Miscellaneous Newspaper Articles
for Hyde Co., NC
 (1941 - 1942)

OCRACOKE TIDBITS

Victor MEEKINS of Manteo, who is secretary of Cape Hatteras Natl. Seashore Park Commission, has reported that he expects to have deeds to the 10,000 acres desired for the park by January. Deeds for 900 acres of land from the PHIPPS estate at Cape Hatteras are in the process of completion. Many acres have already been donated on Ocracoke Island.

Ocracoke Island has a law protection at last. For years the commissioners liked to boast of the distinction of having "no law" and no jails. That was in the days before automobiles and such promiscuous drinking. Ocracoke still has no jail but it has a deputy sheriff, J.G. RIDDICK, formerly of Gates County and Suffolk, Va., who married the former Miss Beatrice FULCHER, and has lived here for the past 8 years, was recently appointed as deputy sheriff of Ocracoke Precinct in Hyde County.

(pg. 2)
John Thomas BRYANT, one of the few colored residents of the Island left during the late summer for a job aboard the USS Delaware. He returned a few days ago to spend a few days with his parents.

Henry WAHAB, US Navy, Ret., who now makes his home in Annapolis, is visiting relatives on Ocracoke. He is related to many Ocracokers and is uncle of R. Stanley WAHAB.

Enoch GASKILL (photo), son of Mr. & Mrs. Ben GASKILL, has been home recently on furlough. He is a private in the U.S. Army's Quartermaster Corps and is stationed at Ft. Monroe, Va.  GASKILL was the first Ocracoker to enlist in the Army during the present emergency of national defense. He has been in the Army a year. Private GASKILL is a graduate of Ocracoke High school, Class of 1936. (Ocracoke Island Beacon - Wednesday, October 15, 1941; pgs. 1 & 2)

OCRACOKE PERSONAL NOTES

OCRACOKE SCRAPBOOK

Early in July, the former MOORE and McCORMICK liner Algorab was making ready to sail for the Azores after European War refugees. Coastguardsmen were needed to operate the landing boats; a call was issued for volunteers at the Norfolk base. Lum GASKILL, JR. was the only Tarheel coastguardsman to volunteer to make the cruise which started on July 6 and terminated August 16, resulting in the transfer of 512 refugees to the United States. Later GASKILL was transferred to Little Creek, C.G. Station at Cape Henry. On Sept. 6, two months after the cruise of the Algorab began, Coastguardsman GASKILL and the former Miss Daisy STYRON of Ocracoke were married in Norfolk. She is making her home here, where her husband visited her last week for a few days.

Ambassador Josephus DANIELS, home on vacation from the American Embassy in Mexico City, has accepted an invitation from the Hyde Co. Board of Commissioners and Southern Albemarle Association to speak at the annual meeting in Swan Quarter on Thursday, October 23. The ambassador spent 2 of his boyhood years on Ocracoke Island during the War Between the States and his brother, the late Judge Frank DANIELS, was born here. The DANIELS' island home was in the house which Capt. W.G. WILLIS lived in here for many years, which is now located just back of his new and modern home near his wharf on the north side of Silver Lake.

Of 4,318 dealers issued licenses to sell beer in 98 North Carolina counties, there are only 6 in Hyde County, none of which are located on Ocracoke, where it's sale was outlawed several years ago. (Ocracoke Island Beacon - Wednesday, October 15, 1941)

COUNTY OF HYDE - (Photos)

