Eastern Living - September 2023

Made Made Made by hand byhand

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NOW is a great time to apply for Financial Aid! MCC participates in the administration of HEERF (Higher Education Emergency Recovery Funds) NOW is a great time to apply for Financial Aid!

NOW is a great time to apply Financial Aid!Funds) MCC participates in the administration of HEERF (Higher for Education Emergency Recovery

MCC participates in the administration of HEERF (Higher Education Emergency Recovery Funds)

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Martin College isat committed to an environment that diversity, respects to the rights of all individuals, is VisitCommunity our website www.martincc.edu orembraces call 252-792-1521 get started! open and accessible, and is free of harassment and discrimination.

Need help? Call 252-789–0268 or email admissions@martincc.edu

Martin Community College is committed to an environment that embraces diversity, respects the rights of all individuals, is open and accessible, and is free of harassment and discrimination.

2

Martin Community College is committed to an environment that embraces diversity, respects the rights of all individuals, is open and accessible, and is free of harassment and discrimination.

Open Monday - Friday, 9 am to 5pm

NOW is a great time to apply for Financial Aid!

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3

Bertie County Exploring Our Backyard

4

Early detection can be life changing.

Schedule a 3-D mammogram with ECU Health and we will give you the results in as little as 1-2 days. These breast screenings detect issues early, when they’re easiest to treat.

And if we find something that needs attention, ECU Health’s nationally accredited breast cancer physicians and support teams will help you understand your results, make decisions with you, and give you peace of mind.

ECU Health offers 3-D mammography at 10 convenient locations throughout eastern North Carolina. Find a location near you at ECUHealth.org/3DScreening.

If you have signs and symptoms talk with your doctor right away. Starting at age 40 begin talking with your doctor about the need to receive regular mammograms.

Women at higher risk may need to start screening earlier. Discuss your risks with your doctor.

32 28

Pasquotank

Perquimans

Pitt

Tyrrell

Washington

Wilson

18

Northampton

Edgecombe

Greene

12

Gates

Nash

36

Chowan

We cover the PEOPLE you know & love and the PLACES you should go & love!

Bertie

22

Beaufort

LET’S EXPLORE.

Hertford

8

Halifax

Hyde 6

Martin

F E AT U R E S

ON T HE COVER

EASTERN

LIVING N O RT H

GRANDMA’S KITCHEN

C A R O L I N A

Make dinner by hand

42

Made by Hand

Don Grady works in his workshop.

Photo by Deborah Griffin.

ALL IN A DAY’S TRIP Take a buggy ride through Carthage

VOL. 15, NO. 5 SEPTEMBER 2023

40

STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS

Publisher

Kyle Stephens kstephens@apgenc.com

GRACE & TRUTH In the hands of God

49

Editor Thadd White twhite@apgenc.com Layout & Design Thadd White twhite@apgenc.com Michelle Leicester

PARTING SHOTS Words from our editor

50

bertienews@ncweeklies.com Advertising Executives Lou Ann Van Landingham lvanlandingham@apgenc.com Kelly Ayscue kayscue@rmtelegram.com Chris Taylor ctaylor@rmtelegram.com

Photo Editor Jim Green

jgreen@rmtelegram.com Staff

John Foley

jfoley@apgenc.com Brandice Hoggard

bhoggard@ncweeklies.com Editorial Contributors Sandy Carawan Sarah Davis

Sylvia Hughes

Lewis Hoggard

John H. Walker Morgan Murray

Deborah Griffin

The Rev. Webb Hoggard Eastern North Carolina Living Magazine

109 South King St.,

Windsor, NC 27983 252-794-3185

twhite@apgenc.com

Eastern North Carolina Living is published by APG Media Eastern NC, and is a subsidiary of the Bertie Ledger-Advance, The Enterprise, Tarboro Weekly and Rocky Mount Telegram.

7

MARTIN COUNTY

Woodworking

Mariner finds a true home Story & Photos by Deborah Griffin

G

rowing up in Massachusetts,

Don

Grady

was

baptized

into the art of woodworking.

He witnessed first-hand the

again,” he said.

the United States Navy and was trained

excellence.

17. Seabee is a play on the first letters of

The result was his own penchant for Grady applies those principles to the

craftsmanship his father and grandfather

furniture he hand-crafts and the wooden

their cabinet crafting business.

community of Martin County.

lovingly and meticulously applied into “They both had a good work ethic.

My dad was the type of person that if

it wasn’t right - it would be done over

8

bowls he creates in the Farm Life

Before anchoring here, Grady spent

more than half his life on the water.

He was forged by the sea by way of

as a Navy Seabee at the young age of the Navy’s Construction Battalion [C.B.].

(Seabees are responsible for building much

infrastructure

at

locations around the world.)

U.S.

military

His Seabee stint further ingrained his

love for carpentry.

“That is where I learned a lot of my

woodwork,” he said.

But when he left the Navy, he headed for

open waters and spent the next two decades on commercial fishing vessels.

For about 11 years he trapped lobster 100

miles off the coast of Maryland. He also caught and sold larger fish - including Mako sharks.

The next 11 years were spent mining clams

in the North Atlantic off the coasts of Canada and Maine.

His last port of call was as chief engineer

on a tugboat navigating inland waters, which he

did for 14 years, “mostly out of Philadelphia,” he said.

As the prospect of retirement loomed, he

paid visits to his sons who lived in Greenville at the time.

It was there he met the love of his life - Janie

(Peel) Griffin, at a dance for singles.

Fourteen years ago, they married, and he

retired; docking in the land-locked farmlands of eastern North Carolina.

“Going to sea is a wonderful life,” he admits.

“But I had aged out of it. I had been doing it my whole life and I was tired of it. I miss it, but have no desire to go back.

“I really love it here. It is a great place to live,”

he said.

Grady has lived many places, including

Chicago, Detroit, Indiana, Rhode Island and Delaware.

“I’ve never lived in a place like this,” he added.

“I feel like this is home.”

At 77, Grady now breathes new life into trees

that have fallen on his wife’s family farm and old wood gleaned from the surrounding areas –

including driftwood - using it to build furniture for people on a commission basis.

“Usually all I need is a picture and dimensions,”

he said. “But I tell them, ‘If you are in a hurry, you might want to contact someone else.’

“I take my time. I do it for the fun of it,” he

added.

