USA > North Carolina > Historical and descriptive review of North Carolina, volume 1 > Part 22
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The four streets leading from the market square are wide and level and the side walks are beautifully paved.
The town is a very clean and healthy one, which is mainly owing to its favorable location; not only is it on the banks of the Cape Fear River, but through it runs two rapid streams of considerable volume. These, while they carry off all superfluous rubbish and prevent the occurrence of stagnant water the great feeder of the miasmatic germ, which gives rise to malarial diseases, give a most romantic effect wherever they flow to the whole surrounding. In the town itself, not to speak of the suburbs, there are several most enchanting scenes, worthy the painter's brush or the poet's pen. And the many historic facts and traditional stories connected to almost every bend of these streams and every corner of the town would make a fine basis for the novelist.
The roads leading out of Fayetteville in all four directions are the finest in North Carolina. This is of course to be accounted for when we remember the ancient and extensive trade of
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151
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA.
t); town, long before the Northumberland miner surprised the world with his mechanical con- trivance familiarly known as " Big Billy." These roads offer such inducements for driving un l riding that every young man in the town, in his first year's clerkship, always manages ty sport a horse and buggy.
Fayetteville although it covers a large area in proportion to its population, and may be considered in the suburbs rather straggling, must, on the whole, be classed as a well built town. The buildings in the centre of the town, the business portion, are of brick, a few of n'one, none of wood. Brick has always been manufactured here : two large brick yards on te corporation limits are now in operation, and produce as fine an article as any mason would wish for.
The most conspicuous buildings are Messrs. A. B. Williams & Co.'s block. The McKethan building, of which we append an illustration, on the corner of the market square, erected in 1883, is a handsome brick structure-stuccoed-it has a 15 ft. pitch, with plate glass windows and doors, is the property of E. T. McKethan ; the corner is occupied by Sedberry's drug store, one of the finest in the State, another portion is occupied by Mr. McKethan himself as a Grain and Grocery store ; on the 2d floor is the Fayetteville Library and Reading Room, or- ganized February, 1884, E. T. McKethan, President, R. M. Nimocks, Vice-President ; it so far ha: about 1,000 volumes, has a capital list of newspapers and magazines on the desks, and bas recently been made the depository of the Congressional Records for the 3d district of North Carolina ; the room is well lighted, comfortably furnished and most pleasant : the 3d Hoor is used by the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry as an armory, a fine drill hall, et . The Fayetteville Hotel is a large and handsome building, the People's National Bank is a 1.e v and unique structure, and the stores generally are spacious, handsome and built with a view to facilitating business. There are many elegant private residences in the town ; in that suburb of it known as Cross Creek, on the other side of one of the streams already re- ferred to, with its shady avenues lined with large residences in all styles of architecture, each surrounded by its broad lawns and extensive floral beds, one might think himself in the pre- rinets of Philadelphia. The scenery and drives around the town are a source of endless pleasure to its favored inhabitants. If you want a sail or row you will find the Cape Fear viser at all times inviting, for fishing you have a choice of half a dozen fine streams within ensy walk or ride of the town, in one afternoon with a hand sling yon can in the surround- Ing woods kill more game than your mule could carry; for riding you can find broad flat roads on which you can drive blindfold, or if you prefer narrow winding roads through the torests where at every turn one must dodge the over-hanging branches, you can have this alse.
Chen the town has a very good theatrical hall where lectures and entertainments are often given : the literary society being reorganized will promote that social intercourse so condu- cive to enlightenment and happiness.
Fayetteville now numbers a population within its precincts of 5,500, which is somewhat pore than it had before the war. We have already given reasons for the depletion of the population after that eventful struggle. The census reports of 1880 put the population at 4.200. During the last five years it has steadily increased, and at present it is augmenting very rapidly, as the town is now on a little boom, consequent on the new railroad enterprises already spoken of. Houses and stores are going up in every direction to accommodate the new arrivals and the reviving state of trade. The people of Fayetteville are as a class intel- ligent, a word which in these days when applied adjectively to humanity conveys considera- ble meaning. No greater praise could be bestowed upon one than to say he or she is intelli- gent. The power to chose and decide between things-the intellect-is the greatest and most ur rrersally applicable faculty the mind possesses. It pervades every other faculty and blends with every thought or action. But we are not writing an essay on intellect. The inhabitants furthermore are an aristocratic, hospitable and polite people. They are very proud of the blood that runs in their veins and with good reason. Nicer and more sociable people with less self-conceit and more honorable, are not found between the poles. Among the men we find heads of most energetic and extensive financial grasp, and the generality of her merchants are thoroughly acquainted with the lines of business they follow.
