Category: Whittler’s Bench

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Brunswick County Stories

Brunswick County Stories

Brunswick County Stories

by Dale Coleman Spencer

Great Uncle Jack Potter was a quiet man and Great Aunt Fannie (Lewis) Potter was a sweet, country girl!  My brothers, sister and I would stay with Uncle Alden Potter (Uncle Jack’s son) and Aunt Frances during the summertime. I remember Uncle Jack being “stern” but loving and Aunt Fannie was a “second” mom to us when we were there.  We slept in a room upstairs which was very large, and during the summer, that room was hotter than Vietnam!  No air conditioning and heat rises!  Uncle Alden and Aunt Frances lived about a mile from Uncle Jack’s.  We had to walk to their house in the evenings to take a bath, Uncle Al and Aunt Frances didn’t have a shower or tub!

I remember Uncle Jack’s house being made of wood, the “great room” was on the right side of the house, and it was huge!  Deer heads on the wall and a big fireplace.  All the floors were made of wood, but dull wood, not “shiny” like we are used to today.  Also, the hallway was kind of wavy, up, and down, up, and down!  At the end of the hallway was a big pump organ.  We would have to pump it up to play with it, what a job that was!  They had a lot of land, pigs, chickens, horses, bees, silos, etc.  We would ride the horses; however, I was scared to death of the horses, every time we went, our cousins and us had to catch those damn horses in the pasture so we could ride them……the horses would run in one direction, and I would run in the other.  One time, the bees got after me, my brother David and cousin Al.  I was screaming the loudest and didn’t get a single sting, however, brother David and Al were both stung…I guess my screaming was my salvation.  Uncle Jack was very special to my dad.  He said after his father died (my dad was 13 when his dad died) Uncle Jack kind of filled in his shoes and helped raise my dad.  So, we went to the “country” a lot.  Looking back, it was some wonderful times, and I could kick myself for not knowing more about both of them back then. 

My father, William H. Coleman, Jr. was born in Lockwood Folly and raised in Winnabow. He told me the story of when he was very young.  He would walk behind the tobacco trucks/trailers and gather up the tobacco leaves that fell off.  He would take them to the tobacco barns and sell his tobacco for 05./.10 cents.  He would then go home, take the battery out of the family radio, and take it to the country store.  He would ask the storekeeper to charge the battery for the 05/10 cents he earned from his tobacco leaves.  What was so important about getting that battery charged?  To listen to the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday night of course!

I wonder how many people remember doing the same thing.

Uncle Jack World War I
Uncle Jack World War I
William H. Coleman, Jr. Chief, US Coast Guard
William H. Coleman, Jr. Chief, US Coast Guard
Dale Coleman Spencer. 1957
Dale Coleman Spencer. 1957
Uncle Jack, front and center, Aunt Fannie over his shoulder to the left
Uncle Jack, front and center, Aunt Fannie over his shoulder to the left
William H. Coleman, Jr. about 12 years old
William H. Coleman, Jr. about 12 years old
Southport’s 228-year-old Tradition

Southport’s 228-year-old Tradition

Southport's 228-year-old Tradition

by Liz Fuller, SHS President

Ft. Johnston Southport Museum and Visitor Center was decorated for the 4th of July by the Southport Garden Club working with City Employees and BEMC, photo by Larry Ashley

 

Nowadays, Southport is known as the home of the North Carolina 4th of July festival. But celebrating Independence Day on the lawn of the Garrison is a tradition that goes back more than 225 years. Many of the men who attended those early celebrations were veterans of the Revolutionary War. It’s likely that part of their entertainment involved swapping stories about their encounters with the British, right here, on the shores of the Lower Cape Fear.


Fort Johnston had originally been built by the British military. In 1775, it was still flying the British flag. In July of that year, five hundred Minute Men from Wilmington and Brunswick burned the fort to the ground. Their plan was to drive the British from these shores and to open up the Cape Fear river to the Continental forces.

The British responded by bringing in 5000 troops, stationing many of the men on Smith Island (Bald Head), and at the remains of the ruined fort. Over the course of ten months, the British presence in the Lower Cape Fear grew to seventy vessels. Their fleet included two large men-of-war ships with 50 guns, which they positioned outside the bar. Most of these enemy vessels moved on within a year, leaving to fight elsewhere. But those that stayed, continued to harass the inhabitants by sending troops ashore to pillage supplies and burn houses.

