Tate's School (Stoney Creek Township, Caswell County, NC)

 

 

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Tate's School (Stoney Creek Township,   Caswell County, NC)

 Source: The Caswell Messenger (Yanceyville, NC), 1972.

"The Buckle" by Jeffery D. Murrie

 The Buckle! 

For many years I assumed it was a copy, because how would anyone be in possession of a buckle that belonged to their gg grandfather [William Washington Murrie]? Well, after being "lost" at my parents house for a few years it finally reappeared about 12 years ago and I decided to take "guardianship" of the item. I searched online for information and was surprised with its rarity and value, thus again assuming it must be a copy.

I searched for an appraiser who would look and everyone said Rafael Eledge from PBS "Antique Roadshow" would be the only person to trust in authenticating and he only does that in person. As luck would have it, Mr. Eledge was attending the annual Civil War show in Charleston, SC and I asked by email if he would take a look at something for me and he agreed. So, off to Charleston I drove to meet Mr. Eledge!

He was not hard to locate due to his popularity on "Antique Roadshow." I approached him and introduced myself and presented him with a small box. Inside rested the buckle. He held the unopened box in his hand and asked how I came to have it. I explained that W. W. Murrie was my great-great-grandfather and it was in the possession of his grandson, Fran Thomas Murrie until it came to me. He opened the box and took the buckle over to a digital scale and nodded in the affirmative! He then measured the buckle, again nodding in the affirmative! His last procedure was to take out a jewelers loop to examine the back and again nodded in the affirmative! He handed me the buckle and smiled saying "You have an authentic buckle and you are very lucky to have something that connects you to your great-great grandfather."

My question was how was he so sure? Mr. Eledge said it had the correct weight and measurements and the back still had particles of the tar that was applied to the back when the buckle was made and for him the evidence of the tar was definitive. Needless to say, I was a very happy person! He then asked what else I had that may have belonged to W. W. Murrie and I started to name them: His coin silver pocket watch, c1870, three images, a coin silver match safe, part of medal (visible in the case with the buckle) and a ribbon from a veterans reunion c.1921. His parting words where, "Do you know how many people at this show would like to own just one item from a Civil War ancestor and you possess so many?"

I am just the caretaker for the time being and glad to share.

Jeffery D. Murrie

Florence, South Carolina

May 13, 2020

North Carolina Illustrated, 1524-1984 by H. G. Jones (1983)

Jones, H. G., North Carolina Illustrated, 1524-1984. Chapel Hill (NC): University of North Carolina Press, 1983. 

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Semora School (Caswell County, North Carolina)

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Semora School (Caswell County, NC) -- Probably 6th and 7th Grades

 (Left-to-Right):

First (front) Row

Willie Allen Wagstaff (1915-1995), son of Willie Hall Wagstaff and Nannie Bell Thomas, married Hazel Mae Barker

Colonel Jasper Owen, Jr. (1921-1967), son of Colonel Jasper Owen and Ruby Virginia Groves, married Janie Clara Stowe

John Morrison Allen (1920-1950), son of Clyde Dodson Allen and Swannie Wilson Taylor, never married 

Luther Guthrie/Gutherie: no more is known

Second (back) Row

John Floyd Mansfield (1919-1987), son of Robert Lee Mansfield and Mary Ann Smith, married Martha Leslye Walker

John Foster (Cotton) Pointer (1920-1999), son of John Luther Pointer and Cora Lee Foster, married Frankie Louise Northcott

Jack Lea Pointer, Sr. (1920-1995), son of Clarence Wimbush Pointer and Willie Susan Lea, married Mary Frances Adams

Aubrey Joseph Barker (1917-1982), son of Thomas Benjamin Barker and Annie Susan Fullington, married Bessie Lee McCann

James Cecil Pointer (1920-1943), son of William Williams Pointer and Luna Emma Allen, apparently never married (died in World War II)

Joseph William (Billy) Chandler, son of Claude Gunn Chandler and Freda Brown Pointer, married Mable Yeatts 

Row Town Store (Caswell County, NC)

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Row Town Store

At one time the Row Town store purportedly was operated by brothers John Scott Blackwell (1820-1900) and James Scott Blackwell (1822-1892).

"Row" is pronounced as with respect to altercations and not boat propulsion.

The Row Town community apparently was so called because some residents there would cause disturbances, brawls, and commotion. Some locals claimed drunkenness led to trouble in the area. As of 1979, the store was still standing (but decaying near the edge of the highway on the Ruffin-Quick Road). It has been used as a dwelling and to store feed. A man named Grandleson Mitchell once clerked at the store and lived in the nearby Joseph Felix Womack home.

From J. Clayton Blackwell (undated):

John Scott Blackwell (1820-1900) was the son of Garland and Mary Scott Blackwell. He married Eliza Jane Jarrell (called Jennie) in 1860. John and his brother Jim ran a store called "Row Town Store." This store still stands on the John S. Blackwell farm. This farm was inherited by his grandson, John Reid Blackwell.

Gatewood Is Sheriff of Caswell County, NC (1930)

Gatewood Is Sheriff of Caswell County, NC

Initials are incorrect. The name is John Yancey Gatewood. Source: The Bee  (Danville, VA), 5 November 1930, p. 2.

Other names mentioned: George Anderson (Clerk of Court); C. W. Higgins (Solicitor); S. Porter Graves; E. A. Hatchett; Bailey; Frank Congress; E. A. Allison; E. W. Carter; B. S. Graves; J. T. Buntin; E. S. Walton; and W. P. Cook.

Gatewood Coal Co. (Danville, VA)

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 In the 1955 advertisement: Ed Gatewood; Mrs. Ed Gatewood (Ota Hunter Gatewood); Mrs. Waynell Dix; James Kernoodle; Clem Walker; Alfred Allen; and Willie Garrett.

Ed Gatewood is Edwin Edison Gatewood (1906-1959).

The "Heritage of Caswell County" provides: "Operated Gatewood Coal Company at the dry bridge in south Danville, Virginia, for many years."

"This month marks the 25th year of serving the people of Danville and this community. We have endeavored to supply the best coal we could obtain and give the best service possible. A quarter of a century is a fairly long time, and I sincerely appreciate the patronage and good will of all customers during these 25 years. I sincerely hope it will be my privilege to continue for many more years. ED GATEWOOD"

Edwin Edison Gatewood is the second-great grandson of Dudley Gatewood in whose Caswell County home slept US President George Washington.

Caswell Academy 1802

Caswell Academy (Caswell County, NC) 1802

An Act to Establish an Academy at the Court House in Caswell County. 1802 - Chapter XXXVII The Laws of North Carolina of 1802 - Page 25

Whereas a number of the citizens of said county, are desirous of establishing an Academy for the promotion of Learning, at the court house aforesaid, having by subscription, erected a convenient building on a lot appropriated to that purpose, and Trustees being already appointed by the subscribers to carry the same into effect, and it is proper that they should be incorporated, therefore:

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of North Carolina, and it is hereby enaced by the authority of the same, That Thomas Donoho, Solomon Graves, Jesse Carter, Alexander Murphy, David Mitchell, Richard Sampson, Marmaduke Williams, Michael Montgomery, John McAden, James Yancey and Henry Atkinson, esquires, shall be, and they are hereby declared to be a body politic and corporate, to be known and distinguished by the name of "The Trustees of the Caswell Academy," and by that name shall have perpetual succession; and that they, the Trustees, and their successors by the name aforesaid, or a majority of them, shall be able and capable in law, to take, demand, receive and possess all monies, goods and chattels that shall be given for the use of the said Academy, and the same apply according to the will of the donors; and by gift, purchase or devise, to take, have, receive, possess and enjoy and retain to them and their successors forever, any lands, rents, tenements and hereditaments of what kind or nature soever, in special trust and confidence, that the same or the profits thereof, be applied to and for the use and purposes of establishing and endowing the said Academy.

