Hill's Smithfield-Selma (Johnston County, N.C.) City Directory [1963], Part 1

Author: Hill Directory Company.
Publication date: 1963
Publisher: Hill Directory Co.
Number of Pages: 424


USA > North Carolina > Johnston County > Selma > Hill's Smithfield-Selma (Johnston County, N.C.) City Directory [1963] > Part 1
USA > North Carolina > Johnston County > Smithfield > Hill's Smithfield-Selma (Johnston County, N.C.) City Directory [1963] > Part 1


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39


Member Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation


Tell NORTH CAROLINA'S OLDEST BANE . OFFICES IN 23 CAROLINA COMMUNITIES Branch Banking & Trust Company 00. Ni Raiford St Selma


HEAVNER-WALLACE IMPLEMENT CO.


U. S. HWY. 70 W. P. O. BOX 858 SMITHFIELD


ALLIS-CHALMERS


TEL. 934-2375


HILL DIRECTORY COMPANY


Publishers


SMITHFIELD-SELMA CITY DIRECTORY


2910 W. Clay St., P. O. Box 6874, Richmond 30, Va. Telephone 359-6001


The City Directory


represents the City and its institutions in every corner of the United Stotes.


Be Sure That YOU Are Properly Represented in It!


Guy C. Lee Mfg. Co.


SPIB Grade-Marked Lumber SCHLAGE and SARGENT SCHEIRICH


Hordwore Pre-Finished Cobinets


ARMSTRONG FLOORS BUILDING MATERIALS - MILLWORK


206 N. 10th, P. O. Box 565 Tel. 934-2162


Bingham & Parrish Insurance Agency, Inc.


"Service Plus Savings"


(SEE PAGE 35 BUYERS' GUIDE)


209 Market, Smithfield Phone 934-2733


SHELL FUEL OIL


OIL CO. Inc.


.


Heating Oil


Metered Delivery


511 Truck Lane


P. O. Box 329 Smithfield


DIAL 934-3121


SHELL FUEL OIL


CREECH DRUG CO. PRESCRIPTION DRUGGISTS SELMA Dial 965-2316


126 N. Raiford St.


A


THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA


LUX


LIBIATAS


THE COLLECTION OF NORTH CAROLINIANA PRESENTED BY Winston*Salem Chamber of Commerce


LA, N. C.


ATION 3,106


'ss Unlimited"


rategically Located Raleigh, the State Capitol All Units of North Carolina's esearch Triangle"


C971.51 S76h 1963


hg up to date water, electric and other public C. L. Main Line Railroad. Near Raleigh-Durham Airport, intersection of major highway arteries (U. S. 301, U. S. 70 and Interstate 95). Served by leading trunk lines. Productive labor supply vouched for by industries already established. Friendly atmosphere for industry and its executive personnel.


IDEAL FOR LIVING


Excellent schools and churches, fine Civic Club and cultural advantages. Beautiful lake, good fishing, community recreation parks. Friendly residential neighborhoods. Modern 125 bed hospital and these added advantages. Selma is close to major centers of government. Business, culture and recreation, near nationally prominent colleges and universities, near state capitol. Six hours by highway from Washington, D. C. 500 miles from New York, two hours from ocean resorts, five hours from famous Blue Ridge Parkway in western North Carolina Mountains.


IDEAL FOR RETAIL BUSINESS


Selma is in center of county which produces crops and livestock valued annually in excess of $40 million. A rich rural market.


For More Information Contact JACK HOLT, Mgr. Box 584 SELMA, N. C.


HILL DIRECTORY COMPANY'S


B


Typical Questions


Your City Directory Will Answer


ABOUT AN INDIVIDUAL


How does he spell his name? What is his middle initial? Is he married? What is his wife's name? Where does he live? Does he own his home or rent? Has he a telephone? Who are his neighbors? What does he do for a living? Where does he work? Is he the "head of the house" or a resident?


Does he own a business? Is he a member or officer?


