SENC Magazine - Fall 2020

SE FALL 2020

a

North Carolina

Century of Honor

THE NATION’S OLDEST

VETERANS DAY CELEBRATION LIVES ON IN THIS ISSUE: FOUR-STAR GENERAL IS HOMETOWN PROUD WILMINGTON’S DARKEST DAY FAMILY BUSINESS SHARES STORY OF SURVIVAL SPOOKY SENC STORIES

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Issue No. 24 / Fall 2020 Staff / Credits / Contributions PUBLISHER Jim Sills EDITOR Abby Cavenaugh PRODUCTION/GRAPHIC DESIGN Becky Wetherington CONTENT & PHOTOGRAPHY Abby Cavenaugh Lauren Branch Philip Gerard Janine Stidley ADVERTISING Alan Wells CONTACT sencmagazine.wordpress.com acavenaugh@ncweeklies.com 1.910.296.0239 ON THE COVER Former Duplin Times and SE North Carolina Magazine editor, Todd Wetherington, captured this image from Warsaw’s Veterans Day Parade in 2013. The unidentified veteran saluted the crowd as he drove an antique jeep through downtown Warsaw. This year marks the 100th straight year that the town of Warsaw has held its Veterans Day celebration.

Southeastern North Carolina Magazine is a publication of the Duplin Times and APG Media of Eastern NC. Contents may not be reproduced without the consent of the publisher.

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I don’t think I’ve made any secret of the fact that fall is my favorite time of the year. I know here in Southeastern North Carolina, we sometimes don’t even get an autumn season, with the weather going straight from 80s and 90s to 30s and 40s, but still, I love fall. The pumpkin spice lattes, frappucinos, muffins, breads, cakes, rolls, doughnuts, Pop Tarts, etc. etc. The leaves changing from bright green to jewel tones of red, orange and yellow. The (dear God, please) chill in the air. The need to wear a hoodie or sweater, but not an Eskimo coat. Not yet, anyway.

It’s also a time of year for change.

We’ve got a huge election this November, which I’m not even going to discuss here, but, no matter what, there will be a change.

Also in fall, there are the holidays.

Halloween is one of my favorites, even though I haven’t worn a costume in years.

Wait, I take that back, I dressed as a Hufflepuff student (from the Harry Potter books) in 2018. My nieces and nephews are past the age of getting dressed up and going trick-or-treating, sadly, but it’s still a fun time of year. It’s also a good time for telling ghost stories, some of which I’ve recounted in this issue.

Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday, mostly because of my mama’s turkey and dressing, and again, the pumpkin-flavored desserts. I also love the idea of gathering with family and being thankful for what you have. I mean, hopefully, we’ll be gathering this year, if in smaller numbers. I will not be without Mama Judy’s turkey and dressing! For me, Thanksgiving has never been about getting deals on Christmas gifts. I actually loathe Black Friday and everything it stands for. I want to spend my Thanksgiving with my family, not fighting off crowds for deals that most of the time, aren’t even worth it.

Another November holiday is, of course, Veterans Day. And this year marks an important anniversary for the town of Warsaw —the 100th consecutive Veterans Day celebration and parade. Although the pandemic threatened to cancel this year’s event, the organizers dug deep and found

a way to make it happen, with social distancing guidelines in place.

Unfortunately, nearly every other event planned for the fall of this year has been canceled, save for a few that are able to go on with safety measures in place. You can check our Play Dates section to find out more.

County fairs are another casualty of the pandemic, which I reminisced about in the Folk section on Page 50.

This November will also be the 122nd anniversary of a dark day in American history, which happened right here in Southeastern N.C. — the Wilmington Massacre of 1898, unfortunately betterknown as the Wilmington Race Riots.

It was in no way, shape or form a riot.

It was the malicious attack on an entire community of people, not only designed to kill, but to completely erase the African American community from the city of Wilmington. The white supremacists of the day succeeded, and burned down the Black-owned newspaper in addition to eradicating the Black presence in town.

I am beyond thrilled that one of the authorities on the massacre, author and creative writing professor Philip Gerard, agreed to write a short piece for this issue. I interviewed him in 2019 for a profile in our summer issue, and it was truly a pleasure to speak with an accomplished, like-minded, encouraging writer. His book, “Cape Fear Rising,” though fictionalized in some aspects, is widely regarded as the best report of what happened in Wilmington on November 10, 1898. It is truly an honor to have his original words, written just for SENC Magazine, on these pages.

There’s so much to enjoy and educate in this issue, and as always, I would love to hear your feedback. Feel free to email me at acavenaugh@ncweeklies.com, or give me a call at 910-296-0239.

Happy fall, y’all!

Abby Cavenaugh, Editor

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SE Contents Features ON THE COVER

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100 Years Strong

For the 100th straight year, Warsaw will host a Veterans Day celebration, this time with safety guidelines in place.

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A Hometown Hero

Warsaw native General Dan McNeill is a 40-year veteran who has never forgotten where he came from.

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EXTRAS 32

Leinwand's

The longest-running business in Elizabethtown has survived a devastating fire, wars, recessions and now a pandemic.

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Ghost stories that haunt Southeastern NC

With historic towns and tragic tales galore, this region of the state is perhaps the capital for creepy stories.

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The Strange Disappearance of The Day Ann Corbett Democracy Died Sally Based on true stories and

November 10, 1898 was a momentous, tragic day in Wilmington’s history. “Cape Fear Rising” author Philip Gerard takes us into the trenches with those involved in the Wilmington Massacre of 1898.

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Fall 2020

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Snapshots North Carolina lost one of its best and brightest writers in August, Randall Kenan, who was raised in the Chinquapin community.

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Play Dates The coronavirus pandemic may have canceled many festivals and events, but there are still some fun things to do this fall.

Folk -The County Fair: 50 Another COVID casualty

One of the many casualties of COVID-19 is the cancellation of the good ol’ county fair. Let’s take a look back and revel in the memories.

experiences at Camp Davis, here’s the fictional tale of a lost WASP pilot off the coast of Topsail Island.

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100 YEARS STRONG

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WARSAW

celebrates 100th consecutive

VETERANS DAY PARADE

I

STORY BY LAUREN BRANCH

t takes a lot of grit and dedication to be able to keep an event going over the course of many years, so just imagine how much it took for an annual small town parade to continue for 100 years.

The Veterans Celebration Committee, along with the town of Warsaw, the Warsaw Chamber of Commerce, both small and large businesses in the community, and citizens from all over Eastern North Carolina have been able to keep such a large event going for 100 consecutive years through fundraisers, sponsorships, and donations.

Photos from Duplin Times Archive Historic photos courtesy of the Veterans Celebration Committee 11

“

We must continue this proud heritage and tradition of remembering those who gave so much.

Our men and women are sacrificing for us daily; they pay the price for the freedom that we all hold dear.”

— CAROLYN QUINN, W ARSAW C HAMBER

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OF

C OMMERCE

Most people assume that the organizers are all Warsaw citizens, but in actuality, the Veterans Celebration Committee is comprised of individuals from all over Duplin County. Towns such as Warsaw, Beulaville, Kenansville, and Magnolia are represented. The committee also reaches out to people from nearby counties like Sampson, Pender, Onslow, and Lenoir. There is even one member from Texas on the committee. Anyone that has a passion for honoring veterans is welcome to be a part of the organizing team.

The first parade was held on November 11, 1920. Over the years, the Warsaw parade also been named the official

Veterans Day Parade for the state of North Carolina. It was created to celebrate and honor all branches of the military, law enforcement, firemen, and first responders, with a primary focus being the honoring of veterans.

Because Warsaw is on the N.C. Civil War Trail list, and has a very rich military history, the town takes great pride in the celebration.

Of course, 2020 has been a strange

year, and many celebrations we are accustomed to participating in have been rescheduled or canceled. Many businesses have closed or had to downsize, many people have been out of work, and life has just been full of changes, challenges and frustrations.

