Hill's Rocky Mount (Edgecombe and Nash counties, N.C.) City Directory [1960], Part 2

Author:
Publication date: 1960
Publisher: Hill Directory Co.
Number of Pages: 738

USA > North Carolina > Edgecombe County > Rocky Mount > Hill's Rocky Mount (Edgecombe and Nash counties, N.C.) City Directory [1960] > Part 2

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 (link on the Part 1 page).

Altitude-115 feet above sea level.

Climate -- Mean annual temperature, 60.8 degrees F .; average annual rain- fall, 55.56 inches.

Parks-19, with total of 155 acres, valued at $300,000.

Assessed Valuation -- $58,000,000 with $1.65 per $100 tax rate, plus 30¢ for school supplement.

Bonded Debt -- $8,429,000 including the school debt.

Financial Data-3 banks, with total deposits of $63, 194, 473.90 (Dec. 31, 1958), and total resources of $70,489,480.36 (Dec. 31, 1958). 4 building and loan associa- tions with total assets of $32,358,995.42 (Dec. 31, 1958).

Postal Receipts-$364,562.13 (calendar year, 1958).

Telephones in Service-12,721 (Dec. 31, 1958).

Churches-79, representing all major denominations.

Building and Construction -- Value of building permits, $2,695,115.70.

Industry-Chief industries of city and surrounding territory: Manufacturing and agriculture. 88 manufacturing establishments, employing 13,300 workers, and paying wages of approximately $16,000, 000 annually. Principal manufactured products. Cotton yarns, undergarments, pile fabrics, broad silk, rayon fabrics, cordage products, venetian blinds, lumber products, fertilizer, cotton-seed prod- ucts, brick, veneers, ice, ice cream, dairy products, bottled drinks, stock feed, flour and meal, bakery products, processed tobacco, tents and awnings, steel tanks, concrete blocks, furniture, mattresses and truck bodies.

Trade Area-Retail area has radius of 60 miles, and population of 200,000; wholesale area, radius of 120 miles (mostly east of city).

Newspapers-1, daily and Sunday.

Radio Stations -W E E D, WE E D-FM, WC E C and W F M A.

Aerial View of Rocky Mount Business District

109 15031 ONV

INTRODUCTION

Hotels-2, with total of 210 rooms.

Railroads -Atlantic Coast Line (Emerson Shops located here).

Motels-10, with total of 358 rooms.

Air Lines-Capital.

Highways-U. S. 64 and 301; State 43, 48 and 95.

Bus Lines-2: Carolina Trailways Co. and Seashore Transportation Co. Airports-1, municipal.

Amusements -Year-around city recreation program. 3 moving-picture the - atres, with total seating capacity of 2,500 persons. Also 2 drive-in theatres. 1 golf course.

Hospitals-4, with total of 280 beds.

Education-12 public schools, including 2 senior high and 1 junior high. 1 parochial school. Number of pupils in public schools, 6,169; teachers, 235. Public Libraries-1, with 48,000 volumes.

City Statistics-Total street mileage; 130.67, with 80.13 miles paved. Miles of gas mains supplying natural gas, 75; miles of storm and sanitary sewers, 110. Number of water meters, 9,313; light meters, 12,489; gas meters, 3,757; Capacity of water works, 11,750,000; daily average pumpage, 7,500,000 gallons; miles of mains, 102; value of plant $652,000. Fire Department has 41 men and 32 volun- teer firemen with 3 stations and 9 pieces of motor equipment. Value of fire de - partment property, $140,000. Police Department has 59 men and 12 women, with 1 station and 6 pieces of motor equipment having two-way radio and 6 motor- cycles.

Rocky Mount's Forward March

Rocky Mount was incorporated as a village in 1867 and as a city in 1907. Its growth has been phenomenal. In 1890 the town was credited with 816 people. Ten years later, in 1900 the U. S. Census gave it a population of 2,937; in 1910, 8, - 051; in 1920, 12,742; in 1930, 21,412; 1940, 25,568; and 1950, 27,697. The local estimate at this time is 34,000.

Located at the gateway point of one of the most prosperous sections of the state, and with a network of highways and railway connections to strengthen its geographical assets, it is recognized as eastern North Carolina's foremost jobbing and distributing center.