II. And be it further enacted, That the said Trustees, or a majority of them, shall have the power to make such laws and regulations for the government of the said Academy, and the preservation of order and good morals therein, as are usually made in such Seminaries, and as to them may appear necessary, and shall be able and capable to act and do all things whatever for the promotion of said Seminary, in as full and ample manner, as any body politic or corporate can or may by law.

III. And be it further enacted, That upon the death, resignation, inability, refusal to act, or removal of any of the said Trustees, it may be lawful for the remaining Trustees, or a majority of them, to elect others in the room of such Trustee dead, resigned, refusing to act, unable to attend or removal, and that the Trustee or Trustees so elected, shall have equal power, authority and capacity with the Trustees hereby appointed. 

Read three times and ratified in General Assembly, the 17th day of December, Anno Domini, 1802 William White, Secretary

Joseph Riddick, S.S.

Stephen Cabarrus, S.H.C.

Sheriffs of Caswell County, NC

SHERIFFS OF CASWELL COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA

Tony Durden Jr. 2017-present

Michael L. Welch 2002-2017

James Isaac Smith, Jr. 1978-2002

Bobby E. Poteat 1966-1978

Frank B. Daniel 1958-1966

Lynn Banks Williamson 1953-1958

J. Whitt Powell 1951-1953

John Y. Gatewood 1950-1951

John H. Gunn 1936-1950

John Y. Gatewood 1929-1936

John H. Gunn 1920-1929

Will Burton 1919-1920

Thomas Nathaniel Fitch 1907-1919

Abner Walker Fitch 1900-1907

John T Donoho 1894-1900

T. P. Womack 1891-1894

Barzillai Graves 1879-1891

Jesse C. Griffith 1860-1879

Christian Strader 1856-1860

Jesse C. Griffith 1856

Frank A. Wiley 1850-1856

John K. Brooks 1842-1850

Thomas L. Lea 1832-1842

George Williamson 1815-1832

Nathan Williams 1814-1815

John Stamps 1806-1814

Archibald Samuel 1805-1806

Samuel Johnson 1804-1805

William Rainey 1802-1804

Gabriel Lea 1801-1802

William Muzzle 1799-1801

James Williamson 1797-1799

Azariah Graves 1795-1797

Adam Sanders 1793-1795

William Swift 1792-1793

Thomas Brooks 1790-1792

Spillsby Coleman 1789-1790

Robert Parks 1787-1789

James Saunders 1785-1787

John Douglas 1783-1785

David Shelton 1780-1783

James Rice 1780

John Atkinson 1780

Thomas Rice 1779-1780

David Shelton 1777-1779

Caswell County Elections 1966

Caswell County Elections 1966 

Aldridge May Not Seek Re-Election To Caswell Board of Commissioners: Poteat Candidate For Sheriff

Yanceyville, N.C. -- Irvin Aldridge, chairman of the Caswell County Board of Commissioners, said Thursday he doubts that he will seek re-election. Aldridge is a candidate for president of the North Carolina Jaycees. If he wins that post, "something's got to give," he said. He said he wants to discuss the matter with other members of the board next Monday before making an official statement, "but as of right now, I'm not running." As Aldridge has all but bowed out of the May 28 Democratic primary, to other candidates entered.

One of these is Bobby Poteat, who said he will oppose Frank Daniel as sheriff. The other is Weldon Duncan, a Yanceyville businessman, who declared for Aldridge's seat on the Board of Commissioners. Duncan's decision to run for commissioner was not made in consultation with Aldridge, however.

Oscar Watlington, a former member of the board from Yanceyville, is reported considering seeking his old seat back.

Poteat's announcement assured Caswell of at least one county contest in the upcoming primary.

It could be a lively one. Poteat, who lives at Providence, has been under pressure for some time to challenge Daniel and is expected to give Daniel his most serious competition since Daniel first was elected in 1958. Poteat served as a deputy under Daniel until last month when he resigned. Before becoming a deputy in August, 1957, he was a constable of Dan River Township.

A member of Providence Baptist Church, he married the former Margaret Murphy in 1950. They have a son, 6, and daughter, 11. He served in the Army during the Korean War.

Sheriff Daniel announced this week that Brooks Arnold, 57, of Pelham, has been appointed deputy sheriff to succeed Poteat.

Duncan has been active in numerous civic affairs in the county since returning here after World War II. The Army veteran was president of the Caswell County Fair Association for two years, held every office in the Caswell Jaycees, including president, and has held offices, including commander, of the local American Legion post. He also is a senior vice commander of the local VFW.

In discussing his plans, Aldridge said his campaign for N.C. Jaycee president will be opened this Saturday night at a regional meeting in Jaycee. At present, there are no other candidates for the post. Now a national Jaycee director, Aldridge said he thinks his chances of winning the state job are good.

"In fact, if this wasn't looking as promising as it is, I probably would go ahead and run for commissioner again," he said. The new officers will be elected at the state Jaycee convention May 14 in Raleigh. [Aldridge won.]

A graduate of Elon College and the University of North Carolina Law School, Aldridge has experienced nothing but success in his political ventures in his native county. He ran for County Solicitor during his senior year in law school and won easily. Later, however, when he took a job as office manager of Graphic Systems, Inc., he resigned this post but then ran for County Commissioner from his old Anderson-Hightower Township. He was elected and, two years later, was reelected from Yanceyville Township when [Oscar] Watlington retired. He has served as chairman for the past four years.

Source: The Danville Register (Danville, Virginia), 4 March 1966, Friday, Page 11

George Irvin Aldridge 1966

Aldridge May Not Seek Re-Election To Caswell Board of Commissioners

Photograph: Caswell County Board of Commissioners 1962-1963 (left-to-right): Robert Briggs; O. B. Watlington, Jr.; George Irvin Aldridge (chairman); James Blackwell; and A. D. Swann.

Yanceyville, N.C. -- Irvin Aldridge, chairman of the Caswell County Board of Commissioners, said Thursday he doubts that he will seek re-election. Aldridge is a candidate for president of the North Carolina Jaycees. If he wins that post, "something's got to give," he said. He said he wants to discuss the matter with other members of the board next Monday before making an official statement, "but as of right now, I'm not running." As Aldridge has all but bowed out of the May 28 Democratic primary, to other candidates entered.

In discussing his plans, Aldridge said his campaign for N.C. Jaycee president will be opened this Saturday night at a regional meeting in Jaycee. At present, there are no other candidates for the post. Now a national Jaycee director, Aldridge said he thinks his chances of winning the state job are good. "In fact, if this wasn't looking as promising as it is, I probably would go ahead and run for commissioner again," he said. The new officers will be elected at the state Jaycee convention May 14 in Raleigh. [Aldridge won.]