152
TOWN OF FAYETTEVILLE.
It is particularly to be remarked that Fayetteville is fortunate in possessing a most superior class of young men, young men of fine training and strong principle ; to them the world looks for great things, and in them North Carolina expects that Fayetteville will be raised to a high position from where her influence and importance may be diffused and felt among her sister cities of the South.
Fayetteville is the only town in the State that has more than one military company belong- ing to the State National Guard. The Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry organized in 1793 is the second oldest company in the United States. At the review of troops in Philadel- phia in 1876, it was the oldest company present. The company is the crack one of the State and always carries off the first prizes for drill and shooting at the State inspections. The prize marksman of North Carolina belongs to this company and several of its members have beaten prize marksmen of other States. The commander of this company holds the rank of brevet major and the lieutenants likewise are breveted as captains. This honor was voted the company by the State Legislature in token of the distinguished service they ren- dered in the war of 1812. The company likewise distinguished itself on the fields of Virginia from First Manassas to Appomattox. It was in Richmond when it received the news of North Carolina's secession.
The Lafayette Light Infantry organized in 1856 is also a fine body of men. The annual inspection day of these companies on the 22d of August is observed as a general holiday in town. The Howard Light Infantry is one of the best organized and drilled companies of colored troops in the South.
There are elegantly equipped passenger steamers plying the Cape Fear river from Fayette- ville to Wilmington. They make daily connection and carry freight ; there is a large fleet of freight boats besides innumerable barges at all times on the river.
Of the Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley Railroad we have already said considerable; its posi- tion will be best seen by a glance at the accompanying map: we however before closing cull some information from high authorities on the resources of the section of country it passes through.
The late State Geologist Kerr says in his special report of the woods along the route of the Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley Railroad of which Fayetteville is the central market and natural outlet. " The variety of soils, the wide range of temperature, and the abundant rainfall have, of course, found expression in a correspondingly great range of natural products, the flora having a really continental breadth and variety, from the palmetto and live oak on the one hand, to the white pine and Canadian fir on the other, so that what I have said in the geological report of the variety and richness of the forests of the whole State may be applied with scarce a modification to this tract, which includes both the extremes that gave its unique breadth of climatic and botanical character to the whole. That is, there are about one hundred species of wood-more than in all Europe: of twenty-two species of oaks in the United States (east of the Rocky Mountains) nineteen are found here; all (eight) of the pines; four out of five of the spruces; all (five) of maples; both of the walnuts; three of the five beeches; six of the eight hickories; and all (seven) of the magnolias; more species of oaks than in all the States north of ns. Here is a source of business then, of freights and manufactures capable of immediate and indefinite expansion and development. Of the twenty kinds of timber admitted to the ship yards of New York, nearly all are found here. The following is a partial catalogue ot the commercial timbers common to one or another section along this tract : Pine, six species: white pine, fir, three species: chestnut, beech, black locust: maple, three species; ash, four species; hemlock, juniper, cypress, red cedar; oak, fourteen species; hickory, six species; walnut, two species; elm, three species; cherry, holly, dogwood; gum, two species; sassafras, palmetto, magnolia (cucumber tree), persimmon, poplar; birch, two species; syca- more, tulip tree, linn (basswood); sixty-four species valuable for their timber. Among these a single species the long-leaf pine, yields in timber and naval stores, products of $3,000,000 value annually; and the long-leaf pine belt is traversed by more than fifty miles of the C. F. & Y. V. R. R.
There are many other trees and shrubs of less importance, or whose value consists less or not at all in their timber, but in their leaves or bark, as the sumac, sweet gum, cane, etc,;
153
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA.
and in addition to these, several hundred species of medicinal plants are gathered for export to all parts of the world (such as ginseng, hellebore, etc.) amounting to many thousand tons a year. Thus it will be seen that in these indigenous forest products are found the means and material for large businesses and freights for an indefinite time, and the value of these resources and the demand for them increases rapidly year by year, as the accessible forest regions of the continent are more and more rapidly suffering exhaustion. The shops of Pittsburg with their annual consumption of 50,000,000 cubic feet of timber, having exhausted the forests of several States, are already turning this way for future supply: and so of Cin- cinnati and of Chicago, as the forests of Michigan and upper Wisconsin swiftly disappear.
