The Robesonian from Lumberton, North Carolina • Page 49

100th Anniversary Edition THEROBESONIAN LUMBERTON, N. SUNDAY, MAY 23,1971 Monument Unveiled Here In Year '07 Copyright 1971, The Robesonian, Inc. The Confederate monument, a familiar sight on the court house square hi Lumberton. was unveiled on Friday, May 10, 1907. The following account appeared in The Robesonian May 13, 1907: "The most notable day in the history of Robeson county was the unveiling of the Confederate monument on Friday, the tenth of May.

The occasion had long been looked forward to, and by daybreak people were gathering from every direction. "Carriages, buggies, wagons, carts, automobiles, wheels, and every kind of vehicle were put in use on that day to bring the people interested. By o'clock it was with difficulty that one could make his way along the streets. "Never before has such an immense and orderly crowd been assembled at one place in Robeson county: No drinking, no misbehavior of any kind was witnessed that day. A matter of much comment was the splendid appearance of present.

Robeson well has a right to feel proud of her citizenship. Town Decorated "The streets and i buildings of the town were elaborately a beautifully decorated in national colors and suspended across Main street banners were hung with the word "Welcome" on them in letters to catch the eye of every passerby. On the corner of Fifth and Main streets, a booth was beautifully decorated, and here the badges of the day were bestowed upon Veterans. "Governor Glenn was met at the train at 10 o'clock, and driven in a carriage to the handsome home of Col. N.

A. McLean. The Red i Daughters of the Confederacy were met at the station and taken hi carriages to the home and Mrs. McLnEyre? where a'splendid reception was them. "The parade started at 11 o'clock at the Waverly Hotel, in charge of Capt.

A. J. McKinnon, chief marshal. First came the marshals numbering about 75, on prancing horses with sashes of national colors flying in the breeze, making -as fine appearance as any body of horsemen could desire. 500 Veterans "Following i i came the Lumberton and Maxton brass bands, making every pulse fasten as they steadily marched and played stirring martial music; the Maxton (Continued on Page 2E) High Point City's History Was Being Named All-American Confederate Monument In the year 1971, Lumberton became an All-America City.

With that event, came national publicity and acclaim, and much local rejoicing by the all citizens here who had made the coveted award a Lumberton trophy. The city was one of in the nation to win the award for the year 1970 for its progressive efforts. The annual prize is sponsored by Look Magazine and the National Municipal League. It is not to denote that the city is perfect and its problems solved, but only that the city is trying; that progress and growth is slowly but surely being -ccomplished. Many ingredients went into the mixture of success.

Senator Luther Britt city attorney, described some of them in a proposed resolution, a adopted by the a Assembly, honoring Lumberton: "Whereas, the City of Lumberton, Carolina, through 'he unceasing efforts of its citizenry and its appointed and elected municipal officials has taken giant strides to keep in step with the changing times; and "Whereas, these combined efforts have afforded the City of Lumberton a new public library for 90,000 volumes and a new bookmobile to serve 41 county locations; a unique private low- rent housing development of 100 units sponsored by an association of 40 black a i churches in addition to over 400 new public housing units; the elimination of a dual school system without Federal intervention; the funding of a new $1.2 million Technical Institute Also, "a facility which served over 1,000 patients in its first year of CITY COUNCILMEN display the All-America City flag. Left to right are Hilton Oxendine, William Davis, Rev. Turner Harry Ivev City manager Joe Hendrick, Mayor Earl Musselwhite, Clifford Bui-lard, John Bennett, Ben Morris. operation; a new a a center for retarded children; a i new $4.2 million sewage treatment plant; four new industries with a plant investment of $7.1 million and jobs for 700; a new municipal airport terminal; the funding of a $2.2 million project for facilities to store five million gallons of water Also, "A new a i multi-purpose center; a new 80 bed extended care i a facility and 10 bed intensive and coronary care unit; a Performing Arts Council; i i sponsorship of live plays and the N. C.

Symphony Orchestra in the public schools; and the singular relationship of three "Whereas, these i spirited efforts on behalf of all of the people of the City of Lumberton have resulted in the City of Lumberton being named one of eleven All-American Cities in the United States of America for the year 1970 by the National Municipal League; ow, therefore, be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring; "That the City of Lumberton is hereby recognized a saluted as an All-American City of the United States of America for 1970; "That the General Assembly of the State of North Carolina does hereby commend races of people Joying and ivprk- citizens of the City of ing together; without violence, berton for the national fame for the betterment of mankind; and recognition it has brought I to the City of Lumberton, the County of Robeson and the State of North Carolina as an All-American City for 1970. On Thursday, March 4, 1971, Lumberton's victory became official, though for a while it was the worst kept secret hi the city's history. Certain media representatives, including Look magazine's local distributors, jumped the release deadline somewhat and sounded the gong on Wednesday though nobody really seemed too mind too much. Following the official announcement were i statements by the various city officials and involved citizens acknowledging the city's desert toward and that Lumberton would continue to earn it. ratulatory telegrams poured in, including one from President Richard Nixon to Mayor J.