In 1795, twenty years after Fort Johnston had been destroyed, the newly formed U.S. government assigned troops to rebuild it. So, on Independence Day, the military officers who were stationed there, decided to host a celebration. They invited local inhabitants of Smithville and Federal Pointe, captains of vessels lying in the harbor, and summertime visitors from Wilmington, to gather together to celebrate the nation’s nineteenth birthday.


They set up a large awning on the lawn and served a hearty meal. After dinner, they began to make toasts, vying to top each other with their eloquence and patriotic sentiments. Each of the fifteen toasts was followed by loud cheers and the firing of cannons. Many of the toasts honored the past. They saluted the men whose wisdom, spirit, and bravery had contributed to the success of the revolution. But the final toast of the evening, looked toward the future, and the possibilities that lay ahead for their young country. “The progress of useful knowledge! May the arts and sciences be cultivated with success, and their great end be directed to the improvement of social happiness!”


And so, let us follow their example. As we celebrate the this birthday of the United States of America, may we take a moment to look back with pride at all that our nation has accomplished, and look forward with optimism, to all that we have yet to achieve!

Brick by Brick: The Inspiring Stories Billy & Mary Drew by Charles Drew

Brick by Brick: The Inspiring Stories Billy & Mary Drew by Charles Drew

Brick by Brick: The Inspiring Stories

Billy & Mary Drew

by Charles Drew​

I purchased a brick for my grandparents Billy & Mary Drew from the Southport Historical Society. What a great way to honor and remember their legacy and admiration of their hometown Southport, NC.


My grandfather was an integral part of many Southport natives that played sports. He coached little league baseball for many years at Taylor Field and was the 1st coach in the state to allow a female to play on the Southport team. My grandmother never missed a ballgame or school function. Southport High School was the heartbeat of Old Southport, and they were dedicated to their school and the children of Southport, assisting in any way they could.

Photography thanks to Mary Ellen Watts Poole

My grandfather, Billy Drew, was also a member of the Southport Fire Department, joining in 1953 and serving nearly 50 years. He rose in the ranks to Assistant Chief. He was also instrumental in helping with fundraisers and functions with the Southport Jaycees and the NC 4th of July Festival. He participated in softball tournaments and the infamous Donkey Soft Ball at Taylor Field.


In the early 1990’s he led the efforts to restore Southport’s first fire truck, the 1922 Model T. What a jewel and prized possession it is today, showcased at Fire Headquarters.


Mary and Billy were married for 60+ years, and they loved and cherished everything about Southport. I am so thankful to have a brick in their honor and memory displayed at Ft Johnston. Thank you to the Southport Historical Society for such a great program to remember our Southport loved ones, that may not be with us any longer in body, but their spirit still stands in such a sacred way!

Brick by Brick: The Inspiring Stories Dickie Marlowe by Charles Drew

Brick by Brick: The Inspiring Stories Dickie Marlowe by Charles Drew

Brick by Brick: The Inspiring Stories

Dickie Marlowe

by Charles Drew​

In 2015, Captain Dickie Marlowe of the Southport Fire Department passed away. I could never forget Dickie and his many years of commitment to the citizens of Southport. Dickie volunteered for 56 years on the Southport Fire Department. For over 30 years of that time, he never missed a call that was given for help. As Fire Chief of the Department, I never worried that the fire engine would respond to the cry for help during an emergency as long as Dickie was alive. His commitment, dedication, and loyalty to the Fire Department were unmerited. He dedicated the majority of his life to helping others and serving his fellow man.

Photography thanks to Mary Ellen Watts Poole

When I first learned of the brick program that the Southport Historical Society was doing, I knew immediately I must purchase a brick to memorialize Dickie’s memory and his many years of service.


Dickie was present at many historical fires in Southport. He assisted in the Miller Hotel Fire, Walton Willis Boat Yard fire, Gilbert Funeral Home, Dosher Flea Market, Southport Community Building, and the SS Ed Carter Ship Fire at Sunny Point. Many were the times that Dickie would be the first firefighter to arrive at the scene of a working fire and start rendering aid or pumping the ladder truck. After the Model T fire truck was restored, Dickie was the permanent driver of the truck always leading the 4th of July Parade and driving for funeral processions of fallen firefighters.


Dickie Marlow will always be remembered as a wonderful public servant of Southport. I am proud to know there is a brick displaying his name at Ft Johnston for years to come giving him honor for his many years of dedicated service.