USA > North Carolina > History of North Carolina: North Carolina biography, Volume VI > Part 55
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Doctor Boyd was assistant in history at Trinity College in 1897-98; master of history at Trinity Park School, 1898-1900, and adjunct professor of history, 1901-02. During his absence from North Carolina engaged in post-graduate work he had a place on the staff of the Encyclopedia Britannica during 1904-05, and in 1905-06 was instructor in history at Dartmouth College.
Many calls have been made upon his time and ability for service outside Trinity College. He was lecturer in history at New York University Summer School in 1910 and 1912, and at the Peabody College for Teachers in 1916 and 1917. During the summer of 1918 he was a member of the Plattsburg Training Camp. Dr. Boyd is a joint author of "A Syllabus of North Carolina History." published in 1913, and also joint author of "A Syllabus of Southern History (1918), was a contributor to The South in the Building of the Nation, and the Library of Southern Literature, and is author of "Ecclesiastical Edicts of the Theodesian Code, " 1906. He has made numerous contributions to the historiography of North Caro- lina in the form of pamphlets, magazine articles, and source material. William and Mary College made him an honorary Phi Beta Kappa in 1917, and he is a member of the American Historical Association, serving on its general committee in 1913 and 1915, and he is on the executive committee of the State Literary and Historical Society of North Carolina and has served as president of the Trinity College Historical Society.
December 22. 1908, Doctor Boyd married Pat Le Grande of Rockingham, North Carolina.
MAJOR WILLIAM ARCHIBALD FOIL. This is a name that has long enjoyed a dignified prominence in Cabarrus County and is not unknown over the state at large, since Major Foil has in many ways participated actively in state politics, though never as an office seeker and was one of Governor Kitch- in's most active associates and supporters. He is member of a prominent old family of Cabarrus County and has long been active in business affairs at Concord, where he is a wholesale produce mer- chant.
The Foil family is of German ancestry. Major Foil has some of the notable characteristics of that
people, transmitted to him through a long line of . ancestors. The Foils on leaving Germany first set- tled in Pennsylvania and from that state members of the family came to Cabarrus County about the time of the Revolutionary war. Major Foil's grandfather, Moses Foil, was a native of No. 6 township in Cabarrus County and was a man of substance and prominence in his generation. For many years he was the only magistrate for a large section of country, and his services were in demand for the transaction of legal affairs over that entire district. His old desk, with its various compart- ments for books and papers, and now holding some of his documents, is one of the most interesting family heirlooms and relics still preserved. All the papers of this old time magistrate exemplified the scrupulous exactness and system which were his prominent characteristics and have descended in .proportionate degree to his sons and grandchildren. The German characteristic of thrift was also prom- inent, and in providing for their own welfare the Foils never neglected the good of the community.
The old home is ten miles east of Concord in No. 6 township and it was there that Major William Archibald Foil was born iu 1875, a son of J. W. and Hettie E. (Cline) Foil, both of whom are now deceased. His father was born in 1850, at the same home place, and spent his life there as a farmer. Farming has been the occupation of most of the members of this well known old family. J. W. Foil died in September, 1915.
William A. Foil acquired his early education chiefly in the old North Carolina College at Mount Pleasant, under the instruction of that splendid educator Professor Ludwig. He was still young when he started out to make his way in the busi- ness world, with little aid except his own char- acter and energy. For three years he was in busi- ness at Charlotte and from there moved to Con- cord. Wm. Foil now has a large wholesale pro- duce business and is owner and proprietor of the Orchard Produce Company, one of the principal concerns of Concord.
In early manhood he manifested an interest and soon became a leader in county and state politics. He has always affiliated with the democratic party. His political activities have been in the interests of his friends and in behalf of good government, and he has never allowed himself to become a candidate for any office. He was appointed major on the staff of Governor Kitchin, and served as such dur- ing the entire period of that splendid administra- tion. He has long been a friend of Governor Kitchin, and was one of the political leaders who were chiefly responsible for Mr. Kitchin's elec- tion as governor. Major Foil has the friendship and acquaintance of many of the most prominent men in North Carolina in public affairs, and his personal interests have never been confined and limited by his one home locality.