A graduate of Elon College and the University of North Carolina Law School, Aldridge has experienced nothing but success in his political ventures in his native county. He ran for County Solicitor during his senior year in law school and won easily. Later, however, when he took a job as office manager of Graphic Systems, Inc., he resigned this post but then ran for County Commissioner from his old Anderson-Hightower Township. He was elected and, two years later, was reelected from Yanceyville Township when [Oscar] Watlington retired. He has served as chairman for the past four years.

Source: The Danville Register (Danville, Virginia) · 4 Mar 1966, Fri · Page 11

Caswell County NC Speakers of Senate and House

Speakers of the Senate and of the House of Commons of North Carolina, from 1777 to 1856-1857, Inclusive

An intelligent and well-informed friend, who takes an interest in statistics and in historical facts, especially such as are connected with our own State, has kindly furnished us for publication with the following list of the Speakers of the two Houses of the General Assembly, from 1777 to the present times. 

The Speakers of the two Houses, it will be observed, have been chosen for the space of eighty years from twenty-eight Counties, to wit: . . . Caswell . . . .

The longest continuous service of any of the Speakers, was that of Mr. Yancey, of Caswell, who was Speaker of the Senate from 1817 to 1827, inclusive, eleven years.

Chowan . . . can boast of having given Speakers to the two Houses for twenty years our of the eighty years; Caswell County stands next in rank in this respect, having had Speakers for seventeen years. 

Caswell had the Speakers of both Houses in 1819 and 1820 -- Mr. Yancey, of the Senate, and Mr. Saunders, (now Judge,) of the Commons. . . . 

Of the sixty-one persons who have occupied the Speaker's chair of the two Houses since 1777, the following we believe, only survive, to wit [only Caswell County listed]: Bedford Brown; Romulus M. Saunders . . . .

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Speakers of the Senate

1817: Bartlett Yancey, Caswell 

1818: Bartlett Yancey, Caswell

1819: Bartlett Yancey, Caswell

1820: Bartlett Yancey, Caswell

1821: Bartlett Yancey, Caswell

1822: Bartlett Yancey, Caswell

1823: Bartlett Yancey, Caswell

1824: Bartlett Yancey, Caswell

1825: Bartlett Yancey, Caswell

1826: Bartlett Yancey, Caswell

1827: Bartlett Yancey, Caswell

1829: Bedford Brown, Caswell

1848-1849: Calvin Graves, Caswell

Speakers of the House of Commons

1819: Romulus M. Saunders, Caswell

1820: Romulus M. Saunders, Caswell

1842-1843: Calvin Graves, Caswell

1854-1855: Samuel P. Hill, Caswell

Source: Semi-Weekly Standard (Raleigh, North Carolina), 25 Mar 1857, Wednesday, Page 3.

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Bartlett Yancey, Jr. (1785-1828)

Bedford Brown (1795-1870)

Calvin Graves (1804-1877) [served as speaker in both houses]

Romulus Mitchell Saunders (1791-1867)

Samuel P. Hill (c.1824-1874) [first president of the Bank of Yanceyville]

Congressional Ball: Ralph Scott (NC)

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Left-to-Right

Front Row: Unidentified (but probably one of Congressman Scott's staff); Lynn Banks Williamson; William A. (Billy) Cobb; George Malloy Harris

Back Row: Unidentified; Unidentified; Irene Jones Lunsford; Jake Lunsford; Congressman Ralph Scott; Mrs. Scott; Lois Winn Harris; Unidentified; Inez Harris Powell.

Lakewood Pool (Caswell County, NC): Long History of Segregation

Lakewood Pool, County Home Road, Caswell County, NC

Here are the two bi-racial children refused admission to Lakewood Pool in 2006 purportedly because of their skin color.

Television station WRAL reported:

"When Yanceyville residents Mary and Don Able brought their biracial cousins to the Lakewood private pool, the family swimming trip was allegedly stopped short by the sting of segregation.

"It was just so sad seeing the little ones cry," said Mary Able.

"Mary Able said a woman who identified herself as a pool associate told them the 10-and 8-year-olds were not welcome because of their race.

"She said, 'Blacks are not allowed in the pool. We as board of directors have made a decision, and there are no blacks in the pool,'" said Mary Able.

"She wrote a letter to the Caswell Messenger expressing her outrage. Her family is also no longer members at the Lakewood pool.

"When WRAL brought cameras to the pool to ask about their policy, employees called police and told the reporter to leave, saying that the crew was trespassing on private property.

"WRAL also tried calling the pool association president and manager, but they were unavailable for comment."

Congressional Ball (Washington, DC): Caswell County Attendees

 

Congressional Ball (Washington, DC)

Congressman Ralph Scott

Lynn Banks Williamson and Geneva Moorefield Clayton Williamson

William A. (Billy) Cobb and Leona Eleanor Clayton Cobb

George Malloy Harris and Lois Winn Harris

Photograph courtesy Philip Harris. Click image to see a larger version.

Prospect United Methodist Church (Caswell County, NC)

1900 US Hwy 158 West West Yanceyville, Caswell County, NC

Prospect United Methodist Church about three miles west of Yanceyville may have been an outgrowth of the Piney Grove Methodist Church that Starling Gunn is said to have built. Early buildings appear to have been built on land for which no deed was recorded and that may have been soon after the American Revolution. In 1850 Elijah Roberts gave some land to the congregation and in subsequent years additional land was given. The present church, originally a wooden structure but now brick veneered, was built in 1905 with an addition made in 1929. The earliest grave in the cemetery is dated 1876.

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Building Photographs

Cemetery on Cemetery Census

Cemetery on Find A Grave

Cemetery Photographs

Methodist Church History in Caswell County

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The following is from In the Beginning - The Churches of Caswell County, which was published in 2001. The author is unknown:

We do not know the exact date the Prospect United Methodist Church was organized, but tradition has that it is the oldest church of the old Yanceyville Circuit, which included Prospect, Pelham, Bethel, Shady Grove, Yanceyville, and Locust Methodist churches. Early church histories date Prospect's origins as shortly after the Revolutionary War.

Prospect Church is thought to have originated from Piney Grove Methodist Church, which no longer exists. Starling Gunn established Piney Grove Church on what now is Murray Road just off the County Home Road. Gunn served in the Revolutionary War and purportedly witnessed the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown. Soon after the war Gunn moved to North Carolina and provided lodging to circuit riding preachers. He later donated land for the Piney Grove Church building.

1980 NC Democrat Gubernatorial Primary: Caswell County

1980 NC Democrat Gubernatorial Primary: Caswell County

Jim Hunt's decision to run for a second term for NC Governor led to a challenge from former Democratic governor Robert W. Scott, but Hunt easily defeated the former governor in the Democratic primary. 

Caswell County Democrats were split.

It is too close to call, said W. Osmond Smith II, Hunt's Caswell campaign manager.

But George Daniel, Scott's Caswell chairman said: "Its been uphill, but there's a lot of undecided votes out there. Scott's done well switching his tactics . . . to what Bob Scott will do."

R. L. Satterfield, owner of Yanceyville Auto Sales, said: "Bob Scott's well known in this county and his daddy before him . . . but I'm leaning toward Hunt."

