Henderson gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1911-19??, 1911-04-20
IMPROVING WILLIAM. STREET.
citv Fathers Decide to Widen and
Straighten This Street-SOme of
Henderson's Early History.

til us lItAI
Between William and Garnett
streets, the railroad owns so feet OF
land, 40 feet on each side of the main
track. Is the railroad responsible
for the croOkedness of Henderson S
largest residential street? This
brings to mind Foss' lines:
one day through the primal wood,
calf walked home as all calves should;
But made trail all bent askew,
4 crooked trail as all calves do.
The trail was taken up next day
BY lone dog that passed that way,
And then wise bell-wether sheep
Pursued the trail DER vale and steep.
Then many men wound in and out,
And lodged and turned and beat about
And uttered words OF righteous wrath
because twas such a crooked path;
But still they fOllOwed-dO not laugh
The first migration OF that calf,
And through the winding wOOd-way
stalked,
because he wObbled when he walked.
This forest path became a lane
That bent and turned and turned again;
This crooked lane became road,
Where many ahOrse tOiled with his load
The road at last became a street;
And thus before men were aware
city's crowded thOroughfare.
Aud soon the central street was this
Of a renowned Metropolis!
And men about a century's half
Had trOd the footsteps OF a calf.
Whether a calf or the old Raleigh
and Gaston's funny little Volcano"
i responsible, William street winds
III and out, and the Commissioners
are now doing their best to improve
this In this connection, the coming
IF the Raleigh and CASTOR Railway,
the fOre-runner OF the great SeabOard
Air Line system that now runs par
allel with William street, is interest
ing.
At u grand barbecue, just North OF
henderson, in 1887, the men of the
surrounding country met to discuss
the then projected Raleigh and Gas
ton Railway" Lewis Reavis arose
and said he would give the right-of-
wny. Then the name for the infant
village was agitated. and in consid-
rration OF the liberality of the Reav-
Is family, and of the fact that they
were the first Omers, "Reavisville"
was the name proposed. Lewis Reav-
is mOdestly withdrew his name, sug-
prsting that of Judge Richard Hen
'Irrsun, OF fWilliamsb0rO. Thus Hen
d'rsOn was named and the first rail
road made possible on this day.
The first depot stood where the
Loughlin building now is. And the
itrllroad Hotel was the fore-runner
OF Hotel Vance, having been built on
that site. This was not the first
hotel, however. The Alley hotel,
where the Rose, Beacon. Dorsey and
MuscOvitz stores now stand, has that
distinction. Shortly before the fire
Of 1870 that destroyed the Alley
lloteland stores on both sides of the
street, John Debnam built part of
the present Massenburg Hotel
Before 1853 the kerner home, and
the Chavnsse place, built by Col. P
T. \. Jones, were erected. These are
the oldest residences on William
street. The house remodeled by the
late Mr.. Paul CIary and further i'm
proved last year by Mr.. J. I. Jones,
l. said to be the third. Then Mr.. A.
j Harris newly beautified home was
built, the Clark place, and the pres
tnt residence of Mr. s. Z. Cooper,
which was built by Mr.. Collier Wig
gins, but was for years the residence
OF lie late DR.. w. r. Cheatham.
Mo =. IL,
boys school, on this street 1t
stood where Mr. j. F. Taylor's home,
originally the Clark place, now
stands.
The first and only church on the
street is the Baptist church. About
1890, after the preaching OF famous
divine, Professor Brooks, of Wake
Forest, Captain Samuel Parham and
Others were instrumental in building
the frame structure directly behind
the present church.
In 1854 only two of the present res
licences on William street were stand
ing, and as late and later than 1860
parts of the street were densely
wooded. In 1860 Henderson had
seven stores.
From the Davis place % feet have
been taken by the surveyor, and %
feet are to be taken from the Grego
ry, PinkstOn, Turner and ROysteI
lots. Only lGf feet are necessary from
Mr.. Ben Smiths first two houses
running, out, In front OF the third
Wedge-shaped. At present the towr
owns only 10 feet along here, the
railroad property coming almost tc
the sidewalk, with the likelihood o
another track at any time. From
Montgomery street to Charles street
II Strengthened, will give the tOwr
enough 20 make the 40 feet. The
first job will require about four weeks
ior completion, the second only a few
days.
This does not signify that afte
these improvements, the street vii
be entirely straight but it vii
De straight in front of each hous"
AMI more important, the towI
Will then own 40 feet of land its en-
tire length. This will be separated
rom the railroad property by
ditch.
After the fire OF 1870, William
street was made from path into
road and walk, among the Othe
nrSt improvements effected in Hen
dersOn.