David Freeze

By David Freeze

Leftover from my last trip as we ran out of print space was Lillington, county seat of Harnett County. A post office called Lillington has been in operation since 1874. The town was originally called Harnett Court House but was then chartered by the State of North Carolina on March 4, 1903. Lillington is named for John Alexander Lillington who was an officer from North Carolina in the American Revolutionary War, fighting in the Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge in 1776 and serving as brigadier general in the state militia. Lillington is on the Cape Fear River and has a new Harnett County Courthouse. Campbell University is adjacent to the town.

My first stop on July 3 was Raeford, county seat of Hoke County, N.C.’s 99th county. Raeford was granted a U.S. Post Office on Aug. 11, 1885, when it was still in Cumberland County. There were no paved roads, and the economy was strictly based on cotton. The men who operated the turpentine distillery and general store wanted the post office in their store for the convenience of the townspeople. In order to choose a name for the post office, they took a syllable from each of their names. One being John McRae, and one being A.A. Williford, and the town name became “Raeford.” The only high school in the county became the Raeford Institute. Raeford was originally settled on the site of an old cotton field with those few families who had settled there making up the population in 1898. In 1899, the Aberdeen & Rockfish Railroad was extended to the present-day Raeford. When the first train came down the track, teachers let the children from the institute walk through the woods to meet the train.

Raeford, chartered in 1901, was composed almost exclusively of people who had moved to the community in the interest of their children obtaining a better education. Today’s Raeford has the 1912 Hoke County Courthouse and is located about 22 miles from Fort Liberty (Bragg).

My next stop was Fayetteville, county seat of Cumberland County. In 1783, Cross Creek and Campbellton joined together and the new town was incorporated as Fayetteville in honor of Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, the French military hero who aided the American forces during the Revolutionary War. Fayetteville was the first city to be named in his honor in the United States. Lafayette visited the city on March 4 and 5, 1825, during his tour of the United States.

After a devastating downtown fire in 1831 that consumed 600 buildings, the city built a Market House. The new building had a covered area under which business could be conducted since every store in Fayetteville had been destroyed in the fire. Completed in 1832, the Market House became both the town’s and county’s administrative building until other buildings could be replaced.

General Sherman’s Union Army entered Fayetteville on March 11, 1865, where a skirmish occurred near the Market House. On the site of Ft. Liberty, the last all-cavalry battle of the war occurred at Monroe’s Crossing. Sherman’s army caused major destruction to the city.

Since the 1960s, Fayetteville has been one of the fastest growing cities in the state. Fort Liberty, with about 57,000 soldiers and 14,000 support personnel, provides a major boost to the local economy.

The downtown portion of Fayetteville was really cool with historic buildings, the train depot, restaurants and shops. The modern Cumberland County Courthouse is just a block away from the previous one, built in 1926. The 1923 Hotel Prince Charles, after a long list of owners, has recently reopened as The Residences at the Prince Charles with two original rooms combined into one apartment. Parking was easy with lots of marked places on the street. So easy that I got my first parking ticket, one that I will appeal. Not a meter or sign in sight and I only was gone from my truck for 50 minutes.

Lumberton, county seat of Robeson County, was my next stop. Located in southern North Carolina’s Inner Banks region, Lumberton is on the Lumber River and is named for it. It was founded in 1787 by John Willis, an officer in the American Revolution who owned land nearby. Developed as a shipping point for lumber used by the Navy, logs were guided downriver to Georgetown, S.C.

Lumberton was formally created by an act of the North Carolina General Assembly on Nov. 3, 1788, which granted the town a charter and the power to levy taxes. Most of the town’s growth happened after World War II.

Robeson County was impacted by Hurricanes Matthew in 2016 and Florence in 2018, which broke the flooding record. As a result of extensive damage to homes, entire streets in south and west Lumberton were left abandoned.

Luther Britt Park has 143 acres for outdoor recreation and Lumberton has the annual Lumbee Indian Homecoming each July. The Robeson County Courthouse is modern, built in 1987.

Then on to Elizabethtown, county seat of Bladen County. Established in 1773, the town is currently celebrating its 250th year with several events. No one is sure of the town’s namesake. The most famous resident is Lt. Col. Brown, a former NASA astronaut and retired United States Air Force colonel. He participated in six space missions and the airport, the Curtis L. Brown Jr. Field Airport, is named in his honor.

The Battle of Elizabethtown took place in town during the Revolutionary War on Sept. 29, 1781, when a small force of about 60 patriots defeated roughly 300 Tories. The Tory Hole Battleground has a marker denoting the battle.

While I was there, rain threatened but never got serious. A large townwide sidewalk sale was in progress and drew plenty of pedestrian traffic. I stopped for a couple of pastries at “Burney’s Sweets and More” before leaving this friendly town. Five more counties done for a total of 79, with 21 to go. See you next week!

By David Freeze

I visited Kinston early on Sunday morning, June 25. Kinston is a totally flat town with two high-rise apartment buildings used for affordable housing and lots of empty store fronts. The county seat of Lenoir County, Kinston was created by the North Carolina General Assembly in December 1762 as “Kingston,” in honor of King George III in England. Richard Caswell, who made his home locally and served as the first governor of the state of North Carolina from 1776 to 1780, was later honored when the name changed to Caswell in 1833. It was renamed Kinston the following year.

During the Civil War, Kinston was prominent in several ways. Factories made shoes and a bakery made hardtack for the Confederate armies, while two training camps were established locally. Most notably, the Battle of Wyse Creek was held close by in March 1865. As part of the battle, the Confederates destroyed their own gunboat, the CSS Neuse, in the river. For about 100 years, the ship remained in the river, until the remaining parts were removed and placed in a new museum. A fantastic replica ship is now on display. I found the gate open and got some great pictures.

