Lenoir County, NC - Industrial Issue - 1906

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by
Christine Grimes Thacker <http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00033.html#0008100>


This Industrial Issue of the Kinston Free Press was published in 1906
although there was an earlier Industrial Issue published in 1899. The issue
is composed of both text and numerous pictures of places and people. This
will be a slow project so please be patient.

The text is presented on the Lenoir County USGenWeb Archives and the pictures
on Old Dobbers reached through the Lenoir County GenWeb site -
http://www.rootsweb.com/~nclenoir/

We are grateful to the Free Press for permission to post anything of
historical or genealogical in nature published prior to 1939.


                        TRENT TOWNSHIP

  In Trent township there are 202 polls returned for taxation. Of these 169 are white 
citizens and 33 Negroes, showing that there are very few Negroes in Trent township.
Among this race there are no land owners in the township, the 29,969 acres listed for 
taxation belonging to white people exclusively. The township contains timber, such as 
oak, pine, hickory, and gum; and also some of the best land in the county, producing 
tobacco, cotton, corn, and the small grains, etc.

  The township contains four churches and seven schools, six for the whites and one 
for the Negroes. In this township are located Holy Innocents Episcopal church and 
parish school. The church has a large membership, and the Sunday-school, of which Mr. 
OSCAR HARDY is superintendent, enrolls 85 pupils. Miss MARY S. WINBURN is principal of 
the school which has about 40 pupils on roll. Daly's Chapel Free Will Baptist church 
is served by Elder A.E. ROUSE. Union church, which belongs to the Missionary Baptists, 
has about 47 members and is served by Rev. W.P. CAMPBELL, of Seven Springs. T.E. ELMORE 
is superintendent of the Sunday-school which enrolls some 73 members. Deep Run Free 
Will Baptist church has as pastor Rev. J.E. HOWARD, of Onslow county. There is a 
church membership of 82.

  Trent is very well supplied with schools. School No. 1, Oaky Bottom, is taught by  
Mrs. ANNIE HERRING. It has about 40 pupils. Miss CARRIE HARDY is teacher of the Byrd 
school, where there are 30 pupils on roll. The Katie Wood school-so named from its 
first teacher at its new building-has about 25 pupils. Located in one of the prettiest 
spots of the county is the Moss Hill school, taught by Miss LILLIE BRYAN and enrolling 
44 pupils. The school at Smith's schoolhouse is taught by TROY TYNDALL and enrolls 35 
pupils. Deep Run school has an attendance of 103 pupils. It has two teachers, Miss 
MYRTLE WHITAKER and Miss ADDIE COWARD. There is only one colored school in the township 
and that has an enrollment of 75 pupils.   

                         HOLY INNOCENTS

  The land upon which Holy Innocents Episcopal church now stands is a plantation 
formerly owned by ROBERT DONNETT, father of Judge J.R. DONNETT, (deceased), of 
Newberne. The place was named Strabane in honor of Mr. DONNETT'S old home in Scotland. 
In 1871 the tract upon which church now stands was bought from a Universalist 
congregation, organized into a parish and admitted into the Episcopal diocese of North 
Carolina in 1871, with the following vestry:  B. WHITFIELD, senior warden; GEORGE 
JONES, junior warden; Dr. W. H. BLOUNT, secretary; and D.S. DAVIS, treasurer. At that 
time Sunday-school was organized and has continued without interruption ever since, 
with a membership varying from eighty to one hundred and ten. It is now teaching some 
of the third generation of its patrons.

  In 1882 under the rectorate of the beloved ISRAEL HARDING, the old church was taken 
down and a more church like building erected in its stead. The Rev. NATHANIEL HARDING 
preached the sermon at the laying of the cornerstone.

  October 28, 1900, the church was consecrated by BISHOP WATSON, assisted by Rev. T.N.M. 
GEORGE, Rev. Dr. G.P. SUMMERVILLE, Rev. THOMAS BEL_, and the rector, Rev. JOHN H. 
GRIFFITH, JR. The consecration sermon was preached by Rev. T.N.M. GEORGE.