Major Foil has found both entertainment and in- struction in local history and has done a great deal to preserve and investigate events and movemeuts of the long ago. He wrote and had published at his own expense the pamphlet entitled "Cabarrus Black Boys," a brief historical sketch that is a distinctive contribution to North Carolina history. It relates to daring deeds of the Cabarrus Black Boys, so called from their having disguised them- selves by blacking their faces, who in 1771 inter- cepted and destroyed a wagon train of gunpowder, flints, and other supplies being transported from South Carolina to Hillsboro, North Carolina, under orders from the odious British Governor Tryon.
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These supplies were of course to be used in sub- duing the revolutionary movement, and while the deed occurred several years before the actual out- break of hostilities, its record is a part of revolu- tionary annals. The train was attacked and the supplies taken away from the guard by only nine men. The incident occurred at what was known as Phifer's Hill about three miles west of Concord.
Mr. Foil married Miss Addie E. Boger, member of another prominent old time German family of Cabarrus County. The Bogers are well known in that county and all of them are descended from Rev. Mr. Boger, a preacher and prominent man of the county in the early part of the nineteenth cen- tury. Mrs. Foil is a daughter of Martin Boger of Concord. She is also a granddaughter on her mother's side of the late Captain Orchard, who also filled a position of distinction in the civic life of Concord. Mr. and Mrs. Foil have four chil -. dren : W. Archie, Jr., Martin Boger IV, Joe Or- chard and Adelaide.
GEORGE CLAIBORNE ROYALL has been a notable figure in the commercial and civic life of Golds- boro for over thirty years. There are few impor- tant interests of that city with which his name, his energy and his influence have not been in some beneficial way identified.
The city to which he has given such loyal and appreciative service is the city where he was born May 17, 1860. His parents were William Spen- cer and Margaret (Blythe) Royall. His father was also a merchant, and being a man in good cir- cumstances gave his son a liberal training. He attended private schools, had a private tutor, and for two years of his early career he taught at Goldsboro. In 1881, at the age of twenty-one, Mr. Royall accepted the position of passenger agent for the Atlantic Coast Line, the Southern and. the Norfolk and Western Railways at Golds- boro. He continued to look after the duties of that joint office for a period of eighteen years. In the meantime, in 1885, he established the fur- niture business of Royall & Borden, his partner being J. L. Borden. There is no other mercantile firm in the city which has existed so long under one name, and its reputation and reliability for mercantile service has been in proportion to the years of its existence. The business is now incor- porated as Royall & Borden, Incorporated, with Mr. Royall as president. The company operates retail stores in Raleigh and Durham. The firm also do an extensive business in the manufacture of cotton felts and mattresses.
Mr. Royall is a director of the Goldsboro Furni- ture Manufacturing Company, of the A. T. Grif- fin Manufacturing Company, of the Utility Manu- facturing Company, of the Whiteville Lumber Company, is a director of the Goldsboro National Bank and the Goldsboro Savings and Trust Com- pany, and a director of the B. H. Griffin Hotel Company. During his active railway connection Mr. Royall was urged to take an executive posi- tion, but was unable to do so since his growing business interests at Goldsboro demanded his best attention.
While he has thus proved the vital influence in extending Goldsboro's power in commercial af- fairs, he has not been less active in promoting everything for the civic and social good of the community. He is president of the Goldsboro Hospital. He is junior warden and treasurer of Saint Stephen 's Episcopal Church, and was treas-
urer of the parish thirty-five years. He is also superintendent and lay reader in the Episcopal Church and was a delegate to the general conven- tion. He is a member of the Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee of St. Mary's School at Raleigh. For twelve years Mr. Royall served as resident of the Goldsboro Chamber of .Com- merce. He also consented to take the office of alderman when the city needed good men in order to place the municipality upon a basis of financial integrity and moral cleanliness. Every other movement for the city has had his active co-opera- tion and interest. For twelve years Mr. Royall served as a member of the school board.
JAMES J. FARRISS, present postmaster of High Point, is a veteran newspaper man and editor of the state, and for many years conducted and built up to successful patronage and constituency the leading paper at High Point.
Mr. Farriss, who has had many other interests to identify him closely with the welfare and prog- ress of High Point, was born in the City of Raleigh. He comes of an old Virginia family. His great-grandfather received a grant of 3,000 acres of land in Henrico County. John Farriss, grand- father of James J., owned and operated a planta- tion in Lunenburg County, Virginia, and was one of the successful men of his day. He married Jane Erwin, of the noted family of that name in Virginia.
