Roanoke Beacon Blog

From the Roanoke Beacon:

At a special meeting of the Board of Commissioners of Washington county held Monday, March 6, 1899, with Jas. A. Chesson, Jos. Skittletharpe and J.M. Reid present, the following business was transacted.

• Ordered that Louis Basnight be released of poll tax until further orders, on account of bodily infirmities, including poll tax for the year 1898.
• Ordered that Lonie Smith be released of poll tax for the year 1898, on account of poverty and infirmity.
• Ordered that C.M. Norman be released of poll tax for the year 1898, on account of poverty and infirmity.
• Ordered that Jno. L. Phelps, Sheriff, be and he is hereby authorized to collect a single tax from any and all delinquents on the tax books for the year 1898.
• Ordered that Sarah Garrett be released of tax on $150.00, part valuation on her lot in the town of Plymouth for the year 1898, the building having been burned off said lot.
• Ordered that Joseph Swain, keeper of the poor house, be allowed $3.50 per M. for splitting 3,000 rails, for repairing the fences around the poor house lanes, when the work is performed.
• Ordered that the bridge across the public road near Roper, known as Beaver Dam or Secil Landing, be, and the same is hereby made and declared a county charge.
• Ordered that C.J. Spear be, and he is hereby authorized to furnish half-rations to Levi Collins, Levi Clayton and Fred Littlejohn until further orders.
• Ordered that M.M. Alexander be, and he is hereby authorized to furnish whole rations to Daniel Overton and Thaddeus Lamb until further orders.
• Ordered that Richard Elliott be, and he is hereby authorized to furnish whole rations to Willis Boyd and Ebenezer Phelps until further orders.
• Ordered that N.B. Mizell be, and he is hereby authorized to furnish Ann Davenport, Annis Hassell and Joseph Elliott whole rations until further orders.
• Ordered that W.M. Bateman be allowed the sum of $20.79 for bills of stationary bought of Edwards & Broughton for S.C. Clerk’s office, ex. charges, &c, on same and certified copies of Sheriff and Register of Deeds’ bonds to State Auditor.
• Ordered that Jno. L. Phelps be allowed the sum of $62.60, his account for feeding jail prisoners, turnkeys, &c, as per acct. filed.
• Ordered that W.C. Hassell be allowed the sum of $25.79, his accout for supplies furnished poor house and outside poor for Feb. 1889.
• Ordered that R.P. Barnes be allowed the sum of $4.80, his acct., for conveying B.W. Lewis to Plymouth jail and serving 12 bond orders.
• Ordered that Joseph Skittletharpe be allowed the sum of $5, his acct., for cash paid for coffin and expenses burying Elizabeth Purlington.
• Ordered that R.E. Flora, Sheriff Currituck Co., be allowed the sum of $5.00 for arrest, board, &c., of Thos. Jones.
• Ordered that W.H. Stubbs be allowed the sum of $69.14, his acct, for services as Clerk Board Co. Commissioners, and for other services or fees, as per acct. filed for months Oct., Nov., Dec., 1898 and Jan and Feb 1899.
• Ordered that Roanoke Beacon be allowed the sum of $3 for publishing proceedings of the board for Feb. 1899.
• Ordered that Jno. C. Gurganus be allowed the sum of $15.83, his acct. for 2 months service as keeper of the poor house for Jan. and Feb. 1899.
• Ordered that J.M. Ambrose be allowed the sum of $21.48 for provisions furnished to T.S. Lamb, Levi Clayton, Fred Littlejohn, Thomas Blount and Levi Collins for past 4 months.
• Ordered that Jno. L. Roper, Lumber Co, be allowed the sum of $12, their acct, for lumber furnished and smith work on Mackey’s Ferry bridge in Sept. 1898.
• Ordered that Jno. L. Roper, Lumber Co., be allowed the sum of $42.24, their acct., for lumber furnished and labor repairing Lee’s Mills bridge.
• Board adjourned to meet on the 1st Monday in April 1899.