Who else is in the same business or profession?


Is the woman single, married or a widow?


ABOUT YOUR CITY


What is the city's history? What are the latest population figures? What is the latest statistical and general civic information? What are the leading industries and activities of the city? What are the names and loca- tions of the schools? What are the churches and where located? Who are the pastors of the churches? What are the locations of the hospitals, homes and asy- lums?


ABOUT A LOCALITY


How is the quickest way to get there?


Who lives at a given address? Is there a telephone at the ad- dress or nearby?


What is the character of the neighborhood?


This book must not be taken from the Library building.


SMITHFIELD AND SELMA CITY DIRECTORY


Form No. 471


C


1962


JANUARY


FEBRUARY


MARCH


APRIL


SMT WTF S


1 2 3 4


6


..


4 5 6


4 5 6


11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24


22 23 24 25 26 27 28


25 26 27 28 29 30 31


29 30


MAY


JUNE


JULY


AUGUST


S M


1


2


3


4


5


6


1


2


3


4


3 4 5


6


7


8


9


8


9 10 11 12 13 14


5 6


7


8


9 10 11


13 14 15 16 17 18 19


20 21 22 23 24 25 26


27 28 29 30 31 . .


24 25 26 27 28 29 30 29 30 31


26 27 28 29 30 31 . .


SEPTEMBER


OCTOBER


NOVEMBER


DECEMBER


SMTWTF S


SMT WT


S


1


1


2 3


4


5


6


8


7


8


9 10 11 12 13


9 10


2


3


4 5


6


7


8


9 10 11 12 13 14 15


16 17 18 19 20 21 22


21 22 23 24 25 26 27


28 29 30 31


25 26 27 28 29 30


..


23 24 25 26 27 28 29


30 31


1963


JANUARY


FEBRUARY


MARCH


APRIL


SMTWTF S


SMTWTF S


1


2


.


1 2 3


4


5


3 4 5 6


7


8


9


3 4 5 6 ..


7


8


9


7


8


9 10 11 12 13


13 14 15 16 17 18 19


20 21 22 23 24 25 26


27 28 29 30 31 ..


..


24 25 26 27 28


24 25 26 27 28 29 30


28 29 30


31


MAY


JUNE


JULY


AUGUST


SMTWTF S


SMTWTFS


S


M


T W T


S


7


8


4 6 5 2 3 9 10 11 12 13


4


5


6


7


8


9 10


12 13 14 15 16 17 18


19 20


21 22 23 24 25


21 22


23 24 25 26 27


18 19 20 21 22 23 24


26 27 28 29 30 31


. .


30


SEPTEMBER


OCTOBER


NOVEMBER


DECEMBER


SMTWTPS


7


1


2


3


4


5


6 7


8


9 10 11 12


3


4


5


6


7


8


2 9


1 8


2


3


4 5


6 7


8 9 10 11 12 13 14


9 10 11 12 13 14


15 16 17 18 19 20 21


10 11 12 13 14 15 16


15 16 17 18 19 20 21


22 23 24 25 26 27 28


17 18 19 20 21 22 23


22 23 24 25 26 27 28


27 28 29 30 31 ..


24 25 26 27 28 29 30


29 30 31


1964


JANUARY


FEBRUARY


MARCH


APRIL


SMTWTF S


1


2


3


4


5 €


7


:


. .


1


2 3 4


5


6


7


8


9 10 11


2


3


4


5


6


7


8


8


9 10 11 12 13 14


5 6


7


8


9 10 11


12 13 14 15 16 17


18


9 10 11


12 13 14 15


15 16 17 18 19 20 21


12 13 14 15 16 17 18


19 20 21 22 23 24 25


22 23 24 25 26 27 28


19 20 21 22 23 24 25


26 27 28 29 30 31


23 24 25 26 27 28 29 29 30 31


26 27 28 29 30


MAY


JUNE


JULY


AUGUST


SMT W H


S


3 M


2


1


2


3


4


5


6


:


5


e


7


8


9 10 11


2


3


4


5


8


7


8


3


4


5


6


7


8


7


8


9 10 11 12 13


14 15 16 17 18 19 20


12 13


14 15 16 17 18


16 17 18 19 20 21 22


24 25 26 27 28 29 30


26 27 28 29 30 31 ..