Horse-drawn carriages, tobacco, cotton and lumber have been major economic drivers. The Neuse River flooded portions of the city in 1996 and 1999 from Hurricanes Fran and Floyd. The Lenoir County Courthouse was built in 1939. Kinston’s combination Fire Station No. 1 and City Hall was built in 1895, now housing a museum. A historical marker commemorates the Birth of Funk with James Brown’s band in the 1960s.

Duplin County’s seat is Kenansville, first settled in 1735 by Northern Ireland immigrants and called “Golden Grove.” Incorporated in 1852, it was renamed Kenansville after James Kenan, an early planter, soldier and N.C. Senate member, whose home is now a museum called Liberty Hall Plantation.

Kenansville is very small but includes a hospital, several beautiful older homes and a Civil War era church, Kenansville Baptist Church, built in 1858. The huge and well-kept Duplin County Courthouse was built in 1911.

The next county seat was Clinton of Sampson County. First settlers came to Clinton, called Clinton Courthouse then but changed to Clinton after another town of the same name folded. Sampson is the largest county by land mass in North Carolina. Clinton was named after Richard Clinton, an early resident who became a Revolutionary War hero and then later had extensive governmental service. Another famous early resident was Micajah Autry, who fought and died with Davy Crockett at the Alamo in Texas. Clinton was incorporated in 1822. The Sampson County Courthouse was built in 1939. Clinton has an old depot still used as a restaurant and the old movie theater is now the Sampson Community Theatre.

My next stop was at Goldsboro, home of Seymour Johnson Air Force Base and county seat of Wayne County. Nearly every store in a revitalized and interesting downtown was open and most of the parking spaces were taken.

First named “Goldsborough’s Junction” after Major Matthew T. Goldsborough, an engineer with the railroad line, before the name was shortened simply to Goldsborough. In 1847, the town was incorporated and became the new Wayne County seat following a vote of the citizens. Local legend has it that Goldsborough supporters put moonshine in the town’s well to encourage people to vote for Goldsborough.

Due to its importance as a railroad hub, several major Civil War battles were fought in this area. General Sherman’s Union force of 100,000 soldiers targeted Goldsboro as the main N.C. conquest on its way north in 1865. His force spent about three weeks in the area.

Seymore Johnson Army Air Force base opened in 1942 and was then renamed in 1947 when the Air Force became a separate service. Andy Griffith taught high school classes here in English and drama. A pharmacy exists in what was Goldsboro’s first hospital in 1896, and the Wayne County Courthouse was built in 1914. Two high rise hotels remain, one of them now luxury apartments in “The View, at Wayne National,” a former bank building.

Smithfield, the county seat of Johnston County, was the next stop. Founded near Smith’s Ferry on the Neuse River, Smithfield was Johnston County’s first town and second county seat. The county courthouse was moved from Hinton’s Quarter to Smithfield in 1771. The settlement was first known as Johnston County Court House, then incorporated as Smithfield in 1777. The third North Carolina state legislature met in Smithfield in 1779 and 1780.

Ava Gardner was the most famous resident, although she was actually from Grabtown, an unincorporated community next door. Gardner was a major film actress from 1941 until the mid-1980s. The Ava Gardner Museum is a popular attraction in the downtown area. The Johnston County Courthouse was built in 1920-21. U.S. Marine Dan Bullock is honored as the youngest soldier killed in Vietnam, at age 15.

I stopped briefly at the Neuse Little Theatre and talked with Patsy Castellano and Gregory Hill who were about to begin their last performance of Frozen. Greg asked me if I wanted to see the inside of the rustic theatre. The temperature in the theatre more resembled the play’s title. The Buffalo Creek Greenway is just behind the theatre.

Also on the greenway was the 1854 William Hastings house, which served as the pre-battle command office for Confederate Generals Joseph E. Johnston and Braxton Bragg. Together in these rooms, they planned to engage General Sherman near Bentonville in March 1865. Johnston’s troops were outnumbered 4 to 1. After defeat, his troops retreated on March 21, 1865. This would be the last major Confederate offensive of the Civil War, which ended three weeks later with Lee’s surrender in Appomattox on April 9. The Hastings house was moved twice before reaching its current location.

With 74 counties visited, I have 26 remaining. These five locations totaled 8.07 miles on foot. See you back here soon as I head east again!

By David Freeze

Leftover from a previous segment of county touring was Tarboro. On the way home from several eastern coastal plain counties, I stopped since it was close to the interstate. Tarrburg, then Tarrborough finally became Tarboro in 1760 when chartered by British colonists. On the banks of the Tar River, the town is the ninth oldest in the state and was a thriving trade center until the Civil War, when more than half of the population was enslaved. Tarboro became the county seat of Edgecombe County in 1764. George Washington slept here in 1791.

A long series of 19th century storefronts and about 300 historic residences can be seen in town, on the way to the 15-acre Town Common. The Town Common originally surrounded the town and is the second-oldest legislated town common in the country. Initially the location for common grazing of livestock, community gatherings and military drills, the Town Common is the only remaining original common on the east coast besides the one in Boston, Massachusetts. I missed N.C.’s last remaining cotton press located there too. The Edgecombe County Courthouse was completed in 1965, but in a style called Modern Colonial Revival that makes it look old. More recently, Tarboro experienced severe flooding from Hurricane Floyd in 1999 and Hurricane Matthew in 2016.

Next stop was Hillsborough, the county seat of Orange County. On the Eno River, the town was built on the site of Native American settlements that existed from 1000-1710. I found a booming farmer’s market and the Riverwalk on the Eno near the oldest part of town. Founded in 1754, it was not until 1766 that the town was named Hillsborough, after Wills Hill, then the Earl of Hillsborough, the British secretary of state for the colonies, and a relative of royal Governor William Tryon. The Regulator Movement increased tension as local residents and British colonial officials clashed when some of those locals took up arms protesting taxes and seizure of land, resulting in the loss of six lives by hanging.