Regardless, the Veterans Celebration Committee continued to keep hope alive and pushed forward with their plans. Carolyn Quinn, Warsaw

Chamber of Commerce manager, said, “As for canceling, we have held a positive frame of mind for the parade.”

The committee added extra precautions into regular planning, which will help ensure the safety of all attendees.

“With guidelines in place for COVID 19, we are incurring extra expenses that are not normally a part of our costs,” stated Quinn.

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Hand sanitizer stations will be on site, and signage will remind attendees to follow social distancing as much as possible and to wear a mask. All adjustments made were recommended by the Duplin County Health Department and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services’ social distancing mandates.

The community has had a very positive outlook on continuing the celebration,

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according to Quinn.

“We must continue this proud heritage and tradition of remembering those who gave so much,” she said.

“Our men and women are sacrificing for us daily; they pay the price for the freedom that we all hold dear.”

This year’s Veterans Day Parade is being held on Saturday, Nov. 7, in downtown Warsaw. The parade route is 1.5 miles in length. There will

be extended drop-off locations for various participants, using both sides of the roadway and streets for staging extending the available length to 3 miles to allow for reasonable spacing.

Vendors will also be on site starting at 9 a.m., with the memorial service at 10 a.m. Throughout the celebration, spectators can expect to see a parade flyover, parachute jumpers, and much more.

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General

Dan McNeill

A Hometown Hero 16

STO RY BY LAU RE N B R A N C H

O Former Commander of the NATO International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan Gen. Dan K. McNeill, U.S. Army, briefs reporters in the Pentagon on his impressions of the current situation in the country on June 13, 2008.

ne of Warsaw’s own, a four-star general, has been a big part of the town’s Veterans Day celebrations over the years.

Retired General Dan McNeill was born and raised in Warsaw and lived only miles from all of the public schools he attended.

After high school, McNeill went on to N.C. State University, where he earned a degree from the School of Forestry.

At that time, all young male students who were physically able were compelled to join the ROTC program. And so the general’s military career began.

“The truth is that junior and senior year, they would pay you a small stipend,” he recalls. “It wasn’t a lot of money, I’m thinking maybe 50 bucks a month.” He added playfully, “But yeah, I could use that to buy beer and stuff for football games.”

The requirement changed sometime

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during his sophomore year, but by that time, the Vietnam War was a reality. So, many of the students accepted the fact that they would probably be called to serve. McNeill says he only planned to serve his obligation to the country, but many people began to notice that he had a knack for military service and began to encourage him to make a career out of it.

“I can’t say that I was thinking in those days that I was going to serve four years,” he says. “I can’t even say that I thought I was going to serve for even 20 years. It just worked out that way.”

As it turned out, he served 40 years.

During his military career, he was in a number of combat environments, including deployments to Panama, Haiti, Iraq, and several trips to Afghanistan. He was commissioned into the military the summer of 1968 after his graduation, and retired in the summer of 2008, when he and his wife decided to move to Fayetteville.

McNeill is best known as the commander of Coalition Forces in Afghanistan from 2002-2003 and as the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) from 2004-2007. He then served as the commander of the International Security Assistance Force from Feb. 1, 2007 through June 3, 2008. He also served as commander of the elite 82nd Airborne at Fort Bragg.

Over the course of his career, McNeill says he never forgot his hometown. He always tried to come home to be a part of the Veterans Day Celebration in Warsaw. He’s served as a speaker, had his color guard be a part of the parade, or just marched in the parade as a local veteran.

And yes, he will participate in this year’s celebration, representing U.S. Army retirees.

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McNeill is probably best known as the commander of Coalition Forces in Afghanistan from 2002-2003 and as the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) from 2004-2007.

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“

Dramatic narrative is simply one means by which a historian can make a point vividly.

To imagine historiography without this possibility is like imagining Christ without his parables, or Abraham Lincoln without his anecdotes.

- Wallace Stegner, “On the Writing of History” 22

The Day

D emocracy D ieD

in Wilmington

Story by Philip Gerard 23

Wilmington Massacre of 1898

Thursday, November 10, 1898,

dawned mild and clear in

Wilmington, North Carolina.

It was the largest city in the state, home to nearly 25,000 people, a majority of them Black.

Wilmington had managed to escape physical destruction after invasion by the U.S. Army and Navy at the end of the Civil War and rebuild its shattered economy with its busy waterfront, its cotton mills and turpentine warehouses—and an energetic workforce of Blacks and Whites.

Nov. 10 should have unfolded as another ordinary autumn day on the

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Cape Fear River, full of routine social and commercial business, men and women occupied with their usual routines of work, shopping, visiting.

Stevedores labored on the downtown waterfront, crowded with ships flying the flags of distant nations, taking on stores from Benjamin F. Keith’s provision company and cotton from the Alexander Sprunt & Sons compress and warehouse, where Black foremen worked side by side with Whites. Black postal carriers plied their rounds in the

White and Black neighborhoods around the city center, and domestic workers hurried to their chores at the mansions on Third Street. Unemployed White and Black laborers congregated in knots, smoking and complaining and trading tips on who might be hiring today. Children mustered for their lessons in schools across the city, and teachers tried, as teachers always have done, to instill knowledge and character in their charges. Steam trains clacketed along the Seaboard Air Line across the river and chuffed into the Atlantic Coast Line terminal sheds on Red Cross Street on the north end. Streetcars crisscrossed the city.

As many as 10,000 African-Americans had been transported to Wilmington after emancipation by William T. Sherman’s troops in 1865. They came on mule trains or steamboats from his headquarters at Fayetteville and were processed through the Freedman’s Bureau, established in the confiscated mansion of John D. Bellamy, one of the wealthiest slave-holders in the state, and an ardent, unrepentant secessionist.

The writers filled the pages of the Wilmington Messenger and other newspapers with propaganda, bogus reports of atrocities perpetrated by “Black brutes,” often against White women.

OPPOSITE PAGE: The African American population in Wilmington in 1898 outnumbered Caucasians, until the uprising on November 10.

ABOVE: The vigilantes who instigated the massacre posed in front of the burned-out ruins of the Daily Record, Wilmington’s Black-owned newspaper.

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Wilmington Massacre of 1898

Others were the descendants of enslaved forebears or veterans of the U.S. Colored Troops who had stormed Fort Fisher, fought gallantly at the Battle of Forks Road south of Wilmington, then joined the triumphal entry of U.S. Army troops into the city.

Others had simply been drawn to this promising place between the river and the sea, a place of hope and opportunity.

By 1898, they constituted a majority of the population. They were lawyers and magistrates, aldermen and police officers, postal workers and managers, ministers and politicians, business owners and real estate investors. One, John Dancy, held the office of Collector of Customs, a position that carried a salary of $4,000 per year—$1,000 more than the governor’s.

Another, Alexander Manly, operated a newspaper called the Wilmington Daily Record—an archive of the Black community.

Mostly the White and Black citizens got along, sharing in the prosperity of a city whose boosters predicted even greater prosperity to come: new investment, an influx of ambitious workers, expansion and profit.

“

John Dancy was one of the richest men in the state, earning a salary of $4,000 a year, which was $1,000 more than the governor’s.

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But another group of about a thousand white supremacists, led mainly by exConfederate officers, would change that day forever, forge a heavy chain of murder and injustice that would hang around the city’s neck for more than a century. They conspired in secret for months, drew up elaborate plans, accumulated weapons, coordinated groups of red-shirted thugs to patrol the polling places on Nov. 8—two days before— to ensure that only White men who supported their cause could cast a ballot.

John Dancy

They acted in concert with the state Democratic Party’s declared platform of White Supremacy, orchestrated by state Democratic chair Furnifold Simmons. He recruited men who could write, speak and ride.