Helen Little, a Hunt appointee to the State Transportation Board, said she was concerned that "a lot of Hunt's people feel he's going to win and (will) stay home."

Lee Farmer, the county Democratic Party chairman said, "I detect a deterioration in Gov. Hunt's position." 

A Hunt gaffe during a recent campaign trip didn't help, Farmer and others said. Hunt had huddled with Smith and key workers in Smith's Northwestern Bank Building office while more than 125 Democrats cooled their heels nearby.

Farmer said: "It was an error. It looked bad."

Source: The News and Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina, 24 April 1980, Thursday, Page 21.

Photograph: Helen Little with unidentified man. Query whether it is the NC Secretary of Transportation. The event purportedly was either the funding for (or the completion of) straightening Highway 86 running southeast from Yanceyville. This was a major project for Helen Little.

Bank of Yanceyville Note Printers

Click Note to See a Larger Image

George Baldwin (1803-1872) began as a New York merchant 1830-1846, and a plate printer in 1847. He was with Durand, Baldwin & Co. 1848-1850; Baldwin, Adams & Co. 1851-1854; Baldwin, Bald & Cousland 1855-1858; and worked independently 1858-1872.

Baldwin, Adams & Co New York 1851-1855 Checks/Notes Printer Code: BA&

Robert L. Bald & Co. Philadelphia 1853 Notes Printer Code: RLB

Baldwin, Bald, Cousland & Co. New York and Philadelphia 1854-1857 Notes Printer Code: BCC

Bald, Cousland & Co. Philadelphia and New York 1854-1862 Checks/Notes Printer Code: BCO _______________

Caswell County Jaycees: Officers 1963-1964

Caswell County Jaycees: Officers 1963-1964

Left-to-Right:

Charles Franklin Murphy

Jack William Hooper

Bob O'Neil

Wallace Dale Nelson

Cecil Kenneth Cobb
David Hopkins

Bank of Yanceyville $10 Note (1953)

 

Bank of Yanceyville $10 Note

Here is one of the earliest Bank of Yanceyville notes found: August 15, 1853. The bank was chartered December 10, 1852. This is note #302.

North Carolina. Yanceyville. $10.00. Bank of Yanceyville. Haxby NC 105-G8. Serial Number 3021. Plen A. Fine using traditional grading by folds.  Ink stain on upper left corner. Hidden in design. Fully framed! Probably a PMG or PCGS Choice Fine 15 ink stain. Genuine.

A note about 3rd party grading. PCGS and PMG do a good job putting a floor on quality within a grade range and have become proficient in detecting repairs (though occasionally they miss something, or see something that is not there, as we all can).

Notes housed in Net or Apparent holders have a wide range of quality from very nice (in rare cases may be nearly choice) to dogs with major problems, so each needs to be evaluated on their own.

However, PMG and PCGS focus on technical grading due to circulation and damage and do not have a mechanism for evaluating condition or eye appeal - whether a note is average, better than average, choice or gem for the grade based on its color, trim and margins. The exception to this are slabbed notes of New or Uncirculated grades to some degree. This is important as Very Fine, Extremely Fine or AU notes can have a wide range of values depending on these factors not reflected in the slab grade. A fully framed Confederate or obsolete note is worth considerably to a lot more than one that is trimmed into the margin for the same grade. Likewise, color is important. These factors can affect the value of a note by 50%, 2-1 or even 3-1, e.g., an AU 58 (PPQ or not) T-20 1861 $20 CSA note trimmed into the margin is worth between $150 and $300. The same grade, AU 58 (PPQ or not), with a full frame and good color/inking is worth something like $500 to $1000 depending on eye appeal. I will continue to use the terms plus for above average, choice and gem to mean varying degrees of superiority of condition and eye appeal of a note within a grade as documented in my book which is based on what collectors seek out and pay premiums for.

Pierre Fricke.  Immediate Past President of the Society of Paper Money Collectors;  Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG); Professional Currency Dealers Association (PCDA); ANA, EAC, etc...

Author of the standard guide book to Confederate money - Collecting Confederate Money Field Edition 2014.Source: EBay 26 November 2020 [https://www.ebay.com/itm/383778193288?_trksid=p2471758.m4704]

Caswell County Black Education History

Caswell County Black Education History

1. Slavery (1777-1865)

2. Reconstruction (1865-1877)

3. KKK/Jim Crow Period

4. Churches/Parents

5. Yanceyville Colored Academy Incorporated 1897

6. John Walter Stephens House Purchased 1906 (Yanceyville)

7. Other County School Buildings (some log structures)

8. Rosenwald School Buildings Built (beginning in 1920s)

9. Nicholas Longworth Dillard Arrived 1930 (Yanceyville)

10. Caswell County Training School (Yanceyville)

11. Caswell County High School (Yanceyville)

12. Consolidation (county-wide)

13. Integration (1954-1969)

14. Post-Integration (white academies)

Turner's Boarding House Sign

Turner's Boarding House Sign

Here is an antique boarding house sign that measures about 13 1/4" by 36" and was originally found many years ago at a Yanceyville, NC estate sale. I think its either from Yanceyville or some other part of Caswell County. The sign is hand-painted "TURNER'S BOARDING HOUSE" on what appears to be a single wood board. I think it likely dates from sometime between 1870 and 1900. This sign is completely original with no touch-ups or restoration of any kind. Since the reverse was later painted white I think this may have once been a patch or part of a homemade piece of furniture. Some parts of the white lettering show more wear that other parts of the lettering.

Years ago some of the paint on parts of the lettering flaked away but currently doesn't seem to be in danger of more flaking in the near future. This sign was probably used for several years since on the top half you can see where some of the letters were painted over after the bottom layer of paint began to fade. Along parts of the left, right and bottom edge there is a section of light brown staining. I think this staining may have been caused by something that covered/pressed against this area. The staining might be removed or lessened if the right cleaner were used.

The wood board has a few age cracks with the largest going from about the R (in TURNER'S) to the right edge. If desired, a few drops of glue could be put in the crack which would make it a little less noticeable on the right side. Near the bottom edge are 3 antique nails that are not too distracting. Also not too distracting are a few small nail/worm holes that are spread out on the sign. Even with the minor staining and wear issues, this sign has a lot of folk art-Americana appeal and still displays really well like it is.

Source: EBay sale October 2020.

 

Caswell Academy Legislation 1802

 An Act to Establish an Academy at the Court House in Caswell County.

1802 - Chapter XXXVII

The Laws of North Carolina of 1802 - Page 25

Whereas a number of the citizens of said county, are desirous of establishing an Academy for the promotion of Learning, at the court house aforesaid, having by subscription, erected a convenient building on a lot appropriated to that purpose, and Trustees being already appointed by the subscribers to carry the same into effect, and it is proper that they should be incorporated, therefore:

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of North Carolina, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That Thomas Donoho, Solomon Graves, Jesse Carter, Alexander Murphy, David Mitchell, Richard Sampson, Marmaduke Williams, Michael Montgomery, John McAden, James Yancey and Henry Atkinson, esquires, shall be, and they are hereby declared to be a body politic and corporate, to be known and distinguished by the name of "The Trustees of the Caswell Academy," and by that name shall have perpetual succession; and that they, the Trustees, and their successors by the name aforesaid, or a majority of them, shall be able and capable in law, to take, demand, receive and possess all monies, goods and chattels that shall be given for the use of the said Academy, and the same apply according to the will of the donors; and by gift, purchase or devise, to take, have, receive, possess and enjoy and retain to them and their successors forever, any lands, rents, tenements and hereditaments of what kind or nature soever, in special trust and confidence, that the same or the profits thereof, be applied to and for the use and purposes of establishing and endowing the said Academy.