The town was also the site of the first North Carolina ratifying convention, which met July 21-Aug. 2, 1788, to deliberate and determine whether or not to ratify the Constitution recommended to the states by the Constitutional Convention held in Philadelphia the previous summer. The meeting was held at the Hillsborough Presbyterian Church. A later building, constructed in 1816, still stands. Declaration of Independence signer William Hooper was buried at the same church but his remains were moved later. There are more than 100 surviving late 18th century and 19th century homes and the town, once known as the “capital of the back country”, still looks much the same as it did then. The historic Orange County Courthouse was built in 1844 and has a clock presented to the town by English officials. The inns and several of the oldest homes have the modern sidewalk next to the front steps.

I made the short drive to Snow Hill, county seat of Greene County. Snow Hill was chartered in 1828 and was originally a major trading depot on Contentnea Creek. At the time, Contentnea Creek was a main Wilson-to-New Bern trading artery, connecting with the Neuse River at Kinston. The name Snow Hill is thought to refer to the white sand banks of Contentnea Creek.

Snow Hill, considered the smallest town to ever do so, fielded a professional Class D baseball team called the Billies from 1937-1941. The Greene County Courthouse was built in 1935. Beautiful historic homes dominate the quiet streets. Only a handful of retail businesses exist today.

Next up was Greenville, county seat of Pitt County, founded in 1771 as “Martinsborough,” named after the Royal Governor Josiah Martin. In 1774 the town was moved to its present location on the south bank of the Tar River, three miles west of its original site. In 1786, the name was changed to Greenesville in honor of General Nathanael Greene, the American Revolutionary War hero. It was later shortened to Greenville.

Greenville had several steamboat lines plying the Tar River with passengers and goods by the 1860s. Cotton and eventually tobacco fueled the local economy. The Pitt County Courthouse was built in 1910. In 1999, Hurricane Floyd dropped 17 inches of rain, mostly overnight, and caused the Tar River to flood at a 500-year level. Major flooding and damage occurred in town. In early 2020, the city council authorized the purchase of approximately 163 acres of land north of the Tar River for the development of an adventure park focusing on outdoor recreational activities such as running, hiking, biking and camping along with lake-based and river recreation. Greenville features a greenway system of more than nine miles that connects the medical and educational community with the Uptown District and Tar River. East Carolina University is the fourth largest university in the UNC system.

The Greenville historic district had some real gems. I talked with Jeremy Law, chef and owner, at the SOCO restaurant. He said the house, built about 1895, was moved twice and held together well. The Fleming house next door, built in 1901, was also spectacular. George Washington also visited Greenville in 1791. The Proctor Hotel, built about 1912 with an “air of refinement,” had undergone renovation in 2004. The downtown area was not busy on a Friday evening, but just a short walk away several restaurants were very busy in what is called Uptown Greenville.

With this writing, we’re now at 69 county seats visited with 31 more to go. Most of the counties remaining are well east of Rowan. And speaking of Rowan, I’ll do it last. Back soon with more!

By David Freeze

On Saturday, June 24, I headed for the two biggest cities left on my list. I wanted to visit Durham and Raleigh while there was little traffic, especially in the governmental areas. I got my way in Durham, county seat of Durham County, as I rolled into the old part of town, where I had never been. Siri nearly always brings me to within sight of the most recent county courthouse and she did it again. Incorporated in 1869 and named for Bartlett Durham who donated the original land, Durham thrived on tobacco and agriculture early. With heavy Civil War activity, segments of both armies passed through the area often and enjoyed the Brightleaf tobacco. The word spread through those armies and demand was high for the more pleasant tobacco and sales boomed for years to come.

Cotton and energy production were other economic drivers. In an area where many of the tobacco warehouses and at least one large cotton mill once thrived, the old town section of Durham is undergoing a massive renovation and reuse of old buildings. As I toured the government area, I found that the old Ford dealership, Johnson Motor Company from 1914, had now been reclaimed for the Housing Authority of Durham. The 17-story Hill Building, completed in 1937, is now a 165-room luxury hotel. A popular bakery has reclaimed most of the former newspaper building. Several major churches dating from the late 1800s and the early 1900s were located close by. Just as in Charlotte, lots of high-rise housing was under construction. The old Durham County Courthouse was completed by 1920.

Raleigh was my next stop, where I found a totally different setting. Traffic was congested as I neared the government center. I realized that the Pride Festival was underway, starting near the capitol building. While most paid to park, I didn’t, after several loops of the area.

Raleigh, county seat of Wake County, is the second most populous city in N.C. and is named after Sir Walter Raleigh, sponsor of Roanoke, the “Lost Colony” in Dare County. Raleigh was incorporated in 1792 and is one of the few cities in the United States that was planned and built specifically as a state capital.

The state capitol building, constructed in 1840, has been undergoing a major renovation. The building housed all the state government affairs until 1888. This is the second major renovation of the historic structure. Copper on the roof and dome are being replaced, the heating and ventilation system is being updated and mortar and stone on the building’s exterior are being repaired. Roof renovation has happened before in 1888 and 1971. The copper roof will start shiny and then take 10-20 years to return to the recognizable green color caused by oxidation. Statues on the capitol grounds include Civil War Governor Zebulon Vance and Presidents George Washington, James K. Polk, Andrew Jackson and Andrew Johnson, who was born in Raleigh.

The Wake County Courthouse is another massive building with 15 stories, constructed between 1968 and 1970. Most interesting to me was a water tower near the capitol building, built of brick in 1887.

