Newspapers / The Franklin press and … / Oct. 16, 1947, edition 1 / Page 12
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Brunswick, Now Only Ruins, Once Home Of N. C. Great, Seat Of Colonies' Resistance One of the strange facts re lating to American history is that the historians have large ly overlooked the part played in winning independence by the citizens of a now vanished North Carolina town which was founded in 1725 and flourished for half a century, and which during its existence furnished American patriots who resisted with arms British tyranny ten years befoee the opening guns of the American Revolution sounded at Lexington in 1775. This town, laid out by Mau rice Moore, son of Governor James Moore of South Carolina, in 1725 and named Brunswick in honor of the reigning fam ily, was located on the western banks of the Cape Fear River a little more than midway of the sea from the present city of Wilmington. All that remains of Brunswick today are the ruins of old St Phillip's church and a few church graves, but under neath the tall pines and amid the dense undergrowth which have grown up on the site of the old town still walk the ghosts of American patriots whose deeds for freedom were no less great than others which are more celebrated in history but no less stirring in fact. Brunswick's claim to fame was not its size. It never reached larger proportions than those of a small town with a white population of not more than 400. But there was not then, and there has not been since, a town of the same size whicM contained within its population so many men who were to dis tinguish themselves in both the civil and the- military life of the colonies. Home Of Gfeat It was the home of three penerals of the Revolutionary War, three royal governors, three acting governors, two judges and three chief justices of the Supreme Court, an at torney general and a justice of the Supreme Court of the Unit ed States. In the cemetery of old St. Phillip's, once His Maj esty's chapel, are the graves of Benjamin Smith, one-time gov ernor of North Carolina and Alfred Moore, the United States Supreme Court justice. The first armed resistance to the British was not in Massa chusetts in 1775, but 10 years earlier on the banks of the Cape Fear at Brunswick. It was No vember, 1765, after the enact ment of the Stamp Act, and the 20-gun sloop of war Dili gence had dropped anchor at the Port of Brunswick. Aboard her was a cargo of stamped paper, but ashore were excited and aroused citizens who weie determined that the stamps would not be unloaded. Armed militia of Brunswick and New Hanover counties under the command of Col. Hugh Waddell and Col. John Ashe had as sembled at Brunswick, and Cap tain Phipps of the Diligence was notified that unloading the stamps would be resisted with armed force if necessary. Prud ently, Captain Phipps let the stamps remain aboard. Tells Of Event In his Dlograpny 01 nugn Waddell, a descendant, Alfred Moore Waddell, quotes Honor able George Davis spying of this event: "This was more than ten years before the Declaration of Independence, and more than nine before the Battle of Lex ington, and nearly eight before the Boston 'Tea Party.' The de struction of the tea was done at night by men in disguise. And history blazons it, and New Eng land boasts of it, and the fame of it is world-wide. But this other act, more gallant and more daring, done in open day by well known men, with arms in their hands, and under the King's flag ? who remembers it, or who tells of it?" Brunswick was said to be the first port on the continent where the British seized ves sels for failure to comply with Stamp Act regulations, and Brunswick was the last place on the continent where the people would submit without a fight. Overlooked By Historians This episode in American col onial history is largely over looked by the historians in favor of events in New England. For four days during 1747, the town was held by Spaniards while residents of the Cape Fear fought furiously to re cover it. On the fourth day, one of the Spanish vessels in the harbor was blown up and the others were driven off. Spoils from the wrecked ship were ap "a cold day in August" For generations people have said "it'll be a cold day in August", before something happens. Mean ing, of course, that it never will happen at all. But that expression is out of date now. For it's always a cold day, in August or any other month in