II. And be it further enacted, That the said Trustees, or a majority of them, shall have the power to make such laws and regulations for the government of the said Academy, and the preservation of order and good morals therein, as are usually made in such Seminaries, and as to them may appear necessary, and shall be able and capable to act and do all things whatever for the promotion of said Seminary, in as full and ample manner, as any body politic or corporate can or may by law.

III. And be it further enacted, That upon the death, resignation, inability, refusal to act, or removal of any of the said Trustees, it may be lawful for the remaining Trustees, or a majority of them, to elect others in the room of such Trustee dead, resigned, refusing to act, unable to attend or removal, and that the Trustee or Trustees so elected, shall have equal power, authority and capacity with the Trustees hereby appointed.

Read three times and ratified in General Assembly,

the 17th day of December, Anno Domini, 1802

William White, Secretary

Joseph Riddick, S.S.

Stephen Cabarrus, S.H.C.

Caswell County Railroads

 Caswell County Railroads

Earlier, while discussing Caswell County economic history and the county's prospects, several mentioned railroads -- specifically no Yanceyville railroad. Well, the lack of a railroad running through (or near) Yanceyville was not for a lack of interest by local community leaders. On several occasions a major railroad line through central Caswell County, North Carolina, was considered -- including obtaining charter authorization from the North Carolina General Assembly. Set forth here are accounts of efforts to make the railroad a reality, which never occurred. Note that the timeline is not entirely understood.

Just before the Civil War county leaders addressed the issue:

1. Caswell County Meeting

"A meeting was held in Caswell county, N. C., on the 1st instant, at which Col. Bedford Brown presided, and N. M. Roan acted as Secretary. The object of the meeting was briefly and lucidly explained, which was to consider the important interests of the county of Caswell in the

construction of a railroad from the company shops [Burlington] on the Central Railroad, via Yanceyville and Milton, to Barksdale's Depot. Col. Brown explained the great advantages of this road.

"Mr. Thomas McGehee Smith, of Milton, was called on, who entertained the meeting by a very admirable and practical speech, setting forth the great advantages of this route over every other, connecting the various sections of the country.

"Brief remarks were made by Mr. Wm. Russell, Richard J. Smith, Esq., Walter J. Jones, Esq., and others, warmly approving the enterprise.

"On motion, the meeting adjourned to meet on Tuesday of April Caswell County Court, and that the friends of the road, in and out of the State, be invited to attend on that occasion."

Source: Richmond Daily Dispatch (6 March 1861).

Bank of Yanceyville (NC) Deposit Book

Bank of Yanceyville Deposit Book

 

Bank of Yanceyville 1853 $3 Note

 

Bank of Yanceyville 1853 $3 Note

Caswell Motor Company Building (Yanceyville, NC)

 

PRESERVING AN OLD BUILDING\ THE CASWELL MOTOR BUILDING, CONSTRUCTED IN 1894, IS A KEY PART OF YANCEYVILLE'S HISTORIC COURTHOUSE SQUARE.

BY MEREDITH BARKLEY Staff Writer Nov 3, 2001 Updated Jan 25, 2015 (Greensboro News & Record)

The long struggle to save a key building on Yanceyville's historic courthouse square may soon be over.

Preservation North Carolina, a nonprofit organization that seeks to protect the state's important buildings, needs only $5,500 to finish demolishing a section added to the rear of the old Caswell Motor building during the 1930s. Once finished, the 1894 building can be handed over to a nonprofit organization - as yet unidentified - which will likely use it as offices. Preservation officials say that organization will restore the old building in keeping with its surroundings.

Preservation North Carolina officials had worked since 1997 to find a buyer for the property. Although the building attracted a lot of interest, no one wanted pay the $100,000 it would cost to demolish the rear section.

That all changed in August when the rear of that building, already unstable from years of neglect, caved in. That cut demolition costs to $10,500.

Fidelity Bank, which recently opened a Yanceyville office, contributed $5,000 to the effort. Now the preservation group is seeking a donor for the rest.

Preservation North Carolina considers the building important because it is a key part of the landscape. It is perhaps the oldest commercial structure on the courthouse square, a National Register Historic District.

"That old building sits on the corner of the courthouse square," said Angela Greenfield, director of marketing for Preservation North Carolina. "If it's lost, your square is gone."

The old building has had a colorful history. At various times it housed a Masonic lodge, a telephone office, a drug store, government offices, a retail store and a Ford dealership.

Preservation North Carolina and Sallie Anderson, a Yanceyville historian and editor of the Caswell County Historical Association's newsletter, pieced together this history:

The Clinton Masonic Lodge, the original owners of the building, purchased the land in 1856 from William Brown, believed to have been son of Bedford Brown, U.S. Senator from North Carolina from the 1820s to 1840. The Browns had extensive real estate holdings in the Yanceyville area.

The lodge erected a building on the site, but it apparently burned during the 1880s. So the lodge put up the current structure in 1894.

Three years later, Archie Long, whose family also owned a lot of property around town, purchased the building at auction for $1,600.

In 1906, Long sold the property to H. W. Perry for $1,200. Perry, a pharmacist, opened a drug story in the building.

In 1917, Crowell Auto Company bought the property for $3,000 and opened a Ford dealership. John Gunn, one of Crowell's employees, bought the building and dealership during the 1930s.

Gunn was apparently responsible for the addition that workers are now dismantling and for changing the name to Caswell Motor Co. It more than doubled the building's space to 12,000 square feet.

Gunn operated the dealership until retiring sometime in the 1960s or 1970s. The dealership continued at that location for several years, but it had become a retail store before closing for good during the 1980s.

Preservation North Carolina hopes to complete the demolition project and transfer the property by year's end. The organization adds covenants to the deed that say the exterior can't be changed. The covenants remain with the property forever.

The historic district designation provides state and federal tax credits for rehabilitation costs.

"It could be a sweetheart," said Myrick Howard, Preservation North Carolina's president. "It once was." Contact Meredith Barkley at 373-7091 or mbarkley@news-record.com

Caswell County Schools 1968

Click to See Larger Image

Left-to-Right

Seated

Walker Willard Woodard (1924-2013)

James Yancey Blackwell, Jr. (1928-2020)

Dr. Lawrence C. Walker (1936-2018)

Standing

Steve Williamson [no more known]

William Wallace Pointer, Jr.

Obed Middleton Dabbs, Jr. (1935-2005)

Ann Newman Gunn Everitt (1936-2020)

James Taft (Snake) Ashby (1934-2013)

Caswell County's First Automobile Dealership

 First Caswell County Automobile Dealership

Caswell County Quiz Answer. Earlier we asked: "What was the first authorized automobile dealership in Caswell County?"

Based upon our research, the answer is the Ford agency/dealership of John Abner Massey (1881-1956) established before WWI. He built the Yanceyville Motor Co. building on the Square in Yanceyville (see photograph). However, whether this building was associated with his Ford agency/dealership is not known. In the early years he would sell a Ford vehicle and take the purchaser to Raleigh to arrange delivery. The Ford "state agency" was located there.