23 24 25 26 27 28 29


31 ..


OCTOBER


NOVEMBER


DECEMBER


SMTWTF 8


SMT


W


PS 2


3


1


2


3


4


6


6


7


4


5


7


8


9 10


13 14 15 16 17 18 19


11 12 13 14 15 16 17


18 19 20 21 22 23 24


22 23 24 25 26 27 28


29 30


27 28 29 30 31 ..


..


..


HILL DIRECTORY COMPANY'S


"A Real Necessity in Every Office"-The City Directory


6 . . 5 .. "Vital Information at Your Fingertips"-The City Directory ..


SMT WTF S


SMTWTF S


SMTWTF S


1


2


3


4 5 6 7


8 9 10 11 12 13


14 15 16 17 18 19 20


21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 .


SMT WTF S


1 2


3


4


5


1


2


.. .


6 7 8


9 10 11 12


12 13 14 15 16 17 18


15 16 17 18 19 20 21


22 23 24 25 26 27 28


19 20 21 22 23 24 25


SMTWTF S 2


3


1


4 5 6


11 12 13 14 15 16 17


9 10 11 12 13 14 15


18 19 20 21 22 23 24


16 17 18 19 20 21 22


23 24 25 26 27 28 29


30


SMTWT


S


TWTFS


SMTWTF S


7


SMTWT F S


1


2


.


1


2


3


4


5 6


7 8 9 10 11 12


14 15 16 17 18 19 20


10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23


10 11 12 13 14 15 16


17 18 19 20 21 22 23


21 22 23 24 25 26 27


6


7


8


9 10 11


2


3


4


5


8


7


8


14 15 16 17 18 19 20


11 12 13 14 15 16 17


9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22


23 24 25 26 27 28 29 28 29 30 31


25 26 27 28 29 30 31


SMTWTF


S


SMT WTFS


SMTWT 1 2 3 4 5


1


2


3


4


1


1


2 3


SMTWT


F S


SMT WTF S .. 1 2


SMTWTF S


1


:


T WTPS


8


M


T WTF S


8 M


T WTPS


1


10 11 12 13 14 15 16


9 10 11 12 13 14 15


17 18 19 20 21 22 23


19 20 21 22 23 24 25


30 31


..


7


8


1


2 3


4 5


7 8 9 10 11 12


6


13 14 15 16 17 18 19


20 21 22 23 24 25 26


20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30


25 26 27 28 20 30 31


8


MTWTPS


SMT WTFS


1 2


3


4


5


.


·


1


:


8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21


1


2


3


4


21 22 23 24 25 26 27


28 29 30


1 2 3


1


2


3


.


8


9 10


9 10


8


9 10 11 12 13 14


15 16 17 18 19 20 21


11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28


10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23


SMTW TP S


2 3 4 5


6


7


6


3 4


SMT WTFS


1


13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26


29 30


14 15 16 17 18 19 20


8


8


SEPTEMBER


1


·


9 10 11 12


16 17 18 19 20 21 22


1


SMTWTFS


Hill's SMITHFIELD AND SELMA (JOHNSTON COUNTY, N. C.)


