The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-08-24

The settlement on Atkins Banks by
VIM. Heritage and his German wife
Susannah Franks, about the middle of
the last century Q740 to 1850 has been
mentioned in the historical sketch of Lee
noir county.
In 1862 the community had grown
and the Legislature granted the petition
incorporating the town, therein called
..by the name of Kinston," out of the
land of William Heritage, lying on the
north of Neuse river at a place called
Atkins Bank in Dobbs county-a pleas
ant and healthy situation, and commo-
dious for trade and commerce. One
hundred acres We're to be laid off for
town lots and fifty acres were dedicated
to the town for common. The act
stated that the incorporation would
greatly promote the trade of the said
river" From this we understand that
there was considerable trade carried on
along the river at that time.
The trustees appointed were Francis
McLewean, Richard Caswell, Simon
Bright, Jr., John Shine and David Cor
don. They proceeded to lay out the
streets and blocks and lots. beginning
with lot No. / at the northwest corner
of the one hundred acres, on the west
end of the half block occupied now by
the A. f. w. Baptist Church, colored.
The lots, where possible, We're to con-
tain one-half acre each. The numbering
runs eastward to the end of the block
north of Gordon street, facing lndepen-
dence, first called East street, thence
across the street and westward to the
lots where the old Disciple Church and
the old Washington store stood. near
the river thence to the south of these
and eastward again to independence
street, and thus east and westward TO
lot No 144. which was the southwest
corner of the town, now in the held
south of J. e. Cox's house. The street
and lot numbers west of Heritage street
and south of Bright street We're va
Gated in 1850, being sold to Gen. j. w.
Cox for thirty dollars.
In 1850 the part OF the fifty acres of
town common north of King and east
of Independence streets, then chinqua-
pin thicket, was ordered laid off into
streets and blocks and the numbers of
lots began with 145 at the northeast
corner of Gordon and independence
streets A
The south end of the town common
was laid off in 1856 Before that time,
however. the lots were numbered. be-
cause when the cemetery was first set
apart. February IT, 1850, the numbers
Of the lots mentioned We're Isl, 1S2, 1S3
and 1884, Before this time there were
many private burial grounds over town.
After the incorporation the trustees,
as stated, laid off the town and modest
ly named the streets after themselves.
and gave the name of Heritage to the
street running north and south near the
river. beside which the old Heritage
mansion stood until recent years, having
passed through the hands of Gen. Groom,
Nathan BIount, Gen. j w. Cox and
others. who have been prominent i'll the
past history of the town. Till about
1860 Heritage street was the great BUSH
ness thoroughfare of the town. In 1880
it had not been encroached upon by the
river and travel was directly over what
is now deep gully.
In 1TS4. after the independence of the
United States had been recognized, East
street was changed to Independence, and
the Legislature was petitioned to change
the name of the town from Kingston to
Kinston. The patriotic sentiments of
the people found sympathetic response
from the General Assembly. and since
that time, April IA, 1884, the correct
name of the town has been Kinston, de-
spite the mistake persistently made by
some historians in continuing till late
day in calling it Kingston, which savored
too much of tyranny.
The act of 1884 mentions in the first
section that 1.-THE erecting and establish
ing town in the county of Dobbs has
been a means of promoting trade and
commerce.
From that time it was directed that