Massey probably lost the Ford agency/dealership when A. B. Crowell (1880-1970) established Crowell Auto Co. around 1920, which was an authorized Ford dealership. This was in the building recently demolished that became Caswell Motor Co. when John Oliver (Johnny) Gunn (1892-1992) bought out Crowell in the mid-1930s. 

Massey eventually (1923) became a Willys-Knight agent/dealer. He had a vehicle on display in his Yanceyville Motor Co. building when he remodeled the front. However, when time came to remove the vehicle it was impossible without pulling down the front wall, which Massey did! The "display" vehicle had been in the building so long that the tires had rotted.

Photograph: John Abner Massey in front of his Yanceyville Motor Co. building on the east side of the Square in Yanceyville, NC. Seen behind the building to the right his the house he built for his family. Massey built many houses in and around Yanceyville. Courtesy Anne McGuire Harvey.

Larry Neal Stogner

Occasionally it seems fitting to explore the history of the living. We spend most of our time at the Caswell County Historical Association covering people and events of the far past. Today our most-deserving subject is Larry Neal Stogner.

Larry Stogner was born 1947 in Burlington, North Carolina, to the late Earl Brown Stogner and Dorothy May Watlington. However, it is Yanceyville, North Carolina (Caswell County) that Larry calls his "hometown". Except for a year in Danville, Virginia, Larry attended school in Yanceyville, graduating from Bartlett Yancey High School in 1965.

Then it was off to college at the University of North Carolina, where his education was interrupted by the Vietnam War, in which Larry served as a member of the United States Air Force. After the War, he completed his education and graduated from UNC in 1973. First working as a reporter at WRAL in Raleigh, Larry then joined the news team at ABC affiliate WTVD (Channel 11 locally). He sat behind the anchor desk for the first time at 11 p.m. March 8, 1976. And, except for a short assignment to the Raleigh Bureau in the late 1970's, Larry has been the well-known WTVD news anchorman.

Thus, Caswell County's own Larry Stogner, who recently celebrated thirty years with WTVD, has become the senior broadcast journalist in the northern Piedmont market (Raleigh-Durham and surrounding areas). For many (almost a million each day), the evening news is not the same without Larry's presence.

When Larry was surprised on-air with a thirty-year anniversary cake, here is what his colleague Angela Hampton had to say:

Those of you who watched WTVD in March 1976 will know exactly what we're talking about. It was 30 years ago that Eyewitness News anchor Larry Stogner started his long and successful career here at ABC11.

When you think about news in this part of North Carolina, you naturally think about Larry Stogner. Before Jennings, Brokaw and Rather - - there was Stogner. Larry beat those broadcast legends to the anchor desk by five years.

Larry began his career at ABC11 on March 8, 1976. That summer, America celebrated its 200th birthday - - and in the fall, a peanut farmer from Georgia, Jimmy Carter, was elected president.

So many things about our hometowns and our world have changed since then, but Larry remains a constant, comforting presence on the 5:00 and 6:00 editions of ABC11 Eyewitness News.

When Governor Jim Hunt made his first, historic trade trip to China, it was Larry who walked side-by-side at the Great Wall. Larry reported to us when Dean, Michael and James brought back the first NCAA championship to Chapel Hill.

When ABC11 viewers gave more than $1 million dollars for firefighters' families after 9/11, it was Larry who hand-delivered the check to New York's police commissioner.
It was Larry who insisted that he be on the ground with our Fort Bragg troops as they fought the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Larry has brought us many memorable stories over these past thirty years, but mainly, we appreciate our anchor man for who he is: Native North Carolinian, working journalist, proud Vietnam veteran and our good friend.

This month, we're saying, "Thanks for the company, Larry." Here's to the years to come.

And from those of us who knew Larry from childhood, we're saying: "Thanks for the friendship and making us proud."
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References and Links

WTVD Statement
Film Clip
News and Observer Article
Larry's Web Log
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Larry and his wife Bobbi live in Durham, North Carolina.

Former Yanceyville Resident Larry Snead

Below is an article on Lawrence Clem (Larry) Snead, formerly of Yanceyville, North Carolina. Larry is the only child of Clem Preston Snead (1906-1982) and Elizabeth Sutton Snead (1914-1991). Larry graduated from Bartlett Yancey High School and attended East Carolina University. His weight-loss accomplishments are amazing!


Larry Snead, 64, works out on his stair step machine in his Oak Island bedroom. Snead has lost 152 pounds in a year and a half. In December 2005, he weighed 450 pounds, but through eating right and exercising he has and continues to lose weight healthfully. Staff Photo By shelby sebens/Wilmington Star-News.

Weight lifted off of his shoulders Oak Island man improves health with 152-lb. loss

By Shelby Sebens,
Staff Writer

Oak Island | A little more than a year and a half ago it was hard for Larry Snead to walk from his recliner to the bathroom. His knees and hips would ache and his breathing would labor.

Snead, in his early 60s, weighed 450 pounds. The doctors said his cholesterol and weight were too high and that he would eventually need knee replacements.

His only form of exercise was the walk from his truck to the Flying Pig Coffee House where he would visit with friends until exhaustion took over. He walked with a cane or crutches, depending on the severity of his pain.

"I knew I needed to do something," Snead said.

So at the advice of a friend, he went to see chiropractor Karen Fairfield on Dec. 1, 2005. He knew he needed to lose weight, so after Fairfield adjusted his neck, back and knees, he took her advice to write down what he eats and to exercise five minutes a day.

The next day, Snead got on his new stationary bicycle in his bedroom and pedaled for two minutes, took a break, pedaled for two more and used the last minute to cool down.

Much has changed since then. Snead has lost 152 pounds and can do much more than walk a few feet. Two weeks ago he rode 72 miles in two days during a bike ride for multiple sclerosis in Myrtle Beach. He works out two hours every day and is eating healthy and feeling well.

"I didn't need a replacement. I needed weight loss and exercise," he said Saturday after finishing his weight routine in his bedroom that now resembles a small gym.

Snead didn't need surgery, pills or fad diets. He lost the pounds naturally, through eating right and exercising.

"I'm so proud of him," Fairfield said. "He really did everything that I asked."

The biggest challenge, Snead says, is staying consistent with his workouts that include biking for miles, swimming and weight lifting.

"I'm sore a lot," he said, adding the first six months were brutal on his knees and hips.

But he has adapted well, surpassing his first two goals of losing 100 pounds, then 150. His next goal is to have lost 200 pounds by his 65th birthday in March.

Inspiring an island

Snead's accomplishment not only has improved his health, but it has also helped others.

"It's an inspiration to all of us to get in shape and stay in shape," said Ben Brooks, who joined Snead in the Myrtle Beach bike run. It was his first time riding for more than recreation, and he is already planning for next year.

Rebecca Jones, owner of the Flying Pig, said she has seen more people riding bikes around town than ever before.

"He is all over the island," she said of Snead, adding people will honk and wave as he rides by.

Jones has been so moved by Snead's weight loss that she is trying to get him on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Mark Meyer, owner of Suburban Cycles in Oak Island, estimates 50 overweight people have come in wanting to buy a bike, inspired by Snead's determination.