The writers filled the pages of the Wilmington Messenger and other newspapers with propaganda, bogus reports of atrocities perpetrated by “Black brutes,” often against White women. The speakers delivered inflammatory orations, such as Col. Alfred Moore Waddell’s election eve speech at Thalian Hall, in which he declared, to thunderous applause, “If you see the Negro out voting, tell him to go home. If he refuses, shoot him down in his tracks!”

The riders, such as the infamous Red Shirts, infiltrated Wilmington

and acted as the enforcers of White Supremacy, using threats and intimidation and, when those failed, violence.

Then they armored themselves with documents justifying their actions. They passed the “White Declaration of Independence,” signed by hundreds of the leading White citizens, which begins: “We, the undersigned citizens of the City of Wilmington and County of New Hanover, do hereby declare that we will no longer be ruled, and will never again be ruled by men of African origin.” Its seven articles stipulated all the ways in which White Supremacy would govern the city from now on—from the forced “banishment” of so-called rabblerousers to the awarding of jobs and political offices.

Father Christopher Dennen

“

Alexander Manly

They drove [Alexander Manly] and his brother Frank from the city on pain of execution — purportedly for an editorial he wrote insulting the White community. But that was just a pretext, a convenient trigger to justify their actions.

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Wilmington Massacre of 1898 They strong-armed voters and carried the election by a crooked landslide, But that accounted only for state and national offices—such as that of U.S. Congressman John D. Bellamy, Jr., son of the prominent secessionist. City elections were still a year off, but they wanted those offices too. They drafted an ultimatum to the Black community to accept the terms of the Declaration, demanding a reply by early the next morning.

The reply from the “Committee of Colored Citizens,” giving in to all their demands, did not reach them by the appointed hour. So on Thursday, Nov. 10, the white supremacist mob went into action. First, they marched on Alex Manly’s newspaper office and burned it to the ground.

They drove him and his brother Frank from the city on pain of execution—purportedly for an editorial he wrote insulting the White community.

But that was just a pretext, a convenient trigger to justify their actions.

They wielded brickbats, Winchester repeating rifles, shotguns, and rapid-fire machine guns.

Some of them wore the uniforms of local military units—the Wilmington Light Infantry and the Wilmington Naval Reserves prominent among them. From early morning and on into darkness, they went on a killing spree. The fired into homes, shot unarmed men on their way to work, conducted firing squads in the Black neighborhood called Brooklyn.

By day’s end, an uncounted number of Black citizens lay dead in the streets, in their homes and gathering places, in cellars or back yards where they had crawled seeking refuge. All of the dead were Black. All of the dead were legal citizens of North Carolina. All of the dead were Americans.

The city’s legally elected Board of Aldermen and mayor—a mixture of Black and White men— were forced at gunpoint to resign. A list of citizens—the Black political leadership of the city and a few White Republicans like Keith who had supported them—were run out of town on pain of death. Republicans were still the party of Lincoln, and Democrats the party of avowed White Supremacy—roles that have been flipped in contemporary times.

Nearly a thousand other residents, mostly Black, joined them in a mass exodus before an onslaught of a white supremacist mob operating under color of law, led by the upper class Whites of a city that

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“

George Rountree

George Rountree, a lawyer who had conspired in the Coup, ended up in the state legislature and became one of the chief authors of a new law requiring voters pass a literacy test and pay a poll tax. This law, widely copied around the South, effectively disenfranchised a large number of Black voters until the 1960s.

had once seemed to offer such opportunity to hardworking African-American men and women.

All this is the stuff of the story I told more than 25 years ago in a novel called “Cape Fear Rising”—long before there was an 1898 Commission convened by the legislature to look into the matter. Its report didn’t come out until 2006—and it wasn’t until this past year that the state officially declared on a highway marker on Market Street that the events of November 1898 indeed constituted a bloody coup d’etat.

When I wrote the novel, it was hard to find anyone in White Wilmington who would even admit that the Coup had happened. Then in 1998 came the Centennial and a concerted effort by many brave people in the Black and White communities to come together and at last begin to seek a reckoning for a crime—the mass murder of Black citizens and the forceful takeover of a democratic government—that had never been seriously investigated, let alone prosecuted.

Still, there are too many apologists who claim that those violent White men were only acting according to the benighted racial standards of their time. But I don’t believe that—never believed that. Plenty of people in 1898 Wilmington understood the Coup for what it was: a violent power grab that would reestablish the racial caste system of the pre-Civil War era.

George Rountree, a lawyer who had conspired in the Coup, ended up in the state legislature and became one of the chief authors of new law requiring voters pass a literacy test and pay a poll tax. It included a “grandfather clause” that guaranteed the franchise to illiterate Whites who had been eligible to vote prior to Jan. 1, 1867, and their descendants. This law, widely copied around the South, effectively disenfranchised a large number of Black voters until the 1960s.

In a sense, my audience was the ghosts of the 8,000 or so White people who did not take part in the violence but also did nothing to stop it. And their descendants

“

Col. Alfred Moore Waddell’s election eve speech at Thalian Hall, in which he declared, to thunderous applause, “If you see the Negro out voting, tell him to go home.

If he refuses, shoot him down in his tracks!”

Col. Alfred Moore Waddell

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“

Wilmington Massacre of 1898

By day’s end, an uncounted number of Black citizens lay dead in the streets, in their homes and gathering places, in cellars or back yards where they had crawled seeking refuge.

—which is to say, most of us. We are not likely to be in the fray, but how we stand up for what we believe, how we then tell the story of it, matters.

My aim in writing the novel was to bring the people and events to life, to put them before the reader’s mind’s eye as vividly as possible so that denial was impossible. My ethic was to do my utmost to make the public scenes accurate. But I also gave my historical figures dialogue—some of it from what they were recorded to have said, other dialogue from words they wrote in speeches, tracts, or letters.

So, for example, I have a scene that features Fr. Christopher Dennen—a young social activist Catholic priest who placed himself between the mob and prisoners at the courthouse, preventing the mob from lynching them. In the scene, he is arguing with

30

Col. Alfred Moore Waddell—the ex-Confederate officer who led the violence against Manly’s newspaper— about the immortality of the human soul after death. It was an argument they indeed carried on—in the pages of the local newspaper, the Messenger.

During that extended conversation, Fr. Dennen reminds Col. Waddell of a lynching that took place in 1831, when six Black strangers entered the city during the height of the hysteria over the Nat Turner slave uprising.

The men were summarily shot and beheaded, their heads mounted on poles on the roads leading into the city as a warning to slaves contemplating rebellion.

Col. Waddell maintains, “A lesson was required.”

“The lesson is,” Father Dennen replies, “if you don’t tell the story in its truth, you relive it over and over again.

Can’t you see that?”

His answer lies the heart of the book, and his question to Waddell is my own question to readers: Can’t you see that?

In some important way, the Novelist of History becomes a surrogate conscience for the community. So I needed to grapple with the moral problem they all faced, the moral problem that lies at the center of the story, the choice I laid squarely in the lap of my proxy viewpoint character, a newspaperman named Sam Jenks: when everyone around you is doing wrong, at what point must you, the individual, take responsibility? At what point must you act to stop it?

And how can you act when those people all around you are the people you most respect, who most matter to you, with whom you will have to go on living for a lifetime in a small place?

And how can you then not act?

Thus my fondest wish is that the

reader who finishes reading “Cape Fear Rising” will then seek out David Cecelski and Tim Tyson’s excellent compendium of essays on the White Supremacist violence: “Democracy Betrayed: The Wilmington Race Riot of 1898.” And read what some of our best historians have to say about the event.

Then check out the report of the 1898 Race Riot Commission established by the North Carolina General Assembly in 2000 (https://www.ncdcr.gov/learn/ resources-topic/1898-wilmingtonrace-riot-commission).