Earl Musselwhite: "My congratulations to you and your community on its selection as a 1970 All-American City by Look Magazine and the National Municipal a With the increasing complexity of urban living and its related problems, that honor that has been bestowed en your people is especially significant. "I hope it will spur your citizens on to more and greater progressive development, that they remain always in the vanguard of the All-American City tradition. Signed, Richard Nixon. On March 4 at 3:45 p. special flag raising ceremonies were held at the Municipal Building.

The flag and the special emblem designed for Lumberton bears three stars; representative of the races which coexist in this city and county. The i a i theme, carried through by tha three policemen who hoisted the All-America flag to the drum roll of the Lumberton High School band, was repeated often by those speaking of the award. All of the people in the city and the county were congratulated for their contributions. On March 18, the big awards banquet was held at the Armory, with more than 700 persons attending. Lt.

Gov. Pat Taylor was keynote speaker and a Musselwhite formally accepted the All-America plague' which now a in the council chamber at city hall. (Continued on Page 4E) Lumber River Is Lumberton Asset i By R. G. CASHWELL One of Lumberton's greatest assets has been and is, its location on the banks Lumber River.

At the beginning of the town's history, and for many years thereafter, the river furnished the principal means of transportation goods moving in commerce to and from the town by means of flats poled up and down the river between Lumberton and Georgetown, S. C. For many years it was also used to float a considerable quantity of timber down the river for sale, to, and processing by saw mills located at Georgetown. troversy over the proposed con-1 A keyed reference to the bridge structions of an a i i a 1 i states, "The i lot as indicated on the map is the area now occupied by the names are in- few of the telligible. Page 94 indicates that the map was the result of a survey bridge is shown on this map made in 1894 and is signed by References are made on the map to a number of buildings located on Front Street to be J.

H. McRee. It too is similar bridge in the Glenn Street area. An interesting history Lumberton's bridges can be gotten from a study of pages 92, 93 arid 94 of the book of maps number 2, recorded in the office of the Robeson County moved to adjoining lots. Register of Deeds.

These are Page 93 bears the notation uretl 11lli5CU early maps of the town, and that it was completed January' Third street bridge is still i -r 15? 1850j to an shown and jg as o.der of "County Court "Wooden A bridge at November Fifth street has been added and is designated single lane bridge and con-1 nected with a road through the low land on the western bank of the river. This road was not elevated and was under water when the river overflowed its to the original map, except that banks. It could not have been Front Street has been changed travelled had a flood stage to Water, the river's name has i equal to the recent one oc- been changed to Lumber. The dicate the 1 a i of its! bridges. Page No.

92, dated May 5, 1737 is titled, ''Jacobs Rhodes Plan of the Town 1849" curred. A number of small stores lined the road on the west bank. These stores were erected with floors high off the ground. Foot logs and elevated board walks were erected in as laid off on lands of John is aesignatea as "iron board walks were erected in Of Lum-1 This map is almost an exact The toll brige 'was apparently front of them for use by the m-. ronv nf nriamai gone but it and its connecting patr ons and pedestrians using It's principal value now is its 1 Willis Esq." The never failing source of supply of Elizabethtown road, indicated water for the City's water 1 as the then northern boundary system, and for the many local industries who were attracted to this area partly at least, by map as, "The main nwc! to South Carolina by Gibson Fer- I The present Water Street the is indicated as "Front Street," development of good a and the river is designated as through the a has! "Drowning Creek." Hie plentiful water supply.

The city's growth and and bears the in- copy of the original map with scription, the exception that it indicates the present Elizabethtown Road as "Elizabeth and the toll bridge is shown crossing the river slightly south of 6th Street and connecting with a road on the West bank of the river, which forks, one fork continuing in a westerly direceion, the of described on the roads are shown in broken lines the road. with the legend- "Old road as shown on Rhodes On this Just off the northern side of this bridge on Water street was i. -w. I WTVJ. Vt CIO map, the railroad bridge is also one of the many artesian wells added at its present location, i of that day which kept a large On this map, names of all the streets are shown, whereas the two previous maps did not name any streets other (han iron watering trough full at all times of cool water for the Started Town To Moving By W.

S. WISIIART (From The Robesonian, February, 1931) About the first man to start the town moving after peace was declared was the late Mr. Berry Godwin, who came to Lumberton, I have been told, with $75 in cash and a horse. At the close of the Civil War, the population of the town was less than 500. He began a small business on the corner now occupied by the National Bank of Lumberton; also established a turpentine distillery nearby.

Mr. Godwin worked hard, made money and invested it in town and rural property. Another Historical Edition Published On May 6, 1915 Another historical edition of The Robesonian was published on May 6, 1915 celebrating its 45th year. The sheet then was on pages about hah" the size of the present ones and the paper was a semi-weekly. many horses and mules then in He was interested in anything use.

