a
THE HYDE COUNTY HERALD
NEWS OF THE RICHEST AGRICULTURAL COUNTY IN THE FOREMOST HISTORICAL AND RECREATIONAL AREA OF NORTH CAROLINA
''ol. 1-
No. 38
Bank Edition
SWAN QUARTER, N. C., THURSDAY, MAY 24, 1945
Six Pages This Week
Single Copy 5 Cent»
Dank helped to make
ENGELHARD LARGEST
TRADING CENTER IN HYDE
b
owej. pjaut Has Been Vital Factor In Recent
Growth and Development; Town Has Many Pro-
S^essive Merchants; Fertile Farms and Fishing
^eeds Commercial Life Of Community
w
k "igeUiard lays claim to being
‘'larg “ -
SWAN QUARTER
j BOY IS BUSY
BOMBING JAPS
HOME OFFICE OF BANK AT ENGELHARD
Lt. “Tom” Sawyer Pilot With
“Air Apaches” Outfit
In Pacific
SEES BRIGHT FUTUE
*«‘gest trading center in Hyde .
A Mitchell bomiber-strafer pil- i
ot with 26 missions against the ,
Japs, Second Dt. Vernon L. Saw
yer, 22, of Srwan Quarter, is one
ot the band of Fifth Air Force |
flyers currently throttling Nip- j
ponese shipping traffic in the ■
South China Sea.
A son of Mr. and Mrs. C. L. I .
^ Lrau.iii'5 uiciniica iii Axy vac
today. It is the home oi£
Engelhard Bank, now the:
^ Carolina Bank, with branch-
Swan Quarte'V and Colum-
j)i' A. modern power and ice j
^ ’J't serves the coorVuunity as
as Swan Quarter, Fairfield,
5m ^‘*^rD5®diate points in Hyde
'Stumpy Point and Manns
^t>or in Dare County. There is
j^ted in the community the on-
*hotion picture theatre in the
J, and also th^ largestt farm
jj^duice deialers, w;hich operate a
of more than 12 trucks, sev-
which are the big transport
It has a large numiber of
“'^’^hantile establishments and
establishments
a well-lbalanoed
«
other
'hat
town
ibusiness
make for
En'gelh.a.rd has for a long time
progressive merchants and a
bank. They played a vital
in the pro'iress of the com-
otunity. They saiw>..to it that the
Oopitufunlity bad' a good school a/i
foo>d churches. It was they who
influential in getting good
and a good waterway to
coitrmunity. The bank which
of them helped organize
^hed in many undertakings.
Playing a vital roll in recent
yeiopment has been the Pamli-
Ice and Light Company which
!“^t>ied the town to modernize
. Glectrkai'ty. Generally speak-
the more recent growth of
town started with the com-
ag of the power company. It en-
aied new businesses to be es-
(Continued on Page 2)
’^LD-MANNERED r. l.
^ibbs town booster
St
as Agent for Boat Freight
^mpany, Now Heads Big
Produce Business
FOR SOU. ALBEMARLE Sawyer of Swan Quarter, Lt. }
Sawyer flies wit hthe veteran '
345th Bombardment Group "Air
Apaches,” crack skip bombing
outfit of B-25’s in the Philippines. ^
During recent operations Lieu- j
tenant Sawyer’s group sank more
than 43,000 tons of enemy ship- j
ping in mast height attacks along |
the Indo-China coast and off For- ,
mosa. The Swan Quarter flyer'
also was in on the first low level
strike at a large Jap airdrome on
, Hainan island during which his
'S!%^
■
MARISHALL A. MATTHEWS,
cashier of The East Carolina
Bank, (formerly the Engelhard
Banking & Trust Company with
branches in Engelhard, Swan
Quarter and Columbia, sees a
bright future for the Soutl /'.n
Allbemarle section with the ex
pansion of diversified farming
and completion of a network of
h^rd roads. "As our farmers
turn more and more to new
crops, they are going to prosper
more,” he says. Banker Matthews
thinks that there is money nrak-
ing possibilities in growing sweet
potatoes and peanuts, to say noth
ing of berries and other fruits
and vegetables.
Better roads wiiil not only mean
that markets will be more acces-
salble for truck crops, according
to Mr. Matthews, who sees a big
ger tourist trade with the com
ing of a complete network of hard
roads leading into Hyde, Tyrrell
and Dare counties.
