Article clipped from The Laurinburg Exchange

HISTORICAL SKETCH OF LAURINBURG BY MAXCY L. JOHN. Laurinburg was named for the Mc-| like a ditch, but to my mind evidently | tradition ascribing the not a ditch, because I could see no family, member and banks as evidence of any excavation. honor sometimes to one sometimes to another of the older In after years, needs for more yard that name. At any rate facilities required the railroad to people of that family owned about fifty percent 'blind' this ditch, which it did by putof the lands in the immediate com-| ting in a brick culvert, about the year and comprised fully fifty per- 1880. Unfortunately the brick were munity, cent of the wealth and intelligence of laid on and in the old ditch bottom, the immediate community in early which raised the water passage sevThe name was written with an eral inches, by making the floor of the days. the end, Laurinburgh, and was drain higher than the bottom of the 'h' on if spelled Lau- old ditch. This is apparent to this | to be pronounced as in Scotland is day, and has given no end of trouble rinboro, as Edinburgh The postoffice was named : in draining this valuable section of pronounced. first, L-a-u-r-i-n-b-u-r-g-h, but the town. letter was left off years ago. The Laurinburg section was not the last The town and community has been commercial center in early days. All too busy making history to record it. old roads lead to Laurel Hill church, To compile a history of the town from where the mail stage coach from New available sources would be a task too York to New Orleans passed, and was large for the writer, as his personal accustomed to feed the horses at noon knowledge runs back only to about day. From this point, roads radiated 1878. Some sketches seem Interest- to every section, some of which have ing and to give them to the public | become almost unused in part, such bring out other incidents and changes having come about in travel may data that may enable some one in the routes. future to write a true history. Some At Laurel Hill church tradition says of the statements following may be there were several stores, and the inaccurate. If so, please hand in a land records would bear this out, as true account, so that at least that there were a number of lots owned much may be preserved. Of course there by different people, the size of it would be impossible to write a full the lots indicating that they could history and deal only with that period be held only for mercantile or similar since legal incorporation. The spirit purposes. and history of Laurinburg is much The blacksmith shop which was older than its corporate existence. more than likely the first 'centre' for How old, it seems no one can tell with Laurinburg, has passed, without leavexactness, so far as I have inter- ing any tradition that I can find; but viewed its older citizens. the first store has left more than a The community comprising Laurin- | tradition. It stood here to the rear burg's present territory was settled of the public (old) school lot, until | within the decade following the adop- burned a few years ago. It was tion of the constitution of the United known as "The Old Store" long, long States and the formation of Richmond ago. There were several occupants, County, which events both occurred, but the first merchant whose activities in 1789. From the number and size I have been able to locate therein, of the land entries and the names in was James R. McLaurin. He conductwhich they were made, it is a fair ed a general store, and sold and bartassumption that we escaped the de- ered whatever the community wanted. pressing influence of the large land It was a Department Store, but did speculator, accustomed to enter land not know it, after the custom of the by the fifty and sixty thousand acres day was a jumble of every kind, even the time, as most of the entries are including, as was usual in practically in lots ranging from fifty to five or every grocery store, the sale of whissix hundred acres. Many entries be- ky. There was no federal regulation ing made i in successive years by those in those days. Any person who wantalready holding lands, would indicate ed whisky could get it by purchase that the enterers had made a settle- at his grocer's, or he could make it to ment and as soon thereafter as was his heart's content, and when retailed possible, added to the original hold- it was measured in old fashioned large ings. From the names of the enter- tumblers, at ten cents! Beer drinking ers it is a fair inference that settle- in Germany was never more common, ment was made by overflow of pop- I dare say, than was whisky drinking ulation from the banks of the Cape in this community at that time, and i it Fear and of the Pee Dee, as the pre- was just as respectable to sell it as vailing names of each section appear to sell anything else, provided one among the names of those first set- did not let his premises become a tling here. place for brawls. In this case the The "Lumberton Road" appears owner was abstemious himself, and soon in land records, indicating that refused to sell to those who would there was a road to Lumberton, and, .make rough house. Mr. McLaurin as we know the other end points al-| was a highly respected citizen, and most directly to Rockingham, and whatever his religious alliances then, was the established road to Rocking- he was to my own knowledge in later ham until very recently, it would in- life a devoted church member and an dicate that this road (now for the honored man in the community. most part Church street) was opened Mr. McLaurin was followed in the about this time. This road crossed mercantile business by McIntyre and Shoe Heel Creek at Rocky Ford. The Middleton, who did business 'in