Category: Whittler’s Bench

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“Raising Corn, Embankments, and a Little Hell: Impressed Labor and the Wilmington Fortifications” presented by Jaime Amanda Martinez, UNC Pembroke

“Raising Corn, Embankments, and a Little Hell:
Impressed Labor and the Wilmington Fortifications”

by Greta Jorgensen Watts

“Raising Corn, Embankments, and a Little Hell: Impressed Labor and the Wilmington Fortifications”

by Jaime Amanda Martinez, PhD

The Brunswick Civil War Round Table shared the following information about Lower Cape Fear history with the Southport Historical Society:

Impressment laws were enacted in North Carolina in the summer of 1862, and lasted throughout the war. Impressment was the legislated policy of the Confederate government to seize food, fuel, slaves, and other commodities to meet the needs of the Confederate army. Importantly, slave impressment was officially enacted in the March 1863 Impressment Act, which allowed the government to force slave holders to surrender control of their slave populations in order to defend the Confederate states. Despite protests from slave owners, slave impressment proved critical in allowing the Confederate government to shore up fortifications and keep the war machine churning out arms and ammunition until the end of the war.

The summer of 1864 became a key point in time when North Carolina Governor Zebulon Vance was running for re-election. In question was his level of support for the war effort. This involved the Confederate government centralizing slave impressment, and Vance’s concern for the fate of enslaved men impressed to work at Wilmington, while the grain planters needed their labor at home. As a result, American Indian men were impressed as laborers, leading to armed conflict between Lumbee men and the North Carolina Home Guard in Robeson County by the end of the war.

This information is based on a presentation entitled, “Raising Corn, Embankments, and a Little Hell: Impressed Labor and the Wilmington
Fortifications” by Jaime Amanda Martinez, Ph.D., Professor, and Chair
in the Department of History at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Ms. Martinez’ first book is entitled, Confederate Slave Impressment in the Upper South. She is a frequent speaker at Fort Fisher events to talk about the role of enslaved, free black, and American Indian men in building the Wilmington fortifications, and is a member of the North Carolina Historical Highway Marker Advisory Committee.

Taking a Peek at Price’s Creek

Taking a Peek at Price's Creek

by Liz Fuller, SHS President

Recently SHS VP Bob Surridge and I had the rare opportunity to visit Price’s Creek “Lighthouse” in person. Although commonly referred to as a lighthouse, it is actually a River Light. Built in 1849 or 1850, it stands 20 feet tall, with walls ranging from 3 feet thick at the base to 2 feet thick at the top. The base is 17 feet wide and narrows to 9 feet wide at the top.

The light worked in tandem with a second light on top of the nearby keeper’s cottage. River Pilots could determine their position in the river by lining up the two lights. There were originally seven lights and a lightship stationed along the 25-mile stretch of the river leading to Wilmington.

The Cape Fear River Lights were decommissioned sometime after the Civil War. Price’s Creek is the only structure that still exists. Left to the elements, it has fallen into a state of disrepair. The land on which the lighthouse sits is owned by Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) and is not open to the public. Normally, the only way to see the tower is from the deck of a ferry boat or from the ferry landing.

But in March of this year, Henry Stogner, ADM Plant Manager, invited John Moseley and Shannon Walker of the Maritime Museum in Southport, Jake Grossman of the Old Baldy Foundation, and Bob and me, to a meeting to discuss the possibility of repairing and preserving the tower.

We joined a group of seven ADM employees eager to see the Lighthouse saved. At the end of the meeting, we were permitted to inspect the Lighthouse firsthand.

Restoration ventures like this are never quick or easy. There is a lot of work to be done to assess the current state of the structure and to determine what needs to be done to repair the tower while maintaining its historical integrity. Once that is done, funding will need to be secured and qualified restorationists hired.

The meeting was a promising first step in the lengthy process. It appears that the historic tower may be able to be saved. In future publications, we will provide more history of the river light and updates on the project’s progress.

We are also interested in hearing your stories of Price’s Creek Light. The land was accessible to the public until the middle of the last century when it was sold to Pfizer Corporation. We know that many people who grew up here have memories of visiting the light, the surrounding grounds, and the “Robin’s Nest” house that sat on the property. If you have stories to share, please get in touch with us at info@southporthistoricalsociety.org or 910-477-3461.

Price’s Creek Lighthouse, Early 1900s
Photo Courtesy of the State Port Pilot

Arbor Day and Franklin Square Park

by Mary Ellen Watts Poole

To celebrate Arbor Day, I decided to write about Franklin Square Park, known for its beautiful trees, and to share fond memories I have of the park. I recently was the presenter of a video for the Historical Society of a vintage historic marker which was about the Park. You may not have seen the video, so I thought you may enjoy a write-up.

Arbor Day is a holiday to celebrate trees. In 1907, President Roosevelt issued an “Arbor Day Proclamation to the school children of the United States”. This Proclamation stressed the value of trees and that forestry deserved to be taught in the school systems. It is important to note that the City of Southport has been recognized, receiving a Growth Award as a Tree City, USA, by the Arbor Day Foundation.

In early 1793, shortly after the City was chartered (1792), the City Commissioners of this new Town (later to be renamed Southport), set aside a large square of property that could only be used by civic, religious, or fraternal organizations.
The northwest corner remained an open area which was originally known as “’The Oak Grove” for its beautiful oak trees. Later, it was named Franklin Square Park, in honor of Benjamin Franklin, the foremost Founding Father, who helped draft the Declaration and also was one of the signers. This honor recognized that the City townsfolk were proud of the Country’s independence.
Today, the square contains Southport Baptist and Trinity United Methodist Churches, the Masonic Lodge Building, Franklin Square Art Gallery (which was originally a school), Southport Fire Department Downtown Substation, and the City’s Gym and Recreation Areas.