After all this government and big city exploration, I was happy to drive to Wilson. From Our State magazine articles, I knew one thing about Wilson, a city park famous for “whirligigs.” I thought I would have to ask for directions to the park but realized it’s by far the most famous thing in town and easily seen. The park is huge, with whirligigs of all sizes, shapes and colors. While they all look small in magazine articles, the 30 displays include some that are 50 feet in the air and almost as long as tractor-trailers while likely as intricate. Vollis Simpson was a WWII Army staff sergeant who began an amazing hobby after the war. He built these things and began to save them around his farm. When Simpson’s health began to fail, the Town of Wilson struck an agreement that would honor the master-fabricator for years to come. On this very warm Saturday afternoon, the park was busy. Food, a play area, a stage and a whirligig museum are part of the park. The N.C. legislature designated Simpson’s “gigs” as the official folk art of the state and they have been displayed across America.

I had visited Wilson briefly on my run across the N.C. in 2018 but I didn’t stay long. Wilson was incorporated in 1849 and named for Mexican War hero General Luis Wilson. I found yet another massive courthouse, built in 1924, and interesting streets lined by historic houses and buildings, including the site of N.C.’s first ABC store. I stopped to take a photo of some of Art Dept.’s screen-printed T-shirts that led to a wonderful encounter. I met Greg Boseman and Coach H. B. Harris. Coach filled me in on what to see, including a remaining railroad roundtable and the drugstore where Ava Gardner was discovered. She attended high school and college locally. I learned of Wilson’s glory days due to tobacco. Tobacco and the railroad fueled major growth from the 1940s-60s. Harris told me that an old tobacco warehouse floor was the foundation for Whirligig Park, and I discovered it was a Confederate cemetery before that. Coach also told me that Wilson was once considered the “World’s Greatest Tobacco Market” and the local radio call letters were WGTM. He said Wilson had ties to Soupy Sales and Booker T. Washington.

Just as Boseman handed me a free shirt, a truck drove up and Coach said, “You’ve got to meet this guy!” The driver was entertainer James Brown’s drummer during part of his heyday. I met Sam Lathan, but sadly messed up the photo. Brown was known as the “Hardest working man in show business.”

Wilson piqued my interest and tops my current list of many interesting towns. I had 4.75 running/walking miles in these three towns. See you soon with more!

By David Freeze

The group of county seats visited here are toward the end of my two-day swing into the northeastern part of N.C. on June 9. The first town visited was Camden, the county seat of Camden County, centered at the intersection of U.S. 158 and N.C. 343 where I found five schools, a huge grain storage facility, the historic courthouse and old jail. A few retail establishments helped, but there was not as much to see as usual. Camden is the only consolidated city/county in the state.

The Camden County Courthouse was built in 1847 and is still in use. The old jail next door was built in 1910, housing the county museum and the board of elections. The second floor has the original four cells plus a small museum which uses pictures and artifacts to tell Camden’s history. Outside, stocks and a pillory have been rebuilt to show punishment used in the 18th century. The county was named for Sir Charles Pratt, the Earl of Camden in Britain.

The nearby Dismal Swamp waterway was dug mostly by slave labor and opened in 1805, connecting the Albemarle Sound and the Chesapeake Bay. It is the oldest continuously operating man-made canal in the U.S. The Underground Railway for freedom-seeking slaves ran through the area and the large swamp helped their chances. Slave runaways often stopped for long periods on high ground in the swamp at gathering points that were less hospitable to those tracking them.

On April 19, 1862, Confederate troops repelled Union troops for five hours at Sawyer’s Lane, retreating to fortifications two miles north at Joy’s Creek only after being outflanked from the east. Both sides claimed victory: the North because they captured the field and the South because they prevented the destruction of the Dismal Swamp Canal Locks, three miles northwest in South Mills. Detailed written history of the event and battle exists and is fascinating reading. Battle of South Mills (rblong.net)

Next stop was Hertford, not to be confused with Hertford County already visited in Winton. Hertford, county seat of Perquimans County, was part of my earlier journey around the inner and outer banks by bicycle. The historic downtown, a tribute to native son Jim “Catfish” Hunter and the many beautiful riverfront homes made this stop special.

Hertford, named after Hertford, England, was incorporated in 1758 on land purchased in 1662 from the Yeopim Indians. Architecture from the 1700s and 1800s line the streets of N.C.’s seventh oldest town. Agriculture, mainly cotton, corn and soybeans, makes Hertford still a farming community. The Newbold-White house, built in 1730, is the oldest brick structure in the state. The Perquimans County Courthouse on Main Street was built between 1819-1825. Inside is the oldest land deed in the state — the first documented transaction in which a settler paid a Native American for land.

In Hertford, the small Edmundson-Fox Memorial commemorates the state’s first religious services. William Edmundson drew settlers to his first Quaker, or Society of Friends, meeting under a grove of towering cypress on the Perquimans riverbank in March 1672. Later that year, founder George Fox held meetings at the homes of area residents. Both exposed colonists to the relatively new Quaker religion that quickly took hold in the area.

The Perquimans River also inspired “Carolina Moon,” by Benny Davis and Joe Burke, in the 1920s after viewing a moon rise over the serene stretch of water. Perry Como and Dean Martin had hits with the song.

Hunter was the first baseball player signed to a major free agent contract. He helped win five world series championships and was an eight-time all-star. During high school, Hunter was shot in the foot by a brother during a hunting accident. Extensive surgery revived his baseball hopes. He retired early before dying of ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease. A small monument downtown honors Hunter.

I left Hertford for Edenton, the second capital of North Carolina from 1722-1743 and the county seat of Chowan County. The biggest historical event in Edenton’s history was the Edenton Tea Party, America’s first political action by a group of women, done in 1774 in support of the Boston Tea Party. The town was established in 1712 and went though several name changes before settling in 1722 on Edenton to honor Governor Charles Eden who had died earlier that year.