In the past 10 years, Grady has refined

crafting wooden bowls on a lathe, a technique called wood turning. He speculates he has made, or turned, at least 200 bowls.

His first set of bowls came from a fallen

9

pecan tree on the family farm, from which he was able to craft 25 bowls.

Bowls of all sizes and shapes fill the

Grady’s home, but most have been gifted to family, friends and neighbors.

“I love to make them, and I love to give

them away,” Grady said.

Janie added, “There are times he gets in a

mood and will make a bowl every day.”

The bowls vary in size and appearance.

“There are not two alike,” Grady said.

The farm has relinquished Pecan, Maple,

Red Oak, Cedar, Cherry and Bradford Pear wood over the years. Possibly the most unusual

wood found on the farm was an old clothesline post, from which he crafted three bowls.

He also uses a variety of techniques that

affect the bowls’ outcome. One technique

involves wood that has begun to decay.

He chemically halts the wood from rotting,

which, when crafted, gives the bowls a unique appearance called spalted.

Sometimes he uses wood that has not

completely dried. The bowls crack as they dry, “giving them character,” he said. He also

makes segmented bowls, made with different types and colors of wood.

Furniture he has crafted over the years

include a serving bar, benches made from

antique headboards and a cross-shaped

pulpit. The pulpit is used weekly at Piney Grove Baptist Church in Farm Life.

He also has constructed Adirondack chairs,

rockers, swings, tables and writing desks.

He enjoys refurbishing antique furniture and

has brought life to such things as old church

pews, his mother’s pie cabinet and his wife’s childhood doll cradle.

“I like working in my shop. I like to pass the

time away in there,” he said.

Although miles from the ocean, Grady feels

at home on the farm. Most days he can be

found turning wood in his shop, or wandering the farm’s forests, scouring for fallen trees.

Deborah Griffin is a freelance journalist and regular contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

10

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11

HERTFORD COUNTY

Making soap

Necessity is the mother of invention Story by Sarah Davis u Photos by Sarah Davis & Contributed

A

lthough the cliche “Necessity

is to “create products that anyone can

allergy so was careful what she put into

might produce eye rolls, once

for dry skin and lightly scented for

that she also had to be careful what she

is the mother of invention”

considered, that truly is the case in many, many cases.

And, thus, necessity has been the

driving force behind Gruesome Beauty,

Hailey Foster’s Ahoskie company that produces homemade soaps. Its mission

12

enjoy. All products are nut free, hydrating sensitive skin.”

As a child, Foster suffered from skin

problems, and nothing seemed to help.

Then, about five years ago, she began discovering the underlying problem.

She knew she suffered from a tree-nut

her body. What she had not realized was

put onto her body. Although possibly not

obvious, many products contain almond oil, a by-product of a tree nut.

A quick perusal of the ingredient list

of many, many soaps and lotions reveals that almond oil is an ingredient.

Finding it difficult to find products that were

almond free, she found it necessary to make her own, and in 2021, Gruesome Beauty was born.

Listening to Foster explain the process for

making soap, it is easy to see that, for her,

it’s both the journey and the destination. She

eventually arrives at a product that’s good for her (and anyone else’s) sensitive skin, but it’s fun to make, and she makes it fun to make.

According to Foster, soap is simply lye, water

and oils, but, once combined, the end product is anything but simple. A glance at her inventory

reveals the many forms soap can take. Once the

lye and water are combined, the oils are added; afterward come any fragrance and color.

Her favorite oil to use is sunflower oil, which

contains vitamin E, proven to be effective (thus

hydrating) for dry skin as well as eczema and psoriasis. Her sunflower oil comes from Carolina

Gold, also a Hertford County company, owned by Lee Britt in Harrellsville.

It takes approximately two hours to make a

batch which then must undergo saponification, a process requiring eighteen to twenty-four hours.

After that, the soap can be cut into shapes which must then cure for four to six weeks before they

are ready for use and market. A batch of soap ranges from 10 to 30 bars, depending on shape and size.

If one can imagine it, Foster can make it

as soap, often being inspired by movie or tv characters. A lavender and lemon soap may appear in the shape of a large sunflower or as a block with a small sunflower on top.

Other soaps might look like an enchanted

forest or a mermaid or even an ice cream cone or cupcake. In fact, many look as if they might be

mistaken for food. Some are made from molds, but many – as the product itself – are simply handmade.

She often makes soap to fit a theme, whether

a holiday one, such as Christmas (The Grinch) or Halloween (Freddie Kruger) or for a show

she is attending, such as the Mad Monster

Expo in Charlotte or the Watermelon Festival in Murfreesboro.

One can find Foster and her soaps at most

local events in the Roanoke-Chowan region, and

13

she also attends larger venues in larger areas,

such as the Renaissance Fair last spring in Raleigh.

These events find her and her grandmother, Lisa

Foster, setting up early and staying late in all kinds of weather, such as the pouring rain at this year’s Watermelon Festival.

As Grandmother Foster will tell you, the events,

as the company, can be gruesome, but they are so rewarding; indeed, the events are a gruesome

beauty. Both Hailey and Lisa enjoy not only the sales

but the people they meet, both other vendors and customers. And the other vendors and customers enjoy getting to know Gruesome Beauty as well.

Many who accidentally stumble onto the product,

perhaps having received a special bar of soap as

a gift, are immediately drawn to it, and help spread Gruesome Beauty’s story as well as their own regarding its use.

The soaps are available locally at My Deer

Watson in Hertford County and Sugar Shack in Gates County, but, thanks to modern technology,

they are available far beyond the area in which they are produced.

They can be purchased through the website

(www.Gruesome-Beauty.com), and the soap has

been shipped to Alabama, California, Michigan, Texas and Virginia as well as throughout North Carolina. Gruesome Beauty also has a presence on Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok.

Foster says her best sellers are her men’s soap

and coffee soap, both of which have exfoliating

properties. Additionally, she makes a premium soap for mechanics and unscented soaps for those who prefer/need them.

Besides soap, Foster also makes body butters,

lip balms, and scrubs. One special product she sells is an environmentally friendly soap bag. With a bar

of soap inserted, it serves as an ideal loofah, and it has the added quality of permitting every last bit of the soap to be used – absolutely no waste.