And read perhaps as well Charles Chesnutt’s “The Marrow of Tradition” or the pseudonymous Jack Thorne’s “Hanover: Or the Persecution of the Lowly”, both fictions written from an African-American point of view shortly after the events occurred.

And maybe then that reader will also seek out Cecelski’s “The Fire of Freedom: Abraham Galloway and the Slaves’ Civil War” or “The Waterman’s Song”—and enlarge his or her knowledge of the complex slave culture that existed before the Civil War and how that culture—with all its heartbreak, violence, and economical benefits to slave owners— shaped the Civil War. And more importantly, how many blacks, both free and enslaved, fought to win their own freedom.

And how so many of them ended up in my hometown, lured by a promise of opportunity and equality that has yet to be fulfilled—darkened for more than a century by the long shadow cast by the day democracy died on the bloody streets of Wilmington. * * * Philip Gerard is the author of 13 books of fiction and nonfiction. In 2019 he received the North Carolina Award for Literature, the highest civilian honor conferred by the state.

SE

SE Snapshot

SE PICKS: Kenan’s Works

North Carolina

‘Unapologetically’ Black, gay & Southern, Randall Kenan

leaves lasting legacy

N

ot many folks begin their lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., and wind up in the tiny barely-a-town community of Chinquapin in Duplin County. But then, from the start, it was clear that Randall Garrett Kenan wasn’t your average Joe. Kenan made a name for himself as an award-winning writer, described as “the unapologetically Black, gay Southerner who used all his identities to tell the stories only he could tell.”

The 57-year-old passed away on Aug. 29 at his home in Hillsborough.

His roots, however, remained firmly planted in Chinquapin. “Growing up on my aunt’s farm was all foundational,” he told the Duplin Times in 2015.

“She was a kindergarten teacher and most of those stories come from those experiences.”

Kenan graduated from East Duplin High School and went on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he earned a degree in English and creative writing.

His first novel, “A

Visitation of Spirits,” was published in 1989. He followed that by a collection of short stories, titled, “Let the Dead Bury Their Dead,” in 1992. For that collection, he was nominated for the Los Angeles Times Book Award, and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. It was also named among the New York Times Notable Books of 1992.

“I had the fire in my belly to get that first book done,” he said in 2015. “It was about growing up in Chinquapin and the people I knew. I spent a lot of time scraping with that early material. It wasn’t until my second book that I got any attention.”

Other works included a young adult biography of James Baldwin in 1993, and “Walking on Water: Black American Lives at the Turn of the Twenty-First Century” in 1999.

Most recently, he had published “If I Had Two Wings,” another short story collection and an essay, “Letter from North Carolina: Learning from Ghosts of the Civil War,” about Chapel Hill and its “toppling Confederate monuments.”

His numerous awards

Randall Garrett Kenan

and recognitions include: a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Whiting Award, the Sherwood Anderson Award, the John Dos Passos Prize and the 1997 Rome Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the North Carolina Award for Literature, and he was named a Fellow of the Fellowship of Southern Writers in 2007.

He was inducted into the North Carolina Literary Hall of Fame in 2018.

At the time of his death, he was an associate professor of English and comparative literature at UNC. A cause of death wasn’t readily made public, but The News & Observer reported that Kenan had heart-related issues and had suffered a stroke a few years prior.

SE

If I Had Two Wings Kenan’s latest collection of short stories, published in August, is described on Amazon as: “In Kenan’s fictional territory of Tims Creek (based on Chinquapin), an old man rages in his nursing home, a parson beats up an adulterer, a rich man is haunted by a hog, and an elderly woman turns unwitting miracle worker.

A retired plumber travels to Manhattan, where Billy Idol sweeps him into his entourage. An architect who lost his famous lover to AIDS reconnects with a high-school fling. Howard Hughes seeks out the woman who once cooked him butter beans.”

Let The Dead Bury Their Dead Kenan’s most well-known book, “Let The Dead Bury Their Dead,” is described as “Stories about blacks and whites, young and old, rural and sophisticated, the real and fantastical,” all set in North Carolina. The book was named one of the New York Times Notable Books of 1992, and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award.

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32

A family business still

surviving & thriving 33

Leinwand’s Story & Photos by Abby Cavenaugh

L

einwand’s is a small-town retail clothier that has survived more than its fair share of adversity. Four years after the business started, a fire in Elizabethtown destroyed the fledgling store. And then, there was World War II. Later, small town department stores began to disappear from the landscape, replaced with big-box buy-itall-here national chains. A recession followed, driving many small businesses into ruin. And now, there’s a global pandemic to contend with.

Through it all, this family-owned and operated store has stayed its ground in picturesque downtown Elizabethtown, on Broad Street.

Ricky Leinwand is a third-generation operator of the store, and his son, Michael, is following in his footsteps, making it a fourgeneration business.

Ricky’s grandfather, Isaac Leinwand, emigrated from Austria to the United States in 1907. “We’re Jewish, and he just got the heck out of Europe while the getting was good,” Ricky says. “He settled in the Charleston area. They had a business in the Charleston area and then in 1933-1934, the banks went bankrupt in South Carolina, and so they say the Great Depression brought the Leinwands to Bladen County.”

The rest, as they say, is history.

Leinwand’s was founded in 1935, and today, the same hardwood still covers the floors

34

of the original 19-by-67-foot structure, now the men’s department.

“The big industry here was farming, so it was kind of a farm store, carrying dry goods, clothing,” Ricky says. “I remember my daddy said we used to carry tobacco canvas.

We used to carry these linoleum rugs. They were made out of tar, and they were printed on one side. They wouldn’t go all the way to the baseboards, they’d just cover part of the floors. We just catered to the farmer. That was the industry back then.”

The business thrived for a few years. But, as Ricky tells it, “Lo and behold, in 1939, half of Elizabethtown burned down, and Leinwand’s was part of it. It didn’t start in our store, it started somewhere else. It actually burned about half a block. So they had to start all over again. No insurance.”

The six months after the fire is the only time the store has ever been closed for more than a few days, other than holidays and Sundays, over the past 85 years.

“No question about it, we were hurt pretty bad in March and April,” Ricky admits, “but we’ve had record-breaking months in May, June, July and August.

It’s just, people are coming back and they enjoy the customer service. We try to do it the right way, and we have a seamstress here most of the time, who does one-hour alterations. Nobody does that anymore.”

The seven full-time employees have also stuck with the store through it all. One has

People ... enjoy customer service. We try to do it the right way, and we have a seamstress here most of the time, who does onehour alterations. Nobody does that anymore."

— RICKY LEINWAND

35

We've got good employees that are sharp and they know, 'hey, we need to carry this brand here.

We're getting calls for this.'

And we listen."

— RICKY LEINWAND

36

been employed there for 17 years, another is celebrating his 10th anniversary. And the seamstress, Darlene, “has been here forever,” Ricky says.

“We’ve got good employees that are sharp and they know, ‘hey, we need to carry this brand here. We’re getting calls for this,’” he adds. “And we listen.”

Leinwand’s has gone through several incarnations. Ricky says it was a beachy store for a while, carrying brands like Billabong and O’Neill, and then it was preppy, with Duck Head and Izod. Now, there’s a little bit of everything, from Yeti, the North Face, Vineyard Vines, Simply Southern, Under Armour, Sperry and much more. They also provide tuxedos and suits for weddings, proms and other formal events.

Ricky and Michael say carrying the latest and greatest brands is a key to the store’s success, but it also goes back to community.

“Daddy came back [after World War II] and got involved in the community,” Ricky says.

“He was vice president of the North Carolina Jaycees, and he became mayor during the ‘80s.

He became the mayor and I’m on the city council now.”

His father, Wallace Leinwand, was also a Shriner for 50 years, a Mason for 60 years, and even has a park named for him. Both Wallace and Isaac Leinwand were active in the business until their deaths; Wallace passed away eight years ago at the age of 89, and Isaac, in 1970. Ricky’s mother, Shirley, continues to be a big part of the store’s success, Ricky says, at the age of 96. As for Ricky, he was the 10th child born at the hospital in Elizabethtown, which has since closed. In addition to serving on the town council for 14 years, Ricky is also a member of the board of trustees at Bladen Community College.