Edenton is the home of the 1886 Roanoke River Lighthouse, facing Edenton Bay at the head of the Albemarle Sound. The lighthouse is called a screw-pile design because of its original support system. Each piling was literally screwed into the river or sound bottom so they would not pull out in heavy storms and hurricanes. The 1719 Lane House is likely the oldest in North Carolina and the 1767 Chowan County Courthouse, another National Historic Landmark, has been used since its construction.

Then on to Windsor, established in 1766, has been the county seat of Bertie County since 1794 when the courthouse and prison were moved from the old town of Cashy. Windsor is also the center of an agricultural and industrial economy based on farm products and the timber industry. The town was established at Gray’s Landing on the Cashie River. Loaded with more antebellum homes, Windsor is anchored by the Bertie County Courthouse, built in 1889. A small Civil War battle occurred here in 1864, with no significant gains by either side.

With now 62 county seats complete, 38 more are ahead. I had 6.22 miles on my feet in these four wonderful towns. See you soon!

By David Freeze

Excited to see more of N.C., I drove to Halifax. Having left Warrenton and its pre-Civil War history, I immediately arrived at the “birthplace of freedom” ahead of the Revolutionary War. Established in 1757, Halifax was named for George Montagu-Dunk, 2nd Earl of Halifax, president of the British Board of Trade from 1748 to 1761 and a friend of the Colonies. In January 1759, Halifax became the county seat of the new Halifax County. The town developed into a commercial and political center ahead of the American Revolution. North Carolina’s Fourth Provincial Congress met in Halifax in the spring of 1776, and on April 12 adopted the Halifax Resolves supporting the Continental Congress as it moved toward independence from Britain, the first colony to do so while encouraging other colonies to follow.

Halifax is located at the navigational head of the Roanoke River, making it an important colonial town. Its rich soil helped plantations flourish. By 1769, about 60 buildings had been built, making it one of the premier cities in the colony. Halifax County had a population of about 3,000, both black and white. Not all the Blacks were slaves, as some were freedmen and skilled craftsmen.

During the war, Halifax was a major supply depot for the Continental Army. Halifax Minute Men were involved in the battle at Guilford Courthouse, a hard-fought British victory. British Commanding General Cornwallis eventually brought his army of 1600 redcoats to occupy homes and plantations in Halifax and surrounding plantations. After about a week, the British army headed north to engage Washington before eventually surrendering on Oct. 19, 1781. Washington visited Halifax on his southern tour on April 16, 1791.

After a stop at the visitor center and a brief movie, I took a walking tour of the town and about 20 sites, noting that Halifax is very quiet with little traffic, which seemed perfect for such a history laden town. Several buildings are open for touring before 4 p.m. The imposing Halifax County Courthouse, finished in 1910, and a small business area offered a more recent perspective.

Next stop was Jackson, county seat for Northampton County. The very quiet and small town had little traffic and less information available. The town was called Northampton Courthouse until it was renamed Jackson in 1826 in honor of former general and then President Andrew Jackson.

By the time Jackson became the county seat, horse racing and breeding had brought Northampton County national attention. In 1816, the famous racehorse Sir Archie was brought to Mowfield Plantation just west of Northampton Courthouse. Sir Archie reportedly beat all other horses in his specialty four-mile races. His bloodline sired Secretariat, Seabiscuit and many other famous racehorses.

Revolutionary War hero French General Marquis de Lafayette visited Jackson in 1825 and was met by a state delegation here. The current Northampton County Courthouse was built in 1858, A small Civil War confrontation occurred here in 1863.

After spending the night in Ahoskie, I made the short drive to Winton, county seat of Hertford County. I found Winton to be very small with few vehicles moving in the early morning of June 10 and I didn’t expect much. The courthouse is huge and new but located just outside of town. I found a great story as I began my journey around town and immediately spotted a Civil War Trails sign pointing toward the Chowan River, incredibly still and beautiful on this early morning. A small park commemorates an interesting engagement in 1862 when eight Federal gunboats steamed up the river to Winton. A significant Confederate force and battery were waiting in town and fired on the gunboats, soon forcing them to leave. That evening, the Confederate forces were fed and celebrated in town. Their leader marched the troops out of town afterward, ahead of the Union gunboats returning to shell the town. Troops onboard the gunboats torched Winton, making it the first North Carolina town to be burned in the war. Only the Methodist church and two buildings owned by Union sympathizers were spared.

I found an interesting burial plot on the grounds of the municipal building that I suspect served as the old courthouse. About 20 gravesites, including at least two Civil War soldiers killed at Chancellorsville, were interred there among several monuments.

Gatesville, county seat of Gates County, was next. First known as Bennett’s Creek Landing, from 1779 it was known as Gates Courthouse until its incorporation in 1830 as Gatesville, being named for Horatio Gates, a commander in the American Revolutionary War. As commanding general at the Battle of Saratoga in 1777, he delivered one of the most damaging blows yet felt by English forces in the war. However, in 1780 Gates’ failure at the disastrous Battle of Camden transformed him from one of the Revolution’s most esteemed generals into one of its most controversial.

Timber and agriculture drive the economy in Gates County. I saw it written, “The pace of life is slow. Take time to stop and talk to the people, have a bar-b-que sandwich and soda at one of the family restaurants. Hang out for awhile and just generally stop and smell the flowers.”

Small county seats made up the day, which is fine with me. I love finding new places to visit and roads to drive. The day saw 6.2 miles running and walking brought back some great photos. We’re at 58 counties done, 42 remaining. See you back here soon for some of the Inner Banks counties.

By David Freeze

With the western county seats complete, I contemplated an out and back loop in the northeastern part of the state, beginning on June 8. My first stop was Roxboro, earlier called Moccasin Gap and Roxburgh. The county seat of Person County was incorporated in 1855 and remains the only municipality in the county. The Person County Courthouse, built in 1930 in the center of downtown had a long line out the front door.