the year, down at the new plant of Franklin Frozen Foods, Inc. No matter what the weather, their cold-pack processing will quickly freeze your meats or vege tables or fruits ? and keep them frozen until you are ready to use them. Mr. Whitmire and Mr. Ledford have erected a modiern, scientifically planned, well equipped plant, and we are happy to offer our CONGRATULATIONS Many of the Lumber, Tile, and Plumbing items for the new plant were supplied by FRANKLIN HARDWARE CO. On Square i \ Phone 117 Freezer Locker Plant Here Is 87th In State ] ? When the freezer locker plant of Franklin Frozen Foods, Inc., opens here Saturday, It will be the 87th such plant in opera tion in North Carolina, accord ing to Oscar Ledford, manager of the local plant. How fast the cold-pack in dustry has grown is Illustrated, he pointed out, by the fact that North Carolina had only two such plants in 1941, and only 45 in 1946. Minnesota leads the Union's 48 states with a total of 700, an average of eight per county. The total for the nation today U more than 9,000. The local plant manager said that the large variety of foods which could be processed by the freezing method was undoubt edly one of the chief reasons propriated for the use of St. Phillips church ? in Brunswick and St. James' In Wilmington. Brunswick was laid out in 1725 on 320 acres of land given by Maurice Moore. Associated with Maurice in establishing the settlement were his brothers, Nathaniel and Roger, the latter being "King" Roger, who built Orton on the Cape Fear two miles above Brunswick. Built Big Trade Within five years, Brunswick had built a great trade and boasted of a number of mer chants and rich planters. In 1731, 42 vessels carrying valu able cargoes sailed from the port. The original book of en tries and clearances at the cus tom house at Brunswick shows that from 1773-1776 over 300 cargo vessels entered and clear ed the port. Incoming ships brought a wide assortment of necessities for colonial life, while outgoing vessels were usu ally loaded with lumber, staves, tar, indigo, rice, corn, wheat and tobacco. North Carolina Scotch Highlanders remember that among this colorful pro cession of brigantines moving up the Cape Fear were Scotch vessels bringing many Scotch settlers to the Cape Fear, among them being the famous Flora Macdonald. Planned Revolution Governors Johnston, Dobbs, and Tryon ? in the order nam ed ? had their residence at Brunswick, and the assembly of the province convened there on numerous occasions. Here also lived Major General Rebert Howe, North Carolina's most distinguished contribution to the American Revolution. There are those who contend that the whole plan of the Revolution was conceived by Howe, Cor nelium Harnett, Jr., and Josiah Quincy of Massachusetts, when the latter visited the Cape Fear in 1773. Generals John Ashe and James Moore were other distinguished contributions to American Inde I pendence while on the civil side, there were Cornelius Harnett, Jr., Judges Maurice Moore and Alfred Moore. Attorney General MacLaine, and Chief Justices Allen, Hasell and Smith. Brunswick gave promise of be coming one of the colony's lead ing commercial centers. It was loacted near the mouth of the largest navigable river in the province, and was the only town in that section. Early hopes of growing prosperity are borne out by the record of com merce at the port. Jealousy Causes Its Decline On November 2, 1734, Gover nor Johnston too* the oath of office at Brunswick. During his administration, many settlers arrived, bringing slaves and re tainers. Upon the valuable land which they acquired they pros pered. Cape Fear society dis pensed culture and hospitality, with the family of Moores head ing the social register. It was partially at least this dominance of the Moores, who were known as "The Family," that led to the decline of Brunswick in fa vor of Wilmington as the seat of government and chief com mercial port. In December 1739, the county court levied a poll tax of five shillings to build a courthouse and jail at Bruns wick, but In line with the de termination of Governor Johns ton, who had had Wilmington made a township In 1736, the tax money was used to erect a courthouse and Jail at Wilming ton Instead. Johnston waa de termined to destroy Brunswick and the dominating Influence of the Moorei. Subsequent tense commercial rivalry between Brunswick and Wilmington re sulted In the gradual decline of