Highway 86

City Is Making Much Progress in Campaign for Road Improvement

[Special to The Times-Dispatch]

Danville, Va., July 29 [1909] -- Danville is keeping pace with other cities in Virginia and North Carolina in the improvement of the public roads, and considerable work is in progress now and more contemplated on the various highways leading into the city.

At a meeting of the board of directors of the Caswell County Macadam Road Company, held here yesterday, it was decided to start work as soon as possible on the construction of the new road from Yanceyville, N.C., to Danville, a distance of nearly fourteen miles. The Caswell County Road Company will build as far as the Virginia-North Carolina line, a distance of about eleven miles, and Danville, by an agreement, will build to the State line, a distance of about three miles beyond the corporate limits. A committee has been appointed with full authority to act for the road company, and to award the contract. The City Council at the next regular meeting is expected to make the appropriation for the building of Danville's part of the road. The construction of the Danville-Yanceyville road will cost approximately $40,000.

Gretna Green of Caswell County, North Carolina

Eleven Eloping Couples Married at Pelham Christmas Day
(Special to The Times-Dispatch)

Danville, VA., December 27 [1904] -- Justice of the Peace S. A. Pierce, of Pelham, N.C., the gretna green of this section, did a rushing business Sunday, uniting various couples in the bond of wedlock. On that day alone he performed eleven marriages, which is a record breaker.

The couples began to arrive in vehicles early in the morning, and Mr. Pierce was kept busy until a late hour that night. All of the brides are described as being young and pretty and most of the contracting parties were run-away couples.

Woman With a Horn

Woman With a Horn Not a Myth

One of the greatest living human freaks in the country is to be seen in Caswell County, N. C., which is in Representative W. W. Kitchin's district.

The other day Mr. Kitchin received in his mail a letter from the chairman of the Caswell County commissioners requesting him to go and see some dime store manager and make arrangements for exhibiting the freak, which is a woman with a horn growing from the back of her head.

The horn is six inches long and very hard. It strongly resembles the horn of a goat.

Mr Kitchin saw the woman some time ago in a museum in North Carolina. The member from the Tar Heel State, however, has not yet made up his mind whether or not he will embrace this opportunity and embark in the dime museum business as a side issue.

The woman with a horn is no myth but a living reality.

Source: The Washington Times (Washington, D.C.), 9 June 1906, Page 6.

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The Horned Woman on Exhibition (Special to the Observer)

High Point, Nov. 9 -- "Mrs. Hightower, of Caswell County, who bears the distinction of being the only woman living with horns, was on exhibition here today while en route home. She was in company with her son-in-law, who has been exhibiting her in the side show of the recent fairs. Five years ago a growth was noticed on the back of the head and since that time a large horn has made its appearance. She is an elderly woman and suffers no little from the deformity."

The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, NC), 10 November 1901.

Medical Doctors: Caswell County, North Carolina

Early Caswell County Medical Doctors

In the early 1800’s, medical training was by apprenticeship. By 1810 there were five practicing physicians in Caswell County, North Carolina:

Dr. John McAden
Dr. William S. Webb
Dr. Samuel Dabney
Dr. James Smith
Dr. Edward Foulks.

Perhaps Solomon Debow, as well as his son, Archibald Debow, apprenticed under one of these Caswell County physicians.

Source: Biography of Dr. Solomon Debow, M.D. (1780-1831), Caswell County Historical Association.

Subsequently, the University of Pennsylvania Medical School became a source of medical training for several Caswell County doctors.