CITY DIRECTORY 1963


Including Pine Acres, Sandy Run Section, Sunrise Acres and West Smithfield


CONTAINS:


. Buyers' Guide and a complete classified business directory


· Alphabefical directory of business concerns and privafe citizens


. Complefe street and avenue guide, including householders, and occupants of office buildings and other business places


. Numerical telephone direcfory


PLUS


Useful and Inferesfing information about the city


PRICE $30.00


HILL DIRECTORY COMPANY


PUBLISHERS 2910 W. CLAY STREET . P. O. BOX 6874 RICHMOND 30, VIRGINIA Member Association of North American Directory Publishers Copyright, 1963, by Hill Directory Company


aNa


DP 1898


Excerpt from Section 104, Title 17 United States Code Annotated


WILLFUL INFRINGEMENT FOR PROFIT .- Any person who willfully and for profit shall infringe any copyright secured by this title, or who shall knowingly and will- fully aid or abet such infringement, shall be deemed guilty of a misde- meanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by imprisonment for not exceeding one year or by a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $1,000, or both, in the dis- cretion of the court.


PUBLISHERS NOTE


The information in this Direc- tory is gathered by an actual canvass and is compiled in a way to insure maximum accuracy.


The publishers cannot and do not guarantee the correctness of all information furnished them nor the complete absence of errors or omissions, hence no responsibility for same can be or is assumed.


The publishers earnestly re- quest the bringing to their attention of any inaccuracy so that it may be corrected in the next edition of the directory.


Hill Directory Company, Publishers


*Association of North American Directory Publishers


INTRODUCTION and GENERAL INDEX


HILL DIRECTORY COMPANY, publishers of Southeast- ern Directories (publishers of the Smithfield and Selma City Directory since 1957), present to subscribers and the general public, this, the 1963 edition of the Smithfield and Selma City Directory, which also includes Pine Acres, Sandy Run Section, Sunrise Acres, West Smithfield and the Rural Route Residents.


Confidence in the growth of Smithfield and Selma's in- dustry, population and wealth, and in the advancement of their civic and social activities, will be maintained as sec- tions of this Directory are consulted, for the Directory is a mirror truly reflecting Smithfield and Selma to the world.


The enviable position occupied by HILL'S Directories in the estimation of the public, has been established by render- ing the best in Directory service. With an unrivaled organ- ization, and having had the courteous and hearty coopera- tion of the business and professional men and residents, the publishers feel that the result of their labors will meet with the approval of every user, and the the Smithfield and Sel- ma Directory will fulfill its mission as a source of authen- tic information pertaining to the communities.


Four Major Departments


The four major departments are arranged in the fol- lowing order :-


I. THE BUYERS' GUIDE constitutes the first major de- partment of the Directory, printed on yellow paper. In the first section of this department, grouped under appropriate headings, are included the advertisements and business cards of firms and individuals desiring to make a complete presentation of their products or services. Following this is the Classified Business section, which embraces a list of the names and addresses of all business and professional concerns of the communities, arranged in alphabetical order under appropriate headings-a catalog of all the activities of the communities. The Buyers' Guide represents reference advertising at its best, and merits the attention of all buyers and sellers seeking sources of supply or markets for goods.


In busy and diversified communities like Smithfield and Selma, the necessity of having this kind of information up-to-date and always immediately available, is obvious. The Directory is the common intermediary between buyer and seller, and plays an important role in the daily activities of the commercial, industrial and professional world.


II. THE ALPHABETICAL LIST OF NAMES of residents and business and professional concerns, is the second major department, printed on white paper. This is the only rec- ord in existence that aims to show the name, marital status, occupation and address of each adult resident of Smithfield and Selma, and the name, official personnel, nature and address of each firm and corporation in the communities.


8


INTRODUCTION


III. THE DIRECTORY OF HOUSEHOLDERS, INCLUD- ING STREET AND AVENUE GUIDE, is the third major de- partment, printed on green paper. In this section the num- bered streets are arranged in numerical order, followed by the named streets in alphabetical order; the numbers of the residences and business concerns are arranged in numerical order under the name of each street, and the names of the householders and concerns are placed opposite the numbers. The names of the intersecting streets appear at their respec- tive crossing points on each street. Special features of this section are the designation of tenant-owned homes and the listing of telephone numbers.