(With the Engelhard Banking
and Trust Company since 1934,
Mr. Matthe'Ws has seen it expand
with branches opened in Swan
Quarter and Columibia and a
jump of more than one and one
half million dollars in derosits.
The bank is widely known as be
ing a system of the most progres
sive banks in the state.
SUPERIOR COURT
DIDN'T LAST LONG
THIS MODERN BRICK BiUilLOING, located in the main section oi
Engelhard, houses the home office of The East Carolina Bank, form-
o!t flf 5. t n h I Engelhard Banking & Trust Co. It wias constructed in 1932
tail guni^r, Staifii er^an o- - ^.jjg Y^rooden building near the waterfront was destroyed by
ert F. Mian ey, a eymou , ^ Bank owns brick buildings in Which its offices are located
Mass shot down a Jap mtercep- , Colunfbia.
tor plane. |
For "meritorious achievement
while participating in aerial SWAN QUARTER MAN
flight,” Lt. Sawyer has been rec- j PRAISES BANK
ommended for thfe Air Medal. |
A graduate of Swan Quarter
High School Lt. Sawyer was at
tending North Carolina State
College before entering the AAF
in March, 1943. His wife, Marie
W. Sawyer, lives at 40il Norview
Avenue, Norfolk, Va.
JARVIS IMPORTANT
FIGURE IN BANK
Engelhard Merchant Has Served
As President Since Institu- j
tion Was Organized 1
The most important figure in
the new East Carolina Bank is
J. H. Jarvis, Engelhard merch-1
ant, who is president. He hais
held that position sirjpe the insti- j
tion was organized as the Engel- (
TONEY SPENCER
STARTED KEEPING
STORE AT 14
One of Engelhard’s most sue
cessful and outstanding citizens
is R. S. '"Toney” Spencer, who
started in business at the age of
14 and who today O'wns and man
ages the most completely sto'cked
store in Hyde County. Everybody
in Hyde Co'unty knows or has
heard of Toney Spencer, and al
j most everybody that goes to En-
I gelbard stops by at his store,
j Mr. Spencer started in business
I with $40. He earned that fishing
I at .Stumpy Point with an old man
j named Enoch Wise. The business
1 he opened would compare with
I what we would call a drink shop.
; At the age of 16 he had $850 and
his business was going well. It
has continued to go well.
Tony Spencer is a shrewd buy-
One of the leading boasters of
^''Selhard today is mild-manner-
^ Hicbard Lee Gibbs, who heads
J ® su'Qcessful farm produce bus-
known as R. L. Gibbs &
Jj^’hpany. When some develop-
®nt or improvement comes to
j''geihard, you can be sure
”‘'^ard Gibbs helped it come
although you may not hear
t^ut it because he, is a moidest
Gibbs is not the kind of
pton who actively participates
® civic and community organi-
^tions. He devotes most of his
to his business and family.
* Wife is the former Lois Miann,
v?:“ghter of Dr. J. E. Mann of
^'ddletown. They have three
dhiitiren. The spring term of Hyde Coun-
^‘chard Gibbs started working ty Superior Court that convened
^ agent for the old Mohawk in Swan Quarter Monday morning
I'fattapoiitation Company wihich i cleared its work quickly and the
a boat line from Nebraska to juries were dismissed the same
Washington and other river and day the session convened. Judge
ports in this area. He also C. E. Thompson of Elizabeth City
as agent for the old Lake presided.
^^nding^Wysocking Canal Trans- - There were five criminal cases
J^’^tation Company which owned on the docket. Tom Blount, Swan
toll canal at Nebraska. He Quarter Negro, charged with
■ breaking and entering, plead
hard Banking and Trust Co. in
1919, which indicates his impor- | e. A. WILLIAMS, Swan Quarter
tance in the organization and re- | merchant and community leader, j er and a goiod salesman. It is these
veals the confidence fellow direc- | says that the Engelhard Banking | talents along with his other fine
tors and stockholders have in & Trust Company, now the East i qualities, that undoubtedly make
Carolina Bank, has been a great I bim the successful businessman
benefit to Swan Quarter and ■ that he is.
