown to the point where •Mstruction’ was started on a new uu^ing on Aulander’s Main Street, ■esig'ned to give better service, keeping abreast of the blossoming ha^itutiony'of Co;n2jj^nity ^to in%stry,^rfiiftii(e first Jen- jJ’ Ions ^jBncy w^ added in Ahoskie, 1954-1959 Thank You for 5 Wonderful Years AHOSKIE HARDWARE FRiGiDAIRE APPLIANCES-BENJAMIN MOORE PAINTS Hardware : : Housewares : : : Toys ; : : Sporting Goods as the Standard Chevrolet Com pany. The same year, Jenkins or- "’anized the Marsh Chevrolet Com- nany to operate in .inlander. The depression halted expansion temporarily, but the Jenkins Com pany picked up where it left off in ■933, with the opening of an agency in Edenton. The following year the company established a subagency in Ahoskie, and operated it until 947, when it became an independ ent agency. In 1938. fire destroyed the build ing in Aulander, but before "the ash es had cooled, plans had been made to rebuild on the same site. The present building houses a modern showroom and repair shop there. Also in that year, Charles H. Wil- the Jenkins and Company liamston was organized. Latest of the agencies is Charles H. Jenkins and Company :{ Windsor, opened in 1950. Mr. Jenkins’s career as teacher, legislator and politician came to an end last year, with his death on November 1, 1958. During his life time, he served his state in .many capacities, as highway commis sioner, senator, and on the state Board of Conservation and D e - velopment. Wayland Jenkins is now presi dent of Charles H. Jenkins and Co., Inc. Other officers are to be elect ed at an annual meeting this month. Cecil- McCoy, general man ager, is also given credit for much of the firm’s success. !t Has Been a Pleasure Since 1925 We have been engaged in selling automobiles to the folks In the Roanoke-Chowan for 34 years. . . . Your friendship and patronage have made our business a real pleasure. We thank you for past favors and invite you to visit us in the future, too. Authorized CHEVROLET and PONTIAC Dealer Hill Chevrolet Co.. Inc. MURFREESBORO