the writer has been unable to find any same building. Mr. McIntyre was D. tradition of a time when there was C. McIntyre, the father of Mr. D. D. a ford at this crossing. Certainly McIntyre, who was postmaster here it would require very high wheeled in President Cleveland's second advehicles to 'ford' there. The fact that ministration. It may be of interest the road from Rocky Ford to Barnes to note that Mr. McIntyre owned the Bridge appears in land deeds along valuable lands later owned by Walter about this date as "The New Road," DeB. McEachin, and was such an arwould indicate that the Fayetteville dent pro-slavery advocate that he deand Bennettsville road was newer clined to remain where slavery was than the road from Lumberton to- to be abolished, and before the war Rockingham or Cheraw(?). left this country for Brazil, where he As of all roads of those days, this lived to see it abolished there. road hit the high places, and got along Mr. T. T. Covington, a native of in the low places as best it could. upper Richmond County, having This put it from the Quakenbush served several years as register of School, via the old public school lot, deeds, came down here and purchased thence to the old Roper residence, go- valuable farming lands near town and ing directly towards it and facing it built a store here (on Main street) ocsquarely, then turning and following cupying the lot now occupied by Epthe ridge to the Presbyterian church stein's store and the barber shop of (as now located) and thence west. Mr. Cowan. The house was a plain One who travels over this now well boarded up house with wide boards, drained and improved road, is apt to stripped up and down. It was set wonder why it is not straighter; but parallel with the street, the eaves on if the location is studied, it will be one side dripping in the street. Mr. seen that without any but natural Covington's farming interest demanddrainage, the road is necessarily de- ing all of his time, he gave up the termined as located, save that since store business to his son-in-law, Capt. draining the depression back of, and L. T. Everett, who formed a partnereast of the Main street stores, this ship with his brothers later, involvroad was changed and run from near ing at one time or another besides the old public school lot parallel with Capt. Lawrence T. Everett, Capt. W. the railroad being church street. The I. Everett, Mr. J. C. Everett and Mr. pond east of the Main street stores John Everett. Later the business reused to hold from three to four feet quired larger quarters and they of water, and on occasion rise to six bought the lot now owned by Mr. J. or more; but in the early fifties Colo- F. McNair, and built there, where nel John C. McLaurin, with slave they enjoyed an unusual prosperity labor, during idle time from the for : a number of years. crops, dug a ditch from this pond In the meantime, James L. McCalthrough the hill separating it from lum came up from Wilmington and Black Branch, and Leith's Creek, bought two stores under one roof passing under where is now the Sea- where the First National Bank is now, board Air Line freight platform. It and he conducted in the corner the was dug about eighteen feet deep at most unique drug store probably ever| its deepest point, and remained open conducted in North Carolina. He was for a number of years. The Caro- a man of great affability, who would lina Central Railroad after locating not break into any interesting converits repair shops here, removed the sation to make a sale, and seemed to banks of this ditch and used the earth feel that his whole duty was done to fill in its grounds, and as a small when he told suffering humanity that boy it was the greatest wonder to me he had ordered the drugs demanded that this kind of water-stream could by them, and was not the least conexist without swamp, through high fused if the customer came every day banks almost perpendicular, so much for several weeks to enquire. He would most politely inform the customer that it was past his explanation why the goods had not come, but he was expecting them in on every train. It seems that Mr. McCallum prospered, for in 1863 he bought that valuable property known as The McCallum lands for the sum of $800, taking deed July 3, 1863. It would also seem from that deed that the store owned by McCallum had been owned by John A. and 1 Neill A. Currie, prior to McCallum's purchase thereof. The first evidence of an intelligent attempt to proscribe a town seems to be recorded in a deed from Col. J. C. McLaurin, wherein on Dec. 30, 1862, he conveyed to B. W. & W. L. Berry for $14,637.50 practically all the lands between the McCallum lands, Main street, and out to the boundaries of what was afterwards the Roper farm. This deed is registered in Book Y, at pages 208, etc., and in it is a reservation for Main street in the following words: "Excepting a street to be left open, beginning at the corner of the warehouse and runs south 21 1-2 west 24 chains (1584 ft.) to a stake; thence north 68 1-2 west 66 feet; thence north 21 1-2 east to said railroad; thence to the beginning." There was previous reference in the deed to the Wilmington, Charlotte and Rutherfordton Railroad, now the Seaboard Air Line, hence 'said railroad', and the warehouse was the freight depot then just east of Main street. During the Civil war the railroad | moved its shops here to get away from danger of seizure by federal armies besieging Fort Fisher near Wilmington. A deed from J. C. McLaurin to Robert H. Cowan, President W. C. & R. R. R. Jan. 23, 1867, for that portion of land occupied by the crate factory now, would indicate that they did not decide to locate permanently here and expand, until about that date. The shops were located