  The cemetery was laid off and consecrated during the charge of Rev. ISAEL HARDING, 
who was for ten years prior to his death rector of this parish. A beautiful chancel 
window in the church is a memorial to his memory.

  Holy Innocents Parish school is situated in Trent township in a beautiful location on 
the Whitehall road about fourteen miles from Kinston. It was built by subscription from 
the community and elsewhere and was erected in 1903-'04, under the rectorate of Rev. 
J.H. GRIFFITH, JR., who is rector of St. Mary's , Kinston, N.C. The first school began 
on the second Monday in September, 1904, with Miss CORINNE WINFIELD, of Chocowinity, 
principal and Miss MARIE WEYHER, of Kinston, assistant. The principal at present is 
Miss MARY S. WINBURN, of Edenton, while Miss SWANN D. WELLS, of Rocky Mount is assistant
and music teacher.

  The school is under supervision of a local board of trustees elected by Holy Innocents 
Episcopal Church. The salary of the principal is paid by the board of general missions 
of the Protestant Episcopal Church. The assistant is paid by patrons of the school.
  
                         THE BURNS PLACE

  The plantation known as the Burns place is the country home of Col. N.B. WHITFIELD. 
The residence was built by Col. WHITFIELD'S father, Gen. J.B. WHITFIELD, major-general 
in the N.C. militia and prominent in our State senate 65 years ago. Gen. WHITFIELD 
owned the first steam boat that ever plied on Neuse river.

  The front door at Burns place has always been ajar to everything cultured and refined; 
and Col. WHITFIELD has acted as a father to many poor children in the county who now 
show their appreciation of his assistance in their earlier days.

  Col. WHITFIELD was educated at the University of North Carolina, and soon after 
returning home was elected chairman of the board of wardens of the poor. During the 
Civil War he was made commissioner to provide salt, etc., for the families of indigent 
Confederate soldiers.

  He served in the General Assembly of 1858-1859, and did effective work on our coast 
during the Civil War as colonel of the 8th N.C. troops. For 24 years he served his 
county as magistrate; for six years he was chairman of the Lenoir County inferior court. 
He has served several times on the board of county commissioners and was a member of 
the legislature of 1891.

  Among the acts of his public career, in which Col. WHITFIELD takes pride were his 
advocacy of the establishment of the Normal and Industrial college and better support 
for the Agricultural and Mechanical college and an appropriation for the public 
schools of the State.

  Col. WHITFIELD has always an active part in any movement for the betterment of his 
county and State. He has been Senior Warden of Holy Innocence parish since 1871. He 
has always been a leading spirit in the farmers' meeting of the county and is now at 
an advanced age-president of the County Farmers Alliance and of the Farmers Mutual 
Fire Insurance Association of the county.

                      ELDER CUNNINGHAM

  ELDER CUNNINGHAM is one of the most widely known and generally respected men of the 
county.

  He was born in Trent township within 400 yards of his present home, on July 11, 1843.

  ELDER CUNNINGHAM received a common school education in the neighborhood of his home 
and studied out the meaning of his Saviour's words all alone under the guidance of 
his Master. Thirty-two years ago he was ordained at the home of NATHAN HILL, a deacon 
of the Deep Run Church.

  Elders HASKILL JONES, E.E. NOBLE and R. MERRITT constituting the board.

  His chargers are now Christian chapel in Pink Hill; Smith's New Home and Woodington; 
in Woodington township; British Chapel, Sand Hill township, Core Creek in Craven 
county and Whaley's Chapel in Jones county.

  Elder CUNNINGHAM owns 120 acres of land, 60 of which he has under cultivation. He 
is a successful farmer and has a nice orchard of fruit trees on his premises.