Famous people from Roxboro include old-time baseball player, Enos “Country” Slaughter and World War I Medal of Honor winner Robert L. Blackwell. Blackwell got the award posthumously for volunteering to go for help after two others were killed doing so. Slaughter joined the St. Louis Cardinals in 1938 at age 22 and is now enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Next was Oxford, seat of Granville County, once the home of Indian tribes with the Tuscarora most common. Samuel Benton, the area’s representative to the state assembly, bought 1,000 acres in 1761 and called his home Oxford. Benton gave an acre for the courthouse, but the town was not incorporated until 1816.

Most notable resident John Penn was a landowner elected in 1775 to be a member of the Continental Congress. He was one of North Carolina’s three signers of the Declaration of Independence. Tobacco became king and until the Civil War, Granville was one of the five counties in the state that had 10,000 slaves. The sandy soil and tobacco’s heyday brought huge growth to Oxford’s merchant district and plenty of grand homes. After two centuries of agricultural growth, no longer is it significant to the town.

A critically acclaimed movie, “Blood Done Sign My Name,” told the story of a racial confrontation that killed Henry Marrow and starred Ricky Schroder. Civil Rights attorney Ben Chavis, nationally known Oxford resident, led the protests.

The Granville County Courthouse was built in 1838. The first Masonic orphanage for children in the United States was built in Oxford. It was originally established as St. John’s College in 1858, ceasing operations shortly after opening. In 1872 the community decided that the property should be repurposed to educate disadvantaged populations. In December 1873, the first residents were admitted to the Oxford Orphans Asylum, which is today known as the “Masonic Home for Children at Oxford.” The Orpheum movie theatre has survived as an event center.

Hungry as always, I stopped to see Tristane at Strong Arm Bakery. She didn’t have to flex her muscles to get me to buy my second ever whoopie pie, complete with a refreshing strawberry filling and a large oatmeal cookie. They had a bicycle library outside that allows visitors to check out a bike to tour town. Oxford was friendly, very interesting, clean, busy and full of historic architecture.

I then drove to Henderson, the Vance County seat. The first settlers’ residence was built in what is now Henderson in 1785 by Samuel Reavis Sr. Reavis called his farm “Lonesome Valley” which likely described the area at that time. Reavis’ son, Lewis Reavis, opened a store close to the stagecoach road in 1811 when he began to see an influx of settlers and the awakening of a city. In 1835, residents decided to call the city Henderson after Judge Leonard Henderson.

The railroad brought new businesses downtown, but two major fires in 1870 and 1885 destroyed most of the stores. The need for work helped rebuild the downtown quickly, incorporating the use of bricks in the historic area so that many of those stores remain. Tobacco fueled the post-fire economy with five tobacco factories and three warehouses, along with three cotton gins, 20 stores and two newspapers.

I found that Roses stores are still alive in this area and maintain several storefronts on Main Street in the historic P.H. Rose Building. Ben E. King, singer and composer of “Stand by Me” was born in Henderson.

I fell in love with Warrenton immediately. The county seat of Warren County was founded in 1779. One of the smallest towns that I will visit, Warrenton was named for Dr. Joseph Warren, a patriot killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill in the Revolutionary War. About 90 percent of its buildings, more than 200 in number, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Warrenton was considered the richest town in the state from 1840 to 1860 for its cotton and tobacco production. I was just in awe of all the history, especially with so many of the houses and buildings signed with the year of construction and first owner.

Confederate General Braxton Bragg and current NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick were born in Warrenton. The population of the town has varied little since 1850 and is still within 100 residents of the early figure at about 900. Warrenton was not served directly by railroad until November 1884. Another beautiful old courthouse was built on the site of two previous ones in 1906. Fans of old homes with well-kept yards could walk for hours in Warrenton.

Finally, Warrenton is the “town that owns itself.” The Hotel Warren was finished in 1922 but fell on hard times during the depression. A restaurant did OK, but the hotel portion was closed. In the 1950s, town residents got together and took a room each to renovate with the hotel able to reopen as apartments. It survives today, having just celebrated its 100th anniversary.

The excitement of the journey grew with each new town. I had 6.14 miles on my feet, then continued east for more. See you soon about those visits.

By David Freeze

Hayesville is another town that has a deep Cherokee heritage. The Cherokee had a village along the Hiwassee River as early as 1000 AD that eventually became Hayesville after the Indians were forced to cede their land. Nineteenth-century politician George Hayes learned that residents wanted their own county seat because of the difficulty of traveling to Murphy. Hayes introduced legislation and got it passed to designate the new county as Clay and Hayesville became the county seat. The town of Hayesville was incorporated in 1913.

Yet another majestic courthouse is the center of Hayesville and concerts are held all summer on Friday nights. The building was abandoned by county officials in 2007, then renovated and opened again in 2018 as an event center. The old Clay County Jail was built in 1912 and has been the county museum since 1974. I visited the site of the Spikebuck Town Mound and Village Site, one of six Cherokee sites around town.

Tribute statues honor traditional music, the Appalachian music that preceded bluegrass, and quilting bees which were early social gatherings. Fort Hembree was another fort where the Cherokee were gathered before the army moved them west.

Next was Franklin, the town where my debit card was hacked on my run across N.C. Franklin is the seat of Macon County and is situated in the Nantahala National Forest. The town is centered around the 1,000-year-old Cherokee town of Nikwasi. Organized in 1820, Franklin was named for Jesse Franklin who later became a U.S. Senator and the 20th N.C. governor. The Cullasaja River empties into the Tennessee River at Franklin. The town was incorporated in 1855.