In a few short years, her necessity turned

invention has become very popular, helping give

Hertford County and the Roanoke-Chowan area visibility far beyond local borders.

Sarah Davis is a retired librarian and educator and regular contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

14

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17

PERQUIMANS COUNTY

Hand-crafted

Sid Eley enjoys‘making sawdust’ Story & Photos by John Foley

H

ertford resident Sid Eley

icon, has transformed his garage into a

boxes, stools and banks in a variety of

his entire life. Many of those

today, according to the former mayor,

and other local venues. Eley can also be

has been making memories are apparent on his wall of

pictures and memorabilia, framing his 76 years.

However, for the past 25 years, he’s

been creating future memories by hand.

In the space that once housed a car

and truck, the Hertford resident and town

18

woodworking shop some years ago and

fire chief, educator and commissioner

he spends much of his time “making sawdust.” The sawdust is simply a bi-

product of the artwork Eley crafts as a local wood carver.

Hertford residents are familiar with

Eley and his work. His hand crafted

forms, grace the window of Hertford Hub found displaying his artwork at Belvidere

Days and local fairs. His sought after

stools, displaying Hertford’s famed “S”

Bridge or the Perquimans High School Pirate logo have an uplifting effect on area residents.

Eley began leaving his mark on town

as a young volunteer, long before he took wood to saw and router.

When Eley turned 21, he got a call from his

brother, informing him he had been voted onto the Hertford Volunteer Fire Department.

“I asked him what to do next and he said, ‘If

the whistle blows, you go’,” Eley mused.

Eley recollects that call came on Thursday.

On Friday he went to the station to get his equipment, but the chief was busy and told him to come back on Monday.

“On Saturday, about 6 o’clock, the siren went

off. Marvin Hunter, Jimmy Hunter’s brother, had been voted on the same night, and he lived right

around the corner from me. We both pulled up,

didn’t have any gear, didn’t know what to do and we looked at the guy at the ice plant who was our dispatcher. He said, you have a house fire

in the grub street,” Eley said. “We looked at the

doors of the fire station and had no idea how to open them.”

Eley’s brother quickly arrived and opened the

doors, at which time Hunter and Eley jumped on

the back of the truck and were christened by their first fire.

The fire was doused without incident and Eley

began leaving his mark on the town of Hertford and its future.

He eventually became the town’s fire chief, as

his father before him had.

In 1969, Eley was hired as a science teacher

and humorously claims he spent 29 years in seventh grade.

His teaching techniques caught the eye

of many, including the Perquimans school Superintendent at the time.

“I let the students bring in anything that was

living. As a young boy, you wanted to pick up

anything that moved. I let them bring any living thing that was non-poisonous into class. We

raised baby opossums after their mother had been run over, squirrels, a bunch of stuff.”

The educators’ greatest experience was with

green snakes, the kind that don’t hurt you.

“A little girl brought in a green snake, I’m not

exaggerating, that long,” Eley said, while placing

his hands 18 inches apart. “She said she found it Friday afternoon and had been playing with it all

19

weekend.”

Rocker presented to him when he retired from Hertford politics.

the room and it would crawl right up to her desk.

sidelines after serving the town for over 20 years as a town

The former teacher claimed the girl could place the snake in “I was trying to teach the kids to touch snakes. So I slid all

my desk to the side, and the kids sat in a big circle on the floor

Although still a Hertford advocate, he now does it from the commissioner and mayor.

“I first served under Bill Cox. A terrific guy. He loved Hertford.

and I put the snake in the middle. And I said, watch, don’t move,

The only person in North Carolina who served as town manager

didn’t move. I said, now what’s it doing? And the kids looked and

Cox.

don’t say anything. And that snake just stayed on the floor, it said, oh, it’s green and camouflaging the grass,” explained Eley.

“About that time, here comes the superintendent, the

assistant superintendent, most of the school board, walking in my room,” said Eley.

With a broad grin he continued, “Here we are in a circle

with a snake, and four or five people I didn’t know, and their superintendent looked at me and said, what are you doing?”

The school officials were taken aback and a little in shock,

according to Eley, who explained he was teaching kids about

and mayor at the same time,” said Eley, offering high praise for Today the wood artisan is busy building banks and stools. His

workshop is a monument to long leaf pine as pieces protrude from corners and cabinets waiting their turn.

“Most of the wood I use is from scraps. I stopped by an old

house last week and asked if there was any scrap wood. They

guy said there wasn’t. I went by the following week and he had

all that lumber stacked up and said I could have it,” said Eley, who traded a few handcrafted toy trucks for the pile.

For Eley, Hertford has always been home, his workshop is

camouflage and the difference between good and bad, snakes.

where he makes memories for the future generations of the

snake hesitation, thanked Eley and left the class. Eley went on

faceted career.

Apparently, the school board officials backed up due to live

to teach for 29 years, never bothered by snakes, reptiles or school officials.

One of Eley’s prized possessions is the Boston Recognition

` CafeMadeleine BAKERY & WINE

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John Foley is a Staff Writer for the Bertie Ledger-Advance, The Enterprise and Eastern North Carolina Living.

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21

CHOWAN COUNTY

Good Eats

Dunlow feeds Chowan County Story by Lewis Hoggard u Photos by Lewis Hoggard & John Foley

I

n the Deans-Cozzens building,

The preparation of food, and especially

change directions as her family grew.

Street, located at the heart of

term “made from scratch” or something

Fig Bake Shop and, when that business

on the corner of Broad and King downtown Edenton is the Corner

Baking Company.

desserts, is where one often hears the like handmade.

The owner and operator of this

A small space with a large taste is

delectable corner store is Terra Dunlow.

cakes, breads, cookies, cupcakes and

a career change to do something she

the Corner Baking Company. Offering all sorts of sweets to provide excitement

for even the most discriminating palate.

22

She started by working for the Sugared decided to close shop, she opened her own bakery a week later.

Terra is originally from Ohio and moved

Originally a healthcare worker, she made

to North Carolina about eleven years

has always loved doing. After following

ownership role has been a daunting one.

a different career path, she decided to

ago. Her foray into the small business She considers herself, a mother and wife

first and business person second.

She states, “Ultimately I’m mommy first. My

children and family are my number one.”

The transition from being an employee to

a boss has been challenging in certain ways

as there is a great deal of paperwork and responsibility that comes with small business ownership.