    A paradise for fishermen and hunters, it is one of the oldest of North Carolina's counties and also one of the most interesting. The first time we ever visited Hyde County was back in 1918 or '19. Jim MAYO, publisher of the Washington Daily News, owned a seven-passenger Studebaker at that time and decided to take a Sunday trip down into Hyde. He invited us to go along with him. We left Washington at eight o'clock in the morning. Crossing Pungo River at Leechville, we entered Hyde County over a deeply-rutted road with dense swamps on either side. We proceeded on to Fairfield and then went on around Lake Mattamuskeet to Engelhard, Lake Landing and Swan Quarter. When we got back home it was 10 o'clock at night. The distance covered was around 170 miles and it had taken us 14 hours to make it--including all stops. Not a foot of the trip was made over a paved road. Today--well, today you can make the same trip in a little over four hours. With the exception of the road on the north and east side of the lake, all of it is paved.
    Hyde county was one of the original precincts of North Carolina and existed previous to 1729, when the Lord Proprietors (except Lord GRANVILLE) surrendered their rights to the crown. It was named in honor of Edward HYDE, who was Governor of the colony. It is situated in the extreme eastern part of the state and is bounded on the north by Washington, Tyrrell, and Dare, east by Pamlico Sound south by Pamlico Sound and Pamlico River and west by Beaufort County. Like Dare and one or two others, it consists of two geographical divisions. One is the mainland, which comprises the greater part of its area, and the other is Ocracoke Island, which is located on the outer edge of Pamlico Sound. On several previous occasions we have mentioned the fact that certain family names are associated with most of the counties in North Carolina. This is particularly true of Hyde - JENNETT, WATSON, GIBBS, CARTER, SPENCER, CREDLE, and MANN.
    We have before us Wheeler's History of North Carolina. It was published in 1851. The information about Hyde County is rather meager, but mention is made of all the men to the Legislature from Hyde between the years 1777 and 1850. The first JENNETT to get elected to this office was Robert, in 1781. The WATSON family was represented by James in 1792. David GIBBS started going to the state Senate in 1802, and Thomas SPENCER came along in 1804. James CREDLE went to the House in 1805. But we don't find a single MANN in that list, which is rather surprising. Members of that family have been politically prominent in Hyde County for the last half-century, but evidently prior to that time they weren't interested.
    See if you haven't got a highway map around the house somewhere and let's get started on our trip through Hyde County.
    Leaving Leechville, on the Beaufort County side of Pungo River, we cross that stream over a wooden bridge and proceed along the paved road for a mile or more, with nothing on either side of us except swamps, covered with marsh grass. Then the appearance of the countryside changes, and we pass through some attractive woodland. A few more miles further along and we cross a bridge which spans the Inland Waterway. A short distance away is a large freighter, heading south. The bridge tender is preparing to open the draw, but he firmly shakes his head when we inquire as to whether we can stand on the bridge while it is being opened. "Against government regulations," he announces. Which is enough for us. As a matter of fact, the large-sized revolver he carries on his hip would in itself have forestalled any argument on our part, even though we were inclined to argue--which we weren't.
    Resuming our journey, we swing around the wide curve at Scranton, where extensive lumbering operations were carried on some twenty or twenty-five years ago. And four miles to the south is the settlement of Sladesville, consisting of a few scattered houses in the midst of excellent farming land. We come to Rose Bay, where the road branches off to Fairfield, but instead of turning in that direction, we drive straight on to Swan Quarter, the county seat. The courthouse is a red brick structure, built in 1850, to which two wings have been added. Drainage canals run along the edge of the streets and are crossed by narrow bridges in order that property owners may be able to reach their front porches without having to practice broad-jumping all the time. These canals lend a picturesque touch to the appearance of the old town. It was named, of course, for the swans, which found a natural haven at this point.
    It is at Swan Quarter that "the rambling church" is located. We believe we've told you about this before, so we'll only touch upon the story briefly. In 1876 the Methodists in Swan Quarter decided to build a new church. They went to see a large property owner who had some vacant land in the village and asked him to donate a lot. He refused. So they went to see a second man who also had some land--not quite so desirable as the first piece, however--and who cheerfully gave them a deed for a lot. So they built the church. They had the service of dedication. That same night a terrific storm came up. The water backed up into Swan Quarter Canal from Pamlico Sound and flooded the streets of the town. Next morning, somebody hollered out: "Look at the church!" The water had come up under the floor and had raised the frame structure from the brick piling's that supported it. And here, sailing along in majestic fashion on the crest of the flood, came the church. When it reached the intersection of the two streets (where the courthouse is located) it paused, and then, for some unknown and inexplicable reason, it drifted off at right angles to its previous course until it came to the property which had been denied it. And there it settled itself down in such a manner that it wasn't necessary to move its location an eighth of an inch when the flood waters abated. After that, the man who owned the property was glad to give the Methodists a deed. As a matter of fact, he literally begged them to take it. Chances are he was afraid of that church chasing him around Swan Quarter for the rest of his life. We stopped by the old building to take a picture. For years it has been used as a hay-barn, but now it has been repainted, has been moved up to the rear of the present brick church and is being used as a Sunday school room. The Howard House is the hotel at Swan Quarter, and believe us, you surely get a good meal there.