here under stress and fear, for temporary purpose, and there was, from the first, the insistant danger of immediate removal, which hovered over this town until 1894, when the final decision took the shops away. During all these years the fear of disaster should the shops move, was SO apparent that even those who were able to build largely and permanently, refused to do so; or, as one of our citizens put it when his contractor told 1 him he was planning a home he did not want, the owner, it so that if the shops business should be so shall have to • go too, said "Build my I will lose as little as possible in selling out." (That home has been remodeled and is one of the most attractive in town today.) This indicates what an incubus the presence of the shops was, with the insistant threat of removal. When the shops left in 1894, property values slumped, and low cotton added to the depression, until improved property could be bought at hardly more than the raw material would cost to construct the buildings thereon. But this was only tempo/ rary. The prophets of disaster were soon turned into prophets of hope, and workers for the future. New industries sprung up until our pay roll soon far outstripped what it was, with the railroad shops here, and now there is also a dividend return from these enterprises that finds its way into the pockets of our people, and prosperity is more than an hundred fold what it was from all industrial sources prior to the removal of the railroad shops. The railroad which is now a part of the Seaboard Air Line was chartered as the Wilmington, Charlotte & Rutherfordton R. R., and secured large subscriptions from private parties, counties, towns and townships along its line. Quite a number of brightly lithographed bonds and certificates of stock found their way into the hands of our people, but the road was run for the benefit of the promoters and not for the good of the public or the stockholders, and those certificates and bonds became worthless. Later the name was changed to Carolina Central Railroad, and the debt and stock of the old organization thus separated from the property. The first depot was a log structure, built shortly before the civil war on the north side of the track just on the east of Main street. It was burned, setting fire to the wooden store building of Bizzell and Roper located where is now the old Bizzell hotel or Hall, the colored hotel of the town at present. The depot was rebuilt on the south side of the track, just across the track from the old location, and remained there for some while, when it was also burned. The next building was at what is now known as the Old Depot, and still stands, 400 yards west t of Main street, used as a private warehouse. This location was seleeted because of the need for more room for the shops, and to get such a menace as to fire out of the shop yards. The town never liked the location, and as soon as the shops were moved, agitation began to secure return the depot to a site near Main street, which was finally successful about 1904. During the Civil war the management of the railroad system was transferred to Laurinburg, and one | of the principal officers remodeled Laurinburg High School building into a residence and lived in it. The offices of the manager and president were removed shortly after the war, to Wilmington again. The firm of Bizzell and Roper was composed of Col. J. T. Roper and A. F. Bizzell, which operated on a large scale shortly after the close of the war. It extended its credits so wide-| ly that they soon went into bankruptcy, and liquidated. McCaskill & McLean was another partnership operating shortly after the civil war, and successfully until the death of Mr. McLean. It was composed of | Rod McCaskill and James Dickson "McLean. Mr. McCaskill conducted the business some years, but finally liquidated without leaving much sur-| plus. James and McRae were suc-| cessful merchants from 1885 to about 1891 when they dissolved, Mr. Rod McCaskill going into farming extensively and Mr. A. L. James into banking. McMillan & Robbins succeeding them, both of whom are now dead. Mr. R. E. Lee opened here near the same period and also Mr. R. D. Phillips, who after a long career retired from the mercantile field and each is extensively engaged in farming. There were a number of smaller concerns located here and doing a more or less successful business, during the period, including the two McKays, Messrs. M. G. McKay and A. McKay, Anderson & Rockwell, David McAlister, and Will Cameron, and others, 1 not to mention any that are now in business to speak for them- selves. SCHOOLS. selves. SCHOOLS. Early in the fifties Dr. John Malloy and others purchased lands for the Laurinburg High School, and there was built the old High School Building, consisting of one main hall 35 feet square, with a smaller hall 25 feet square on each end, connecting by rolling or folding doors so that the whole floor space could be opened into one auditorium. Here were held the celebrations, at School Commencement and in honor. of events such as the completion the railroad to town, political speechmaking not in the interest of a political party, etc., and was also used for preaching. One of the participants has often told me of a brilliant assembly there on the occasion of a railroad celebration, when there was speech making much of the day and a big ball at night, with old time dancing all night. She was unable to tell what' was the character of the celebration whether to get the people to put their hard earned money into the road, or to celebrate success in financing it, or in building it to this point, but as it was opened about that time, it must have been held to celebrate the completion of the road to this place. The