The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad maintains one of its largest shops here. Situated in the heart of a rich agricultural district, the city is logically a market- ing center for farm products. In the season of 1959 there were sold on the Rocky Mount tobacco market, 56,129,504 pounds of bright-leaf tobacco. Rocky Mount is also a large market for cotton. Rocky Mount also is proud of its curb market. Rocky Mount is the second largest livestock market in North Carolina.

Tobacco Warehouse District

INTRODUCTION

One of the Largest Bright-Leaf Tobacco Markets in the World

The industrial development is merged with the distribution of farm products. The city has ten tobacco factories and redrying plants, two fertilizer factories, several woodworking plants, cotton mill, silk mill, plush mill, women and chil - dren undergarments, cordage factories, mattress factory, steel tank fabricating plants, two bakeries, meat processing plants, dairy processing plants, venetian blind manufacturers, plywood manufacturers and feed mills. In addition to these, the Atlantic Coast Line maintains its Emerson Shops here. There are at present 5,200 manufacturing workers employed in the city with a payroll of more than $21,840,000 per year. The total wage earners in the city number approximately 14,300 and receive yearly earnings of approximately $46,370,000.

Rocky Mountis situated 120 miles south of Richmond, Va., 120 miles south- west of Norfolk, Va., and 120 miles northwest of Wilmington, N. C. It is on U. S. Highway No. 301, running north and south, and on U. S. Highway No. 64 running east and west. U. S. Highway No. 301 is an important link in the route from Maine to Florida and carries more coastal traffic than any other north-south East Coast highway, and U. S. Route No. 64 is a link of an important highway running from the Atlantic to the Pacific Coast.

City Government

The Rocky Mount city government operates under an alderman-manager charter, having adopted this form of government in 1927. Chief among the char - acteristics of this are better administrative organization, improvements in the structure of government, and the elimination of unnecessary expense, to the end that the tax dollar may be expended economically, and that the cost of govern- ment may be reduced wherever possible without detriment to public service. The tax rate for governmental purposes during the past several years has been great- lyreduced. Not only does the city have an unusually comfortable credit margin, but with $20,000,000 worth of municipally owned and operated utilities consist- ing of water plant, light plant, gas distribution system, and sewage plant. There is the definite assurance that the city can and will always control its tax rate, at the same time giving its citizens and industries the last word in service, for Rocky Mount's plants are of a capacity able to care for double the present popu- lation and industry. Rocky Mount's indebtedness is being reduced annually, and an adequate sinking fund is being provided in an orderly fashion, while every necessary improvement and expansion is going on.

Municipal Airport

The Municipal Airport is located just outside the city limits on U. S. High - way 301 and along the main line of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, and is less than ten minutes' automobile ride from the center of the city. The area of the airport is 388 acres. It has two paved runways, each 150 feet wide, with one runway 3,800 feet long and the other 4,000 feet long. The airport is constructed

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INTRODUCTION

Rocky Mount Municipal Airport

so that an additional runway can be paved 150 feet wide and 4,000 feet long, which will provide taking off and landing in any direction. The Municipal Airport is lighted and has a complete weather bureau, a new code beacon and a revolving beacon. Itis classed as a No. 3 airport. There is an improved hangar 80 by 100 feet, andit is so constructed that additional hangars can be provided when needed. Rocky Mount is an important stop on the Norfolk-Knoxville and Washington, D. C. - Rocky Mount routes of the Capital Airlines.

The City's Highlights

Rocky Mounthas a temperate climate. The average temperature is 60.8 de - grees. From a health standpoint, the city is ideal. Records show that there have been no epidemics. The water supply is pure; the milk supply has passed every test, and received commendation from every source of inspection. The city has all modern sanitary regulations, with health officers empowered to enforce them.

Rocky Mount owns its public utilities. It has a modern water plant with a fil - tration plant rated at 11,750,000 gallons per day, complete with pumping equip- ment and two elevated steel tanks (capacity 2,000,000 gallons), Rocky Mount boasts one of the most up-to-date gas plants in the entire South. National periodi - cals have prominently mentioned this plant as a model for any municipality con- templating the building of a gas plant. A network of piping and equipment has been worked out to insure an even and full pressure at all times and at any place served. The operating expense has been reduced to a minimum, at the same time assuring maximum working efficiency. Ably-managed and well-financed, itis considered one of the most profitable properties of the city, and year after year a neat sum is derived from this source. It represents the first municipally- owned gas plant in the state.