  During the Civil War Elder CUNNINGHAM was a valiant Confederate soldier. He belonged 
to the Cook's Brigade, Heath's Division. He was engaged in the battle of Gettysburg, 
Malvern Hill, Seven Pines and was at the surrender at Appomattox.

  He married Miss PENNIE CATHARINE TYNDALL, daughter of JAMES and WINIFRED TYNDALL, of 
Pink Hill. The children are Mrs. SUSAN HILL, JAMES, HENRY and Mrs. MAY CATHARINE SMITH.

                        WILLIAM L. HARDY

  W. L. HARDY has fought the battle of his life successfully against odds caused largely 
by the War Between the States.

  By sheer force of character, good morals and unstinted energy he has won for himself 
and his loved ones a comfortable, happy home, with a large plantation of fertile soil 
to supply all the necessities of life.

  Mr. HARDY was born in Alberson township, Duplin county, February 18, 1848. His father 
was a planter. In his boyhood days young HARDY attended the county schools in the 
neighborhood of his home. He has been a farmer all his life. He now owns a farm of 
1,400 acres and has 600 under cultivation, producing fine tobacco, cotton, corn, etc.

  For several years Mr. HARDY has been a school committeeman and is an earnest advocate 
of education. During the Civil War he was a Confederate soldier, serving in the 
68th N. C. 

  Mr. HARDY married Miss IRENE ARETUS, daughter of GEORGE and SMITHY JONES. The children 
living are OSCAR, Mrs. LENA SMITH, Mrs. EFFIE DAVIS, Mrs. LESLIE SUTTON, IRENE RAY HARDY, 
W.S. HARDY, JR., LEONARD P., and NOEL THORN.
  
                         OSCAR HARDY

  A young man who is prominent in the business, educational and church affairs of the 
county is OSCAR HARDY, of Trent township. He was born in the township, November 27, 
1872, and has always lived near the place of his birth.

  Mr. HARDY owns about 200 acres of fine land and has about 75 acres under cultivation. 
He is associated with his father W.L. HARDY, in the milling and cotton-ginning business.

  He is superintendent of the Holy Innocents Sunday-school, is interested in the 
educational advancement of his community and has been Justice of the Peace for two 
years. He is now secretary and treasurer of the Lenoir branch of the Farmer's Mutual 
Life Insurance Association of North Carolina and secretary and treasurer of the county 
branch of the Farmers Alliance.

                  Hardy Corn Mill and Cotton Gin.

  Capacity of Cotton Gin ten bales a day. Capacity of mill sixty bushels of corn per day.
Always a ready flow of water.

                          I.D. SPARROW

  IRA DELL SPARROW was born in Pink Hill Township, September 11, 1858. The place of his 
birth was about four miles southwest of his present home at Deep Run postoffice. 

  His parents were ISAAC and JANE SPARROW. He has been postmaster at Deep Run for about 
eleven years. He owns 325 acres of land and cultivates about 100 easily producing a bale 
of cotton to the acre.

  Mr. SPARROW has at Deep Run two general merchandise stores. In one he keeps and sells 
groceries, flour, meat, hardware, tobacco, crockery, etc. while in the other is the 
postoffice and a line of dry goods kept for the neighborhood trade. He also sells 
fertilizer and has a warehouse on the Kinston and Carolina railroad right near his 
stores. In addition he keeps general farm supplies for his customers.

  Mr. SPARROW married Miss FANNIE, daughter of AMOS and EPPIE STROUD. The children 
living are CASCO DALE and AMOS M. Mr. SPARROW is a self-made man and is rapidly forging 
ahead.


 Typed by Christine Grimes Thacker  8/21-22/2001.

__________________________________________________________________________

USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information 
on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as 
this message remains on all copied material. The electronic pages may NOT 
be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons 
or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material 
for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the 
file contributor, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of 
this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives 
to store the file permanently for free access.
__________________________________________________________________________