    The outstanding single feature about Hyde County is Lake Mattamuskeet (named for the Mattamuskeet tribe of Indians). It consists of around 50,000 acres. Several attempts have been made to pump off the water from this lake, which is below sea level and on sub-marginal land, but they were all unsuccessful. Not only that, but they also drove away the great number of geese and swans accustomed to wintering here. After the Government's purchase of this area in 1934, the pump house at the lake was converted into an administration building and many acres of grain and duck foods were planted to attract both upland game birds and waterfowl. In addition to geese, ducks and swans, the area contains egrets, herons, terns, loons, grebes, cormorants, bitterns, eagles, ospreys, sandpipers, gulls and quail. Two areas of approximately 5,000 acres each, adjoining the lake, have been set aside as public shooting grounds and are operated seasonally by the North Carolina Department of Conservation and Development.
    A lot of the land in Hyde County consists of peat bogs. And, as you know, peat burns rather freely. That's exactly how Lake Mattamuskeet got started. Somebody set fire to one of the bogs, the flames spread, and first thing you know, the whole lake bed had been burned out and filled up with water. Under the supervision of Mr. D. N. GRAVES of Boston, the first effort was made to drain off the lake. He was followed by Frank THURKELSON. And then came August HECKSCHER, the New York real estate operator and philanthropist. It is estimated that Mr. HECKSCHER spent close to $2,000,000, trying to reclaim the lake bottom. Large acreage of soybeans, corn and other crops were grown for a few years. The pumping plant, which operated the largest centrifugal pump in the world, kept the water out. The plant had a capacity of 3,000,000 gallons a minute. A vast system of canals and lateral drainage ditches was installed. The only railroad ever built into Hyde County was run to the town of New Holland, on the southern shore of the lake, where a first-class stucco two-story hotel was erected. (It was torn down a few years ago. Rooms and meals, however, are still available at the pumping plant.) The railroad was known as the New Holland, Higginsport & Mount Vernon, and the man who painted that name on the sides of the cars did a whole lot of grumbling because of its length.
    The U. S. Biological Service now maintains a wildlife refuge at the lake. The entire area is flooded once more. The wild birds have returned to the scene and the place is a paradise for hunters and fishermen. Lake Mattamuskeet probably attracts more sportsmen every year than any other place in North Carolina.
    The present hotel (the old pumping plant) is located about a quarter of a mile off the main highway. Returning to the paved road, we continue eastward to Lake Landing. Near the outskirts of the place is what is known as "the ink-bottle house," and a very appropriate name it is, for the house is octagonal in shape and very closely resembles the conventional ink-bottle. It was built some time before 1860 but we don't know by whom. Continuing onward, we take a dirt road to the right and veer off to the village of Middletown, a quiet and peaceful little settlement. Two or three miles north is Engelhard, the most eastwardly town on Hyde County's mainland. There's a fine school at Engelhard. Several first-class stores, too, including that of Mr. Closs GIBBS, one of the business leaders of the county. Vast quantities of oysters and fish are brought to Engelhard every season. An oyster-packing plant has been started and when we were there recently they were canning oysters to beat the band. Three or four sailing vessels, loaded down to their gunwales with oysters, were waiting to unload. Fishing and oystering brings many thousands of dollars to this prosperous community every year.
    The Engelhard Banking & Trust Company, with branches in Swan Quarter and Columbia- in addition to the home office in Engelhard--enjoys a unique distinction: a distinction which was given national prominence by Ripley in one of his "Believe-It-Or- Not" radio programs.
    Remember when all the banks closed in 1933 ? Well, the Engelhard bank didn't close. It stayed open, and continued to cash Government checks and make change all the time. So far as we know, it was the only bank in the country that didn't close its doors.
    They've got their own ice and light plant at Engelhard, the power and ice being supplied by the Pamlico Ice and Light Company, which also caters to other parts of Hyde, as well as to Dare. Mr. P. D. MIDGETTE is at the head of it. Boats leave regularly from Engelhard for various places along the banks. Used to be, many years ago, that the only way the people of Engelhard could get to the outside world with any degree of surety was by boat. The road to Beaufort County was impassable a good bit of the time. But now the town is located at the head of pavement and you can drive to other parts of the state without traveling on a foot of dirt road.
