The Wilmington morning star., 1947-03-31
STAR NEWS VIEWS
robson COUNTY
CONTINUED From Page one)

progressive farming meLnodS.
The last available listing placed
the county number seventeenth i.
cash money crop returns in; the
United States.
Predominantly an agricultural
leader Robson county also has it,
place in the fields Of industry and
commercial enterprise. Textile
products, fertilizers, lumber and
wood working lead in the manu-.
featuring with tobacco marketing,
tobacco processing plants and
cotton and hog marketing heading
I'D the commercial side Of life in
this economically well balanced
county.
A recent government population
publication placed Robson coun.
ty among the first ten counties in
the state. This publication set the
county's inhabitants at approx.
mately 10000 and increase OF
more than sixty percent in popu-
lation in the last thirty: years.
OF the total population about IS,
coo Of the total are listed as
Cherokee Indians to give this
county the largest number Of In
dams Of any county in any state
east Of the Mississippi River.
Robson county has 94S square
miles of land, with the famed
Lucber river, known to the In
| dams an Lumbe, and to the first
| settlers as Drowning creek,) rum
ming through the county in a
southeasterly course to mark a
part Of the boundary line on the
south between Columbus county
This stream passes through Lum.
berton within n block OF the
county court house.
It is estimated that Robesor
county has 5000 farms now under
cultivation with about 10000
acres open and regarded as til
abel land. Robson county farm
lands and buildings are valued al
between Is and 80 million dollars
Hard surfaced highways pene
trate every section Of the county
and five railway systems affore
Robson more railway track mile
age than any other county il
North Carolina. Two bus system!
operate more than a hundred aae
fifty buses in and out of Robeso1
county every twenty four hours Il
give, with the railways and thu
facilities OF Lumberton airport
Robson county adequate county
wide transportation facilities.
While Lumberton is the larges
town being the principal retail
and wholesale trade center FOR thu
residents of Robson and adjoir
ing counties, and the home Of thu
county government it is only on
of several important towns to b.
found in the county.
Lumberton's tobacco market j!
the main industry but closely
following in order named, Lum
berton has two big textile plants
a large hog market and a mum
Der Of smaller industries. Incl
IDENTIFY, Lumberton is unique il
that it's STREETS were laid out ane
the lots staked off under authority
OF a bill passed by the Merit
Carolina assembly which permit
ted General Willis, father Of Lum
berton, to dispose Of the town lot;
on a lottery system. This occurred
in 1887. and the principal streets
Of the town are today just as they
were placed by the original sur
vey.
SZCOND LARGEST
Fairmont, eleven miles from
Lumberton, is ranked as the coun
tvs second largest community
Located on the Myrtle beach high
way this town was original,
known as Ashpole. According II
the slogan Fairmont is the "big
gest little-toWn tobacco market il
the world"
Near Rowland in South Robe
son, is located the old Ashpol.
Presbyterian church one Of coun
TVS most historic landmarks. Jus
north of Rowland is Pembroke
center Of the Indian population o
Robson and the home Of Penn
broke College for Indians, the onl,
institution OF it's kind anywhere i:
the southe astern part Of Il
United States. The town of Penn
broke was named for Pembroke
Jones, a former official Of tn
Atlantic Coast Line.
Maxton, the most westerly tow
in the county, was once callet
Shoe Heel. According to legent
this name was derived from tn
Indian word "Quehele." Mako!
is also the home of the Presby
terian Junior College. Just nortl
Of Maxton is the site Of old Flora
college one Of the first women
schools Of the South to be granite!
authority to award degrees t.
graduates.
Ten miles to the north is thu
thriving town Of Red Springs, oac'
referred to by the late Josephu'
Daniels, as center Of the "God
Blessed Macs" Red Springs is tn
home of the celebrated Flors
Macdonald College, named for thu
glamorous Scot lady Of pre-Revo
lutionary days, who as a girl i:
Scotland helped to give protection
to Prince Charles, pretender K
the English throne. Red Springs j
also Robeson's biggest cotto,
market.
As one travels through the coun
ty he will find such old towns Al
Shame, Buie, Lumber Bridge ant
Parkton that lie between Re-
Springs and st. Pauls. The thirt
largest j. populated town in tn
county, st. Pauls is a large textil'
center.
Other important communit.
centers in the rural life Of Robe
son county include, Marietta
GAINESVILLE, Elrod, Purvis, Proc