"From the upper Cape Fear" he continues "above Fayetteville for 50 miles will come large shipments of timber and naval stores, as heretofore. There are many hundred of square miles of the long-leaf pine forests in this section yet to be opened to commerce. It will be seen by reference to the U. S. census, that this trade amounts to more than three millions per annum, and the larger part of it is concentrated along the Cape Fear. The returns give the shipment of naval stores from Fayetteville alone as aggregating 96,000 barrels."
Of the Deep River Section for whose products Fayetteville is the natural outlet, he says : "In this section the long-leaf pine and oak forests meet. There are some fine bodies of the latter along the river bottoms and those of its tributaries, and all over the intervening ridges and hills, for a dozen miles above the Gulf, and with the various species of oak are found, other valuable woods-walnut, hickory, dogwood, etc., in abundance. A company from Bal- timore is now shipping large quantities of the two latter woods."
Speaking of the Deep River section, a wonderful opportunity is afforded here to make Fay- etteville an important shipping point for coal. The great coal strata of North Carolina become widest and thickest in Randolph, Moore and Chatham counties. Through these runs the line of the C. F. & Y. V. R. R. As the coal mines become developed. they will want a ready market for it, and although much of it will be transported through Fayetteville, other points will be anxious to avail themselves of the opportunity of passing it through them to the outside world. Fayetteville is nearest the coal fields, and she already has a good railroad to them. With her water transportation she ought to furnish not only Eastern North Carolina, but by reloading at Wilmington supply the seaport cities of the South. When the Wilson and Florence short cut is opened, she can compete successfully for the coal trade of South Car- olina and Georgia.
The same reasoning applies to the other resources of the Deep River section, all of whose pro- ducts manufactured, natural or agricultural, ought. in seeking the outer world, to be diverted through this town.
The following table gives the amount of long-leaf pine in the territory of which Fayette- ville is the natural and real centre,
The U. S. census of 1880 states that the long-leaf pine (Pinus Australis) standing in fifteen counties, was as follows :
Counties.
No. Feet.
Bladen
288.000,000
Brunswick.
141,000,000
Chatham. .
448,000,000
Columbus ..
288.000,000 806.000.000
Duplin
21.000.600
Harnett.
Jolinston.
Moore
New Hanover.
Onslow
Robeson.
864,000,000 602,000,000
Wake
48,000,000
Wayne.
40,000,000
Total.
cubic ft. of rosin timber, for which Fayetteville is the shipping point.
5,229,000,000
Cumberland.
486,000.000 563,000,000 504,000,000 96,000,000 34,000,000
Sampson.
CUMBERLAND COUNTY.
Was founded in 1754 from Bladen and was named in honor of the Duke of Cumberland. Its surface is slightly undulating with sandy and rich alluvial soils. The first is admirably suited to the raising of cotton, a bale to the acre being raised by many of the farmers who as a rule are contented and prosperous; the second to corn and lately this rich alluvial land has proved admirable for raising the much prized light yellow tobacco. It is drained by the Cape Fear River which runs through the county from north to south; artificial draining is hardly necessary so admirably distributed over its surface are the numerous tributaries of that river. The Cape Fear though only navigable to Fayetteville, 140 miles, affords easy trans- portation to the many rafts of logs which are floated down from the western forests to within 50 miles of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
The county contains 900 square miles. The population according to the United States census of 1880 was 23,836; white 12,594; colored, 11,242; males over 21, native 2,669; foreign, 57: colored, 2,135.
There are of improved farms, 59.639, and of unimproved 314,948 in the county.
A statement of the farm products of the county gave the following for 1879: 502 acres in wheat, 18,906 in corn, 1,362 in rye, 22 in rice, 714 in sweet potatoes, 88 in white potatoes, 35 in peanuts, 731 in oats, 73 in grass, 14 in millet, 33 in truck, 44 in turnips, 993 in orchards, 153 in vineyards, 4,515 in cotton, 14 in tobacco-this plant has, however, lately been planted in great abundance and a warehouse will shortly be erected in Fayetteville for its sale-pro- duced 2,644 bushels of wheat, 152,205 of corn, 3.078 of rye, 2,673 pounds of rice, 6,078 bushels of sweet potatoes, 1,873 white potatoes, 3,925 pounds of honey, 3.973 bushels of oats, 26 tons of grasses, 1,727 bushels of turnips, 348 barrels of cider, 1,498 pounds of tobacco.