    Mr. MIDGETTE told us to be sure to see the new road that was being constructed right across the middle of Lake Mattamuskeet. "It's going to be one of the most interesting and most beautiful drives in North Carolina when they get it completed," he told us. "Just keep it in mind when you get to Fairfield. You probably won't be able to drive across it, but you can go out a little way and see what it looks like." Retracing our route a couple of miles, we turned to the right on a first-class dirt road and skirted the northern shore of Mattamuskeet until we came to the village of Fairfield. It was the first time we had been there in almost fifteen years and we observed many changes and signs of progress. People in this section certainly raise a lot of chickens: we observed several large flocks. Another thing we saw as we drove over the county was the number of sheep. We'd say that in proportion to its population, Hyde probably raises more sheep than any other county in eastern North Carolina. Near the southern outskirts of the community is the beginning of the new causeway across the lake. There was a sign up, saying that the road is not completed and is closed to traffic but, acting upon Mr. MIDGETTE's suggestion let's drive out for about a hundred yards or more and see what the thing looks like. Just as he told us, when they get that five or six-mile stretch of highway completed it's going to be a wonderful thing. Contractors have been dredging and throwing up dirt for fourteen months and have just finished the job. The causeway will have to be given time to settle, and then concrete will be laid. The causeway itself is about 250 feet in width, sloping upward from each side to the center. The pavement will be 22 feet wide. While we were standing beside our car, admiring the extensive view of the lake, another car came up behind us and we waved it down. "Any chance of driving across to the other side of the lake?" we asked of the man who was driving. His car had a State Highway license on it. "Nope," was his answer. "The road is closed." We told him why we wanted to get across, so finally he said, "All right, you trail along behind me. Better stick rather close and watch the ruts, because the sand is rather deep in some places and first thing you know you'll get stuck." We started out, and the longer we drove the more impressed we became with the project. What a marvelous drive that is going to be! Arriving at the southern shore (the total distance is close to six miles), we thanked our guide and then turned westward, passing on through Swan Quarter and Scranton and finally leaving the county at the Pungo River crossing.
    Look at your map of the state and you'll observe the location of Ocracoke, a long, narrow strip of sandy land, timbered in some places, with Hatteras at its northern end and Portsmouth to the south. It is separated from each of these places by narrow inlets. Ocracoke! To our way of thinking, it is one of the romantic places in North Carolina. It was here, in Silver Lake, that the pirate TEACHE was captured by Lieutenant MAYNARD of the British navy. The story is that while waiting for daylight to come, in order that be could get out of the harbor, TEACHE kept beseeching, "Oh, crow, cock! Oh, crow, cock!" And that's how the place got its name. But the cock didn't crow. MAYNARD appeared on the scene. TEACHE was captured, beheaded, and his head placed at the end of the bowsprit. In this fashion the Lieutenant sailed his craft up to Bath. The story goes that after being beheaded, TEACHE's body was thrown overboard and it swam around the boat three times before it finally disappeared from view. We don't believe, however, that this could have been possible, unless somebody had rigged an outboard motor on him. Come to think of it, they didn't have outboard motors in those days, so you can just forget that part of the story. Ocracoke! Land where old Cap'n. Bill GASKILL used to hold forth. Ben and Bill GARRISH, Simey O'NEAL, Big Ike O'NEAL, Dave WILLIAMS--all of them are names that have been associated with the island for many years. It has been a favorite summering place with large numbers of people, particularly those who lived in Washington, Greenville, New Bern, and other towns in the eastern part of the state. Hunters and fishermen have visited it from all parts of the country. It has no paved streets, no power, except that which is supplied by private plants, no sewerage or water systems, none of the many civic improvements that you will find elsewhere, but it's the grandest place in the world to visit and, if you listen to the natives, it's also the grandest place in the world to live. The houses are mostly two-story frame structures, each of them being immaculately clean and most of them well painted. Practically every house has its small garden and chickens. The entire population of the island--it's around 700--depends upon the sea for its livelihood. No, not quite all either because there are a number of men who are in Coast Guard or else have been retired with pensions.
    Wahab Village, originated by Stanley WAHAB, local boy who made good in the big city of Baltimore, has a first-class hotel, cottages and other accommodations. It promises to be quite a development.
    Ocracoke lighthouse is one of the oldest on the coast. The Coast Guard station is located on the sound side of the island. We didn't get to go there on this trip through Hyde County, but we have been there any number of times in the past. There are no people anywhere whose friendship we value more highly than we do that of those hardy, whole-souled folks at Ocracoke. If you've never been there you have missed one of the most interesting of all places within the boundaries of North Carolina. And that goes for Lake Mattamuskeet and other parts of Hyde, too. (The State - April 11, 1942)

