The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1944-08-20
Led Every Other City In
World In Naval Stores
Business

RellcS OF the days When Will
mington and New Hanover county
were indisputably at the top Of
the economic and industrial list in
North Carolina are the North Car
DINA Business Directory of 1872
and the Wilmington City Directory
of 1897, brought to the Star-News
office by K L. Blizzard, 306 North
Carolina avenue. painter, and ma
tive Wilmingtonian.
Tattered and Drowned paste
board covers reveal the age of
the volumes. The contents mark
a day when Wilmington led "ev
cry other city in the world in the
naval store business" and when
New Hanover was "the banner
county of the state in the produc-
ton of ground peas"
The city directory, in Its fore
word, declares without hesitation,
malignant diseases here are I'm
known. The death rate is abnor-
mally low. No city of the South
offers better natural advantages
for men of energy and enterprise
In 1872, the county's population
was 27,976, and the voting popula-
ton was 6,342, over 1000 more
than that boosted by the next coun-
ty competitor, Mecklenburg. Will
mington's population was listed at
13,446, with Negroes in the MAORI
ty.
Silas N. Martin in that year held
the double duty jobs of chair
man of the county commissioners
and mayor of the City of Whining
ton.
According to the state business
volume, among Wilmington
prominent public buildings, some
of which are still being utilized,
were the various fire houses: Hall
of the hook and ladder company;
Hall of Steam Fire Engine, John
T. Rankin; Hall of the Steam Fire
Engine, "A. Adrian y
The 72-old book lists IS church
es for the county; 80 manufactor-
les including plants for brass and
iron work, turpentine distilling,
CONNECTION making, shipbuilding,
cooperage, cane fiber making,
'soda water and pop" manufac-
turing; SO doctors; "a lawyers;
II schools; nine hotels.
Among listed farmers of the
county, D. T. Durham of t h e
Rocky Point section claimed h e
most acreage, 1857 acres, n d
valued his property at $4,000.
Notable in the advertisements of
the directory is the full page dis
play for the ]. Ball and company,
New York, producers of an eye
cup guaranteed to restore eye
sight, and to dissipate such trou-
bles as cataracts. Even famous
Horace Greeley is mentioned as a
devotee of DR.. Ball and his in
genious invention.
There is a large ad, also, for
the Adrian and Vollers concern Of
Wilmington, advertising provisions
groceries, schnapps, German bit
tiers and whisky.
Trinity college, Trinity, N. c.,
forerunner of wealthy Duke Uni
versity, offers a full liberal edu-
cation to students for $500 per
session, whole expense
And alert J. A. Jones, attorney
of Raleigh, offers to secure So a
month pensions for wives and fam
lilies of soldiers veterans of the
war of 1872 for a small remuner-
alton. He likewise offers to instl-
tute claims against t h e govern
ment for persons who had stores
or supplies taken from them dur
ing the Civil war.
j. L. Hill Printing company pro-
duced the 1897 local directory, not
without apologizing in the introduce
ton for the erroneous, inadequate
directory turned out in the year
1894.
In '97, Col. F. w. Foster was
the chairman of the county com-
missioners, and DR.. Silas P. Wright