Milton Whiskey Manufacture: 1905

Milton Affected by 1905 NC Law

In 1903, at the urging of a newly organized Anti-Saloon League, the Democratic-controlled legislature passed the Watts Act, prohibiting the manufacture and sale of spirituous liquors except in incorporated towns. According to historians Hugh T. Lefler and Albert Ray Newsome, the law was designed "to get rid of the county distilleries," which Democratic Party leader Furnifold M. Simmons called "Republican recruiting stations."

In 1905 the Ward Law extended Prohibition to incorporated towns of fewer than 1,000 inhabitants, meaning that 68 of the 98 counties in the state had Prohibition.

Source: Encyclopedia of North Carolina, University of North Carolina Press.

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Milton Whiskey Manufacture: 1905

When the Ward bill was being considered by the North Carolina legislature, one newspaper printed the following: "The Ward bill will affect a large majority of the little so-called 'towns,' incorporated by the last General Assembly after the enactment of the Watts law. Milton, in Caswell County, and Shore and Williams, in Yadkin County, are notorious examples of small towns manufacturing whiskey which will be affected by the bill."

Statesville Record And Landmark (Statesville, North Carolina), Friday, February 03, 1905.

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Query whether the above newspaper item is correct with respect to the incorporation of Milton.

Tragedy in Caswell County: 1904

 Tragedy in Caswell County: 1904

Green [Berry] Evans was shot and killed by Tom Rice in Caswell County last night. Evans is about 45 years of age, and is survived by a wife and several children and Rice is a young man about 20 years old. The men quarreled over a crop of tobacco, Rice resorting to drastic measures. The homicide created much excitement -- large crowds from the neighboring section visiting the scene of the tragedy today. Rice immediately surrendered himself to the county authorities. Both men are well known and highly respected in Caswell, and the tragedy is generally regretted.

The Weekly High Point Enterprise (High Point, North Carolina), 6 September 1904.

Baseball, BBQ, and Politics in Caswell County: 1904

 Baseball, BBQ, and Politics in Caswell County: 1904

Saturday will be a notable day at Bayne's Store, Caswell County. There will be a free dinner and barbecue; a reunion of Confederate Veterans to be addressed by General Julian S. Carr; a baseball game between Corbett and Stony Creek teams. Prof. W. T. Whitsett will deliver an address on education; and political addresses will be made by Hon. Robert. B. Glenn, North Carolina's greatest orator and our next Governor, and by Hon. H. A. Foushee, "the silver-tongue speaker of Durham," and by the county candidates.

The day will begin with the baseball match game at 8:30 a.m. The great meetings of the day are under the management of a committee composed of Dr. J. Alex. Pinnix, chairman; George Anderson, secretary; and Julius Johnson [Johnston].

The News and Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina), 27 September 1904.

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Dr. John Alexander Pinnix, M.D. (1846-1931)

George Andrew Anderson (1869-1945)

Julius Johnston (1856-1914)

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Julian Shakespeare Carr (October 12, 1845 – April 29, 1924) was an American industrialist, philanthropist, and white supremacist. He is the namesake of the town of Carrboro, North Carolina.

Julian Carr played an essential role in bolstering white supremacy in North Carolina during the era of Jim Crow. He publicly endorsed the Ku Klux Klan, opposed the 15th Amendment (1870) giving the vote to African-American men, and promoted racial unrest and turmoil in the late 19th century to defeat an interracial "Fusion" political party.

Carr promoted his racial views through the News & Observer newspaper, which he bought, setting up white supremacist Josephus Daniels as its editor. He celebrated the Wilmington Massacre of 1898, in which an elected government was overthrown by force (the only such incident in American history), and where at least 60 black North Carolinians were murdered. In numerous speeches, he suggested that African Americans were better off enslaved and celebrated violence, even lynching, against black citizens.