MARRIAGE ANNOUNCEMENT

Mr. & Mrs. Orville Linwood WILLIAMS request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their daughter, Marjorie Jane, to Mr. Arthur Lawrence HARRIS on Saturday, August 15 at Providence Methodist Church in Swan Quarter, N.C. (The Dare County Times - Friday, August 14, 1942; pg. 1)

MARRIAGE ANNOUNCEMENTS

Miss Alva? Williams CARAWAN, daughter of the late Walter CARAWAN and Mrs. Minnie CARAWAN of Ponzer, to Martin?/Marion? Jasper WINDFIELD of Pantego, on Saturday evening, August 29 at the Christian Church parsonage in Pantego.

Mr. & Mrs. Earl OVERTON of Swan Quarter, announce the marriage of their daughter, Marguerite, to Ottis WARNER of Sladesville, son of Mrs. Sophia WARNER and the late W.H. WARNER. The couple were married Sunday, Aug. 30 at South Mills. Mr. & Mrs. WARNER will make their home at present in Norfolk where Mr. WARNER is employed at the Naval Operating Base. (The Dare County Times - Friday, September 11, 1942; pg. 2)

TAYLOR/WOOD MARRIAGE

In a private ceremony performed on Sunday, August 30 at 7:30 in the morning at the Methodist Church in Williamston, Miss Etta Lee TAYLOR of Lake Landing, became the bride of James Ernest WOOD of Williamston. Mrs. WOOD is the daughter of Mrs. Mattie Taylor SAWYER and the late George TAYLOR of Lake Landing. Mr. WOOD is the son of Mrs. Carrie WOOD of Durham and the late Ernest WOOD. (The Dare County Times - Friday, September 11, 1942; pg. 4)

FROM OUT OF THE PAST

    Mrs. Seth M. GIBBS of Engelhard has just been appointed chairman of Civilian Defense in Hyde County by Gov. J.M. BROUGHTON. Mrs. GIBBS, who succeeds C.L. BONNER of Swan Quarter, is the first woman in North Carolina to be given such a job.
    Mrs. GIBBS' appointment to the head of the Hyde County organization makes her the leader of an important post because of Hyde's location. State Civilian defense director Ben DOUGLAS described it "as highly important due to the county's strategic location."
    Mrs. GIBBS is one of Hyde County's most successful business women. She owns and managed the Engelhard-Washington Bus Company, which is one of the most progressive transportation concerns in this section and which gives splendid service connecting Hyde County with Beaufort and Tyrrell counties. The company, which started several years ago with one second-hand bus, today operates three buses and a station wagon over it's routes.
    Duties of a county chairman includes administration of the Citizens Defense and Citizens Service Corps, recruiting personnel for the aircraft warning service and other auxiliary functions performed by the Civilian Defense. (Originally seen in The Dare County Times - September 11, 1942 and reprinted in The Coastland Times - Tuesday, October 20, 1998; pg. 5B)

25th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATED

Mrs. Louella SWINDELL, Swan Quarter postmaster, celebrated her 25th wedding anniversary Saturday night. (The Dare County Times - Friday, September 18, 1942; pg. 2)

SWAN QUARTER MERCHANT HAS 3 SONS IN THE ARMY

Mr. & Mrs. J.L. TUNNELL of Swan Quarter have three sons in the nation's armed forces. Pvt. Fred TUNNELL is with the Army Medical Corps in the Canal Zone, Cpl. Joe L. TUNNELL is stationed at Ft. Bragg, and Pvt. Gilbert B. TUNNELL is with the Air Corps training as a radio operator at Chicago, Illinois. (The Dare County Times - Friday, September 18, 1942; pg. 6)