IV. THE NUMERICAL TELEPHONE DIRECTORY is the fourth major department, printed on blue paper.


Community Publicity


The Directory reflects the achievements and ambitions of the community, depicting in unbiased terms what it has to offer as a place of residence, as a business location, as a manufacturing site and as an educational center. To broad- cast this information, the publishers have placed copies of this issue of the Directory in Directory Libraries where they are readily available for free public reference, and serve as perpetual and reliable advertisements of Smithfield and Selma and vicinity.


The Out-of-Town City Directory Library


Through the courtesy of the publishers of the Smithfield and Selma City Directory, a Directory Library is maintained in the offices of the Smithfield and Selma Chamber of Commerce, for free reference by the general public. This is one of more than 1,000 Directory Libraries installed in cities and towns throughout the U. S, Canada and Puerto Rico by members of the Association of North American Di- rectory Publishers.


The publishers appreciatively acknowledge the recog- nition by those progressive business and professional men who have demonstrated their confidence in the City Direc- tory as an advertising medium, with assurance that it will bring a commensurate return.


HILL DIRECTORY COMPANY,


Publishers.


INDEX TO ADVERTISERS


PAGE NUMBERS LISTED BELOW REFER TO THE BUYERS' GUIDE


Page


Aycock Propane Gas Service right side lines and 11


B & H Printers. . right side lines and 46


Bass H L Tin Shop right bottom lines and 50 Bell's Opticians. . left top lines and 45 Bingham & Parrish Insurance Agency Inc


. front cover, right top lines and 35


Branch Banking & Trust Co


front cover, right top and side lines, 9 and 39


Brown Insurance Agency. . back cover, left side lines and 36


Buie Motors Inc. . left top lines


Busy Bee Oil Co. back cover and 26


Capital Coca-Cola Bottling Co The. . back cover and 12


33


Coble Dairy Products Inc. .right side lines and


18 25


Corbett's Flower Shop


Creech Drug Co. front cover, right top lines and 21


Creech's Pharmacy . left top lines and


22


Davis Fred H. right side lines and 38


Dean Julian V Oil Co .... front stencil, left side lines and


27 Denning-Westbrook Oil Company Inc


right side lines and 30


Dunn Furniture Co of Selma


Edmund's Men's Clothiers. . back cover, right side lines and 31 17


Efird's Department Store right side lines and 19


F & P Auto Parts Co. . right side lines and


Gardner Motor Co Inc. right bottom lines and 7


Godwin Building Supply Co Inc ... ... right side lines and 14


Hall L H Metal Works ..... back cover, left side lines and


49


Heavner-Wallace Implement Co


front cover, left and right top lines and 24


High B J Insulation Co.


Hill Directory Company.


Hooks & Layne Oil Co


. bottom stencil, left and right side lines, 28 and 44


Hooks & Layne Tire Co top stencil and 4


Ideal Oil Co Inc. . front cover, left side lines and 29


Johnston County Bank. . . . . backbone and 10


Langley's Jewelers. left side lines and 38


Lee Guy C Manufacturing Co. .


. front cover, right side lines, 15 and 40


Little's Pontiac Co Inc. right bottom lines and 7


Medlin Printing Co. .right side lines and 46


Nixon Brothers Transfer. right bottom lines and 50 Oliver W B & Son Inc. left bottom lines and 50 5


Pippin Motors Inc. . right top lines and


Ready Mixed Concrete Co right side lines and Rose Piano Co.


Sanders Funeral Home.


Selma Chamber of Commerce.


left side lines and


23


Selma Furniture Co Inc. . left side lines and


32


Selma Radio & Music Co. . back cover, left side lines and 2


Smithfield Herald The. left top lines and 43


Smithfield Herald Publishing Co left top lines and 43


14 42 30 A


Selma Drug Co.


left side lines and 8


20


3


Central Carolina Gas Co. right side lines and


10


INDEX TO ADVERTISERS


Page Smithfield Typewriter Sales and Service. 17 Smithfield Wholesale Builders Supply Inc right top lines and 16


Stallings Insurance & Realty


.back cover, left top lines, 37 and 47


State Farm Insurance Companies


Suburban Propane Gas Service.


left side lines and


11 6


Thompson Garage .. .


right side lines and


6


Town And Country Gas Co Inc.