Although Leinwand’s was always a community store, with a loyal local customer base, Ricky believes that expanding their reach has also been a big part of the continuing success.

After he graduated from

Carolina in 1974, Ricky says he remembers a conversation with his father. “We were a good store, and we did a lot of good business but I told Daddy, I said, ‘Look, let’s try to upgrade a little bit and have some more name brands.’

He said, ‘Well, this town’s small.

We’ve only got 2,000 people, and the county’s 30,000 people.’ I said, ‘Maybe we could draw from other places—Lumberton, Wallace, Clinton, Whiteville, Fayetteville.

Now we’ve become a regional store.

Bladen County’s our fourth largest volume.”

Bladen County residents still shop there, of course, but now much of the clientele comes from nearby Cumberland, Sampson and Robeson counties.

Leinwand’s reach is spreading even more through online sales.

Michael has had a big hand in updating the store’s website and its social media pages. “The biggest thing is our online presence,” Michael says. “We’ve had a website for years, but we’ve finally brought it into the 21st century. We have items you can order online, and we’re working on coming up with promo codes to help drive sales even more.”

There’s no warehouse where those items are stored, either.

They’re shipped directly from the store in Elizabethtown. “We’re a one-store operation,” Ricky says.

“Someone described us as, we’re able to change. Like, if you’re on I-95 in a Volkswagen, you can make a U-turn [easily]. We’re not like an 18-wheeler. We can do it real quick.”

In no small part due to Leinwand’s, Elizabethtown has become a model for small town survival in the South. Driving or strolling down Broad Street is like taking a step back in time in some ways, with all-local retailers featuring colorful window displays,

37

We've had a website for years, but

we've finally brought it into the

21

st

century."

— MICHAEL LEINWAND 38

coffee shops, cafés and Melvin’s, not to mention Burney’s Sweets & More a block away.

“We’re really proud of this, too, because most small towns, they’re not very attractive,” Ricky says.

One major reason is that the Cape Fear River borders the town, barring any bypass that way, unless, as Ricky says, “someone wants to build a $50 million bridge.”

White Lake is another major reason Elizabethtown has stayed on the map. Many motorists from the west have to drive through the town in order to get to the vacation destination.

The Leinwand family has also played a big part in maintaining Elizabethtown’s small-town charm. “We wanted to revitalize Elizabethtown 20 years ago when my dad was the mayor,” Ricky recalls. “So he put the cart before the horse, and decided to acquire parking lots behind these stores here, and we got Tory Hole right

behind [the store], so we can’t park there. So they acquired all that beforehand, because you can have a beautiful town but you better have parking. We took the meters off the sidewalk, no paid parking anymore.”

Town leaders also pursued grants, which usually go to larger cities like Wilmington, Charlotte and Raleigh — and the town won those grants.

“I’m always asked, ‘Why did you want to come back to Elizabethtown?’” Leinwand says.

“Well, I’m an hour from the beach, I’m an hour and a half from Raleigh, I’m two hours from Chapel Hill, I’m three and a half hours from the mountains. It takes you an hour sometimes to get from one side of Raleigh to the other. So, why would I want to be anywhere else?”

Leinwand’s is located at 132 W. Broad St., Elizabethtown, and can be reached at 910-862-3772. The website is www.leinwands.com.

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Shalom, Y’all!

Doing business in the South as a Jew

T

he Leinwand family is one of the most prominent Jewish business dynasties in Southeastern North Carolina, but they’re definitely not the only ones.

According to the Goldring/ Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life, many Jewish immigrants did not begin to congregate in North Carolina until the years following the Civil War. During this era, Jews established congregations in Wilmington (1867), Goldsboro (1883) and New Bern (1893), as well as the larger cities like Raleigh, WinstonSalem, Charlotte and Asheville in the western parts of the state.

Many Jewish immigrants to eastern North Carolina started out as peddlers, moving from farm to farm, before establishing businesses in numerous towns across the state. In Goldsboro, for example, brothers Henry, Herman, and Solomon Weil opened H. Weil & Brothers store in 1865, which later grew into a wholesale business. William

WALLACE LEINWAND

Heilig and Max Meyers started out peddling to the farmers in the countryside outside of Goldsboro, and in 1913, opened a furniture store that later grew into one of the largest furniture store chains in the country, Heilig-Meyers.

Jerry Popkin was one of the most well-known Jews in Southeastern North Carolina.

Born and raised in New Jersey, he moved to Jacksonville in 1941 at the age of 18. At first, he found a job cleaning outhouses at the former Army base, Camp Davis near Holly Ridge. After Camp Davis was closed by the Army, Popkin took over a grocery store and brought in two of his brothers as partners. From there, the Popkins went into the furniture business. Eventually, they had five furniture stores in Onslow County. Popkin was known for his charitable work in Onslow County, donating to 118 local churches in one year. His brother, Ivins “Itchy” Popkin, was a regular presence on the furniture store’s TV commercials in the 1980s.

Kinston also had its fair share of well-known Jewish families.

One of these, Sam Fuchs, was a Polish immigrant who started the Hampton Shirt Company with two other partners in New York in 1925. Later, in 1935, the Hampton Shirt Company bought the Kinston Shirt Company, and Fuchs began commuting to Kinston from New York. In 1939, the company sold its northern factories and Fuchs moved to Kinston permanently.

His daughter Pearl married Sol Schechter, and the couple purchased the Lenoir Shirt Company. In 1946, the Fuchs family started Samsons, Inc., which was owned equally by Sam Fuchs’ five children. Samsons merged with Hampton Shirt Company in 1963; the company later went public as Hampton Industries.

Sol and Pearl Schechter were significant local philanthropists, supporting the Lenoir Memorial Hospital, Kinston Public Library, the Kinston Community Health Center, and the local United Way. In 1971, the Kinston Chamber of Commerce named Sol Schechter the Outstanding Citizen of the Year. In 1995, the Kinston City Council gave Sol and Pearl Schechter a key to the city in recognition of their leadership and service to the community.

Further south, in Whiteville, the Leders were among the most prominent Jewish families. Julian Herman Leder came to the United States from the Austria-Hungary Empire in 1920. He settled in Marion, South Carolina, to work for his uncle, Sam Leinwand,

and five years later, opened his own store in Whiteville with his brother Morris. The family business began to prosper, and, in 1929, Morris moved to Clinton to open a second store. Soon, other brothers joined in and the family ultimately had stores in five different North Carolina towns — Goldsboro, Wilson, Jacksonville, and Clinton. At their peak, the Leder Brothers owned 25 stores.

Ricky Leinwand believes the secret to Jewish families’ success in the retail business is simple.

“I’ve been asked, ‘why are you so successful?’ I said, ‘Well, you know, instead of hiding and just being among ourselves, we became a community.’ We became involved—we’ve got mayors, senators, presidents of the Rotary Club, Shriner’s. We even built synagogues. We built eight synagogues in small towns in southeastern North Carolina.

Our parents wanted to make sure we carried on our religion and our traditions, and it worked. “ To learn more about the Jewish population in North Carolina, visit https://www.isjl.org/northcarolina-encyclopedia.html. SE

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Play Dates SE PICK

MumFeast 2020 Every Saturday in October Downtown New Bern

To keep its highly successful MumFest going in the time of COVID-19, organizers have modified this year’s festival to a month-long weekends only event will be an expansion of Downtown New Bern’s dining in the streets. Downtown streets will close at 5 p.m. Fridays and remain closed through 9:30 p.m. Saturdays so participating restaurants can provide “Feasting in the Streets.” Not only will you be able to walk through the maze and take pictures by the arch, but downtown streets will be decorated with mums as they have for the past five years. There will be local live music to enjoy outside to keep a highlight of prior years safely in place.