In the bakery, the space for the public

is fairly limited, but offers seats inside and

outside, so one’s choice of a sweet delicacy does not have to be taken home, but can be consumed leisurely on the premises.

There is a wonderful variety of baked goods

to choose from. Having at least two different

kinds of cupcakes each day has made this corner spot a must visit on a trip to downtown Edenton or a daily visit for some of the locals.

Cookies better than your mom or grandmom

made is also a wise choice to make on a visit.

There is also a cookie of the month plan

available. One of her families’ favorites is the

old standard, the chocolate chip cookie, but she bakes quite a variety of cookies.

Cakes are available by size, type and

decoration for order or there is usually a large

selection of cakes available for purchase in the bakery.

Dunlow cites her mom and her Aunt Barb

as her early cooking influences. She notes that

growing up in an Italian family with a cooking

culture embedded at a young age in her upbringing.

She is enjoying doing something she loves

as well as a way to own a business and serve in

the workforce in a capacity that provides great enjoyment as well as some monetary rewards.

Look for classes to be offered to help folks

learn to cook some of these desserts, kids

to learn to make cookies and of course cake decoration. This is an attempt to teach others how to replicate the goodness that is found at the Corner Baking Company.

A number of items are found in the store, for

example they have a bread that is prepared like a pizza. Or something that might not normally

be expected is to pick up a doggie treat at a

bakery, but shoppers can at the Corner Baking

23

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The Corner Baking Company is open

Tuesday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Terra does say they may experiment

with possibly being open on Sundays as Edenton has a lot of tourism and those

folks are visiting on Sundays and need a place to get coffee and a baked good.

Please visit and enjoy the Corner

Baking Company at 401 South Broad Street in Edenton.

Terra says “owning my own bakery has

always been my dream” but actually the

dream is for the customers devouring the

savory sweet treats that she offers at the

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Sunday, October 1 - Matinee - 3:00 p.m.

Ticket: $5 “A CHRISTMAS CAROL” Thursday, Nov 16, 2023 - 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Nov 18, 2023 - 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 19- Matinee - 3:00 p.m.

Adult ticket: $10 | Senior Citizens & Students: $8 The Martin Community Players Presents their spring musical “THE WIZARD OF OZ” Thursday, March 14, 2024 - 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, March 16, 2024 - 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, March 17 - Matinee - 3:00 p.m.

Adult ticket: $ 15 Senior Citizens & Students: $ 10 ****All performances held at Martin County Auditorium*** 1260 Godwin Avenue Williamston, NC - just off US Hwy 17

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EDGECOMBE COUNTY

Outfitters

River Cast remains a family affair Story by John H. Walker u Photos Courtesy of River Cast Outfitters

C

hances anyone living in eastern

They were going to come up with a plan,

talk with him.

Cast Outfitters shirt or cap.

did that, I would back them (financially) to

he needs to talk to,” he said. “The boys

“That very day, right there in the

took about a year for them to realize that

North Carolina, has seen a River

What few know is the way River Cast

came about through a put-up or shut-

right there on the beach and when they get them started.

“I kept telling him that they’re the ones

decided to use that printer and I think it

up type challenge from a dad to his two

sand, Stephen drew out the logo that we

True story, and Dave Sharpe is as

gotten with his art teacher at SouthWest

being around.

logo perfected,” he continued.

but there was one weekend that I couldn’t

talked about putting a company together

hold their hands.

Hop host) John Moore has been a great

that,” Dave said.

business world, and they took some

sons?

good a storyteller as anybody anywhere.

“My two boys, Patrick and Stephen, all

through middle school and high school, to sell shirts and caps and things like

“We were surf fishing one day and it

was deep into August. We were down

to probably our last five dollars worth of

shrimp and there they were, still talking about starting this business.”

Sharpe said, “I told them I had had it.

28

still use today. Within a week, we had (Edgecombe High School) and had the Sharpe said it was never his plan to “I wanted them to learn from the

knocks,” he recalls.

He said River Cast started as “kind of

a family hobby when both of them were still in high school.”

Sharpe said he went to the (screen)

printers with them and he kept wanting to

he was charging too much.”

And that lesson came about with Dad “I always went to the shows with them,

go. (Farmville Mayor Friday Night Sock friend of mine for probably 40 years, and he was at the Carolina Outdoor Journal show and when he found out I wasn’t

there, he came and sat with my boys all day long,” Sharpe explained.

“Because of John, they had a steady

stream of traffic all day, including a printer who asked them if he could give

them a bid. When they got his bid, they saw

how much the had been overcharged,” he said.

“They learned a business lesson and nobody got hurt.”

These days, River Cast exclusively uses

Cotton Press in Tarboro for all of their comfort color T-shirts and Earl Boykin Sports in Wilson for their Eddie Bauer pro fishing shirts.

“We’re 100 percent local,” Sharpe said,

noting that Edgecombe County shows have always been good, as has the Pitt Community College Christmas Show.

Sharpe figures that much of their business

is repeated and that the product line includes both short and long-sleeve tees, caps, pro fishing shirts, and vests.

“We’ve probably got 10 items we sell,”

Sharpe said.

Sharpe said they regularly get emails, texts,

and phone calls when a friend sees a River Cast shirt or cap out of the area… such as at a Durham Bulls game or when some Edgecombe County residents broke out the gear in Alaska.

“One of the fine things we do is post a

‘Buddy of the Week’ on our Facebook page

when somebody’s sighted in our gear,” Sharpe said.

And even though River Cast Outfitters is still

a family operation, it has grown.

“Stephen is married to Jordan and Patrick

is married to Blair and they both jump right in whenever they’re needed, and my wife,

Suzanne, is in charge of inventory control,” he added.

One family member that’s not around

anymore is Sam, the family canine and the

company’s first cap model. Sam died four years to the day the interview for this story was done.

“He was the best dog ever, and it’s just not

the same without him,” Sharp said.

For more information, call River Cast

Outfitters at (252) 883-4162 or email Sharpe at sharpedad3@gmail.ac

John H. Walker is a freelance journalist and a regular contributor to Eastern North Carolina Living.

29

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BERTIE COUNTY

Metal Works

Buffalo, alligator at home in Roxobel Story & Photos by Thadd White Jr.