Charles Farriss, father of James J., was born in Lunenburg County, Virginia, was reared and edu- cated in that state, and when a young man came to North Carolina and became a merchant at Raleigh. He lived there until his death at the age of fifty-nine. He married Julia Carter, who was born at Raleigh and died in middle life. Her parents were John and Lucinda (Cherry) Carter. Botn the Cherry and Carter families were pioneers in the eastern section of the Province of North Carolina, and many of their descendants are still found in this section. Charles Farriss and wife reared seven children, named Edward, Charles S., William, John, James J., Walter M. and Ettey H.
James J. Farriss was educated in the public schools of Raleigh, and as a boy had five years of experience with the statesmen of the day as page in the State Legislature. For three years he was private secretary to Col. L. C. Jones, for years superintendent of the Carolina Central and Yadkin railroads. For three years he was a student in Wake Forest College. He left college to come to High Point and establish the High Point Weekly Enterprise. That paper he conducted with increas- ing prosperity and in 1905 established the High Point Daily Enterprise. He published his weekly paper seventeen years and his daily for eleven years, and when in 1916 he sold these journals there were but four newspaper men in the state who had had longer consecutive service as news- paper publishers. Mr. Farriss also established the Southern Furniture Journal, which today is the leading furniture organ in the South.
He has always been keenly interested in public affairs. He served as a member of the City School Board, was for six years United States commis- sioner, and has been a member of county, con- gressional and state executive committees: He is a member of the Commercial Club and for four years was president of the Manufacturers Club of High Point. Mr. Farriss is a member of the Travelers Protective Association and an Odd Fel-
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low, and is affiliated with Guilford Council No. 23, Junior Order of United American Mechanics. In religion he is a Baptist, while his wife is a mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
In 1891 he married Miss Laura Stamey, daugh- ter of Rev. P. F. Stamey. She died in 1901. For his present wife Mr. Farriss married Miss Nancy Carr Wood, daughter of Rev. Dr. F. H. Wood. His children, by his second marriage, are three in number, named James J., Jr., Charles F. and Car- ter Wood.
CHARLES WEST MOSELEY, M. D. Actively identi- fied with one of the most exacting professions to which a man may devote his time and energies, Charles West Moseley, M. D., of North Wilkes- boro, has gained marked prestige in his career, and won a position of note among the foremost physicians and surgeons of Surry County. A na- tive of North Carolina, he was born on a farm in Elkin Township, Surry County, a son of James H. Moseley, and grandson of West Moseley, both of whom were born and reared in that township. Henry Moseley, the doctor's great-grandfather, was one of the early householders of Elkin Town- ship, owning and occupying a farm. Energetic and progressive, he not only supervised his farming interests, but was extensively engaged in manu- facturing, owning and operating a flour mill, a corn mill, a saw mill, a carding mill and a cotton gin, all of the plants being advantageously located on Mitchells River.
West Moseley was a life-long resident of Elkin Township and one of its prosperous agriculturists. He married Melinda Forkner, who was born in Surry County, near Mount Airy, and died on the home farm in Elkin Township, having lived about fifty years.
Born in Elkin Township in 1836, James H. Mose- ley inherited a part of the parental estate, and having bought other tracts of near-by land em- Marked in agricultural pursuits, and, with the ex- ception of two years that he served in the Con- federate Army was there engaged in general farming until his death, at the comparatively early age of fifty-nine years. His wife, whose maiden name was Theresa Hurt, was born in Yadkin County, a daughter of Joel and Dicie (Carter) Hurt. She survived her husband, and still resides on the home farm. She is the mother of eight children, as follows: Charles West, Martha J., Minnie Alice, Joel Rufus, Millard Castle, James Winfield, Mary E. and Maude Lucretia.
At the age of nineteen years, having acquired a good knowledge of the common branches of study, Charles West Moseley began his active ca- reer as a teacher, and subsequently taught school several terms. In the meantime, desirous of fitting himself for a professional life, he studied medi- cine under the tutelage of both Dr. E. B. Hampton and Dr. J. W. Ring. Subsequently entering the Baltimore Medical College, he was graduated from that institution with the class of 1893. Locating in Lewisville, Forsyth County, Doctor Moseley re- mained there three years, after which removed to Kapps Mills, Surry County, where he continued in active practice another three years. The fol- lowing eight years he was located in Elkin, where his practice became large and lucrative. Later the doctor spent two years in North Wilkesboro, from there going to Greensboro, where he was equally successful in his professional labors. Since 1907 Doctor Moseley has made a specialty of stomach
troubles, in the treatment of which he has met with eminent success, his reputation for skill in that line extending far and wide.
