The Wilmington morning star., 1947-04-13
BY o KLINE
Star-News Staff Writer


Il WRIGHTSVILLE, April r.
..Wilmington's closest beach resort
us Just IL miles from the post Of
Nice at Front and Chestnut streets,
Ito the sandy stretches facing the
Atlantic Ocean here at Wrlghts-
willie Beach.
8 From now until late October
thousands of city people will seek
tine great outdoors of Wrightsville.
.Here a warfn>su and blue skies
provide the background for the
daytime pleasures Of fishing
swimming, sunbathing, sailing,
ard cruising, and at night the
diversified Carolina moon steals
across the starry heavens while
,down below the pleasure continues
with colorful dances, after : dark
cruises, and late fishing.
Care : free enjoyment is the
theme of Wrightsville during the
'vscationer's m months when ap-
.proximately 300 year-around resi-
.dents play host to $4,000 a day.
I These 800 take their job serious
'ly and are busy during the off
season getting ready for the sum
,mer months. For them, the three
miles of sandy beaches, studded
with clubs restaurants, summer
cottages, and hotels, is not their
vacation resort. 1t is their home
sand their place of business.
One staunch supporter OF
:Wrightsville, and M who has lit
tile time for resorting, is R. L.
Benson, town clerk since 1910.
! He takes a personal pride in the
achievements of this popular sum-
inner haven. In addition to his
regular duties, he chronicles the
towns history by clipping all
newspaper stories about Wrights-
willie and pasting them in scrap
books.
In one Of R. LIS scrap books
Is the tragic story Of the Wrights-
Vile fire on January %, 1884. The
fire, the clippings say, destroyed
u million dollars worth OF beach
properly, including the 1862 room
Oceanic Intel. After the fire, only
1.-Two buildings were eff standing
ION the ocean front.
, Another clipping marks the
topening of the Wrightsville post
soffice on November 8, 1871. Still
tanother tells of the great storm
sof August 8, 1914. Which caused
"a $500, 900 loss at the height Of the
beach season, but resort activities
snapped back to normal in a few
days.
And the scrap book tells of prize
Fishing? catches of the season, ia
,mous visiting celebrities, building
improvements, and the election of
:new town officials
, The town records go back to
1899 when Wrightsville was char
tered, but Wrightsville history
dates back to 1850. One day dur
Iing that personal---very. year,
iplantation-owner George Moore
completed a road from his estate
.at Rocky Point to the sound. Over
the road he brought with him his
twife, his 20 children and so
Slaves. According to Moore's led
ger, he moved here ito take ad-
vantage of the cooling breeze.
Working with Town Clerk Ben
son is the law enforcing head of
.Wrightsville Beach, Chief of
Police w. r. Wigs, Jr, reported
lily the youngest police chief in
North Carolina, if not in the ma
ttion. Chief Wigs is a scant "a
just back from four and a half
.years of Army duty as an MP.
What he lacks in age, he makes
up in sound experience gained in
.the Army plus a store OF fresh
ideas or how to keep the Wrights-
willie population on the side of the
Jaw. Aiding him are Assistant
.Chief Charles B. Mabry and Cap
stain ". l.. Cross.
Present mayor of the town is
iDr. Sydney v. Allen, who took
io11lce last October. DR.. Allen j
"A practising dentist but spends
many of his free hours on local
problems of erosion, beach devel-
sopment, and building up the name
TOT Wrightsville Beach.
. The list of alderman, who are
;%currently showing an interest in
advertising Wrightsville's resort
..potentials, include F. B. Graham,
j. Relmon Robinson, Mrs. Undine
J. Snyder and Lawrence C. Rose.
A newly elected volunteer fire
department was recently organized
.here with W. M. Farrar as chief
This is the first time the town
had had a separate head for it's
lire department.
. At most resorts religion plavs q
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