Source: Wikipedia

Milton Whiskey Tax Woes Continue: 1904

 Milton Whiskey Tax Woes Continue: 1904

"The amount of the frauds on the Government at Milton, Caswell County, by a rectifier [distiller] in collusion with internal revenue officials, grows daily. At first they amounted to a few thousand dollars, last week [Internal Revenue Agent] Mr. Bouldin estimated them to be $30,000, and now the Greensboro Patriot estimates that they will aggregate $100,000."

The Progressive Farmer (Winston-Salem, North Carolina), 26 April 1904.

Caswell County, North Carolina Marriage Bonds: 1778-1868

Caswell County, North Carolina Marriage Bonds: 1778-1868

Compiled by Katharine Kerr Kendall (1981; reprinted 1990) Introduction

In 1741, North Carolina enacted a law requiring a prospective groom and his bondsman to post a bond with the Clerk of the Court certifying there was no legal impediment to the marriage.* This remained law until 1868 when a new North Carolina constitution changed the marriage laws. The Caswell County marriage bonds are in the custody of the North Carolina State Archives, Raleigh, North Carolina. Although Caswell County began its history in 1777, the first extant bonds are dated 1778.

The bonds are filed in boxes. In the 1930s they were alphabetized by the staff of the Archives who soon found it necessary to prepare a card file of the bonds in order to preserve the originals. The Genealogical Society of Utah typed the first index and prepared a cross index to brides. One copy of this is at the State Archives, and a second copy at the Caswell County Courthouse, Yanceyville. I am grateful to the State Archives for allowing me to update its copy. Not all the marriage bonds remain. 

The 5,700 bonds of Caswell County in this compilation include fifty-nine bonds that had been filed erroneously with bonds of Stokes County, North Carolina. In addition to brides, the index includes bondsmen, witnesses, and names other than bride and groom found on the bonds. All names on the bonds are included in this edition, but in some cases the names of county officials or issuing officers are omitted to avoid repetition.

Katharine Kerr Kendall

2814 Exeter Circle Raleigh, NC. 27608

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 * Acts of the North Carolina General Assembly 1741 

March 1741 Volume 23, Pages 158-204

An Act Concerning Marriage

Signed by GABRIEL JOHNSTON, ESQ., Governor. William Smith, President. JOHN HODGSON, Speaker

Source: Documenting the American South [https://docsouth.unc.edu/csr/index.php/document/csr23-0012; accessed 7 April 2023]

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VI. And be it further Enacted, by the Authority aforesaid, That all Licences for marriages shall be issued by the Clerk of the Court of that County where the Feme shall have her usual Residence, and by his only, and in such Manner, and under such Rules and Directions, as are herein after provided; that is to say, He shall take Bond, to our Sovereign Lord the King, his Heirs and Successors, with good Securities, in the Penalty of Fifty Pounds, Proclamation Money, under Condition, That there is no lawful Cause to obstruct the Marriage for which the Licence shall be desired; And if either of the Persons intended to be married shall be under the Age of Twenty One Years, and not theretofore married, the Consent of the Parent or Guardian shall be personally given before the said Clerk, or signified under the Hand and Seal of the said Parent or Guardian, and attested by Two Witnesses; all which being done, the Clerk shall write the License and shall certify specially the said Bond:

And if the Persons in the Licence, or either of them, be under the age of Twenty One Years, he shall also certify the Consent of the Parent or Guardian of such Person so under Age. and the Manner thereof, to the first Justice of the Commission of the Peace for the County, or to such other Person as shall be thereto Commissioned by the Governor or Commander in Chief for the Time being; which premises being performed, the Justice of the Peace or other Person commissioned as aforesaid, is hereby authorized, impowered, and required, to sign and direct the said Licence; and a Licence so obtained and signed, and no other whatsoever, is declared to be a lawful Licence, according to the true Intent and Meaning of this Act, and if any County Court Clerk shall, in any Manner, issue any Licence or Marriage, or, Contrary to this Act make any Certificate of any Licence or Marriage, and if any Person whatsoever shall sign or direct a Licence in any other Manner than is by this Act permitted and allowed; all and every Person or Persons so offending, shall forfeit and pay the Sum of Fifty Pounds, Proclamation Money: to be recovered and applied as herein after is directed.