Since receiving his degree of M. D. he has con- tinued his studies, keeping in close touch with the most advanced methods used in medicine and surgery, and has taken four post graduate courses, the first one having been at his alma mater; the second one at the New York Polyclinic; the third at the New York Post Graduate College; while the fourth course was at the New Orleans Polyclinic.
Doctor Moseley married in 1891 Fanny Osburn McKnight, and to them five children have been born, namely: Lillian, Charles A., Ethel, Mary and Hugh Milner. The doctor and Mrs. Moseley and their children are members of the Baptist Church, and he is a teacher in the Sunday school. Doctor Moseley and his family spend their sum- mers at the Mineral Springs, in Wilkes County, where he owns a farm, a portion of which he de- votes to the raising of apples, a branch of horti- culture in which he is much interested.
THE TYSON FAMILY of Moore County, North Carolina, is one of the oldest and most distin- guished families of Central North Carolina and of Moore County. This family is of English origin, and its progenitors emigrated from England to Holland in the early part of the seventeenth cen- tury, where they remained for some years. Some of its members intermarried with the native popu- lation, thus adding some admixture of Dutch blood to the original English strain. In the early part of the eighteenth century they joined the great tide of immigration to the New World, and came to America. They settled in the Susquehanna Val- ley in the eastern part of the State of Pennsylva- nia, and later in the nearby cities of, Philadelphia and Baltimore, where they seem to have prospered. Many of the name still live in that section, and have been prominent and influential citizens of that region.
The Tyson family of North Carolina is a branch of the Pennsylvania family of that name, having migrated from that state to North Carolina about the middle of the eighteenth century. It is not definitely known as to the particulars of this emi- gration to the Old North state, as to whether they came with the Moravians, who established a large and prosperous colony at this time at old Salem, or whether they joined the general tide of mi- gration from the North to the South of this period, which brought so many desirable settlers to the state and marked one of the great development eras of colonial days. At any rate, the Tysons were among the first white settlers of what is now Moore County, then Cumberland County. They became very extensive land holders and prosperous farmers in both Moore and Chatham counties, their original settlement being in the fertile lands along Deep River.
The first member of the family of whom there is any written record was Cornelius Tyson, who lived on Deep River in Moore County during colonial days, immediately preceeding the Revolu- tion. He was a large planter, and was one of the small band of patriots who resisted the raids of the Tories under the leadership of the notorious Fanning through that section. The next and per- haps the most important member of the family of that early day was Thomas Tyson, son of Cornelius Tyson. He was a very prominent figure in the public and political affairs of Moore County. He was a member of the House of Commons of
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North Carolina in the year 1787, and a Senator from Moore County in the legislatures of 1791, 1805 and 1808. His legislative experiences covered this first. twenty years of the most important per- iod in the state's history. Thomas Tyson died in 1813.
John Tyson, the second son of Thomas Tyson, was born in 1784. He was also a large and suc- cessful planter, the owner of a large number of slaves. He owned and operated a mill for the grinding of corn and wheat and for making lum- ber that was one of the most important enter- prises of this kind in the county. His home on Richland Creek, near Carthage, was noted for its wide open hospitality, after the manner of the old South. John Tyson married Margaret Bethune a young Scotch woman, who was born in the Isle of Skye, and she gave to the family its only strain of Scotch blood.