D

riving through the western Bertie

But, if one wanders onto one side street

had a youngster who was walking around

County in the hamlet of Roxobel,

in town they may be greeted with a pasture

with me and she said, ‘Mr. Mike, that’s not a

most would see exactly what is

that includes a buffalo, an alligator and even

dragon, its a serpent,’ so we changed what we

a 20-or-so-foot serpent. They may even be

call it,” Pruden mused.

expected.

There are friendly faces on the streets

greeted by old T.R.

Pruden has a whole menagerie of

waving to passersby, rolling farms complete

While these creatures could cause alarm

animals, cookers and even a fire hydrant

with plants that are growing to feed the

for visitors if they were real, the metal works

replica of President Teddy Roosevelt on his

nation, historic buildings that have stood the

of Mike Pruden will cause nothing but smiles

little piece of heaven just inside the Roxobel

test of time and friendly neighborhood pets

and a good time.

town limits.

such as cats and dogs.

32

“We used to call that a dragon, but we

“I’m a saver,” Pruden said. “I will go

through my scrap pile and say ‘I can make something out of that’ and then its off to the workshop.”

His wife, Jane, says he spends a good portion of his day in that workshop and that even she has been amazed by the handiwork her husband has displayed over the years.

Two that quickly come to mind is the buffalo and the alligator. The alligator came about when the Baker family – another traditional Roxobel family – called Pruden and told them they had some scrap metal they thought he’d like.

“When I went to look at it, there was some stuff I could use,” he recalled. “One of them made the comment that when they first saw the pile it looked like an alligator.

That’s where the idea came from.”

Pruden didn’t just use the scrap metal as he spent time wandering around the woods on his property until he found just the right dead tree, drug it out of the woods and worked to combine it and the metal into what became a beautiful replica of an alligator.

The buffalo came about when the Prudens were touring Yellowstone National Park and saw not only the animal itself, but several silhouettes on hillsides.

“I told them, ‘I can make one of those’ so I took out a pad and sketched one right there,” he recalled. “I came home and took an old oil barrel and made it.”

That buffalo, which took over two months to complete now stands near the woods line in his pasture.

Pruden’s welding abilities weren’t always used to make beautiful things – although he has always been an expert.

He began working with his dad somewhere around 12 years old, continued welding during his service in the U.S. Army and made a career out of it.

“Dad had a shop and I helped him out and then I joined the Army,” Pruden recalled. “I went to school in Maryland for welding and then they shipped me off to Korea.”

While stationed overseas, Pruden was in charge of the welding shop and worked hard to do his job well. When he returned home he went back to work in his father’s welding shop.

“Eventually, I bought him out and worked there until I sold my part to my brother and retired,” Pruden said.

Well, it was more like an attempt to retire. He then took a job working for the town of Roxobel where he worked another seven years before deciding it was time to move on.

“I could still do the work, but I knew it was time to get out of the way so to speak,” he said.

During much of the time Pruden has been welding pig

33

cookers – all of which have been sold save the last one, which he kept to use himself. He also made some trailers, which he also sold.

“I wanted to do something smaller,” he said as to how he got into his projects.

He has made small items like a cowboy and ball players, but he has also made big items such as the buffalo, a horse and the alligator.

“I’ve sold a few things, given some away and some are still around here,” he said.

About two years ago, Pruden sold much of his bigger equipment. He said it was an attempt to cut back.

“It gets to the point you know you should be doing so much,” he said.

That retirement lasted a short time, like all the others. He soon bought himself a small welder and began working on a few projects just to pass the time.

“I can’t get it out of my blood,” he smiled.

Pruden said he gets up early and quickly moves over to his shop where he works – sometimes all day, but usually only until noon when it is hot outside. He also says he still enjoys gardening and that takes time away from his metal work as well.

“There’s also grass to cut and things to do,” he said. “If you want something to do, you’ll never run out of things.”

One of Pruden’s works became a special present. His former pastor’s wife, Vivvian Hutchmacker, was gifted an owl on the occasion of her 100th birthday. It was a fitting gift since she and her late husband had referred to themselves as the “Hoots” for many years.

“She was thankful and I was happy to do it for her,” Pruden said.

It is occasions like that, friends like the Bakers and trips like the one to Yellowstone – along with his desire to continue to work in some way – that have kept Mike Pruden busy.

They are also the reasons a small Bertie County town is home to animals and historical figures that one wouldn’t expect, even in such a lovely small town.

Thadd White is Editor of Eastern North Carolina Living, The Enterprise and the Bertie Ledger-Advance.

34

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TYRRELL COUNTY

Pocosin Arts

Regional home of made by hand Story & Photos by John Foley

P

ostage stamp- sized towns often offer

Feather Phillips founded the institution to

studio, which is quickly becoming the envy

hidden gems of handmade artwork

highlight local artisan works.

of woodworkers and carvers throughout the

locals appreciate and visitors adore.

Area folk art created by crafters from

region.

Nestled along the Scuppernong River,

scraps of wood, metal and fabric gave birth

The school offered two local wood carvers

The Pocosin Arts School of Fine Crafts is

to the Pocosin Arts School decades ago.

a five-day course scholarship. Pocosin offers

Columbia’s secret treasure embraced by

Today the quest to showcase and develop

full and partial scholarships for every summer

artists across the globe.

local talent continues. Although retired

workshop, and includes full or partial waivers

from day-to-day activities, Phillips’ vision

for tuition and housing. Funding is provided

continues to grow.

by The John and Robyn Horn Foundation,

Currently guided by Director Marlene True,

Pocosin

has

gained

worldwide

recognition since its inception in 1995, when

36

Recently, the school added a woodworking

the Bruce Barnett Scholarship, the James C.

Hook Scholarship and individual donors.

Edenton residents Treda Boyd and Bob Baker recently were awarded scholarships and completed the woodworking workshop.

Boyd and Baker have been carving for years and are regular attendees at the weekly Chowan Senior Center carving sessions and expanded their knowledge at Pocosin.

The course educated, informed and entertained the attendees.

“It was a tremendous experience. I learned a lot and had a wonderful time,” said Boyd, who has been carving for almost three years.

The local artisan has created a number of pieces.

“This is my bobble-head turtle, this is a cow, a bull and this bird actually moves,” said Boyd, tapping the head of her bobbling turtle. Parading along the table Boyd’s other creations included an apple, a dog and a boot.