Rocky Mount has a $4,000,000 power plant which is located on the banks of the historic Tar River. This plant was designed and built on the unit system pro- viding for three times the k. w. capacity that is now being used, and in 1946 it was enlarged to give it 25 % greater capacity. In 1954 a $600,000 bond issue was floated to enlarge the distribution system so that any projected demand for power could be met.

The modern sewage -disposal plant cost more than $1,200,000. It is built not only to take care of the regular waste, but to carry any type of industrial waste, and is one of the most modern plants of its kind in the state. It has the equiva- lent capacity as the water plant.

Rocky Mounthas one high school, one junior high and five grammar schools for white pupils, and one high school and four grammar schools for colored pupils. There are 79 churches in the city.

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INTRODUCTION

View of the City Lake

Rocky Mount has gone beyond its duty in providing playgrounds and play- ground equipment for its children. It has provided handsomely for the child's amusement by operating municipally 18 parks and playgrounds, 2 municipal stadiums (one for white and one for colored), 8 asphalt tennis courts and 7 clay tennis courts, 2 lighted softball fields, several neighborhood and community centers, and 2 swimming pools (one for white and one for colored). Rocky Mount is one of the few cities in the state with a municipally-owned pool for Negroes. All of these grounds are carefully looked after by a Park Superintendent.

Various amusement facilities such as merry-go-round, miniature train, boat riding, museum, zoo, miniature golf course, horseshoe pits and Dance Pavilion are available at the parks. The recreation program in Rocky Mount is a com - munity operation with many of the civic clubs contributing generously toward the recreation facilities.

The beauty of Sunset Park attracts thousands of visitors yearly, and during the warm summer months, picnickers find it an ideal spot for their outings. It borders on the Tar River. Battle Park, which is privately owned, is located on a rocky mound from whence Rocky Mount derives its name. A Confederate monu- ment to the Bethel heroes greets the visitor at the southern entrance, and the driveway winds along the banks of Tar River, across which is located the second cotton mill ever operated in the state of North Carolina.

Braswell Park is unusually well located, being nearer the central part of the city than any of the other parks or playgrounds. A wealth of playground equip- ment is found here. The playground is situated between Park View Hospital and the Public Library, and is a cool spot and delight to the children and nurses during the warm summer months.

The only 18-hole golf course in northeastern North Carolina is located at Rocky Mount at the Bevenue Country Club. The course is well laid out, affording the golfer enough of the uncertainties of the game to make the sport interesting and fascinating. The clubhouse is a handsome structure; costing approximately $45,000. Memberships are obtainable by desirable persons, and the club is well supportedby a membership that is representative of the best citizens. The Club is happy in the fact that it has no debts. A full-time golf professional has charge of the links and golf storerooms and lockers. Visitors are always welcome to the club. Rocky Mount is also represented in the Eastern Carolina Golf Associa - tion, some of its main officers making their homes here.

The rapid growth of the city may easily be noted by a visit to suburban Rocky Mount, where handsome homes are continually being built in developments both to the east and west of the original residential section. All recent develop- ments have been taken into and made a part of the city and are served with all

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INTRODUCTION

modern conveniences. Some of these developments 15 years ago were farm and wooded lands, while today they represent the zenith of modern home architecture.

Apartment houses are rapidly being built, and for the family that prefers this mode of living, these apartments are so located as to make them easily accessible to the business district and other industrial plants and enterprises.

""Rocky Mount has the usual fraternal orders, namely: Masons, Knights of Pythias, Odd Fellows, Junior Order of United American Mechanics, Elks and Red Men. There are 19 civic organizations, including: Rotary Club, Kiwanis Club, Civitan Club, Lions Club, Exchange Club, Current Topics Club, Pilot Club and Business and Professional Women's Club; also Merchants' Association, Chamber of Commerce and Junior Chamber of Commerce and other organizations.

Red Cross Chapter

The Rocky Mount Chapter of the American Red Cross is an organization of which the people of this community are very proud.

Boy Scouts of America

Rocky Mount is a part of the Eastern Carolina Council of the Boy Scouts of America, with an active district board headedby men who are enthusiastic Scout- ers. There are nine troops under the leadership of well-trained scoutmasters.

Welfare and Charity

Rocky Mount has a well-organized Associated Charities board, with a full- time welfare worker and an able staff of assistants. Also providing a community service is the Community Chest.