Mercedes Watts standing among the Four Sisters, 1938, Photo courtesy of the State Port Pilot.

A tight cluster of oak trees, fondly known as the “Four Sisters” stand regally between the Art Gallery and City Gym. The “Four Sisters” have been a favorite play site since at least the early 1900s. It certainly was my special spot in the Park. Many children that grew up in the City have fond memories of playing in and around the “Four Sisters”. Perhaps you are one of them. I hope these memories spark yours. The “Four Sisters” served as a home base for a great game of tag or a wonderful place to play house. They often were Pirate Stede Bonnet’s ship, a military fort, a mansion for a movie star, and my favorite, a British Castle, as the Sisters were the perfect venue for an afternoon tea party! The “Four Sisters” never failed to pique and satisfy a child’s imagination, that grew up in a small, beautiful seaside town.

A Walk in the Park with C. Ed and Jessie Stevens Taylor

by Liz Fuller, SHS President

Recently, the Southport Historical Society was asked to participate in the Grand Opening of Taylor Field Park. The park was named in honor of Jessie Stevens Taylor and her husband C. Edward Taylor. The following is the speech given at the event, which shares a little of the contributions that the couple made to the city of Southport.

It is my privilege today to speak to you about Jessie Stevens Taylor and her husband C. Edward Taylor for whom this park is named. The Taylors lived their lives in the service of Southport and the surrounding community.

Every October as a volunteer for the Southport Historical Society, I get to portray Jessie Taylor in the Old Burying Ground. I tell the story of her important role as Southport’s Weather Observer and Storm Warning Display woman. For over 55 years she worked with the National Weather Service, recording Southport’s temperature, windspeed, and rainfall and sending her records to Washington, DC. When hurricanes came, she hoisted large flags up the weather tower that stood on the garrison lawn, warning friends, neighbors, and ships at sea of the pending dangers. Her most widely known efforts were in 1954 when Hurricane Hazel, a Cat 4 storm made landfall near Southport. Her warnings kept everyone in the community safe. A few months later she received a medal for her service from the U.S. Government.

But I don’t often get to tell stories about her husband, Ed Taylor. At the age of 22, Ed founded a weekly newspaper, the Southport Standard. He served as the editor for several years, during which time he also undertook the study of law. When he was just 27, he was elected Mayor of Southport. Two years later he received his law license from UNC at Chapel Hill. And at the age of 30, he began the first of three terms in the North Carolina Legislature. By now, you may be wondering how Ed accomplished so much at such a young age. I will tell you – he was single!

Although the first half of his life was dedicated to the hard work of getting an education and establishing a career, by the time he reached the age of 34, he was ready to settle down and start a family. That’s when he married the love of his life, 30-year-old Jessie Stevens. I’d like to think that part of what brought them together was their shared devotion to Southport and its future. Because rather than slowing down their contributions to the community after they got married, they expanded them.

In 1909, the same year that they got married, Jessie started a Women’s Civic Club. The club focused its efforts on improving daily life in Southport. They got businesses to install trash barrels rather than tossing their trash into the streets. They put benches along the garrison lawn. They painted and installed street signs. They erected the town’s first streetlight. They encouraged residents to plant flowers and clean up their yards and maintain the cemetery and eliminate breeding grounds for mosquitos. They sewed curtains for the schoolhouse, opened a library, and they increased education on childcare. They even hosted an annual baby parade so mothers could show off their healthy toddlers to the entire community.

C. Ed Taylor (1875 – 1944) & Jessie Stevens Taylor (1879 – 1961)

They did all of that in the first ten years of the club, all before Jessie, or any woman in Southport, had the right to vote. In 1920 when the 19th amendment passed, Jessie and the members of the club went door to door encouraging women to register so that they would have a say in the future of their community. Over the years, Jessie served six terms as president of the club she founded, which still exists today as the Southport woman’s club.

While Jessie was running the civic club, Ed wasn’t just sitting at home. He was doing his own work to improve Southport. In 1911, he helped organize the Bank of Brunswick, helped bring the WB&S Railroad to Southport and he helped establish the Southport Light and Power Company. Nine years later he instituted the rebuilding of Southport-Supply Road which was in great need of repair – even then it needed improvements. And in 1929, he helped organize the celebration for the completion of the Million Dollar Twin Bridges across the Cape Fear River and which made it so much easier to travel by land from Southport to Wilmington. And in the 1930s he was instrumental in obtaining right-of-way deeds for construction of the Intracoastal Waterway from Southport to Lockwood Folly. When the world wars came along, Ed served as Chairman of the Brunswick County Council of Defense and in 1943, he became the Collector of War Records for Brunswick.

I really could go on and on about the Taylors’ contributions to their community. I haven’t even touched on their dedication to their church or their devotion to their four children and numerous grandchildren. But I think you get the idea.

Both Jessie and Ed Taylor devoted their lives to the betterment of their community. Where others saw problems, they saw opportunities. Where others were content to complain, they were quick to roll up their sleeves and get things done. They never stopped believing in the future of Southport, and by their actions, they made Southport a better place for all of us to live.

I don’t think that either Jessie or Ed Taylor expected accolades for the work that they did. They were just living their lives as they saw fit – in quiet service to the community. But I suspect that if there was a landmark named in their honor they would be pleased to know that it was a beautiful park like this one that would serve to bring all generations of the Southport community together, now and in the years to come.

“Raising Corn, Embankments, and a Little Hell:Impressed Labor and the Wilmington Fortifications”

by Greta Jorgensen Watts​