participant said she was just budding into womanhood at the time. When she told me, in later life, she always took great pains to say that the dancing of that day was not the glide waltz common at the time she spoke, but the square dance, the Vir-| ginia reel and the stately minuet, wherein personal contact was of the finger tips only. This school had a steward's hall, now the residence occupied by Mr. A. M. Fairly, with a set of dormitories of four rooms (two stories) just to the rear and a little to the west' of the Fairly residence. This latter was moved east and modeled into a residence by adding a kitchin and a hall and perhaps a room| A catalogue recently found and published elsewhere in this issue shows that in 1854 this was a prosperous school for that day. It seems to have been in debt, as usual with such enterprises, and before 1863 it had been sold to one A. P. Gage, who was from the north, and was principal of the school for some time. He lived until recent years, and was a teacher of note, and author of text books, one of which is Gage's Physics, which has been in use in many of our southern schools. The Civil war closed the school permanently. Later the school property was purchased by M. Cronly of Wil-| mington, and held by him until Mr. Quakenbush bought it about 1880, with a few weeks ownership by L. T. Everett, Esq., in the meantime. After the Civil war, there was no school here worthy of the community for some years, and the boys of the town went four miles to Caledonia, where J. T. John and Peter McRae were financing a school of high grade for the special benefit of their own families. In the summer of 1877 I was at work on the farm of my father, when a horseman rode into the field. It proved to be Charles E. Smith hunting a school, prospecting for the school at Caledonia, which was being financed by my father and uncle. My father told Mr. Smith that that school was. supplied for the coming term, but that Laurinburg ought to have a school, and for him to see Col. J. T. Roper, one of the school comof mittee (the others being L. T. Everett and J. T. John) and if he approved,' together to see Capt. Everett and whatever they would agree upon would be ratified by him and perhaps a school could be opened here. The I project was a success, and Mr. Smith opened and taught school here two years, the second year moving to the old Laurinburg High School building, then cut up into main rooms and a number of smaller apartments. Smith gave up the school at the end of that year, and the place was advertising for a teacher or teachers. Prof. W. G. Quakenbush visited the town early in the summer, and finally decided to try his lot here, and opened school, 1879, in the old High School building with Mr. H. W. Malloy, assistant. The school was a success from start, and enjoyed the perfect confidence and loyal support of the community for twenty-one years, when Prof. Quakenbush resigned, and sold his property. The tribute paid Professor Quakenbush in' the erection of the monument in front of the court house is said to be entirely unique, in that there is not anywhere else in the world, so far as known, a public | monument, in a public place, erected | by public subscription, to a private | school teacher. There are monuments, or grave markers, in cemetaries, and public monuments to public school teachers; but it is said there is no monument in a publie place, by publie subscription to a private school teacher, save this one. That this community should place such estimate upon a teacher has been the eulogistic comment of speaker after speaker, not only in this section, but even beyond the limits of this section. Some years ago in conversation with seat mate on a train from Memphis to Little Rock, I mentioned this monument. It happened that I was talking to one of the judges of the state of Arkansas, who was on his way to a celebration of the capture of Fort Smith, where he was to make the principal address. He had me dictate the inscriptions on the monument SO that he might copy and use in his speech, saying that he had never heard of quite so fine a thing and one that so perfectly fit in with his speech prepared for that day, and he would use it as the climax of his address. The inscription that most impressed him is on the south face, and I will incorporate it here so that those who may have not read it, or have forgotten it, will have it before them: "In recognition of his exalted character In appreciation of his ennobling influence on youth Erected by a people grateful for his love and service." After Professor Quakenbush, as most can well remember, Prof. F. P. Wyche successfully taught; but seeing that the graded school was coming and must come, and after seeing the town vote it down, he went to Charlotte graded schoolwork and rented the property to some ladies who taught there until the graded school was opened in 1909. Coming to the legal and political side of the town, we know that an act of incorporation was passed by the General Assembly ratified the 12th day of February, 1877, incorporating the town. There is a tradition that it was incorporated earlier, but I have found no record thereof, and as this act provides for the justices of the peace in the township to call and conduct the first election for the town, it is a fair inference that there were no town officials that could do this, or the duty would have been placed on them. The boundaries were so vaguely set down that they were in dispute some time after the town government was inaugurated. The boundary is as follows in the original act: "Beginning at the center of the Carolina Central Railway, on Front street, and running from said point five-eights of a mile north, south, east and west, so as to form a square, with