On Ancestry.com, there is a book titled Branson’s North Carolina Business Directory: containing facts, figures, names and locations, revised and corrected annually – that includes some information about Washington County. I thought it would be of interest to share an excerpt here as many of these names I have come across in the newspaper:

COUNTY OFFICERS
Clerk of Superior Court – J.A. Nelson
Coroner – Theophilus Ash
Commissioners – R.S. Goelet, Ch; J.B. Chesson, jun.; M. Jackson, A.M. Phelps, G.W. Jones
Register of Deeds – John Carroll
Sheriff – J.M. Bateman
Surveryor – H.F. Phelps
Solicitor 2nd District – Joseph J. Martin
Treasurer – Levi Jackson, jun.

Hotels & Boarding Houses
Hotel, Plymouth – Spruill & Davenport
Hotel, Plymouth – Mary Lee (col.)
Sanders House, Plymouth – R. Sanders

Lawyers
Armistead, T.S., Plymouth
Collins, Josiah, Scuppernong
Jones, E.W., Plymouth
Johnston, S.L, Plymouth
Latham, L.C., Plymouth

Physicians
Hardison, H., Scuppernong
Lewis, H.G., Mackeys Ferry
Norman, H.H., Scuppernong
Wolfe, H.E., Lees Mills
Walker, Barry M., Plymouth
Ward, W., Plymouth

There is more here, so if you have an Ancestry membership, it’s worth checking out [link here], not only for this county, but others. If you

Roanoke Beacon
23 Sep 1898

On Saturday morning last Mr. Edgar JACKSON, conductor on the Pinetown train, and Mr. Henry WYNNE, an employee of the road, became involved in a dispute which led to blows. JACKSON struck WYNNE with a bottle, inflicting an ugly wound on the head, and WYNNE used a knife, freely cutting JACKSON through the abdomen, across the throat and over the heart.

Dr. S. HASSELL was summoned to the scene, ten miles up the road, but when he arrived Dr. J.M. MCCARTY who happened to be near, had sewed up the wounds and rendered necessary attention which saved JACKSON’s life, for if he had not been treated before Dr. HASSELL could have reached him he would have died from loss of blood.

Though the wounds came near being fatal, Mr. JACKSON is getting along nicely. Mr. WYNNE came to Plymouth to give himself up, but failed to find an officer, so he went his way until Sunday when he surrendered to Sheriff PHELPS and gave bond for his appearance at court.

Roanoke Beacon
23 Sep 1898

The Republican and Populist County Convention was held at Pleasant Grove on Tuesday last, where and when the following fusion candidates were nominated: For House of Representatives, Thomas HOPKINS; for Sheriff, John L. PHELPS; for Treasurer, T.J. BASSNIGHT; for Register of Deeds, W.H. STUBBS; for Clerk Superior Court, W.M. BATEMAN; for County Commissioner, Geo. SPRUILL, W.H. HOWCUTT and Rufus SWAIN.

What of these nominees? HOPKINS is a fusing Populist, being the fusion candidate of the Dem-Pops two years ago for the same place. PHELPS is supposed to be a Republican, though he was a candidate for Sheriff two years ago before the Democratic convention. BATEMAN and SWAIN are classed as Populists. BATEMAN was the Pop-Dem candidate for Sheriff two years ago. BASSNIGHT, STUBBS, SPRUILL and HOWCUTT, the latter a negro, are old line Republicans.

Roanoke Beacon – 12 Aug 1898

Commissioner’s Proceedings – At a special meeting of the Board of Commissioners of Washington County held August 1st 1898, with all members present, the following proceedings were had:

• minutes of the last meeting were read and approved
• ordered that the names of T.N. Gray and H.O. Gray be inserted as Road Contractors with Frank Gray
• ordered that Samuel Wilson be allowed one half ration per month until further orders
• ordered that Thadeus Lamb be allowed one full ration per month until further orders
• ordered that Geo. Rhodes be allowed one half ration per month until further orders
• ordered that Charles Hassell be released of poll tax until further orders on account of bodily infirmity
• ordered that Frank Gray be allowed the sum of $30.00 for furnishing nails, hauling lumber, labor of self and amount paid hands repairing Conoby bridge
• ordered that Walker & Myers be allowed the sum of $8.7 for lumber furnished for Conoby bridge
• ordered that Jno. L. Phelps, Sheriff, be allowed the sum of $24.15 for 2 days service and expenses incurred in covering S.A. Craddock to insane asylum at Raleigh, and board and turnkeys for Anderson Leigh
• ordered that W.H. Hampton be allowed the sum of $22.51 for supplies furnished to the poor house and outside poor for July
• ordered that J.P. Hillard be allowed the sum of $1.73 for preparing papers in lunacy case of S.A. Craddock
• ordered that J.A. Harrison be allowed the sum of $12.08 for one month service as keeper of poor house, making 5 garments and amount paid Hasty Garrett for 5 weeks washing at poor house
• ordered that Rufus Swain be allowed the sum of $8.40 for one days service as county commissioner and mileage, one months service as acting warden to the poor and for provisions furnished to Joseph Elliott for the months of May, June and July 1898
• ordered that the Roanoke Beacon be allowed the sum of $3.00 for publishing the proceedings of the Board for July
• ordered that F.M. Bunch be allowed the sum of $5.25 for one days service as county commissioner, one months service assistant warden to the poor, services hiring out jail prisoners, collection costs, etc.
• ordered that N.M. Ambrose be allowed the sum of $4.80 for one days service as county commissioner and mileage
• ordered that F.L.W. Cahoon, Sheriff of Tyrrell county, be allowed the sum of $4.70 for conveying Anderson Leigh form Columbia to Plymouth jail, turnkeys, board, etc, for said Leigh
• Board adjourned to meet the 1st Monday in September 1898

W.H. Stubbs, Clerk

County Commissioner’s Proceedings
27 May 1898

At a special meeting of the Board of Commissioners of Washington county held on Monday May 2nd with all members present the following business was transacted:

Marriage Licenses
January 3, 1890
pg. 3

The following marriage licenses were issued by Register, J. P. Hilliard, during the month of December, 1889:

• White:
  • L L Newberry and Lena Reid
  • W A Forbes and Katie Johnston
  • Charles Martin & Bertha Newberry
  • Ellis Davenport and Mary Lamb
  • James Craddock and Carthia Lamb
  • Wm. Ange and Mary Reddic
  • W. W. Chambers and Jennie Skittletharpe
  • A S Johnston and Inez Lewis
• Colored:
  • N B Bell and Susan Armistead
  • James Clagon and Eliza Kenedy
  • W H Pettiford and Mary Moore
  • Wm. Cooper and Clemie James
  • Wilder Smith and Mary Reddick
  • Amithy Giffer (Anthony Giliam) and Caroline Phelps
  • Littleton Ford and Jane Carter

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Beacon Flashes
December 6, 1889
pg. 3

• Mr. Dennis Biggs of Williamston was in the city this week.
• Miss Fannie Carstarphen took charge of a school at Sans Souel on Monday last.
• Mrs. Josephine Tarkenton, of Tyrell Co., is the guest of her mother, Mrs. E. Ludford.
• Attorney S.B. Spruill made a visit to Williamston this week on professional business.
• Mr. H. W. Neal and Master Johnnie Neal made a flying trip to Washington on Friday last.
• Mr. L. E. Jackson, who has been absent at West Port, Ind. for some time, returned on Tuesday.
• Mrs. Nancy A. Boone, of Lenoir county, is the guest of her daughter, Mrs. John Stocks, on Main street.
• Miss Nettie Ayers, of Norfolk, has been the guest of her uncle, Mr. W. C. Ayers, for the past week.
• Died – On Wednesday afternoon at 3 o’clock, at his home near this town, Mr. Johnnie Phelps, aged 18 years.
• Misses Sousie Brown, Edna Sallinger and Loulie Freeman, of Sans Souel, were visting friends in the city during the past week.
• Edward King (col.) has succeeded Pros. Armistead, deceased, as porter of the Latham House. Ed is a polite trustworthy boy and works hard for the interest of the home.
• Mr. Montie Fagan was united in the holy bonds of matrimony last night at White Oak Chapel, Martin county, to Miss Inez Smith. Rev. Mr. Tyson officiating. The happy couple have our best wishes for a long and prosperous life.
• The funeral services of Prosper Armistead which took place at the colored cemetery on Monday afternoon last was largely attended by the white people of the town, and the manner in which Hon. Thos. S. Armistead officiated was the most impressive. He pronounced the benediction in an elegant but solemn manner, and from the eyes of that mingled assembly of races dropped many a tear of sympathy.