Few if any autos ever used Destroying Stills Sets vju.vi uidu use. i-ew miy auws ever used other turnuig northwesterly. In Front Street and the Elizabeth- this bridge, but it was used addition a wooden bridge is town road. more thin the Fifth street shown crossing the over at The Third street bridge was crossing by wagons a Thirrf cti-aol- fVi i i a. i i that would improve his adopted town and section.

Soon after i coming to Lumberton, he joined' the Baptist church and for was its most I sssrcS-TSi" sss. i ss hy I the river I. -uth ctt to t. most of the nu ero iTS. I street.

Some time in the mid-i erected over 50 now 85) years teens an effort was made under 3 av a lot. besides hun- cover of darkness to destroy dreds oi dollars for the con- this bridge by sawing through struclion of the new house r11 I BEAUTY OF LUMBER RIVER can still be found despite today's pollution problems. the main supporting sills in the vvorsh 'P center of the bridge. The con- Godwin was a friend to spirators were discovered and fl nccd have seen him on fled before completely wrecking dlffercnt occasions take poor, i ra ed barefooted children into the bridge operators of a saw mill located on the river several hundred yards south of the bridge iortabte, regardless of color. In a recent year, 1 1 2 8 o- American individuals and because it the passage couples reported incomes of a 1 of a side wheeler steam boat million dollars or used by the mill to recover saw i (average.

4.3 million) and timber from rate; sunk in this group, 31 paid no income river during the many years tax at all. i when logs were floated down! An integral part of keeping Rcbeson County dry is the constant seeking out and destroying of homemade stills. According to an article by Penn Gray, published in the Feb. 2, 1952 edition of "The State," Robeson's sheriff, a McLeod handled the situation well during his first year in office. "With no way to prove it," the article stated, "aside from claiming it as fact and waiting for someone to deny it.

Robeson citizens say that their Sheriff Malcolm G. McLeod, in his first year in office, set an all-time record for destruction -destruction of bootleg liquor stills, that is. The sheriff reported to the county commissioners of the river While it was not com-; the western end of the bridee' Robeson on 30 (19511 that pletely destroyed, the bridge being possibly 90 to 40 feet sincc he took office on Dec was weakened to the extent furthcr south'than the eastern da a he and his diat it could no longer be used en d. It was renlaced about 1914 de utjes ad destroyed 734 Uby wagons. It was by a two-lane i licit That is an average of repaired, but continued to be bridge a few v'ears when i more than two stiils a da and ur 1951, he held to that mark with 63 more stills in 31 riavs.

used by pedestnans for a a i acrcss thc i number of years, unt.l part of i became heavier, wooden piling was swept uhvn the river, a I was at flood stage. help support a i The remembers what it was replaced by the present was apparently the original concrete and steel bridge i Fifth street bridge. It was a 1956. single lane suspension bridge; Tha preiont Second street and was called the bridge was completed in 1934,: Bridge, or the Iron bridge''. It and, the Cutlar Moore bridge on crossed the river at an angle as South Chestnut street was con-' pictured on map No.

94, with, si.ruci.cd in "The record says that while raiding the stills during 1951, 163 men were captured at the sites, that 5,780 man-hours were consumed in investigating stills, that 167,465 gallons of mash were destroyed, that 1.582 one-half gallons of finished liquor were seized." "Robeson County is a Land of Wonderful Possibilities" a one streamer headline and one piece of news was that a "Whole Time Health Officer" had been employed. "Robeson Leads the State in Progress During the past ten years" was another headline. A story on schools gave the enrollments in 1904 for whites 3979, Indians 1102 and blacks 3311 and contrasted that to 1914 when the figures were: whites 5426, Indians -1854 and blacks 5 3 1 3 Teacher institutes in the county were referred to. Some of the homes pictured proudly were these of D. Caldwell.

A. W. McLean, C. M. Fuller, T.

L. Johnson, J. L. 1 Stephens, Judge L. R.

Varser and R. C. Lawrence, W. S. Wishart and H.

B. Jennings, J. I D. Proctor. Some still stand.

The president of Lumberton's i Chamber of Commerce in 1915 I was J. P. Russell. The sheriff i was Robt. E.

Lewis and com- I missioners A. J. Floyd. J. F.

McKay, J. W. McXnir. Marcus W. Floyd was renister of deeds.

Robeson was said to head the counties of the state i agriculture and to be a pioneer in Temperence Movement." Robescn also Md more railroad mileage than any other countv In the Red Springs section of the news was matured two-story hotel with cupola with porches on rc FT Fairmont Dr. J. P. Brown "-as called a leading citizen stx? tha churches were pictured. Maxton was called an "Alive 1 Town with A Bright the "Queen City of the county." There was a picture from Lumber Bridge of W.

S. Cr.bb with a fence of watermelons from those he had grown. A Lovers' Lane was pictured for Parkton and Lumber Bridge was a "Nature's Won; There was me of her famous articles by "Aunt Becky" and 1 another hy equally 1 Mr. W..