Hyde County. Says Mr. Williams: j Taking part in just about eevry
"We have found it helpful in worthwhile undertaking that has
helping us in matters of finance - ever taken place in Engelhard, it
him.
Mr. Jarvis is a man who the
better you know him, the more
you like him. Like many of us, he
may at first glance appear a lit-
jROWING BANKING CO.
TAKES NEW NAME TO
COVER SECTION SERVED
East Carolina Bank Is New Name Of Banks at En
gelhard, Swan Quarter and Columbia; Institu
tion Has Built Up Fine Record Since It Began
Business In 1919
fRANK GIBBS VICE
PRESIDENT OF BANK
The Engelhard Banking & Trust
Ciomlpany, whidh has grown rap
idly in the last 10 years, estab
lishing branches in Swan Quar
ter and Columbia and having a
million and a half dollar jump in
deposits, took on a new name on
May 14th. It will henceforth be
known as the East Carolina Bank,
a term that more aptly covers
the area served today.
The change wais made by the
oflfioials and. rtockholders with
the approval of the State Bankiing
Oommission.
The Engelhard Bank has grown
rapidly in the last 10 years un
der the able guidance of Mlarsh-
all A. Matthews, a country bank
er of much ability. Deposits have-
jumped from $109,525.68 in 1934-
to $1,709,849.20 as of March 20,
1945.
The Engelhard Banking and
Trust Company was organized
I in 1917 and wias incorporated in
1919. It estalbli^ed the Swan
! Quarter Branch in 1935 and in
C. PRANK GIBBS, prominent I 1036 it opened an office in Co-
Engelhard man, is vice president ilumbia in Tyrrell County,
of the Engelhard Bank, now op-1 ,M. A. Matthews of Sampson
erating as the East Carolina Bank, j County has been cashier of the
He has held that position since j banks since 1934, at which time
1933, when he succeeded B. C. he succeeded Walter Hooker,
Marshall, who resigned.
Mr. Gibbs 14 a community lead
er with progressive ideas. He has
served more than 25 years as a
who died in an automobile acci
dent near Swan Quarter. A na
tive of Aurora in Beaufort Coun
ty, Mr. Hooker had served aa
steward in- the Engelhard Metho- cashier since the bank was or-
dist church. For a number of
yeaers he served on the commun
ity school committee. He is an
active memlber of the Engelhard
Rotary Club.
A life-long resident of Hyde holders.
ganized.
The bank has increased its oap-
ital stock from $11,000 to $50,000
and last year paid 100 per cent
3!n7idends to eadh of the stock-
tie distant, but oncsr you know, in carrying on our business.” The , jg only natural that Toney Spen-
Jury Dismissed Same Day Session
Convened; Grand Jury
Makes Recommendations
him, you find him the opposite.
He is a man of clogressive
Ideas. He .has vision and is a good
man to go to for advice on many
questions. He is well posted -on
most subjects and is an interest
ing conversationist.
In the mercantile business since
1998, Mr. Jarvis knows the trade
thoroughly. He handles a line of
general merchandise, specializ
ing in the sale of shoes. He is
agent for some of the best brands
of goods.
Mr. Jarvis was one of the or
ganizers of the Engelhard Bank.
He has seen its benefits to the
community. It has been a big help
to his business, as it is to every
business.
Mr. Jarvis is a charter mem
ber of the Engelhard Rotary Club
and is a past president. H® is
married and his two children are
in the service, his daughter bding
a member of the Spars. His wife
Co'unty, Mr. Gilbbs has devoted
mo's! of his life to farming. He
has recently taken over the mer-
chantile -business Of his brother,
the late Gloss -Gilbbs, and is op
erating it for his nephew, Gilbert
Gibbs, who stays busy running
the large farming interests left
him by his father.
iMr. Gibbs is married and has
three children. Two daughters,
Elizabeth and-'iitoena, are serving
The deposits have increased
rapidly since Mr. Matthews be
came cashier. In June, 1934, they
were $109,525.68; in June 1936
they were $159,480.83; in June
1938 they were $267,403.35; in
1940 they were $365,285.78; in
June, 1942, $722,581.84; in June,
1944, $1,338,242.91; and March
20, 1945, $1,709,849.20.