Face masks and social distancing are highly recommended. Visit mumfest.com for more.

IMPORTANT NOTE ON UPCOMING EVENTS:

Many festivals, concerts and other events have been canceled for the forseeable future due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent stay-at-home orders and social distancing guidelines from North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper.

All of the events listed here were still on schedule as of press time, but it’s best to check with each venue to ensure that the event is still going on as planned.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused the cancellation of a number of festivals and events that have become part of the autumn experience in Southeastern North Carolina. Following is a listing of some of the major events that have been canceled for 2020, due to coronavirus. As mentioned above, if a festival or event you are interested in is not listed here, please check with the individual venue or website for the latest information.

• The North Carolina Muscadine Festival in Kenansville, usually held the last weekend in September, has been canceled and is scheduled to return in 2021.

Duplin Winery, one of the major sponsors of the festival, still has events and activities available for those who would like more than a taste of Duplin Wines.

Visit www.duplinwinery.com/upcoming-events for more.

• The International Folk Festival, originally slated for September 25-27, has been postponed by the The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County. “We look forward to a stronger, more vibrant International Folk Festival in 2021,” says UniQue Webster, the Arts Council’s director of engagement and strategic partnerships. For more on the 2021 event, visit www. theinternationalfolkfestival.com.

Skyline Drive-In Movies (sponsored by the Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts and the Wilson Center at Cape Fear Community College) Hanover Parking Garage Roof • Across from Wilson Center @ CFCC 703 North Third St., Wilmington 8 p.m., gates open at 7 p.m.

Tickets: $30-40 per carload The Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts and the Wilson Center at Cape Fear Community College are hosting a new Drive-In series — Skyline Drive-in Movies. This unique new entertainment experience will elevate the concept of the drive-in cinema to an entirely new level — specifically, the top level of the Hanover Street Student Parking Deck, just opposite the Wilson Center. The series will highlight the history of cinema in Wilmington, and will feature films made in Wilmington and the surrounding Cape Fear region. “Blue Velvet” will be shown Sept. 28-30, while “Stephen King’s Firestarter” will show Oct. 1, 3 and 4. Both movies are Rated R. For tickets and more information, visit https:// wilsoncentertickets.com/skyline.

OCT

23-24

FRI-SAT

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Ghost Walk of Pender’s Past | Downtown Burgaw The Ghosts of Pender’s Past Ghost Walk will feature historical legends, lore and tales from Pender’s beaches to Moores Creek National Battlefield. This year come hear the stories of Train Depot ghosts, pirates, local legends, horror movies filmed in Burgaw, Poplar Grove Plantation ghosts, a Scottish Fairy of Death, a mysterious plane disappearance and more. For tickets, call 910-259-1278 or visit www.facebook.com/ PenderCountyGhostWalk.

• The North Carolina Seafood Festival in Morehead City, usually held in October, has been canceled. Next year’s event is set for Oct. 1-3, 2021. However, festival organizers have come up with a way to continue to celebrate North Carolina’s seafood industry throughout the month of October. One box of fresh seafood prepared by local chefs will be delivered each week in October to celebrate National Seafood Month. To place an order, visit www.ncseafoodfestival.org.

• Wilmington’s Riverfest 2020, scheduled for October 2-4 in downtown Wilmington, has been canceled.

The two-day festival usually draws tens of thousands of people to the downtown riverfront, with street vendors, live music, fun activities and more. https:// wilmingtonriverfest.com/.

• Autumn with Topsail. The Autumn with Topsail Festival is typically held on the grounds of the Historical Society of Topsail Island, and features a juried Artists’ and Crafts Court with over 120 regional artists displaying and selling their work. For more on this annual event, visit www.autumnwithtopsail.com.

100th Veterans Day Celebration • Warsaw

“Totally Fly” Ghost Tours 7 p.m., every Friday night in October Well-Traveled Beer, 201 S. Center St., Goldsboro / Goldsborough Bridge Battlefield Site, Dudley

Downtown Warsaw

Visit Goldsboro is relaunching its Totally Fly Ghost Tours just in time for the fall season. The tours will take place on Fridays starting Oct. 9 and will alternate each week between historic Downtown Goldsboro (Oct. 16 and 30) and the Goldsborough Bridge Battlefield site (Oct. 9 and 23).

Tours are from 7-9 p.m. and the cost is $15 per person. Due to new safety precautions, the tours are completely outdoors, limited to 20 people, and face coverings will be required. Parking is free at both locations. Interested participants are encouraged to sign up for both tours for the complete paranormal experience. To book a tour, visit www.totallyflytours.com.

The oldest consecutive Veterans Day celebration in the United States will happen in downtown Warsaw on Saturday, Nov. 7. The parade will kick off with a flyover from the N.C. Forestry Service, followed by a Special Forces Jump Team parachuting into downtown Warsaw carrying a giant American flag. There will be food vendors, as well as a memorial service. For more information, contact the Warsaw Chamber of Commerce at 910-293-7804 and see the story in this issue, starting on page 10.

• The North Carolina Oyster Festival in Brunswick County has been canceled, with next year’s event set for Oct. 16-17, 2021. “While we will all be waiting until 2021 to enjoy the sights and sounds of the Oyster Festival, you will have an opportunity to participate in some ‘39 ½’ activities,” the website reads. “A special commemorative T-shirt has been designed by long-time Oyster Festival artist Keith White. Raffle tickets will also be sold for $100 for a chance to win a stay at one of two OIB beach houses.” For more, contact Jessica Gallant, sales director, Brunswick County Chamber of Commerce, at 910-754-6644 or jgallant@ brunswickcountychamber.org.

• Fayetteville Dogwood Fall Festival, which had been postponed from the spring due to the pandemic, has now been canceled for 2020. The festival usually features live music, arts and crafts vendors, food, amusement rides and much more.

Visit www.thedogwoodfestival.com for more on future festivals.

• The North Carolina Spot Festival in Hampstead was canceled for 2020. In a statement on Facebook, the organizers wrote, “We know many in the Hampstead area and around the state of North Carolina look forward to this wonderful event, and we understand the disappointment that this may bring to some. Though we are disappointed too, we are already planning for an incredible 2021 Spot Festival.” For more on next year’s event, and the N.C. Spot Festival pageant, visit www.facebook.com/NCSPOTFESTIVAL. • The N.C. Bacon Festival has also been canceled for 2020. It was originally scheduled for Oct. 10-11 at the Homestead Farm in Rocky Point. Organizers have rescheduled the festival for Oct. 9-10, 2021. For more, visit ncbaconfestival.com/.

• The North Carolina Poultry Jubilee, usually held the first weekend in November, has been canceled for 2020. The event usually features fried chicken cooked in the World’s Largest Frying Pan, fair food and amusement rides, arts and crafts vendors, and a cake auction led by the Poultry Jubilee queens.

Carve out some time for fun this fall Although many events have been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some businesses have reopened with guidelines in place, so you can still find plenty of fun and interesting things to do this fall and stay within social distancing parameters!

Moores Creek National Battleground • The visitor center is now open from 9 a.m. until 5 pm Tuesday through Saturday, and closed on all federal holidays. Park trails, comfort station restrooms, and picnic shelters are now also open. Patriot’s Hall restrooms will remain closed. Park staff has implemented new safety measures to help keep visitors and staff safe. The visitor center, at this time, will remain at 50 percent capacity. The park will be showing its 10-minute movie, “In the Most Furious Manner,” with the theater also be at 50 percent capacity. For more information on the visitor center reopening, visit www.nps.gov/mocr or facebook.com/moorescreeknps.