beginning point as a center." The legal construction, with the square including the smallest amount of land that these points would permit, was inevitable, but the incorporators had not so intended, and there was some confusion at the time over the boundaries, which were laid off both ways, finally being settled for the smaller area. Later this boundary was 'squared' out by enactment making the sides run due north and south, cutting the points named in the original charter. Later this was revised and again the sides are at an angle of 45 degrees from north and south, but the boundaries now extend much farther beyond even the second outline. Whisky was sold here almost as freely as water until legislative enactment in 1889 closed the barrooms July 1st, 1889, by refusing license. The sentiment of the community was not strong behind this enactment and for some years it was not well enforced, the mayor and a majority of the board being anti-prohibitionists; but in 1892 a majority of the board of commissioners were 'dry' and elected M. L. John the first 'dry' mayor. The 'wets' tried by legislative amendment and otherwise to. get something done that would allow whisky to be sold according to law, and petitioned un| der a law (which the Supreme court in a case involving another town declared to be inoperative) for an electien to be held on the subject, saying that if the majority of the votes should be cast against the licensed sale, they would join in the enforcement of the law. The 'drys' accepted the challenge, withdrew opposition to holding the election, and the County Commissioners of Richmond County ordered a special election. It was fought hard by both sides, the 'drys' winning by a small but clear majority. The 'wets', true to promise, accepted the result and quit fighting the prohibition law, and from that day there has never been an open contest over the question, so far as relates to the town. The first church established in the town limits was the Presbyterian, an offshot of Laurel Hill church. Prior to the war a large frame structure was erected on its present site, the contractor being Jackson Graham, a very efficient and honest negro carpenter. His work was well done, as any one will testify who saw the building torn down some years ago. The Methodists held services in the Presbyterian church several years, building a frame structure about 1875 on the site of their present building, which was burned in 1893, and the present structure built. The Baptists built about 1879, and was burned by lightning shortly after completion. The present structure was built a few years later. STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA, DEPARTMENT OF STATE. CERTIFICATE OF DISSOLUTION. TO ALL to WHOM THESE PRESENTS MAY COME- -Greeting:. WHEREAS, It my satisfaction, by duly authenticated record of the proceedings for the voluntary dissolution thereof unanimous consent of all the Stockholders, debest posited in my office, that the Green Granite, Brick Company, a corPond poration State, whose principal office is situated at No. -Street, in the town of Gibson, County of Scotland, State of North Carolina (Dr. W. T. Pate being the agent therein and in charge thereof, upon whom process may be served), has complied with the requirements of Chapter 21, Revisal of 1905, entitled "Corporations", preliminary to the issuing of certificate of Dissolution: NOW, THEREFORE, I, J. Bryan Grimes, Secretary of State of the State of North Carolina, do hereby certify that the said corporation did, on the 29th day of May, 1916, file in my office a duly executed and attested consent' in writing to the dissolution of said corporation, executed by all the Stockholders thereof, which said consent and the record of the proceedings aforesaid are now on file in my said office as Provided by law. In Testimony Whereof, I have hereto set my hand and affixed my official seal, at Raleigh, this 29th day of May, A. D. 1916. J. BRYAN GRIMES. Secretary of State. (OFFICIAL SEAL) 22-26 Ferndale Dairy Castle Hayne Road Wilmington, N. C., May 8, 1916. UNIVERSAL OIL CO. Wilmington, N. C. Gentlemen: In reply to your recent letter in regard to the success I have had feeding milk cows with your Peanut Meal, beg to advise that I have been feeding it since last September in place of Cotton Seed Meal, and it has been in every way satisfactory. I find that I can feed it without any fear of overfeeding, and I am now feeding twice as much Peanut Meal as I formerly fed of Cotton Seed Meal, with a proportionate increase in milk. Yours truly, 5 H. L. DARDEN, Proprietor Ferndale Dairy. A ANALYSIS Crude Fat 8.00 per cent Ammonia 6 50 per cent Protein 30.00 per cent. Crude Fibre 21.00 00 per cent. Carbohydrates 36.00 00 per cent For sale by John E. Phillips Laurinburg, N. C. ADMINISTRATRIX'S NOTICE. Having qualified as administratrix: of the estate of R. D. Gibson, deceased, late of the County Scotland and State of North Carolina, this is to notify all persons having claims against the estate of said deceased to exhibit them duly verified to the undersigned at her home in Williamson Township, Scotland, County, on: or before the 1917, or this notice will be pleaded in bar of their recovery. All persons indebted to said estate will please make immediate payment. RACHEL GIBSON, Administratrix of the Estate of R. D. Gibson, Deceased. This the first day of June, 1916.. 22-27 No. 666 This is a prescription prepared especially for or MALARIA OF CHILLS & FEVER. Five doses will break any case, and if taken then as a tonic the Fever will not return. It acts on the liver better than Calomel and does not gripe or sicken. 25c.

Article from 29 Jun 1916The Laurinburg Exchange(Laurinburg, NC)

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