The next in line of descent, and perhaps the most remarkable and successful member of this family, was Thomas Bethune Tyson (1), son of John and Margaret (Bethune) Tyson, born 1813, died in 1893. He received his early education in the primitive country schools of that time, and he was particularly blessed with unusually good com- mon sense and natural ability. He early deter- mined to make his own way in the world, and with this idea in view he made a long, pioneer trip of inspection, on horseback, to what was then the new and frontier State of Alabama. Not find -. ing the possibilities of that section as inviting as he expected he returned to North Carolina and started in the mercantile business in Carthage in 1841, with a small stock of goods he had pur- chased in Fayetteville and brought by wagon to Carthage, there being no railroads in the county at that time or for many years after. With his native thoroughness and industrious habits and careful management the business gradually grew and became increasingly prosperous. In 1842 Mr. Tyson was married to Miss Mary Person (born 1823, died 1897). She was a member of a well-known family in this section. Mrs. Tyson was a sister of Mrs. Lydia Bruce Dowd, wife of Major Clement Dowd, the eminent lawyer of Char- lotte. The Tyson home was on the southwest corner of the Court House Square in Carthage, directly opposite his place of business, and there the Tyson home remained ever since. The store, mentioned above, was the beginning of what de- veloped into a large and prosperous mercantile business, for many years the oldest and most ex- tensive business enterprise of the kind in this section of the state.
The most notable achievement of Thomas Bethune Tyson (1), and the one that had the most far reaching and successful results, was the found- ing and carrying on of the vehicle industry in Carthage, what is now the Tyson & Jones Buggy Company. The history of the development of this industry forms an interesting part of the history of Carthage and of Southern manufacturing. About the year 1850, there was established at Carthage a small vehicle repair shop for the pur- pose of doing general repair work and for build- ing a few buggies and farm wagons. This work, which was done entirely by hand labor by the owner, a man named Seawell, and his two sons, attracted some attention because of its good work- manship, but the owner lacked business ability and made little progress. The opportunity for de- velopment, however, attracted the attention of Mr. Tyson and he bought the business, and, forming a
partnership with Mr. Alexander Kelly, then a large farmer and contractor, and at that time sheriff of Moore County, under the name of Tyson & Kelly, they proceeded to re-organize and extend the little shop and its business on broader lines. After taking charge Messrs. Tyson & Kelly put to work several local mechanics and some of the most in- telligent of their slaves, turning out a greater number of new buggies and carriages each year. All this work was still done by hand labor, their only tools being a few saws, hammers, drawing knives, etc. Naturally the work was crude, but even in those days the output was substantially and honestly made, and the firm built up a reputa- tion that extended not only over Moore County, but over all the adjoining sections, and thus the business was soon on a substantial basis.
While on one of his regular business trips to Fayetteville in 1857 Mr. Tyson met a young car- riage painter, W. T. Jones by name, who had been employed in some of the larger shops of Eastern North Carolina. He recognized in this young man inherent business ability and enter- prise, and induced him to come to Carthage and take charge of the painting department of his little factory, thus forming a business connection that lasted for more than half a century, and that identified the names of Tyson and Jones with ve- hicle building in the South. In 1859 Mr. Jones was admitted to the firm, and the name changed to Tyson, Kelly & Company, and Mr. Jones was given the entire charge of the vehicle business, Mr. Tyson's time being fully occupied by his mer- cantile interests. Mr. Jones gradually enlarged the business and extended its trade, and the pros- pects for the future seemed most encouraging, but the great conflict between the states was approach- ing and soon all business throughout the South was to practically cease for four years. It would be difficult to understand now how any business of any size could be built up at Carthage or in Moore County at that time. Carthage was an obscure country village, without railroads, and more than forty miles away from any source of supply. Fayetteville was the nearest shipping point, and Fayetteville had nothing but a small boat line to Wilmington, and it required weeks, sometimes even months, to get shipments from Northern markets. All freight to Carthage had to be hauled in wagons over heavy sand roads. Yet, despite all these difficulties, the little vehicle factory was making marked progress. With the beginning of the war between the states in 1861, business was suspended. The factory was used for a short time in making military equipment for some of the first Moore County troops and then closed. Mr. Jones, Mr. Tyson 's son, L. P. Tyson, and a number of the em- ployes went into the Confederate army, and served until peace was again declared. Mr. Jones was captured during the war and was a prisoner for many months in Fort Delaware, but during this time his business instincts and sagacity were used to such good purpose that he came out of prison with considerable money, earned in various ways while there, and brought it home with him, some- thing that few others ever did under like circum- stances. In 1865, the struggle having come to its bitter close, Mr. Jones returned to Carthage. The country was prostrate, business utterly demoralized, and little hope remained for the future, the im- mediate future at least. It took the South many years to recover from the effects of that disastrous war, but Mr. Tyson, Mr. Jones and Mr. Kelly, with characteristic energy and determination, went
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