North Carolina Aquariums at Fort Fisher, Pine Knoll Shores and Roanoke Island • All three aquariums are open for visitation, with some adjustments in order to provide the safest possible environment for guests, staff and animals. Aquarium admission will be available online only at ncaquariums.com, and guests will reserve tickets for specific arrival times. This will allow the aquariums to best provide a safe and enjoyable visit by reducing overall building capacity. Also, in accordance with Executive Order 163, both guests and employees will need to wear face coverings and maintain social distancing.

Museum of the Cape Fear • The Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex, located on the corner of Bradford and Arsenal avenues in Fayetteville, is now open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Areas that remain closed to the public include the steamboat exhibit, the Civil War soldier teaching corner, and the general store. Visitors will be able to view these areas, but not enter them. Touch items have been removed temporarily. No tours of the 1897 Poe House will be provided for at least the first 30 days after opening. www.museumofthecapefear.ncdcr.gov.

Mike’s Farm • During the month of October, Mike’s Farm is popular for its Pumpkin Patch. You can walk through the fields and select the perfect pumpkin to bring home. Hayrides run Tuesday and Wednesday from 1-5 p.m., Thursday and Friday from 1-8 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The cost is $2 per person for ages 3 and older. Pumpkins are weighed and run $0.69 per pound with a $3 minimum. www.mikesfarm.com/the-farm/pickin-patch/.

Ghost Walk of Wilmington • Due to safety guidelines, those participating in the tours are required to wear face coverings and smaller group limits will be enforced. Times for the 90-minute Ghost Walk are nightly at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. through Oct. 31, and nightly at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 1-30. hauntedwilmington.com/tickets.

Ghost Tour of New Bern • Tours will continue at 7:30 p.m. nightly through Nov. 30, with smaller group sizes, less contact during ticket purchasing and check-in, and masks when social distancing isn’t possible. hauntednewbern.com/ghost-tour-info.

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Ghost stories that

HAUNT Southeastern N.C.

COMPILED

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A BBY CAVENAUGH

ith plenty of past conflicts, murder and mayhem, it should come as no surprise that Southeastern North Carolina also has more than its fair share of scary tales that are often told on ghost walks in our historic downtowns and around teenagers’ slumber parties and first dates.

What better time of year than autumn than to recap some of the most popular—and a few of the lesser-known—ghost stories that haunt our area?

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FOSCUE PLANTATION — POLLOCKSVILLE Just south of New Bern in rural Jones County one of the most famously haunted houses in the southeastern part of the state lies by the Trent River. Many who have visited Pollocksville’s Foscue Plantation report a feeling of uneasiness and the sensation of being watched while at the house.

The Foscue Plantation House was built in 1824 by Simon Foscue, Jr., on land first settled by his father. Throughout most of the 1800s, the sprawling estate was home to the Foscue family and their prospering cotton and corn farm.

Over a 30-year period, Foscue, his son, John Edward and John Edward’s wife, Caroline Foy Foscue, owned an estimated 90 slaves, which was a high number, by eastern North Carolina standards.

Legend goes that some of the slaves would be chained in the attic as punishment. Today, visitors to the plantation house have reported hearing cries and moans coming from the attic. Perhaps the most disturbing tales involve the staircase leading to the attic. Reportedly, the slaves’ blood appears on the stairs, and doesn’t disappear, even when paint is used to cover it up.

COTTON EXCHANGE — WILMINGTON There are so many ghost stories and legends in the Port City that downtown Wilmington hosts not only a year-round Ghost Walk, but also a Haunted Pub Crawl. From the New Hanover County Library branch downtown, which you can’t deny feels a little spooky when you walk in, to sightings of ghostly Confederate soldiers at Fort Fisher in Kure Beach, the Wilmington area has ghosts galore.

A set of plaques in the Cotton Exchange downtown retell many of the shopping center’s most famous paranormal experiences. The Cotton Exchange was the marketplace for the burgeoning cotton industry in the state in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The eight buildings that make up the Exchange are connected by brick walkways and courtyards, preserving both the architecture of the time and the scores of pines that give the complex its unique—albeit sometimes creepy—feel.

One of the most common apparitions at the Cotton Exchange is the Lady in the White Dress. She is often seen at top of the steps leading to the upper dining room in the German Café, and at the top of the stairs leading to the Fidler’s Gallery.

A story is often retold that a little girl returned from a visit to the rest room and asked her mother if the Cotton Exchange had ghosts. When her mother asked why she would ask such a question, the girl replied, “Because there was a lady in a long white dress in the bathroom … and then she wasn’t there.”

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THE MACO LIGHT—RURAL BRUNSWICK COUNTY There is perhaps no more famous North Carolina ghost story than the Maco Light. For decades, a ghostly light was reported along the railroad tracks in an unincorporated community called Maco Station.

Whether it was a real phenomenon or the product of “marsh gas” from nearby swamps, the story was tied back to the tale of Joe Baldwin, a train conductor who was reportedly beheaded in a collision between a Wilmington-bound locomotive and a runaway caboose.

On this rainy night, Baldwin reportedly went to the rear platform and frantically tried to signal a following train with his lantern. Despite his efforts, the legend goes that the engineer of the other train failed to see him in time, and Baldwin was decapitated in the collision. As a result, hundreds of people saw a ghostly light that resembled a lantern swinging back and forth.

Sightings of the light ended when the railroad removed the track in 1977 and a nearby trestle bridge was destroyed.

Even if sightings have ceased, the legend lives on and has been adapted to countless communities other than Maco Station.

POPLAR GROVE PLANTATION—SCOTTS HILL Poplar Grove Plantation, located about eight miles north of Wilmington in the Pender County community of Scotts Hill, also has its own famous ghost from a bygone era.

The spirit occupying this historic home is known as “Aunt Nora” Frazier Foy, who lived in the house from the time of her wedding to Joseph Foy in 1871 until her death in 1923. She’s described as a playful spirit, and she particularly likes to haunt the kitchen of the restaurant on-site.

Employees have reported phantom footsteps, slamming doors, flushing toilets and music when no one else was present. One employee was “terrified when the pages of a notepad on her desk slowly began to riffle,” according to one book.

The restaurant manager has also assured that the business was locked and that all stoves and lights were turned off at closing, only to return the next morning to find lights burning and stoves still hot.

In another part of the plantation, reports include a wooden cradle suddenly rocking without being touched or moving from an errant breeze. The cradle stopped rocking as suddenly as it had started.

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ISAAC TAYLOR HOUSE—NEW BERN If there’s any town in Southeastern N.C. that could take Wilmingotn’s title as “most haunted,” it would likely be New Bern. The first capital of North Carolina, there have been plenty of opportunities for legends to build over the past 200-plus years.

One of the most famous ghosts is Miss Fanny Taylor. Her father Isaac Taylor’s house was built in 1792, making it one of the oldest structures in town. An ancestor of popular musician James Taylor, Fanny was engaged to be married.

According to the long-told story, a week before the wedding, her fiancé went for a walk and collapsed on the street, dying on the spot.

Heartbroken, Fanny swore that she would never leave the house again. She locked herself inside the home and indeed, stayed there until her death.

Sightings of Fanny sitting in the front window continue to this day. According to the website for the house, which is now a garden, visitor’s center and home to the Greater Good Art Gallery, “It is said that if you walk by the house, you can see her sitting in the first-level front window, waiting for her fiancé to come home.”

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The Strange Disappearance

of Sally Ann Corbett S TORY B Y J ANINE S TIDELY

(EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is a fictional story based on real events that occurred on Camp Davis during World War II, and was also inspired by the story of Women’s Airforce Service Pilot (WASP) Gertrude Tompkins, whose plane went missing off the coast of California in 1944. The wreckage of her P-51D Mustang was never found.)

H

er name was Sally Ann Corbett.

She was from West Texas and was a red-haired beauty, which is the one thing that people remember about her — but she was so much more.

People often told her that she was too pretty to be doing man’s work or that she was better suited to be a pinup than a pilot, but Sally had plenty of brains and her first love was flying.