Franklin is famous for its gem mining and hosts two gem shows each year as the “Gem Capital of the World.” The Franklin Gem and Mineral Museum is in the old jail. Charles Frazier grew up here, the author of “Cold Mountain,” a book about a Civil War soldier who walked home at the end of the war. Franklin is known for its Scottish heritage while many streets are named in honor of the Cherokee. There is a Women’s History Trail that honors prominent women who contributed to the history of Franklin. The last body of Confederate troops east of the Mississippi surrendered here almost a month after Lee surrendered in Appomattox.

Brevard was next, known as the Land of Waterfalls and much more. As county seat of Transylvania County, which was formed from portions of Jackson and Henderson counties, Brevard is located at the entrance to the Pisgah National Forest. It is also the home to white squirrels, none of which I have ever seen during numerous visits. The White Squirrel Festival was just held on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday before Memorial Day.

The first county meeting was held on May 20, 1861, the same day North Carolina seceded from the Union. Due to the Civil War, Brevard was not incorporated until 1868. And it was not until 1881 per one source and 1884 per another that Transylvania County completed the brick courthouse they had discussed at the first county meeting in 1861. The courthouse still stands proudly today, at the corner of Main and Broad streets.

The Co-Ed Cinema was built in the 1930s and is still going strong. In 1902, Joseph and Elizabeth Silversteen moved to Brevard from Pennsylvania and built the 33-room Greek Revival Mansion four blocks east of the courthouse on Main Street. It’s now known as The Inn at Brevard, on the National Register of Historic Places after construction in 1885, houses many community organizations and special events, and its extensive grounds provide visitors and residents of Brevard with a casual recreation center.

Before leaving town after what developed into a long day, I stopped at Sully’s Steamed Bagels, a bagel store open late in the evening. Steamed instead of toasted, I bought a bagful from Salem, perfect for the long ride home.

On Memorial Day, May 29, I drove to Winston-Salem, county seat of Forsyth County. It’s the fifth largest city in North Carolina and is the product of merging Winston and Salem in 1913. The original town of Salem was first planned in 1753 by the Moravian Church. In 1849, the Salem Congregation sold land north of Salem to the newly formed Forsyth County for a county seat. The new town was called “the county town” or Salem until 1851, when it was renamed Winston for a local hero of the Revolutionary War, Joseph Winston. Winston and Salem were officially incorporated as Winston-Salem after a referendum in 1913.

The RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company bought 84 acres in Winston-Salem in 1917 and built housing for its employees and the Reynolds Building in 1929, the tallest building south of Baltimore at the time. Piedmont Airlines, Wachovia Bank, Krispy Kreme, Hanes and Texas Pete were some of the business names that started in Winston-Salem. Oddly, the city does not have passenger rail service but does have bus service to High Point where Amtrak is available. Sportscaster Howard Cosell was one of a long list of notables from Winston-Salem.

The old Forsyth County Courthouse was built in 1926 and incorporated elements of an earlier one built in 1896. A new courthouse is now in use.

Fifty county seats are now complete and 50 more remain. With lots to see, I completed 6.4 miles on my feet during the four visits. I will be heading east, looking for more fun!

By David Freeze

I ended my day on May 17 in Sylva, nearest to my first college at Western Carolina University. Sylva got a railroad in 1913 and with it gained the county seat designation for Jackson County. The courthouse, built in 1914, is one of the most spectacular I’ve seen because it sits on top of the highest hill at the end of Main Street.

Thomas Edison and Franklin Delano Roosevelt both visited Sylva, and three movies were partially filmed here. Those movies included “Deliverance,” “The Fugitive” and “Three Billboards Outside.” Downtown Sylva is flat with a familiar smell in the air on the evening I explored the town. Paper mills are common in the area, and that smell is certainly distinct.

I spent the night at the Blue Ridge Inn, a super nice place near the end of Main Street and the courthouse, and right across from the Dr. Delos Dexter Hooper house. The Hooper house was built in 1906 and is the local visitor center. Sylva is wonderful with plenty of interesting shops, restaurants and bookstores, all in the middle of its social district. A different section of town has many of the recognizable national stores.

Up early on May 18, I made the short drive to Bryson City, county seat for Swain County and part of the original Cherokee land. The town is known for the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad, and it certainly dominates the town. The GSMR operates on former Southern Railway rails between Dillsboro and Bryson City while serving over 200,000 riders a year. Early investors were able to lease the track just 48 hours before Norfolk Southern would have begun dismantling it. With locomotives already running, the first train was ready to roll out early this morning.

Native Americans have been living and hunting along the Tuckasegee River, which flows through town, for over 14,000 years. Originally called Charleston and incorporated in 1887, the name was changed to Bryson City when the county seat was formed from the combination of parts from Jackson and Macon counties. The name change honored Thaddeus Bryson, a key player in local development.

The current courthouse was built in 1908, the third in the town’s history. The Calhoun House Hotel was built in 1904 and is still in use today. Lots of real estate offices are on Main Street, and the town is surrounded by mountains on all sides, including the Great Smokey’s and the Nantahala National Forrest.

Next on a still early morning was Robbinsville, seat of Graham County. Fort Montgomery, built to help with the removal of the Cherokee, was granted a post office in 1849, and the name was changed to Robbinsville in 1874. Most claim Robbinsville was named after Sen. James L. Robinson of Macon County, but some believed the name may have been derived from Mr. Robbins of Clay County, who taught at the first school.

Parts of The Fugitive were filmed here, as was “Nell,” starring Jodie Foster, and “A Walk in the Woods.” The current courthouse was finished in 1842 and sits at 12 Main Street. Robbinsville’s most famous resident was country singer and pianist Ronnie Milsap, honored by a mural near the courthouse.

Murphy was next, the farthest western town in North Carolina, closest to the Tennessee line. It is at the confluence of the Hiwassee and Valley Rivers and had been called Huntington and Murphey before settling on Murphy. The county seat of Cherokee county, Murphy is situated on Cherokee homelands. The town was not incorporated until 1851, after Cherokee county was formed from Macon County in 1839.