TUNNELL/AYRES MARRIAGE

Miss Katherine Louise AYRES, daughter of Lt. Commander & Mrs. Henry Howard PAYNE of Norfolk, Va. to Linwood Jones TUNNELL of Yorktown, Va., on September 5 at Norfolk. Ensign TUNNELL, USNR, is the son of Mr. & Mrs. T.C. TUNNELL of Swan Quarter. (The Dare County Times - Friday, September 18, 1942; pg. 6)

FAIRFIELD COUPLE MARRY IN KENTUCKY

Miss Faye HARRIS of Norfolk, Va. and Fairfield, and Staff Sgt. Edward H. McKINNEY of Camp Breckenridge, Kentucky and Fairfield, were married in the chapel at Camp Breckenridge on Saturday, October 10. Mrs. McKINNEY is the daughter of the Rev. and Mrs. Roe HARRIS of Elizabeth City and Fairfield. Before her marriage she held a position with the Virginia Engineering Company in Norfolk. She is a graduate of Fairfield High School and attended Atlantic Christian College in Wilson and the Norfolk Business College in Norfolk. Mr. McKINNEY is the son of Mr. & Mrs. J.E. McKINNEY of Fairfield. The couple are making their home in Henderson, Ky. (The Dare County Times - Friday, October 23, 1942; pg. 1)

WITH THE SERVICEMEN FROM HYDE

Staff Sgt. Robert E. BROWN, Medical Detachment, 503rd, A.W. Regt., Drew Field, Tampa, Florida, son of Mr. & Mrs. Hezekiah BROWN of Swan Quarter, was inducted into the Army in February and spent several months at Camp Lee, Va. Sgt. BROWN graduated from Swan Quarter High School in 1934 and accepted a position with the Hampton Roads Transportation Company in Norfolk shortly after graduation where he remained until called into the Army.

Mr. & Mrs. R.M. HARRIS of Swan Quarter have sent four of their sons and one son-in-law into the armed forces.

Pvt. Hallet? W. CAHOON, 98th Bomb Group, US Army, son of Mr. & Mrs. Eddie CAHOON of Swan Quarter, has been in the Army since February 1941. Pvt. CAHOON has been somewhere in the Holy Land for several months. His sister, Mrs. Leonard SMITH of Swan Quarter, has recently subscribed to The Herald for him so that he might get local news while in foreign duty.

Pvt. Robert B. MASON, Embry-Riddle School, Miami, Florida, son of Mr. & Mrs. Bryan V. MASON of Swan Quarter, was inducted into the Army August 26, 1942. He is now being trained for an airplane mechanic. (The Dare County Times - Friday, October 23, 1942; pg. 1)

BIRTH

Lake Landing - Mr. & Mrs. Henry WILLIAMS of Lake Landing announce the birth of a daughter, Linda Sue SWINDELL [text distinctly said "Swindell" but I'm not sure if they intended this to be part of her given name or was intended as her surname or was a typographical error] on October 13. Mrs. WILLIAMS is the former Miss Bessie Mays ADAMS. (The Dare County Times - Friday, October 23, 1942; pg. 1)

BIRTH

Swan Quarter - Mr. and Mrs. T.H. HOOD? of Swan Quarter announce the birth of a daughter, Barbara Allen, October 29 at Fowle Memorial Hospital in Washington. Mrs. HOOD, before her marriage, was Miss Janet CREDLE. (The Dare County Times - Friday, November 6, 1942; pg. 2)

ARMED FORCES

The little village of Middletown has sent 15 men into the armed services, many of them volunteers according to a survey made by one of their interested citizens. Those who are in the service are:

NAVY -

COAST GUARD -

ARMY -

(The Dare County Times - Friday, November 6, 1942; pg. 3)

ENGELHARD BOY REPORTED DEAD

Mr. & Mrs. Leslie L. McKINNEY of Engelhard were notified Tuesday by the Navy Department that their son, Sherrell, a machine 1st Mate Second Class in the U.S. Navy, died November 3. Full details were not available, the Navy Dept. telegram said, explaining that the parents would be given full details as soon as they were available. His address was APO, San Francisco and he was presumed to be with the Pacific Fleet. Sherrell had been in the Navy about 3 years. He was 21 years old [could be 31] and is survived by his parents and one sister. (The Dare County Times - Friday, November 13, 1942; pg. 1)

DEATH

Engelhard bachelor, Cal W. DAVIS, died at the age of 74. He was born in Engelhard to Mr. & Mrs. Marion DAVIS. [Very lengthy article but too difficult to read the microfilm] (The Dare County Times - Friday, November 13, 1942; pg. 1)

WITH THE SERVICEMEN FROM HYDE

Herman CARAWAN of Swan Quarter, stationed on New Caledonia in the South Pacific, wrote to his brother, Mack, recently and expressed his enjoyment over receiving the Hyde County Herald. There are other Hyde County boys on New Caledonia and Herman passes them on.

