THE JDURNALrl^TRIOT-HAS BL^ED '?hS ! TRAIL OP ]^^RESS^ TH| “STATE Q^R
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Published Mondm «nd Thundays.
NORTIf WlLKESfidltO. N. C.,
How Town Of North
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Historical Account Of Origm Of
Town Of North Wilkesbwo (Smi
J. R. Finley Gives Account
Of HU Recollection Of
Town’s Befinning
By J. B. FINIiEY
. Til© Richmond and Danville
Railroad Company was building
the Yadkin Valley division of the
Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley
Railroad Company from Rural
Hall to Wllkesboro under condi
tion that the county of Wilkes Is
sue the Railroad Company one
hundred thousand dollars in coun
ty bonds when the railroad was
eompletod to within one mile of
the court house. The advanced
engineers had made the eurvey
to within one mile of the court
house and stopped the survey on
the north side of the rtver. To
save the exponas of bnlMSng a
bridge across the Yadkin River,
the depot would be loeated on the
north side.
.. As the railroad came very
close to Captain Blair's residence,
he moved hla family to Winston-
Salem for educational purposes
as well as to get avny fwaa the
unpleasantness while the railroad
was being built, and leased bis
home and farm to the Railroad
Company. His residence was oc
cupied by tbe engineering corps
for the railroad company and on
part of the farm shanUes were
built for the grade force, consist
ing of something like three hun
dred negroes. As these negroes
would at pay day go through tbe
farm that was being cultivated by
J. T. and J. R. Finley, they con
ceived the idea that It would be
a good plan to build a store near
this camp and went to see Mr. A.
W. BYnley about a location for
the store.
Mr A. W. Finley stated that as
jsooa ns the RaUroad company
had definitely sc-.tled the location
of the depot but as nothing defi
nite bad been done about that,
be agreed to sell a small lot at
the cross roads. This cross roads
was one running east and west
up the river and tbe other com
ing north and south from Traphlll
to Wilkesboro. and when he went
to locate the lot on the corner of
the cross roads, Mr. Finley said
we must not get too close to his
straw stacks as he was afraid
they would be burned, and we
could not go back beyond the
gate coming into tbe cattle barn.
so the lot we bought at that time
was thirty-three by seventy-five
and In December of 1889, my
brother and I with the assistance
of one of the neighibof boyt be
gan to build our store house and
we had It completed and goods In
It so we opened up the sixteenth
of January, 1890. This was the
first store building ever opened
in what is now North Wllkeehoro
and it was located on what is now
part of the site of the Forest
Furniture company. We bought
the groceries from h. C. Younger
Grocery Company In Richmond,
Virginia and they were shipped
to Taylorsville and hauled over
Jay ua from there here.
While we weie building, Mr.
W-. M. Absher, who was a county
merchant at Dockery, bought a
lot just across the road from us
and was having a store building
put up on this lot and he opened
up his store In about one month
or six weeks after our opening.
A number of the county people
became Interested In the situation
and Mr. A. W. Finley promised
to contract several locations for
business buildings to be sold and
located as soon as the depot had
been finally located and necessary
survey made. Mr. John Wilson,
young engineer, was employed to
make a survey, which he had
partially completed when a pro
moter, Mr. W. F. Trogdon, from
Greensboro, N. C. came to North
Wilkesboro and took options on
the farm of Mr. A. W. Finley and
Captain E. S. Blair and some of
the heirs of William Finley. After
getting this option, Mr. Trogdon
sold stock in the development
company, most of it to Winston
and also some Greensboro parties
and a few local people. In the
meantime, Mr. A. W. Finley died
on Dec. SO, 1889, and the survey
that was being made by young
engineer Wilson was stopped and
until the option was either taken
up or expired, Mr. Trogdon suc
ceeded in selling stock enough to
take up the option In the name of
the Winston I.and and Improve
ment Company.
Tbe directors in the Winston
Land and Improvement Company
consisted principally of Winston
people. In fact it consisted of
Colonel Winstead of Greensboro.