In Hales' Woods and Timbers of North Carolina are estimated approximately the woods of Cumberland county as follows :
Number of acres 425.000
Long-leaf pines. 350,000
Converted into lumber would make 350,000,000 ft.
On same lands short-leaf in bottoms and swamps 50,000,000 ft.
Poplars. 150,000,000 ft.
Cypress. 400,000,000 ft.
Black, Sweet and other gums.
300,000,000 ft.
Juniper
60,000,000 ft.
Beech.
50,000,000 ft.
White, water and red oak 50,000,000 ft,
Besides considerable quantities of dogwood, hickory, bull bay, mulberry, and in river bot- toms and adjacent sycamore and black walnut.
The Auditor's report for Cumberland county makes the following statement for 1883 :
Number of acres of land, 459,269; value of land, $1,511,028; value of town lots $515,245; aggregate value of real property, $2,026,273; horses 1,347, value $87,816; mules 1,280, value $91,391; jacks 2, value $48: jennies 3, value $55; goats 798, value $805; cattle 7,922, value $44,595; hogs 25,126, value $26,615; sheep 7,426, value $7,580; value of farming utensils $185,884; money on hand $52,198; solvent credits $250,033; other personal property $308,394;
155
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA.
railroad franchise $8,000; aggregate value of personal property $961,480; aggregate value of real and personal property, $2,987,753.
Manufactures. There are 57 grain mills in the county all run by water; there are 32 saw mills, 3 steam: 2 foundries, 4 carriage manufacturers, 2 potteries, 45 turpentine distilleries, 5 private fish ponds, 1 tobacco factory, 4 carding machines and 30 public bridges.
The cotton mills are the
Manchester mills
Looms. 46
Spindles. 1,800
Linwood cotton mills.
...
Beaver Creek {
71
3,232
Bluff See article E. J. Lilly, page 164
62
3,056
Rockfish Manufacturing Co.
..
3,500
There are seven woollen mills; Walter Watson's tool works of Fayetteville have a national reputation and in the specialty of tools used in the turpentine industry they are the largest in the world. Many of his tools are patented and consequently cannot be imitated. The Fay- etteville cotton seed oil mill was the first in the State and has proved a most successful enter- prise; the owners A. B. Williams & Co. turn out a fertilizer which commands a ready sale in the surrounding country. McKethan's carriage factory turns out a class of goods that has established a reputation over the whole southern country.
A writer states the statistics of the manufacturing interest as follows: establishments 83, capital $560,750; employees 855, wages $60,348: material $353,701: products $812,461.
Number of churches is as follows: Roman Catholic 4. Episcopal 3, Presbyterian 14, Metho- dist 10, Baptist 16. The County Agricultural Society holds its annual fair in November in Fayetteville. There are 39 white and 20 colored schools in the county.
The county possesses in a remarkable degree all the natural advantages we have spoken of at lengthi as belonging to the Middle Section of North Carolina. J. L.
REPRESENTATIVE HOUSES AND PROMINENT MEN -OF-
FAYETTEVILLE, N. C.
TOKAY VINEYARD,
NEAR FAYETTEVILLE, N. C.
HON. WHARTON J. GREEN, - Proprietor.
A. McBUIE, -
- Superintendent.
HON. WHARTON J. GREEN.
Having in our general sketch of North Carolina given a history and description of her grape growing interests, it becomes the nature of our publication to sustain our statements by a more detailed reference to individual enterprises such as the above whose prosperity is in itself proof of the enormous advantages possessed by this State, both in climate and soil, for the successful prosecution of this pursuit, and its dependent industry, wine-making.