She loved the freedom. She was already a skilled pilot who started out as a transport ferry pilot with Women’s Air Transport Detachment. She then became an instructor pilot with the Women Auxiliary Instructor Pilots before she was sent to Camp Davis.

She was going to be part of the new and exciting program, Women Airforce Service Pilots, WASPs. Her best friend was Dorothea Laraine Thomas; Didi to her friends.

She was a shy girl with raven hair, your typical all-American girl next door

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from Valdosta, Georgia. Didi was also a very accomplished pilot. The two of them had made many a man weak in the knees when they were out together.

Didi and Sally had met some years earlier when they were both transport pilots and had become fast friends, due to their love of flying.

They were thrilled to be stationed together again at Camp Davis. Being a female pilot could be a lonely place, but this was wartime and everyone was expected to do their part.

Sally’s love interest was Matthew Winston Walker, a farm boy from North Platte, Nebraska. Matthew could zero in on a target at great distances and hit his mark with precision. It was all that hunting that he did as kid.

They met some time after they both arrived at Camp Davis, he for antiaircraft artillery (AAA) training with 93rd Coast Artillery regiment and she to be a WASP. What started as a

friendship of two professionals with mutual respect for each other’s skills, grew to become much more and who knows what it could have become — maybe the love of a lifetime. Sally always said the she loved him “into the blue and back.”

Didi didn’t have a special love interest but she always had a flock of suitors around her. She always felt more comfortable in the cockpit of a plane than in social situations, especially if men were involved. That’s why she and Sally were such good friends. Sally always knew what to say to keep the conversation going when there was an awkward silence around mixed company.

In late October of 1943, Sally Corbett was scheduled to fly tow

targets out of Camp Davis along the coast of Topsail Island, which at the time was known as “the sand spit.” It was a routine target towing flight she had done a million times. This was the last scheduled training of the day and it being October, the AAA training was due to end way before it got dark. All the official reports show that everything went like clockwork. The AAA guys from the 96th regiment were getting off a lot of rounds, but Sally was such a skilled pilot she managed to keep most her targets intact. When the exercise was over, Sally was making her last pass along the beach before returning to Camp Davis and one of the guys in the AAA unit decided it would be a hoot to

fire off a few more rounds of a 90-mm ammo. Not to hit her plane, but just to let Sally know that they were not happy with her making them look bad.

Since they had already been given the signal that the exercise was finished, Sally took no evasive action.

She landed her plane at Camp Davis and even though she was upset about what happened, by the time she did all the post-flight checks and required reports, she had calmed down quite a bit and was looking forward to meeting up with Matthew and Didi for a couple of cold ones and maybe even some dinner and dancing. Legend has it that on her way back to her quarters for the evening, she did have a few choice words with the guys from the AAA unit, which led to her being grounded for a few days.

Her next mission would be a night flight with instruments for searchlight training and she was excited to be

able to do the training with Didi.

However, they were both still uneasy about this flight and had been the entire day leading up to it. They had talked about it, but they couldn’t quite put their finger on why they felt uneasy, just that they were. Maybe it was all the whispering around Camp Davis or the dirty looks they were getting. There was even mention of a threatening note that Sally had received. Matthew told the girls that they were overreacting.

Sally and Didi knew that this was a man’s world and even though they were excellent pilots, they could not show one ounce of indecision, hesitation or hysterics, or they might be pronounced unfit for duty and not be permitted to fly.

So, the WASPs reported for duty at the scheduled time and began their pre-flight checks and everything was good to go. They felt better by the time they took off to start the spotlight training. Everything was going along great; the ladies were doing an excellent job of flying the prearranged flight formations and avoiding the searchlight beams. All in all, it was a great

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training exercise. Except on the last flight formation of the night.

As the ladies were making their final pass of the island, the ground crew and Didi lost contact with Sally’s plane. After a thorough check of all the communication systems, there was still no response from Sally’s plane. No one knows what happened; it was like she just disappeared into thin air. No one saw or heard a crash. The searchlight crew continued to search for the plane until the wee hours of the morning.

Didi kept making passes of the island until she had so little fuel left that she almost didn’t make it back to the airfield.

No one ever saw or heard from Sally Ann Corbett again and the plane, nor any wreckage, was ever found. While the official report says that the plane was lost due to pilot error, there was no shortage of speculation as to what happened to Sally Corbett and her plane.

People on the beach that night have their own tale to tell. Some say that the plane did not crash; it disappeared. The old timers on the mainland say it was the Germans that brought that plane down with some new-fangled device and they took Sally as their POW. The soldiers at Camp Davis said that Sally flew away and purposely crashed that plane into the sea. Others say it was the guys from the 96th that sabotaged Sally’s plane because nobody likes to be dressed down in front of their peers, especially by a female at that time.

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There were also rumors that maybe the flight mechanics did something to the plane because they were the ones that deemed the plane fit for flight.

Others felt that Matthew might have had something to do with the plane’s disappearance.

Didi never gave up hope that Sally would fly back to Camp Davis with a full explanation of what had happened

Pink Hill, NC

and wonderful stories of her excellent adventure.

Didi and Matthew went out to the island every night until they were transferred to other postings. Sometime after the war when the island was no longer being used by the military, Didi and Mathew did return one last time to say a final goodbye to their dear sweet friend.

Sometimes out on Topsail Island, the sounds of an old A24/B34 plane can be heard overhead, between the waxing gibbus and the full moon. Some say it’s Sally’s plane looking to find her way back to Camp Davis. Some say that it’s the echo of Sally’s plane on that fateful night she took her final flight into the blue.

Some have even seen strange lights at night along the beach but when they get closer the lights disappear only to reappear when they walk on and look behind them. The locals will tell you that it’s Didi and her hand-held spotlight trying to help her friend find her way back home.

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The County Fair: Another COVID Casualty

A

mong the many casualties of the COVID-19 pandemic is one of the events I’ve most looked forward to, ever since I was about 10 or 11 years old— the county fair. When I was younger, it was all about the fun games and riding the rides, squealing with my friends in the cool night air.

Most, if not all, county fairs have been canceled this year, due to the lingering pandemic. Luckily, we’ll still all have our memories, even if we can’t experience the gut-busting fair food and feel the thrill of tumbling through the air at high speed.

When I was a teenager, I went to every fair in the neighboring counties with my friends—I remember going to not only Duplin County’s fair, but also, Lenoir, Wayne, Pender, New Hanover, Onslow… wherever we could get to within reason.

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Story by Abby Cavenaugh It was one of the few places where we could be let loose at a younger age, as long as we stayed together and met one of our moms at 10 or 11 o’clock, when the fair was over. I’m not sure I could count how many crisp nights I spent at the fairgrounds, walking around with my best friends, daring each other to ride the rides and possibly checking out cute guys, though we never had the nerve to talk to them back in those days.

It’s one of the things that says fall to me—the lights of the rides twinkling into the sky, the screams of delight ever so often, the scent of frying dough and hot dogs, an autumn breeze that causes you to hug your jacket closer on top of the Ferris wheel.

As I got older, I visited neighboring county fairs less often, but, even as an adult, it’s an event I always look forward to. I can’t ride as many rides as I used to,

but the ones I do still ride make me feel like a kid again, even if only for a few minutes.

It’ll be sad to miss my yearly funnel cake, but I suppose my waistline might thank me for that one.

If there’s one positive of this pandemic, maybe it’s that it has made us appreciate the things we can no longer do—like go to a county fair, eat in a restaurant with friends without worrying about getting too close to someone, attend your favorite band’s concert, go shopping for something other than groceries and necessities. Here’s hoping that next year, COVID will be a thing of the past, and we can all get back to normal. I, for one, will go on the TiltA-Whirl, even if I have a vertigo flare-up afterward. It’ll be worth it to experience one of the best rites of fall again.

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