. right top lines and


34


Vann's Jewelers. right side lines and 38 41 White Swan Barbecue. 41


White Swan Motel. right side lines and


White Swan Restaurant.


41


Wilkins Service Station left side lines and


48


Williams Motor Co Inc. right side lines and


7


Wilson Chevrolet Co Inc left side lines and 7


Woodard's Men's Wear left top lines and 17


38


Thompson Airport Salvage Co Inc.


SMITHFIELD


"TOWN ON THE MOVE"


Statistical Review


Form of Government-Mayor-Commissioner. Incor- porated as a town in 1777.


Population-1960 U. S. Census, 6,117; local estimate at present, 6,200; American-born population is 99 per cent of the whole; Non-white, 21.7 per cent; population is predom- inately Scotch-Irish.


Area-2 square miles.


Altitude-146 feet above sea level.


Climate-Mean annual temperature 60.8 degrees F .; av- erage annual rainfall 48.19 inches.


Parks-1, with total acreage of 14, valued at $25,000. Assessed Valuation-$9,343,000, with $1.15 per $100.00 tax rate.


Bonded Indebtedness-$962,000.


Churches-16, plus several new missions; 15 Protestant and 1 Catholic.


Real Estate-147 new homes in City limits in the last 5 years; 300 new homes in West Smithfield, not in City lim- its, built in last 5 years.


Industry-Chief industries of the city and surrounding territory are agriculture, tobacco, cotton, livestock, lumber, cotton yarn, spinning and cotton ginning, tobacco process- ing and redrying and meat packing. Manufacturing es- tablishments employ 900 men and 900 women. Principal manufactured products: cotton yarn, ladies' and children's jackets, processed tobacco, meat products, lumber products, feed, guano and automatic blankets.


Trade Area-Retail area has radius of 20 miles, and pop- ulation of 60,000. Wholesale area has radius of 50 miles.


Newspapers-1 (semiweekly).


Radio Broadcasting Stations-WMPM and WCKB.


Railroads-City served by the Atlantic Coast Railroad, inter-connected with Southern Railway Co. 4 miles away.


Bus Lines-City served by 3 bus lines, as follows: At- lantic Greyhound, Carolina Coach Co. and Seashore Trans- portation.


Highways-The following highways run through, or to, the city: U. S. 301, 70, 210 and 96, and Interstate 95.


Air Lines-City served by 3 airlines as follows, Eastern, Capitol and Piedmont. Nearest commercial airports are located at Goldsboro and Raleigh-Durham. Nearest private airport is Selma.


Automobile Registration-1,500.


Amusements-Largest auditorium in city seats 900 per- sons. 1 moving picture theatre, with total seating capac- ity of 600 persons. 1 legitimate theatre with total seating capacity of 600 persons. 1 golf course, also Holt Lake with cabins, boats, swimming, fishing, dancing and skiing, bowl- ing alley, miniature golf course, swimming pool.


Hospitals-1, with total of 128 beds.


12


INTRODUCTION


Education-Number of public schools 4, with 2 senior high schools. Number of pupils in public schools 3,179. Number of teachers in public schools 111.


Public Libraries-2, with total of 32,923 volumes.


City Statistics-Capacity of water works (municipal) 1,000,000 gallons, with daily average pumpage of 500,000 gallons. Fire Department has 20 volunteer firemen and 1 paid fireman. Equipment includes 3 pumpers, 3 ladder trucks, 1 station and 2 emergency vehicles. Police depart- ment has 15 members including 2 clerks, 3 cars and mod- ern two-way radio equipment.


General Review


Oldest, largest and busiest of Johnston's ten towns, Smithfield is a county seat of 6,117 population. In 1890 it was only 545. Once it was a river town, and the Neuse still flows slowly along the west edge of its business section, but its commercial importance now is the potential it has as a source of industrial water. Smithfield's water facilities are adequate for an anticipated growth of 20 years.