Tokay vineyard, named after the famous Hungarian wine, which its products now equal if not surpass, was originally planted in 1840 by a Mr. Horne, a North Carolinian, who was familiarly known to the people of this section by the signification of "Jolly " Horne, owing to lıis genial nature and love of good fellowship. He planted the Scuppernong grape, which as already mentioned. is indigenous to this section of country. From some cause or other, probably because he would not give the soldiers the key of his cellars, "old Jolly" incurred the ill will of Sherman's followers, who hung him to the nearest tree
157
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA.
and left him for dead. From the effects of the wounds received in this awful ordeal the old man died a few months later, and the vineyard passed into the hands of his nephew, H. R. Horne. In the same year 1865, Mr. McBuie, the present able superintendent, took charge, in 1872 the Tokay Wine Co. was formed. Col. Green bought the property in 1879. Since then the vineyard has been considerably enlarged and extended, new varieties of the grape have been added, the owner has spared neither money nor pains to obtain the best known facilities for growth and manufacture, and to place his products on the market, and as a consequence the Tokay wines have taken their place among the standard brands of America, and are sold in every State in the Union except California. Numbers of gold medals attest their excellence. Tokay is situated 3} miles from Fayetteville, is said to be the largest single vineyard this side of the Rockies, and all visitors have pronounced it one of the loveliest spots on the continent. Situated on a broad undulating tableland on the Cape Fear River, the eye takes in a semi- circular horizon of twenty odd miles in radius. The vines cover over 100 acres, the grapes are of the aestivalis family, which genus has proven iron clad against the dreaded phylloxera; there are some 30 or 40 varieties, the Scuppernong and its offshoots, the Meisch and Flowers preponderating. The Norton and Cynthiana, which are believed to be the finest red wine grapes in the world, come next. Such was the award at Vienna, and at the Paris Expo- sition they received the highest commendation.
This vineyard produces annually from 20 to 35.000 gallons of wine, 12 different varieties. The stock on hand is generally about 40,000 gallons ready for shipment, and the total storage capacity is 100,000 gallons. The main warehouse is a large structure 60x75 ft, in extent ; the cellar has a natural hard clay floor, the four fermenting tanks have a working capactiy of 3,000 gallons each, the storage casks run from 6 to 900 gallons each, and the shipping casks average from 110 to 250 gallon capacity ; the warehouse and cellar are heated by steam. Col. Green has one of the finest stills in the U. S., capacity 2 barrels daily, and expects soon to engage in the manufacture of brandy. The peculiarity of the Tokay wines is their entire freedom from adulteration, no artificial flavors being used. They are the Dry Red and Dry White, Sweet Red and Sweet White, and are so denominated. In general characteristics they resemble the Spanish and Madeira wines ; the Sweet White is not unlike the California Mis- sion, though more delicate in bouquet, and when given proper age approaches the closest to a fine old Madeira of any wine yet produced in this country. Besides these, are the Dela- ware, Concord, Norton, &c., Port, Claret and Sherry. This wine will constitute a good basis for a sherry when made with that view, and some samples strongly resemble Old Brown Sherry, and would do credit to any gentleman's table. Other samples again, made from the Flowers-a black Scuppernong seedling-as a dry wine, resemble the red wines of Hun- gary so highly esteemed in this country, and as a sweet wine bears a strong resemblance to Spanish Red.
Tokay Vineyard also includes a fine peach orchard of some eight acres the fruit being mostly shipped North; a saw mill for their own use, four artificial breeding ponds stocked with carp and native fish, also a large natural pond where the proprietor spends many of his leisure hours with rod and fly. The place is lit with gas of home production and a steam pump supplies it with water.
Colonel Green the owner of this favored domain kept as neat and trim as a lady's flower garden, all around betokening a refined taste combined with practical judgment, well worth a long journey to behold, is socially and politically one of North Carolina's most distinguished men, as well as a leading industrial factor. He is the son of the heroic North Carolina General Thos. J. Green of Mexican fame, was born in Florida and possesses many of those noble traits of character which were illustrated in the statesmanship and patriotism of his father. He re- ceived a liberal and complete education at Georgetown College, the University of Virginia and West Point. He studied law at Cumberland University and on admission to the bar be- came the junior partner of the Hon. R. J. Walker in Washington. When the war broke out he at once entered the Warren Guards, 12th N. C. Regiment as private but was soon promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel commanding the 2d N. C. battalion. He was wounded at Washington, N. C., by a shell. He was captured on Roanoke Island but later exchanged and at Gettysburg was wounded and captured. When peace was declared he settled down to a
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