The new studio features separate rooms for machine tools and benchwork and is equipped with

used in pottery produced by applying

Planck said.

a SawStop table saw, 20-inch planer, 6-inch jointer,

layers of color or colors to hard pottery

The

chop, miter and radial arm saws, mini-lathes,

and then scratching off parts of the

highlighted by a metal backdrop of

bandsaws, sanders and an environmentally friendly

layers to create contrasting images,

waterfall copper which Planck displayed

Oneida dust collection system.

patterns and textures.

at the Perquimans Art Gallery to rave

jawbone

earrings

were

“The workshop was a five eight hour course

A St. Paul Minnesota native, Althoff

each day,” said Baker. “The studio had wonderful

was first exposed to art as a youngster

Under True’s direction, Pocosin has

equipment. It was a great experience and we were

partaking in the free Saturday events at

expanded it’s Columbia footprint with

carving cottonwood.”

the Walker Art Museum.

the addition of Riverview.

Baker went on to explain Cottonwood is a

The

school

adds

entertaining

reviews at a fall 2023 show.

As

the

name

suggests,

this

hardwood, but lightweight and softer than other

challenges to many of its programs.

historic building boasts views of the

hardwoods making it easier to carve. Plus it has

Keeping with its tradition of “making

Scuppernong River and is a central

little grain adding to its wood carving popularity.

art out of something,” local metal artists

campus gathering place for the attendees

Cottonwood is frequently used when carving wooden

were challenged to “Find something,

of Pocosin. Under renovation for the

toys.

anything, on the beach and make

last year, the facility enjoys an expansive

earrings with it,” according to local area

view of the Scuppernong River and also

artist Marybeth Planck.

houses the school’s Art Gallery.

Pocosin’s contribution to the art community of Eastern North Carolina is extensive as many local artists have gone on to display their work across area

“The challenge was to make earrings

Visitors relaxing on the expansive

galleries. Offering something for everyone whether

out of anything on the beach. I found

deck, the Scuppernong River come

novice or professional, the school has a variety of

these wonderful Garfish upper and

alive with river otters, eagles and

community workshops for adults and youth in

lower jaw bones and I went to work on

other wildlife. The building serves as

different media.

them,” said Planck

a gathering place for meals, parties,

Community workshops are led by Pocosin Arts’ resident artists and local area artists.

One of the school’s newest artists in residence is Madeleine Louise Althoff. Althoff works in utilitarian

Before Planck began the project

presentations, and movement classes. It

she heard a series of crunch, crunch,

is equipped with a full catering kitchen

crunch and realized her dog had eaten

and bedrooms above.

the upper jawbones.

ceramics, creating surface design using sgraffito.

“I took the lower jaw bones and

Sgraffito, Italian for scratch, is a decorating technique

used them and it worked out perfectly,”

John Foley is a Staff Writer for the Bertie Ledger-Advance, The Enterprise and Eastern North Carolina Living.

37

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ALL IN A

Day’s Trip

uggy B l a c i r to s i H A

Ride to

Carthage

S tory by M organ M urray P hotos Contributed

If you want to step back in time and catch a glimpse of North Carolina history, look no further than Carthage. Walking along the streets of Carthage now is quiet, reflecting the peaceful life of rural North Carolina, but there was a time when Carthage boomed with the success of business and industry.

The small town of Carthage might consist of only around 1,800 residents currently, but its role in carriage production would change the trajectory of American history.

A day trip to Carthage is for the history lovers and the curious at heart.

Early Settlers

The town was founded in the mid-1780s by Scottish Immigrants. Nearly a hundred years later, Thomas Tyson and Alexander Kelly bought a wheelwright business together in 1856.

Eventually, this would become the Tyson & Jones Buggy Company and change the history of Carthage.

Before there were cars, there was Carthage.

Carthage was put on the map when the Tyson and Jones Buggy Company became one of the leading cart and buggy manufacturers in the mid-1800s. They were known to be the “Cadillac of carriages.”

See the Original Tyson & Jones Buggy Co.

40 40

line, and this small town in rural North Carolina became a buzz nationwide.

Tyson and Jones Buggy Company produced 3,000 buggies a year in its heyday. Henry Ford even traveled down to Carthage in 1910 because of how famous their cart and buggy manufacturers became. He wanted to take notes about how they were able to produce the buggies and create an effective assembly line.

While American culture no longer uses horse-driven carriages, you can still see where the original factory once stood. The original buggy factory was once several large factory buildings, but unfortunately, a fire burned down most buildings.

Only one building remained after the fire, and that building is the first stop on our historical tour of Carthage. You can see what remains of the factory building and see where the factory, once boomed with business, tread the same path as Henry Ford.

Helpful Hint: Be sure to travel on a Sunday because, surprisingly, that is the only day many of the historical places in Carthage are open.

The Bryant House & McLendon Cabin Carthage experienced a ‘buggy boom’- in the mid-1800s. The Tyson and Jones Buggy After visiting where the Tyson & Jones Buggy Company was the nation’s first factory assembly company once stood, take a trip to the Bryant

t

House and McLendon Cabin to see how the folks of Carthage used to experience everyday life. The McLendon cabin is the oldest original structure in the area.

The early settlers in Carthage lived a simple life. The cabin is a small one-room log structure built nearly 200 years ago by Joel McLendon.

Eventually, the land and the McLendon Cabin are passed down to his daughter, who married James Bryant and built the Bryant home. Located off Mount Carmel Road, you can see early American life for settlers like Joel McLendon and James Bryant.

The Carthage Museum

After exploring the cabin, venture to the Carthage Historical Museum. The Carthage Museum has historical artifacts dating back 200 years. Some of these artifacts are from the lives of the residents of Carthage, and others from

the buggy-boom of the Tyson & Jones Buggy Company.

The Carthage Historical Museum highlights the town’s history and growth over the years, acting as a living time capsule for the residents. For example, it houses items from Carthage’s first drug store, Shield’s Drug and other documents, photos, and memorabilia of the past. The museum still accepts donations from residents, so you might find something new every time you go.

Try the Hickory-Smoked BBQ at the Pik n Pig

Try the hickory-smoked BBQ at the Pik n Pig Lastly, after your museum tour, end your day by trying some local barbecue at the Pik n Pig. Not only do they have excellent food, but they also have a significant history in the town of Carthage. While this stop doesn’t date back two hundred years like the others - three generations of local Carthage residents have run the Pik n Pig. Ashley Sheppard and his mother, Janie, run the Pik n Pig together.