The bank owns its quarters in
the three towns where it does
PATRICK BROTHERS
Roman Patrick is Esso Distribu
tor; John Has Hyde’s Most
Modem Grocery
many friends and proved
J ®biihi^g gt these jobs.
^ '''as not long before the own-
^ the freight company took
in as a partner. He was
energetic and thrifty and
his management the busi-
nun
nie:
^ grew. In li934, it purchased
, ''"arehouse and lot at Engel-
where there were better
and a deeper harbor. To-
^ it Is tjjg largest farm pro-
business in Hyde County,
'^’’ating a fleet of 12 trucks,
J^n of them the big 10 ton type.
^ Employing 15 workers. It has
increased the warehouse
space and is planning to
Qstruct a cotton gin as soon os
j'hitians permit.
^ Gibbs owns one bf the nic-
homes in the town of Engel-
^ "i- It is a brick bungalow in
a new residentiail section on
^ghway 264 just west of the
toi. Hg owns a nice farm
Landing.
f ^ar. Gibbs is a director of the
Carolina Bank, which now
.'''■as mudh of the Southern Ai-
j'''arle with offices in Swan
r ^'’tar and Columbia as well as
'"Salhard.
guilty and was given 18 months
suspended upon payment of the
cost and good behavior. The case
against John C. Respes, Engelhard
Justice of the Peeace, charged
with peeping into the living quar
ters of S. Shear, was continued.
The court dismissed the case
against Albin Collins, Engelhard
Negro, charged with disorderly
conduct. Clay 'W. Gibbs of En
gelhard Charged with assault with
a deadly weeapon was found not
■guilty, as was Curfew Harris,
Fairfield Negro, charged with
reckless driving.
The grand jury praised the ef
ficient manner in which the coun
ty officials were doing their work.
It made trwo recommendations.
These were that a sanitary drink
ing fountain be built back of the
agriculture building and that
weigbis be put on the windows
in the vault in the Register of
Deeds office.
today are outstanding citizens of
is a congenial woman whom you I their community,
are bound to strike up a conver- I Both men are married and have
sation with if you see her. fine families.
bank opened a branch in Swan cer should have been one of the
Quarter In 1935. I founders of the Engelhard Bank j
of which As has been a director I
I ^ince it was organized. "The bank I
! has meant a lot to Engelhard,” i
MAKE GOOD AT HOME he -says, adding, "why, ■ what
wo'uld we do without a bank?”
Mr. Spencer didn’t m'arry un-'
til he was 48, living with and;
providing for bis mother until j
her death. He has a fine wife and '
two children of which he is very ^
Two brothers who have made proud. No one thinks more of his 1
good in different fields in their family than Toney Spencer,
home town is John and Roman 'i can do any dam thing any-
P-atrick of Engelhard. Roman is body else can,” Toney Spencer
Esso dealer in Hyde County and told Mr. 'Wise When the old man;
John operates the county’s most questioned the wisdom of hiring
modern grocery and market, be-1 a 13 year old boy to fish nets,
sides dealing in poultry and eggs, -phat is the spirit that put him on'
These two successful business top and it is the spirit that has:
people started out with little pushed the development of En-1
worldly goods, but a lot of am- gelh'ard.
bition, energy and good business I
ideas. They have made good, and ENGELHARD MAN IN j
NAVAL HOSPITAL I
with the armed forces with the ^
SPARS. Mrs. Gibbs, who was the I buildings. Modern office
former Oathleen Spencer, is a furniture has recently Ween in-
pleasant woman who is welL ^ Quarter and Oo-
thou’ght of and who is active in ; lurnibia.
church work. | Assistant cashiers who work
I under Mr. Mlattoews are Mrs. Sal-
GILBERT GIBBS IN ' Engelhard, E.
K. Mann at Swan Quarter and
DAO’S FOOTSTEPS Miss Grace Berry a? Columbia
Mrs. Sadler has been wkh the
He Is A Young Man 'Who Will bank, except for a short period.
Play Important Role In
Engelhard Affairs
A young man who is destined
to play av important part in the
future growth and development
of Engelhard is Gilbert Gibbs, son
of the late Closs Gibbs, who is a
since it began business.
The banks do a large part of
its business with farmers, and
promotes better methods of agri
culture. It also does a large vol
ume of business with fishermen
and lumbermen.
iOflficers of the banks are J. H.