Cpl. Elmer SPENCER, son of Mr. & Mrs. Willie SPENCER of Engelhard, is home on a 15-day leave. SPENCER, who is stationed at Drew Field, Tampa, Florida, received his corporal rating about 2 months ago.

Beverly HARDISON, son of Mrs. Lee PINKHAM of Engelhard, has been stationed at Camp Bradford with his mother. Young HARDISON volunteered for service two months ago. He has been stationed at Camp Bradley, Va. Naval Training Station near Virginia Beach.

Sgt. Elwood MIDGETTE of Ft. Bragg, and Mrs. MIDGETTE spent several days with their parents at Lake Landing early this week. Sgt. MIDGETTE was recently promoted from buck sergeant to staff sergeant. He has been in the Army about a year and a half and has been stationed at Ft. Bragg since his induction.

Cpl. James Thomas GIBBS, son of Preston GIBBS of Middletown, and former Edenton insurance man, is now stationed somewhere across the sea. (The Dare County Times - Friday, November 13, 1942; pg. 4)

LAKE LANDING NEGRO BOUND OVER TO SUPERIOR COURT

Roxanna REYNOLDS, Lake Landing Negro, was bound over to May Term of Hyde County Superior Court for second degree murder. The REYNOLDS woman shot and killed Charlie MACKEY, colored, also of Lake Landing, Saturday afternoon about 4:00. She shot the young Negro when he entered her yard after she had forbidden him to do so. REYNOLDS testified she shot MACKEY with his own gun which he pulled on her but which she took after she knocked it from his hand with a long stick. Since the gun could not be found and the woman said she threw it away, the State tried to show that the woman possibly had the gun to begin with and hid it so it could not be used as evidence. There were no eye witnesses to the shooting. (The Dare County Times - Friday, November 27, 1942; pg. 1)

HOME FROM AFRICA

Edward Warren SPENCER, son of Mr. & Mrs. Branch SPENCER of Swan Quarter, has returned home from a trip to Africa where he went with Uncle Sam's Expedition Force and assisted in the drive that put American and United Nations forces in control of most of Africa. Young SPENCER, a member of the U.S. Navy, was on the Dark Continent about 10 days. Other service men's news of the week is as follows: Pfc. Robert B. BURRUS, JR., Provost Marshall General Training Center, Fort Custer, Michigan, son of Mr. & Mrs. R.B. BURRUS of Swan Quarter, has recently been transferred to the above address and is getting along nicely. Cpl. Joe Lee TUNNELL, Co. B, Reception Center, Ft. Bragg, N.C., son of Mr. & Mrs. J.L. TUNNELL of Swan Quarter, is expected to be home December 17 to 22. (The Dare County Times - Friday, December 11, 1942; pg. 1)

McGEE/SWINDELL MARRIAGE

Miss Mary Louise SWINDELL, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. J. Harry SWINDELL of Swan Quarter, was married to H.J. McGEE, son of Mr. & Mrs. J.J. McGEE, SR. of Mobile, Alabama, on Thursday, December 3, 1942 in the Protestant Chapel, Camp Davis, N.C. Their home after December 13 will be Wilmington, N.C. (The Dare County Times - Friday, December 11, 1942; pg. 4)

HYDE BOY HEARD ON JAPANESE BROADCAST

Bryan Webster BERRY, son of Mr. & Mrs. Mat BERRY of Engelhard, a member of the Navy garrison on Guam Island that was captured by the Japs early in the war, was heard last Friday evening by a number of American radio listeners who picked up a Japanese broadcast coming via shortwave. Mr. & Mrs. BERRY have had letters from different parts of the country telling them that the voice of their son was heard as he spoke over a Tokyo shortwave broadcast. Letters came from Georgia, New Mexico and Washington, among others. Listeners reported that the young Hyde County man said he "is alive and in good health but anxious to get home." (The Dare County Times - December 25, 1942; pg. 1)

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