Downtown Smithfield spreads east of the courthouse lawn, and is a mixture of retail stores, farm equipment places and tobacco warehouses. Often in early summer it is a tranquil place, but beginning in August it is a beehive. Tobacco is still the biggest thing in the life of the average Smithfield citizen. When the nine auction warehouses sell some 30,000,000 pounds, they turn loose $12 to $15 million, and a good part of it goes to Smithfield-either directly into the pockets of absentee farmers living in town, or in- directly via farm trade.


Tobacco is, however, an old story to Smithfield. In 1770 the legislature established a public "Inspection of Tobacco" in Johnston at the ferry on the lands of John Smith. Here tobacco was inspected, and put in stamped hogsheads. It was floated down to New Bern in flatboats. Consequent- ly Smithfield is the oldest tobacco market in North Carolina, still in business, allowing, of course, for interims of inac- tivity.


The modern auction market opened in 1898 via a ware- house operated by Skinner and Barham.


The redrying houses, also operating seasonally, provide the largest single source of employment in the county, aside from agricultural pursuits.


The cotton market, though overshadowed, is one of the largest in the state, with three gins and facilities for storing 18,000 bales. There is a large livestock market.


But recent industrial additions such as Burlington Mills, the Jerold Corporation, Fieldcrest Mills, Carolina Packers and others are broadening the base of the town's economy.


Conscious effort by the citizens to accomplish just such a broadening has recently been stepped up by a rejuvenated Chamber of Commerce and formation of the Smithfield Industries, Inc., to provide quarters (if needed) for inter- ested industries.


In all of its long career, and through every turn in busi- ness, the town has never suffered a bank failure. It is one of the financial centers of North Carolina, through the pres- ence of main offices of the First-Citizens Bank & Trust Com- pany.


The town was founded on land which John Smith, the


13


INTRODUCTION


first settler, donated. He had moved in from Virginia and obtained a license to operate a tavern at the site in 1765. Later he moved to Tennessee, where he died.


Smithfield was incorporated in 1775, and must have had some facilities and prestige during the Revolution. The General Assembly was to have convened in New Bern in April, 1779, but a smallpox epidemic forced them to meet elsewhere, and they chose Smithfield.


It was at this session that the representatives made the first attempt to halt the nomadic wandering which had the assembly meeting first in one place and then another. A resolution was introduced naming a commission to "view and fix upon some place in each of the counties of Johnston, Wake and Chatham for holding the General Assembly." Nothing came of this, and the resolution may not even have passed, for the Senate Journal of that session is lost.


However, when a capital site finally was picked, Smith- field was in the running. We frequently hear the town lost by only one vote, but the statement is always prefixed by the warning that it is only a "tradition."


Also according to tradition, a Smithfield man cast the deciding vote against location of the Southern Railway, fear- ing that the smoke and noise would be injurious to the quiet of the village. It later obtained the Atlantic Coastline. It is situated on U. S. Highways 70 and 301, with three bus lines and four truck lines.


Beyond the commercial center lie the residential sec- tions, mostly composed of comfortable but moderate homes.


They are built along old tree-lined streets, and even though close to town have an air of leisure and well-being. Smithfield, for all its concern over the replacement of farm labor and the need for new enterprises, is a town of quiet poise. And it has, over its 200 years, gradually equipped it- self adequately.


It has a small but good and well-used library; a hand- some, relatively new hospital; a county-wide country club nearby; a volunteer fire department; and a school system so thorough it is said to send 80 per cent of its graduates to college.


The civic life is well balanced by organizations-civic, fraternal, cultural, literary, dramatic, professional. It has a city library and also is headquarters for a nine-branch county library system with bookmobile. A Historical Socie- ty is busy compiling a county history. There are 16 churches and a 14-acre recreation center, operated by a summer-time city recreation department.




Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.