In 1836, the U.S. Army built Fort Butler in town to help with the removal of the Cherokee, which became widely known as the Trail of Tears. The Cherokee County courthouse was built in 1927 and is faced with locally sourced blue marble. Abraham Enloe, purported by historians to be Abraham Lincoln’s father, is buried in town.

I took the time to reminisce a little about my run across N.C., with Murphy as the first night on the road. I visited the Sunset Motel and saw other familiar sites, including Walmart where I got a radio to help pass the time on the road. Murphy has beautiful mountain themed portraits posted outdoors around town. My best encounter in town was with Phil Williams, who claimed he was just a worker at the Red Brick Deli. Born up north, Phil was living in Florida and decided to leave the heat and humidity behind and become a halfback (someone who only moves halfway back to the north). Phil told me, “Murphy’s a wonderful town! I’m so glad we live here. We have a festival every Thursday afternoon at 5 p.m.” I bought a fantastic huge homemade brownie. Phil said one day that he and his wife were going to drive the state all the way to the coast, to which I said, “Just get on U.S. 64 and follow it all the way to the Outer Banks. I did it on foot.”

I really enjoyed Murphy, another thriving and fun little town, surrounded by history and beautiful mountain vistas. All the western N.C. towns so far are historic and fun. We have now totaled 46 counties visited and this segment included running, walking and photos for 6.31 miles. Back soon with the push to halfway!

By David Freeze

I drove west on May 17 with a mission to visit the last 11 counties in that farthest part of the state. Many of the towns I was already familiar with, having attended Western Carolina University for two years. My first stop was Burnsville, a town that I hadn’t seen before. Burnsville was founded in 1834 and named after War of 1812 naval hero Otway Burns. Serving as the county seat of Yancey County, Burnsville is the only incorporated town in the county.

The town square is a park, not centered on the courthouse, and has a statue of Burns. The Yancey County courthouse, built in 1908, is just across the street, not far from the very interesting Nu-Wray Hotel. Originally built of logs in 1833, the hotel is undergoing complete renovation. Elvis Presley, Thomas Wolfe and William Sidney Porter (O.Henry) all spent the night here. Concept photos of what the main areas and rooms with baths will look like were posted outside. The John Wesley McElroy house was built in the 1840s and later served as a hospital, post office and as headquarters for the Civil War home guard. General McElroy was the head of the western home guard brigade.

The NC Bigfoot Conference will be held here on June 17 and will include a day of notable speakers. The Yancey County Museum, beside the McElroy house, is free. Burnsville was interesting, fairly busy and the downtown was without a nationally known store, a pattern that would continue for the next two days.

Next up was Marshall, county seat of Madison County. The French Broad River runs through the town as does the railway and Main Street. The historic downtown is centered on the Madison County Courthouse, built in 1907. A long main street runs as flat as the river beside it, very pleasant on my legs. An interesting smattering of historic buildings and downtown stores included an old hardware and the depot, used weekly as a gathering place for mountain music on Friday nights.

Interesting about the downtown were repeated mentions of mermaids and the upcoming Mermaid and Parade Festival on June 3, an all-day event. Lots of apartments on the backside of the historic buildings faced the river. A central theme concerning the Civil War for many of the mountain communities was a disagreement over which side to support. While most who went to war supported the confederacy, some supported the union and a significant number were neutral, saying that the slave issue was not relevant in mountain counties. The mountains also became a haven for deserters from both sides.

The one big city I had on my schedule that day was Asheville, county seat of Buncombe County. I followed Siri’s directions to an end right in front of the courthouse. An empty parking spot was impossible to find until I spotted one with a red sign in front of it, and no instructions. I decided to take a chance, but still kept an eye on my truck occasionally since “towing” signs were posted everywhere.

Originally established as Morristown, the county seat was established in 1793 and then renamed Asheville after Gov. Samuel Ashe in 1797. On prior visits for running races, I had occasionally heard mountain music at the Shindig on the Green. Often impromptu, groups of musicians would form and play in various parts of the greenspace in front of the courthouse. A permanent covered stage now is in place where musicians and dancers are known to gather “along about sundown” on summer Saturday evenings.

Notable buildings include the city hall finished in 1928, the county courthouse and the Thomas Wolfe house. Wolfe’s book, Look Homeward Angel, is considered a classic and his boyhood home is a national historic landmark. In the same area is Central Square, contributing to what is called the Pack Square Park, right in the middle of the business district. Most interesting to me was a historical plaque commemorating the Aug. 14, 1943 day that Army Colonel Robert Morgan, Asheville native, flew the WWII Memphis Belle B-17 across central square. He then tilted the plane at 60 degrees to fly between the massive city hall and county courthouse. The Memphis Belle was the first plane to make the required 25 missions over German occupied Europe. The plane and crew were immortalized in a movie of the same name.

I continued west about 30 miles to Waynesville, county seat of Haywood County. Waynesville was founded in 1810 and named after Revolutionary War General “Mad” Anthony Wayne. Notable Civil War history was that the last battle in North Carolina ended here in a Confederate victory after a combined band of 600 Cherokee and southern soldiers danced around their campfires all night making a lot of noise. The Union commander prepared a surrender proposal which was delivered the next morning. Shortly after, both commanders were notified that the war had ended with the surrenders of Lee and Johnston in the previous days.

Driving into town, I couldn’t find an empty parking place until almost through town. Another busy and interesting downtown was also mostly flat and dominated by craft and antique shops, plus numerous food options. Historic buildings in the downtown area included the 1932 Haywood County courthouse, the 1927 Masonic Hall and the Dr. J Howell Way house, started before the Civil War and completed in 1899.

Forty-three counties done. I totaled 6.08 miles on my feet on a beautiful day and was excited to continue west. You’ll hear about more of those towns next week. See you then!