Captain Holden, Chief Engineer
for th© Rlchmond-Danville Rail-
J. R. Plnley, North WBkes-
boro's first poekmastor amd now
one of the city’s moot promi
nent indnstriallsts, has written
a historical account of the
founding of this city.
road Company. W. M. HInshaw,
Dr. W. L. Brown and Mr. P. H.
Hanes of Winston-Salem, and Mr.
A. A. Finley, of North Wilkes
boro.
Previous to this option cleared
out the town was known as "Gor
don” due to the fact that It was
originally the homestead of the
Gordons. In fact the father of
Geceral John B. Gordon of the
Confederate Army, who was lat
er sent from Georgia to the Unit
ed States Senate was horn In
what was then known as the
"Red House” on top of the hill in
the center of North Wilkesboro,
which Is now known as Kensing
ton. Mr. A. W. Finley had bought
this land a number of years ago
and the horn© place was known
as "Fairjnount.”
When the railroad was finally
built, so the train could be run
within one mile of th© Court
House, the depot was located at
the present site of the depot and
the people who had contracts for
lots from Mr. A. W. Finley be
gan to build stores. Mr. J. F. Dim-
mette started a brick .store build
ing on ma n street, the same
building which is now occupied
by Princess Cafe. About the same
time Mr. L. A. Jarvis started the
brick, store building on Ninth
and B Street, which Is now occu
pied by Brame Drug Company.
Mr. J>. Si-ForMter built a frame
building -on the comer now oc
cupied by the Call Hotel: Mr, W.
A. McLean built a frame building
on the location of tbe present-
bas station. These were all used
for store tfuildings said hnllt by
county men. The Hotel Gordon
was located on the lot which was
promised by Mr. A. W« Finley to
J,: T. and J. R. Finley, which was
i^^h' of the depot. These lots
were all reserved from the op
tion to the Winston Land and
Improvement Company and to
gether with some residence lots
farther back up In town. The Ho
tel Gordon lot extended from B
Street back to C Street and is now
occupied by the Bank of North
Wilkesboro and Hotel Wilkes on
B Street and various other bnild-
ings running back to C Street.
As stated above the town was
called "Gordon” and the writer
was appointed postmaster for the
town of Gordon. The post office
was put up in our store building.
After the Winston Land and Im
provement Co. got possession of
their property, they decided that
the name should be changed so
as to have Wilkesboro in It and
they finally decided to call it
North Wilkeaboro, the present
name of the town. So the post
office Gordon was discontinued
and the l>08t office was named
North Wilkesboro and I was re
appointed postmaster for North
Wilkesboro and held this office
for several years.
The grade force and track line
force completed the track to
where the depot now stands on
August 30 th with special car of
Colonel A. B. Andrews, Vice
President of Rlchmond-Danville
Railroad Company came to what
Is now North Wilkesboro and
brought the one hundred thous- j
and dollar bond that was voted
by Wilkes County to this railroad
company to have them sign up
by Mr. Rufus Colvard, who was
(Continued on page two)
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PHONE
96
JAY H. JOHNSON, PROPRIETOR
North Wilkesboro Dn^[ Co.
^THE
EXALL STORE
Hayes Hardweire Co
Home Of
PURINA
.^,S^CELEBHATIBNr.’j;
WELCOME
TO
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STORE
AND THE BEST PLACE TO SAVE MONEY ON
Wood's and Ferry’s Seed
Loose Field and Garden
Seeds
Paints, Stains, Enamels
Plows, Points and Parts
Harrows, Planters
Farm and Garden Tools
Builder’s Hardware
Wire Fencing, Screen Wire
Guns and Ammunition
Tinware, China and Alumi
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Crocks, Buckets, Tubs, Slop
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Pots, Percolators
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Grind Stones, Whet Stones
Harness, Collars, Bridles
VISIT US DURING THE CELEBRATION AND GET
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Hayes Hardware
Burl Hayes, Manager
50
YEARS
ago men wore clothes far
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