ENGELHARD POST OFFICE IS GROWING
John D. Silverthorne, Jr., cook '
first olass, USNR, son of Mr. and |
Mrs. J. D. Silverthorne, of En
gelhard, N. C., is now a patient
at the U. S. Naval Hospital, New
Orleans, La. His wife, Mrs. Gol
die Silverthorne, resides in Cen
tury, Fla. He enlisted in May,
1941, served aboard the mine-
j sweeper Fearless, and later
aboard a subchaser which is
credited with knocking out two
submarines in the Atlantic. John
has a brother in the Navy, Cecil
R. Silverthorne, stationed at Nor
folk.
large 'property owner and who is Jarvis, president; C. F. Glhbs,
a young m;|i of energy and vis- I vice president; M. A. Matthews,
ion. I icaahier; E. K. Mann, assistant
Young Gibbs is carrying on the [cashier, -Swan Quarter; Miss
business left him by his father.! Grace Berry, assistant cashier.
He is assisted by his uncle,' Columibia; Mrs. Sallie Berry Sad-
Frank Gibbs. Like his father be- , ler, assistant cashier, Engelhard,
fore him, Gilbert loves tile soil Meonlbers of the board of direc-
and is interested in farming and t'ors are S. D. Cox, R. S. Spen-
livestock. i C. F. Gibbs, J. H. Jarvis, T.
The merchantile business is still ^ Jennett, S. S. Neal, M. A Mat-
carried on, although on a small-1 "thews. Dr. S. C. Chaplin, H. T.
er scale than by the late Closs Davenport and J. C. McClees.
Gibbs. It is a business that has I —— ;
operated continuously -by the SGT. NOE COMING HOME
same family for many decades. The Rev. and Mrs. A. C. D.
It was started 'by his grandfath- ' Noe have been notified through
er, the late Anson Gibbs, who
kept store "up on the ridge.” It
was later moved to Engelhard by
the Red Cross that their son TSgt.
Alexander B. (Andy) Noe, who
has been a prisoner of war in
HYDE BOY STUDYING
NAVAL STOREKEEPING
Closs Gilbbs who constructed the Gemi'any has been liberated and
big two story building. I is on his way home. Sergeant
Young Gibbs is a director in Noe was in the Air Force as en-
the Engelhard Dank, which his ginerr on a Flying Fortress and
Mr. and Mrs. Roy Conley and
daughter of Portsmouth and Mrs.
Conley’s niece. Miss Davis, were
, the weekend guests of Mr. and
i Mrs. Cliarlie ForteSfcue.
PICrrURED ABOVE is the trimly painted wooden building thht hous
es the Engelhard Post Office, -which like the Bank has had rapid
■growth in the la^st 10 years. It has grown from / fourth class office
to a third olass office, and receipts continue to increase. One of the
■businesses that has done a volume of mailing and contributed to
the growth of the post office is the Bank. Mirs. Trixie Matthews is
the postmaster.
Afert duty in New Zealand,
Arthur Bruce Marshall, 25, sea
man first class. Lake Landing, is *
attending storekeeper’s schoo'l in
the Naval Trairting Center, Mia
mi, Fla.
Before enlisting in July, 1938,
he worked on a farm near Lake
Landing. -
Seamian Marshall is the son of
the late Mr. and Mrs. Tom Marsh
all Of Lake Landing.
father helped fO'Und. It was the
bank that helped their business
grow and develop.
One of Gilbert’s chief interests
was shot down over German-held
territory, August 27, 1043. He
was wounded twice and received
the Purple Heart. He was also
as an airport for Engelhard. Tiiis ] awarded the Air Medal and Oak
is a project that many of the 1 Leaf Clusters,
more progressive minde> Citi- I —
zens are interested in.
A process of chemical conver- jjj color,
sdon of such agrlcutturail residues i
Grain which is to be C'Ombined
should be thoroughly dry, heads
drooped, and the straw rath«r
as corncolbs, peanut shells, and I Cowpeas, soybeans, and velvet
cottonseed hulls and burs into | bgrans planted in corn will pro
liquid motor fuel is being tsed by j excellent grazing for the
the US'DA. ■ late fall.
. And