"He's my grass-roots marketing campaign," Meyer said.

Healthy living

There is no shortage of people who support Snead.

Many of them sat outside the Flying Pig on Saturday as a musician sang in the background. As Snead grinned from ear to ear, his friends spoke of a man who inspires and amazes them.

Oak Island Mayor Johnie Vereen said his longtime friend's spirits have never been higher.

"He's got a determination like most people don't have and should have," Vereen said.

Snead is diligent. He continues to write down every day what he eats and how much he exercises. His massage therapist suggests that he take a day off, but now he's addicted to the adrenaline-pumping workouts.

And his wife, Mary, couldn't be happier.

"I feel like he's extended his life," she said.

Shelby Sebens: 755-7963

shelby.sebens@starnewsonline.com

The above article and photograph was reproduced here by permission of the StarNewsOnline, which retains all rights.

A. H. Motz Building (Yanceyville, NC)

 A. H. Motz Building (Yanceyville, NC)

A. H. Motz Building [click to see a larger image]

The A. H. Motz Building is on the east side of the Square in Yanceyville, NC, part of the central business district.

Designed by architect James Franklin Moorefield (1885-1962), it was built in the 1920s for merchant Alexander Hamilton Motz (1885-1973).

Photograph courtesy Yancey Moorefield Smith, daughter of James Franklin Moorefield.

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The roadster (far left) is the oldest of the three cars in the photo, as it still is running on wooden spoke wheels. It has a rumble seat as well, as you can see part of the step on the back fender placed on the right side of the car for riders' easier access - back lights in those days were on the left fender. Unfortunately, there's not enough of the car shown to identify the make, but the middle one is a Ford coupe, and the one on the right with the arched rear window is a Chevrolet. Source: Thomas Gunn 28 September 2020 Post to RSF Facebook Page.

Cole Chevrolet Company (Yanceyville, NC) 1959

Cole Chevrolet Company 1959

November 16, 1959, postmark from Yanceyville, North Carolina, on a C-10 sized cover with an all-over backside cachet advertising Chevrolet automobiles. The automobile shown in the advertisement is a 1960 Chevrolet "Nomad" station wagon.

Click images to see larger versions.

Caswell County Sheriff's Office: 2020

The Caswell County Sheriff is responsible for certain aspects of public safety, which include Law Enforcement, Civil Processing, Investigations, Detention Center/Jail, and School Resource Officers.

Sheriff: Tony Durden
Chief Deputy: Darrell McLean
Operations Major: Michael Adkins
Administrative Lieutenant: S. E. Riddick
Administrative Assistant: Sgt. Melissa Poole
Records Clerk: Karen Lynch
Finance Officer: Whitney Vaughn

Detention Center (Jail)
Lt. Gunter
1st Sgt Trost
Sgt. Gunn
Sgt. Pichardo
Sgt. Warren
Sgt. Young
Cpl. Gannaway
Cpl. Luck
Cpl. Noell
Officer Booze
Officer Covington
Officer Daniel
Officer Fulcher

Civil/Courthouse Security/Bailiff
Lt. B. Johnson
Sg. C. Williamson
Cpl. M. Allen
Deputy C. Dearth
Deputy A.Tyndall

Patrol Staff

Administration: Lt. A Shell

A Shift
Sgt. J. Kylander
Cpt. P. Halstead
Deputy C. Turner
Deputy T. Crews

B Shift
Sgt. J. Sellars
Cpl.J. Little
Deputy G. Allred

C Shift
Sgt. M. Griggs
Cpl. Be Overman
Deputy B. Shuler

D Shift
Sgt. W. Harrington
Cpl. C. Redden
Deputy J. Dodson

Split Shift
Deputy E. Dodson
Deputy K. Robinson

School Resource Officers
Bartlett Yancey Senior High School: Sgt. Brian Jones
Dillard Middle School: Deputy J. Vernon
Elementary Schools: Deputy B. Wilson

Investigations

Administration: Lt. J. Loftis

Investigations Staff
Investigator V. Corbett
Investigator C. Curry
Investigator J. Haley
Investigator K. Mitchell

Narcotics
Lt. J. Loftis

Evidence
Evidence Technician: A. E. Soyars

Caswell County Board of Public Education Superintendents

Caswell County Board of Public Education Superintendents

Major George N. Thompson (July 1, 1885 or earlier)

William W. Taylor (December 3, 1888)

C. G. Lea (July 8, 1892)

J. R. Jones (July 1, 1894)

S. H. Williamson (April 1, 1895)

Archibald E. (Baldy) Henderson (July 1, 1897)

George A. Anderson (July 3, 1905)

R. A. Pope (July 1, 1921)

Robert W. Isley (July 2, 1923)

R. A. Sullivan (July 4, 1927)

Vance E. Swift (July 1, 1929)

Holland McSwain (March 1, 1935) 

Thomas H. Whitley (July 1, 1950)

Walker Willard Woodard (July 1, 1973)

Dr. Lawrence C. Walker 

Carl McGee

Floyd Melvin (Skip) Rowland, Jr. (     -2001)

Dr. Douglas Norman Barker (2001-2013)

Dr. Renee Franklin (2013-2013)

Dr. Michael Brock Womble (2014-2015)

Dr. Sandra Carter (January 2017 - June 2023)

Dr. Douglas Norman Barker (2023-2024)

JoAnna Gwynn (2024-)

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Yanceyville, Caswell Co., N. C. 1881 C. D. S. on Cover

Yanceyville, Caswell Co., N. C. 1881 C. D. S. on Cover

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Dr. Edmund Burke Haywood

15 Jan. 1825–18 Jan. 1894

Edmund Burke Haywood, physician, Confederate surgeon, and medical administrator, was born in Raleigh, the youngest son of Eliza Eagles Asaph Williams and John Haywood, state treasurer. He was a descendant of North Carolina's early English settlers and Revolutionary patriots. His paternal great-grandfather was John Haywood, who emigrated to North Carolina from Barbados about 1730 as the agent of Earl Granville; his paternal grandparents were Charity Hare and Colonel William Haywood of Dunbar Plantation, Edgecombe County. His maternal grandfather was Captain John Pugh Williams of the North Carolina Continental Line.

Haywood received his early education at the Raleigh Academy and in 1843 entered The University of North Carolina. Although he was an excellent student, ill health forced him to leave the university in 1846 without a degree. After regaining his health, he entered the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and was graduated with distinction in 1849. Returning to Raleigh, he went into private practice.

Source: NCPedia

Caswell County Cotton Acreage Increasing: 1923

Caswell Cotton Acreage Increasing: 1923

County Agent J. L. Dove advises that the cotton acreage for this county, upon which there is a splendid stand, will approximate 800 acres. This new venture for a staple crop does not confine itself to any one section of Caswell, but fields have been seeded in Milton, Dan river and Leasburg townships, and while the money crop of tobacco is below normal on account of the dry conditions, the cotton is growing well.

The crop which is now being grown is not at all in the nature of an experiment, because it was demonstrated last year that cotton could be grown with a marked degree of success and also of such a grade as to command high prices.

The correspondent visited recently the farm of J. C. Bryant, three miles east of Milton. The crop grown by him last year was as follows: On 22 acres he grew 25 bales, or twelve thousand five hundred pounds. This he sold for 30 cents per pound, making a gross sale for $3,750. He sold the excess seed for $550, in all the crop, cotton and seed, bringing $4,300.