Caswell County School Books for White Students in 1901

Caswell County School Books for White Students in 1901

The News and Observer (Raleigh, NC), 9 June 1901.

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W. N. Harrelson most likely is Walter Nathaniel Harrelson (1859-1933) who built and operated the store on the Yanceyville Square that became "Watlington's."

R. L. Mitchell most likely is Robert Lee Mitchell (1866-1935) who served as Clerk of Court and President of the Bank of Yanceyville (eventually training a young Samuel Murphey Bason (1894-1986)).

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Click image to see a larger version.

Keynote Speaker at 2023 Caswell County Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet: Simon Jones

 Keynote Speaker at Caswell County Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet: Simon Jones

The keynote address topic was tourism in rural communities. Speaker Simon Jones advised:

"Determining what are the key selling points of each community and what are unique stories tied to specific areas is very important to setting up a good way to design your tourism package. Igniting visitors' imaginations and curiosity is critical!

"Stories, legends, history, cultures, specific foods, that's what people tell friends and get excited about.

"Why would someone want to come here?"

That is the question he is attempting to determine for Caswell County to make it more attractive to tourism, which will result in more money being spent at local stores.

The Caswell Messenger (Yanceyville, NC) 29 March 2023.

Photograph courtesy The Caswell Messenger.

Caswell County, North Carolina, Tobacco History: Collectivism Among Buyers, Sellers, and Manufacturers

Caswell County, North Carolina, Tobacco History

Over the years Caswell County tobacco farmers had to deal with tobacco warehouse trusts, experimented with collectivism, and saw manufacturer trusts control the end product. Here we will explore part of that history.

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Tobacco Warehouse Trust (said to have been formed in Danville, Va., comprising eight warehouses. Common Stock: $1,000,000. Source: Chicago Daily News Almanac For 1900, p. 74.

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"Yanceyville News: The farmers of Caswell County had an anti-trust meeting in the court house in Yanceyville on Monday, the 3rd day of July [1899]. Mr. T. H. McCrary was called to the chair and Mr. R. S. Mitchell was elected secretary. Mr. Thos. L. Lea made a motion that the chair appoint three committeemen to draw up resolutions against the warehouse trust, which is about to be formed in Danville, Va. D. Y. Mebane, Monroe Oliver and John B. Worsham were named as the committee."

The Semi-Weekly Messenger (Wilmington, North Carolina), 28 July 1899.

Names Mentioned

1. T. H. McCrary is Thomas Hinton McCrary (1867-1958).

2. R. S. Mitchell may be Robert S. Mitchell (born c.1845) - Confederate soldier; served in North Carolina Senate.

3. Thos. L. Lea may be Thomas Lewis Lea, Jr. (1847-1905.

4. D. Y. Mebane most likely is  DeBerniere Yancey Mebane (1848-1938).

5. Monroe Oliver (1832-1909)

6. John B. Worsham most likely is John Blackwell Worsham (1852-1941).

Here are the resolutions drafted by the committee:

"Whereas, at a called meeting of the farmers of Caswell County for the purpose of entering into ways and means to retard or hinder a trust upon the warehouses in Danville, as we believe for the damage and injury of the farmers in all adjacent counties of Danville which deal and trade therein, we do therefore

"Resolve 1st. That we will use our influence with the farmers of Caswell and adjoining counties not to sell their tobacco at any warehouse controlled by the trust.

"2nd. That we ask the adjoining counties to co-operate with us in opposition to this great trust which is being formed in the town of Danville to further oppress the down-trodden farmers, and that we may speedily have district meetings in regard to this matter that all the farmers may cooperate in said matter."

Source: The Commonwealth (Scotland Neck, North Carolina), 27 July 1899.