Brunswick, Shift To Wilmington In 1761 at Brunswick, George III was proclaimed king In the presence of Governor Dobbs, the council and an assemblage of leading Cape Fear planters. The proclamation ceremonies were repeated the following day In Wilmington. In 1765 when the Stamp Act resistance occurred at Brunswick, Wilmington had about twice as many Inhabitants as Brunswick, and when the Revolution began about thru tor the rapid growth of freez er locker plants throughout the United States. According to the National Quick Frozen Foods Association more than 400 foods have been cold-packed successfully. Among these are vegetables ranging from artichoke to zucchini, 47 fruits, including everything in the fruit line from apples to zapote, and all kinds of fowl and fish. Charles Wurm, national asso ciation president, in a recent article predicted that the in dustry which had its beginning nearly 40, years ago, when some fruit growers packaged some berries, would have more than 3,000 frozen food processors, 12, 000 distributors, and 40,000 lock er plants by 1950. three times as many. The grad ual decline continued until Brunswick ceased to exist as a town. But so strong was the at tachment of oldtime Cape Fear residents that they continued to bury their dead for sometime afterwards in the churchyard of old St. Phillip's abandoned Brunswick. Hidden amorig moss-hung pines and dense undergrowth, the melancholy ruins remained for almost a hundred years after abandonment as a town. Be yond the bluff swept the wide, 1 historic river, while ocean breezes from the nearby sea sang a requiem through the pines. When the Civil War came, Fort Anderson, a great earth works fortification, was built on the site and enclosed within one of its arms the walls of old St. Phillip's. Hostile shells fell near, but the walls, as if miraculously, escaped damage. Today they stand amid a newgrown forest, and together with the tombs in the churchyard, are all that is left of once proud Brunswick. Nearby is replendent Orton, still reflecting the splendour of Cape Fear life in Colonial North Car olina when the Port of Bruns wick gave high promise of be coming one of the Eastern Sea board's chief commercial cen ters and permanent seat of gov ernment for North Carolina. BIRTHS A daughter, Phyllis Almira, was born October 7 to Mr. and Mrs. Roy Cabe at their home, Franklin, Route 2. Mr. and Mrs. Willard Roland, of Charlotte, formerly of Frank lin, have announced the birth of a daughter, Rita Yvonne, at the Presbyterian hospital in Charlotte September 9. Ann Lyn, a daughter, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Cooper, of Franklin, October 10 at the Mission hospital in Ashe ville. Mr. and Mrs. Joe T. Tyler have announced the birth of a son, Gary Jesse, at their home in East Franklin October 1. Mr. and Mrs. Wendell Moore, of the Cullasaja community, have announced the birth of a daughter, Betty Jean, at the Angel clinic October 5. PLAN RUMMAGE SALE The Business Girls' circle of the Franklin Presbyterian church will hold a rummage sale Sat urday, October 18, in front of Rankin Sauare. THREE MACON STUDENTS Mars Hill (Special) ? Three students from Macon county | ire enrolled at Mars Hill col-i lege this fall. These are: Sidney lean Barker of Nantahala; Mary 1 Frances Dalrymple and Annie Sue Conley ol Franklin. Fifty-two of the country's colleges and universities have naval R. O. T. C. units. CONGRATULATIONS To Franklin Frozen Foods, Inc. ON THE OPENING OF ITS / Freezer Locker Plant REEVES HARDWARE CO. 0 . Franklin, N. C. For Immediate Delivery RANGES HEATERS . i # ? Majestic * Warm Morning ? Copper Clad * * Torridaire ? Allen Princess , * Tropic Sun ? Brown * Hot Blasts ? Red Mountain * W ood Heaters APPLIANCES Bendix Home Laundry Standard or Deluxe / i Thor Gladiron Thor AUTOMAGIC WASHER-DISH WASHER AND CABINET SINK COMBINATION Crosley Shelvador Refrigerator Electric Water Heaters "Kresky" Evenheat Floor Furnace * Sossaman FURNITURE CO. "EVERYTHING FOR YOUR HOME" Our Hearty Congratulations to E. J. WHITMIRE and OSCAR LEDFORD ON COMPLETION OF THE PLANT OF FRANKLIN FROZEN FOODS, Inc. ? They've done a splendid job, under difficult building conditions, and have a plant that we all are proud of.' It waa our pleasure to be able to supply the roofing, of Wheeling Channel Drain Metal. MACON COUNTY SUPPLY CO. "Your Pioneer Hardware Store"
Oct. 16, 1947, edition 1
12
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