The cost of the crop was as follows: Fertilizers $350, labor $80. Net return $3,850. This cotton was raised by a share cropper, Mr. Bryant receiving for his rental $1,930.

It will be of interest to give a comparative statement. Mr. Bryant had this share cropper on his farm for several preceding years and planted tobacco. Mr. Bryant's share of the tobacco money was for one year $60 and the next $450. This year Mr. Bryant is planting 50 acres in cotton. He has a splendid stand and will soon complete his first chopping. The hot dry weather appears to hasten the growth, and while much of the tobacco of his neighbors is suffering severely, he is watching his cotton grow.

Another very fine thing about the crop of last year is that the crimson clover, seeded in the cotton fields has left the lands in a condition which is very desirable for the present crop. Mr. Bryant believes that the soil fertility in his field has been increased more than 50 percent.

W. L. Thomas of Milton, is the largest of the county's cotton growers. He has under good stand at present 148 acres, and has set up a gin at Milton for the baling of his and other growers' cotton.

Senator Robert T. Wilson is another pioneer in this movement and his field, near Purley, in Dan River township, is indeed a beautiful one.

Mr. Dove, county agent, is asking the farmers of the county to inspect the fields of these planters and make a careful and painstaking investigation. He believes that it will be a practical thing for much cotton to be grown in Caswell. -- Yanceyville Cor. Danville News.

Source: The Reidsville Review (Reidsville, Rockingham County, North Carolina), 13 June 1923, Wednesday, Page 1.

Bank of Yanceyville $3 Note 1853

Bank of Yanceyville $3 Note 1853

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Cotton Mill (possibly carding operation)

Image at bottom right of the $3 note probably is Bartlett Yancey, Jr. (1785-1828).

Click on the above images to see a larger version.

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"The first cotton mill . . . in North Carolina was built at Lincolnton in 1813 by Michael Schenck. . . . This mill was the forerunner of that remarkable industrial development which has taken place in North Carolina since that time" (Pleasants MS.).

One of the first mills that were created in Alamance County was the High Falls cotton mill. Owned and operated mainly by the Trollinger family, the mill changed ownership multiple times since its opening in 1834. Soon after E.M. Holt and brother-in-law William Carrington, created the Alamance Cotton Factory in 1837 along Big Alamance Creek. This mill is responsible for the famed textile pattern named the Alamance Plaid, famous due to it being the first mill south of the Potomac to produce colored, factory dried cotton.

Here is a suggestion of the fact that the South was on the right road--a gin, so far from diverting attention entirely to the cultivation of the staple, was succeeded by a cotton mill on the same spot, operated by the same power. Perhaps Helper was in bounds when the declared:

"Had the Southern States, in accordance with the principles enunciated in the Declaration of Independence, abolished slavery at the same time the Northern States abolished it, there would have been, long since, and most assuredly at this moment, a larger, wealthier, wiser, and more powerful population, south of Mason and Dixon's line, than there now is north of it" (H. R. Helper, The Impending Crisis of the South, ed. 1860, pp. 161-162).

Source: Mitchell, Broadus. The Rise of Cotton Mills in the South. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins Press, 1921.

Confederate Statue (Yanceyville, NC): Who Owns It?

The United Daughters of the Confederacy Chapter raised the money for the monument. They NEVER claimed to own it. The county commissioners accepted the gift. Many cities are confused about this issue. The Yanceyville Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy became defunct in 2004. There is no local chapter. Woman raised the money to honor their relatives that did not return home and many of their remains never made it home.

I am sure that if anyone contacted the NC Division of the United Daughters of the Confederacy would be reiterate that they never owned it. Also, if you suggest the local historical association take possession of it, then it would remain in the downtown area, since that is the location of the association. Of course, then it would be closer to the new Veterans Monument being constructed. Are you familiar with the 1958 Federal law that states Confederate Veterans are considered US Veterans, and the 2015 NC Statue that protects veteran memorials, as well the recent Executive Order by President Trump?

Source: Sandra Aldridge 17 July 2020 Facebook Post (RSF)

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That the Caswell County Board of Commissioners accepted the Confederate memorial statue as a gift implies that some entity owned the statue before the gift was made. A gift involves transfer of ownership.

Did a speech by a member of the Caswell County Board of Commissioners accepting the "gift" suffice to legally transfer ownership?

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Confederate Monument

"The week's second big event took place Saturday at Yanceyville. The Caswell Chapter United Daughters of the Confederacy held their annual Old Soldiers' picnic, at which time the monument to the Caswell County soldiers who served in the Civil War was dedicated to their memory. This monument is the culmination of many years of hard work by this noble band of women and is a fitting tribute to them as well as to the brave Caswell soldiers who fought so valiantly and made so many sacrifices and endured untold hardships for the cause they loved so devotedly.

"There was a splendid program of both music and able addresses by prominent speakers, and a delicious dinner was served on the grounds. This was perhaps the most pleasant picnic occasion the Daughters have ever held."

The Reidsville Review (Reidsville, North Carolina), 12 Sep 1921.

Photograph not associated with the above newspaper article.

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Dedication Ceremony

Thomas Ruffin Statue

Thomas Ruffin Statue

The monument to Thomas Ruffin rests in an alcove at the entrance to the State Court of Appeals building in Raleigh. The full-body statue is cast in bronze and sits atop a polished white marble base. Ruffin is portrayed in a formal style with sealed legal papers in his left hand, conveying his status and his office; his right hand is tucked in his waistcoat. The statue's designer, Francis H. Packer of New York, studied with the renowned sculptor and teacher Augustus Saint-Gaudens.
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Statue of Antebellum NC Chief Justice Removed

ASSOCIATED PRESS (July 13, 2020)

RALEIGH – The statue of a 19th century North Carolina Supreme Court justice was being removed Monday from the entrance of the state Court of Appeals building. Chief Justice Thomas Ruffin is known in part for a ruling in which he concluded the slave owner’s power over his slave was absolute.

A flatbed truck sat outside the building, located across the street from the old state Capitol and that once housed the Supreme Court.

The statue, which has sat under an overhang leading to the building's front door, is being removed following recent topplings and damage to Confederate monuments in North Carolina and in other states. Gov. Roy Cooper ordered three such monuments be removed from the old Capitol grounds last month for public safety after one of them was damaged by protesters.

The State Capitol Police recently told the Court of Appeals about safety concerns in leaving the Ruffin statue in place, state courts spokesperson Sharon Gladwell said. The appeals court asked Cooper's office for the statue to be removed. The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources is deciding on a temporary relocation destination, Gladwell said last week.

Ruffin served on the North Carolina Supreme Court from 1829 to 1852. He wrote an opinion that overturned the conviction of a slave owner for shooting in the back a slave who fled after refusing the owner's orders. Ruffin wrote that a slave's obedience "is the consequence only of uncontrolled authority over the body." A state Supreme Court commission was created in 2018 to review what to do about portraits of justices hanging in the current Supreme Court building. They include a large painting that sits on the wall behind the Supreme Court bench.

The commission is now supposed to complete its work by the end of this year. North Carolina has had two Black chief justices, including current Chief Justice Cheri Beasley.