Try their BBQ, brisket, or smoked chicken, the classic southern staple baked beans, and a side of coleslaw.

We hope you learn what a little bit of life in Carthage was like nearly two hundred years ago, and maybe what life is like now in the historical and charming town of Carthage.

Enjoy your trip.

41

Grandma’s

Kitchen Sylvia Hughes with her grandmother, Bertie Dameron.

Statistics show that roughly 49 percent of money spent on food goes to eating out. It may

With today’s high prices, it is cheaper to eat

be easy to pick up food on your way home, but

at home. Prices for take-out food have increased

there are some things added that you never think about.

There is a lot of fat, sugar, salt and chemicals added to these meals. When you prepare your own meals, you know what is in your food. Food you prepare at home can be handled safely so you are less likely to contract a food borne illness Research has found that people who eat homemade food are healthier, happier, have more energy and better mental health. It can reduce stress and promote better sleep.

We often think it is faster to pick something up than to cook at home, but with a little planning ahead, you can have a meal faster at home.

There are many meals you can cook in a slow cooker or an air fryer. A meal dumped in the slow cooker in the morning will be waiting for you when you get home.

Almost any food can be prepared in an air

42

things while it is cooking.

dramatically. Even a fast food combo can cost up to $30 or more for a family of four. You can prepare your own meal much cheaper and probably have leftovers.

Cooking at home allows you to have exactly what you want to eat and there is another important advantage. Research shows that preparing your own meals sharpens your mind, fights cognitive decline and decreases your risk of Alzheimer’s.

One of the best reasons for a meal at home is that a family sits down together to share a meal. It is a time to reconnect with each other.

Everyone can find out what is happening with other family members and how their day went.

Meals can be a time of laughter and releasing the stress of the day. The world is shut out and you are with your family circle. It draws you closer together.

fryer and it is fast and healthy. Stir fry is another

This is a recipe that went viral on TikTok and

option for a quick and easy meal. Placing a meal

a lot of YouTubers and websites have copied it.

in the oven is quick and allows you time for other

I tried it and it was really good.

ok Wr ap Hack) as you want. cipe for one. Make as many

T a c o C r u n c h w r a p (T i k T Re

triangle.

The end result will look like a p wra tly with a illa tort inch 1 ten Air Fryer: Spray each side ligh ns bea in the air ce ried pla Ref n 2 tbsp. little bit of cooking spray the soning sea o tac with f at 350 bee wn bro und gro den ¼ cup fryer and heat until lightly gol ese che n xica Me ed edd Shr s.

2 tbsp. degrees for about 5-6 minute heat and 2 tbsp. Nacho cheese dip Skillet: Heat skillet over medium am cooking cre r with tly Sou p.

1 tbs spray each side of the wrap ligh or until s s ute chip min illa 8 tort spray. Heat each side for 2-3 ns: Directio lightly golden brown. ter to edge.

Make a cut in tortilla from cen drants.

Divide ingredients into four qua ese dip and che On left first quadrant, spread broken tortilla chips ground beef On second left quadrant, add , add lettuce, am On the third spread sour cre salsa or tomatoes on top. refried beans In the last quadrant spread the and shredded cheese on top. quadrant up Fold: First fold the bottom left that over fold n over the upper left quadrant the all of fold n the onto the upper right quadrant drant. qua t righ those back down onto the bottom

Easy C

o t P i e tables, chicken, and h.

P n e dis vege hick ased 9″ mbine

co n ungre nd egg; , milk a ur into a arrots k o c ic P d u . n q p a u is o s peas e the B frozen Combin ture. .

1 ½ cup chicken e ri e s ken mix n brown s s roti ver chic til golde oup o n s u n n o s e o 1 ½ cup k te p s f chic 0 minu ream o Bake 3 1 can c k isquic 1 cup B ilk m p ½ cu owl, g . In a b 1 eg to 400° n e v o t Prehea

Sylvia Hughes is a retired newspaper editor and columnist residing in Windsor. In addition to three sons, she has a gaggle of grandchildren, many of whom love cooking with her just as she did with her mother and grandmother.

43

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45

County: Bertie Marker ID: A-2 Date Cast:1936

MARK IT!

MARKER TEXT

INDIAN WOODS

Reservation established in 1717 for Tuscaroras remaining in N.C. after

war of 1711-1713. Sold, 1828. Five miles N.W.

Information courtesy of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources

T

Tuscarora Indians in eastern North Carolina were divided into two factions in the early eighteenth century.

The Northern Tuscarora or Upper Towns were led by Chief Tom Blunt and the Southern or Lower Towns by Chief Hancock.

When European settlers began entering the Tuscarora territory, they brought disease and often engaged in trade which was unfair to the native people, some of whom they enslaved.

Chief Hancock grew tired of being exploited. In early September 1711 the Tuscarora captured the organizers of the settlement at New Bern, Christopher von Graffenried, John Lawson, and two of their slaves. Lawson was tortured and murdered.

Graffenreid was released because the Tuscarora believed that he was the governor of the colony.

Later that month Chief Hancock led his people into white settlements along the Trent and Pamlico rivers and massacred white men, women, and children, launching the Tuscarora War. The colonial government of

North Carolina was aided by Virginia and South Carolina.

Indians in surrounding areas who had been enemies of Hancock and his tribe came to his side.

The decisive battle came in March 1713 at the Tuscarora stronghold of Nooherooka in what is now Greene County. The war ended in 1717.

Chief Tom Blunt and the Northern Tuscarora tribe were rewarded for helping the white settlers during the war and for capturing Chief Hancock.

The colonial government gave Chief Blunt a tract of 53,000 acres, on the north side of the Roanoke River in what is now southwestern Bertie County.

The area came to be known as Indian Woods. Indians declining to settle on the tract left North Carolina and settled in Niagara County, New York.

They eventually joined the Five Nations of Indians in the area.In 1828, the Tuscarora still remaining in North Carolina gave up their title and rights to Indian Woods. Around 645 Tuscarora families remained and moved to other parts of North Carolina, Virginia, and South Carolina.