Salvation Army

Rocky Mounthas a well-organized corps of Salvation Army workers and this organization does very fine and constructive work throughout the city and com - munity.

Excellent Facilities

Rocky Mount's steady growth has made it necessary for a definite policy of fire department extension. The rigid restrictions on buildings in the fire dis - trict, which comprises the entire business part of the city, has, it is believed, been directly responsible for the absence of large fires in recent years, and a big loss by fire is, so far, unknown to the city.

Rocky Mount has four splendid hospitals, all on the accredited list of the American College of Surgeons and having on their staffs, surgeons of wide repu- tation. Specialists for practically all diseases make these hospitals their head- quarters, and patients from a wide area come here for treatment. One of these hospitals has a modern training school for nurses, and its graduates are accepted by all practicing physicians and surgeons. The Division Hospital for the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad employs only registered nurses.

To prospective home -seekers and to individual citizens, Rocky Mount offers every factor that makes for happiness and ideal home conditions.

Manufacture, Industry and Trade

For manufacturers, Rocky Mount offers many inducements, among which are the source and supply of labor. The abundance of female labor in the Rocky Mount districtis an inducement to new industries. There is also adequate male labor, both white and colored. There are no labor troubles in Rocky Mount, and with the exception of the railroad strike in 1932, strikes have been practically unknown. The small percentage of foreign-born (less than 1 %) insures English -speaking labor for all classes.

Rocky Mount has one national bank and trust company, and one state bank and trust company, four building and loan associations and one fire insurance company.

Rocky Mount, according to the 1958 report of "Sales Management," has 484 retail stores, with annual sales amounting to $50,643,000.

INTRODUCTION

Rocky Mount Mills

Rocky Mount is the shopping center of a wide area, embracing a radius of 50 to 70 miles. In addition to the retail stores, there are numerous wholesale houses handling groceries, fruits and produce, hardware and notions. The city enjoys the reputation of being the jobbing center of a large territory. Situated in the hub of a fast-developing section, Rocky Mount has the natural advantages that attract people in all kinds of business. It is truly the marketing and shopping center of eastern North Carolina.

The city boasts one of the best daily newspapers in the state, The Evening Telegram and the Sunday Telegram. This paper enjoys a large circulation and is a member of the Associated Press. Rocky Mount was declared by "Sales Management Magazine" in 1958 as a metropolitan area and North Carolina's 8 th market with total income of $124,661,000, sales at $87,651,000, and popula - tion at 117,100.

Radio Stations

There are three radio stations in Rocky Mount. WCEC is a 1,000 watt AM nondirectional radio station operating during the daylight hours; WFMA is its affiliate 33,000 watt station operating unlimited time covering Eastern Carolina from the Piedmont area to the coast. It is affiliated with the Columbia Broad- casting system and is a locally owned station. WEED is a full-time 1,000 watt AM and FM station affiliated with the American Broadcasting System. This sta- tion serves the Coastal Plain area and is locally owned and operated; it is rep- resented nationally by Burn-Smith Company. WRMT is a 250 watt full-time AM station. It is an independent station with no network ties -using strictly a good music format for programming.

The Chamber of Commerce

The Rocky Mount Chamber of Commerce was organized in 1904. Its member - ship is made up of the business and professional men of Rocky Mount and the farmers and growers of this section, who are not only interested in the work, but enter actively into the problems and tasks confronting the Chamber. It is divided into departments -- industrial, agricultural, educational, civic, commercial and publicity, and all departments function and are headed by committees of able men.

The influence of this body has been largely responsible for the many develop- ments of the city, and in every progressive movement, the Chamber of Com - merce uses its agencies for the best interests of the community.

The management of the Chamber is in the hands of a board of directors, who employ a full-time manager, assistant manager and an office secretary, and maintain offices at 157 N. E. Main St.

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This Publication Is The Product of a Member of

PRO BONO PUBLICO ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICAN."

1898

DIRE DIRECDIRE

DIRE QUIRICORIC

Hill's Rocky Mount (Edgecombe and Nash counties, N.C.) City Directory [1960], Part 2

Author: Publication date: 1960 Publisher: Hill Directory Co. Number of Pages: 738

Author:
Publication date: 1960
Publisher: Hill Directory Co.
Number of Pages: 738