U.S. 17/13 South of Windsor REFERENCES

William S. Powell, ed., Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, IV, 388-389 – sketch by Joseph E. Elmore Eric Anderson, The Black Second: Race and Politics in North Carolina, 1872-1901 (1981) Frenise A. Logan The Negro in North Carolina, 1876-1894 (1964) Halifax County Deed Books, North Carolina State Archives

46

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48

Grace & Truth

In the hands of God

F

From the beginning of time, man has

crafted things with masterful beauty.

Above all the world’s creatures, humans have built magnificent and inspiring wonders.

The

grandness

of

buildings

and

precision of hand-carved pottery depict an intelligent design.

What

we

can

craft,

carve,

cut,

P astor Webb H oggard

Him” by giving and loving in this fallen ready to live a life that expresses the world.

glory of the Divine Designer? Do you want

God’s design and Jesus’ sacrifice are to strike awe in the hearts of all those

elevated when we become vessels of the near you?

Holy Spirit.

You are “his workmanship, created in

Like hands caressing a lump of clay or Christ Jesus for good works, which God

whittling a chunk of wood, the Holy Spirit prepared beforehand, that we should walk sculpts us to resemble Jesus Christ.

The model before us is perfect.

in them.”

So, display the divine, glorify our great

shout testimonies to the greatness of our

Jesus is what He wants us to look like, God and see the Savior who sacrificed so every day, the Spirit carves and rips something sacred for our salvation.

things, how great was He who designed

fallen world.

combine, collect, create and construct Designer. If we are able to create such us?

The book of Ephesians gives us a

powerful glimpse into the identity created

by Christ, our Designer.

We learn of the cosmic battle and the

purpose of the church later in this letter, but we must know first who we really are.

Paul forms the perspective of who

we are in Christ by reminding us of the predestined design and the cost of our sonship. I frequent these passages to

out those pieces of us that resemble the

The very hands of God carve us.

before others, so that they may see your

shows off His handiwork.

“

Can you imagine being made by the good works and give glory to your Father hands of the master craftsman? God who is in heaven.”

He receives glory by our redemption.

The more grace he places on us, the greater the joy for Him.

Remember when He said to Satan,

God is so thrilled to adopt you that

we live in the grace He has set aside for

the true Kingdom on earth. Every time we

pray, He hears the coos and wails of a precious baby.

God celebrates with the angels when

we display faith or attempt to “look like

Today, He continues to minister by

the workmanship of God.

“Have you considered my servant, Job?”

He sees His Son’s death as the birth of

with His hands until His ministry began.

Designed in the womb long before birth handcrafting vessels designed for good and daily fashioned by His hands, we are works. Do good and “let your light shine

gain understanding of who I am before God.

The carpenter from Nazareth worked

How beautiful does our Lord see us when us?

Receive today the grace of salvation

and allow Him to carve an incredible destiny laid out for you!

God is so thrilled to adopt you that He sees His Son’s death as the birth of the true Kingdom on earth.

Every time we pray, He hears the coos and wails of a precious baby.

You are in the hands of the most

excellent Designer in history. Are you

49

PARTING SHOTS

By Thadd White

I

I am a soap snob. It isn’t something that is a secret in my house, but now it is out there in public.

I can’t remember the last time I bought a plain soap with all the dyes and chemicals

are doing with this edition.

In these pages, you’ll find wood workers, metal workers, folks who make soaps, t-shirts and even your favorite dessert or snack.

that are available at the local supermarket.

My story was fun for me because I have

Even if I buy them from a store, I am going

known Mike Pruden for all of my adult life,

to buy something with little to no chemicals

but had no idea the talent he had for metal

and something that has a specific type smell.

working. The stuff he has made is amazing

When my family travels and does some

and something the folks in his hometown

local shopping where we are, there’s a fair

of Roxobel should be proud to have there.

bet I’m bringing back some bar of soap

Sarah Davis found one of our local

someone locally made and offered for sale.

soap artisans and the story behind how she

The same is true when we are at fairs and

began is terrific. You’ll need to read it to

the like.

know it all.

Why do I tell you all that? Its because

Deborah Griffin found a man – Don

it is one of the reasons this magazine came

Grady – who has lived much of his life at

about. I started thinking about those who

sea, but has found a home and a passion

do such things and how much work it must

for woodworking in Martin County. He’s a

be to complete such a task.

talented individual.

Those are just a few of the wonderful stories we hope you enjoy in our latest edition.

We will be back next time with the third edition of “Our Stories,” where we simply tell good stories in our region. We’ll be pulling from some suggestions made by our readers, as well as things we as a staff have run across over the past year or so.

Until next time, remember… all who wander are not lost. Continue joining us as we wander through Beaufort, Bertie, Chowan,

Edgecombe,

Gates,

Greene,

Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Martin, Nash, Northampton, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Pitt, Tyrrell, Washington and Wilson counties.

Thadd White is a father, a fan of Chelsea

That led to the expanded thinking of

Then there’s Sid Eley, a retired educator,

Football Club and the grateful editor of

wood working and art and things of that

who works with wood and baking expert

this publication. He serves as editor of

nature. I then thought to myself, ‘we should

Terra Dunlow. You’ll also meet the family

three Adams Publishing Group publications,

feature those people in Eastern North

that made River Cast Outfitters a brand

including the N.C. Press Association Award-

Carolina Living’ and that’s exactly what we

you’ll want to support.

winning Eastern North Carolina Living.

50

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BuyersofofStanding StandingPine Pineand andHardwood Hardwood Hardwood Buyers Sawtimberand andPulpwood Pulpwood Pulpwood Sawtimber POBox Box607 607 PO 231US US13 13Bypass Bypass 231 Windsor,NC NC27983 27983 27983 Windsor, www.carolinapinehardwood.com www.carolinapinehardwood.com www.carolinapinehardwood.com Phone:(252) (252)794-2780 794-2780 Phone: 794-2780 Mobile: (252) 209-5582 Mobile: (252) 209-5582 209-5582

The Windsor/Bertie Chamber of Commerce represents and advocates business interests, promotes economic growth, provides leadership in community affairs, enhances the quality of life for the people of Bertie County and provides services and programs for its members.

121 Granville Street, Windsor, NC 27983 www.windsorbertiechamber.com (252) 794-4277

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where history Bertie Bertie County County where where history meets meets adventure adventure Bertie County 51