The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1957-02-15

was, LIE IdSJ. LON0TIlOT D61OE6 GOV-
ernor Umstead to die. in office.
Governor Fowle succumbed in 1893
and was succeeded by Thomas M.
Holt of Alamance, the Lieutenant
Governor, who did not seek cleo
ton as Governor.
In its beginnings, North Carolina
was one of the thirteen colonies
strung out along the Atlantic Coast
of mighty and unconquered con-
tinent. She was settled by hardy,
Industrious and Independent Eng
lish, Scotch Irish and German set
tiers looking for land, freedom and
opportunity. Hardship and adver-
sity were everyday problems of
existence. In April, 1776, when
growing differences beween the
American Colonies and the British
Crown had reached serious proper
tions, the Fourth Provincial Con-
gress of North Carolina met at
Halifax and unanimously adopted
the famous Halifax Resolves. Thus,
North Carolina struck out in favor
of independence from Great Britain
when the Colonies to the north of
us were not yet ready to move.
This resolute action on the part of
our Colonial Convention had a pro-
found effect upon the Continental
Congress then in session at Phil
adelphia. We have always been
very proud of our forefathers for
this bold and daring act in a time
of desperate danger and uncer-
tainty. 1t has taken men with such
courage, determination and vision
to make North Carolina the great
state it is today.
In November 1889, North Caro-
lima became the 18th state to join
the Union and thereby link it's for
tunes and future with a new Re-
public-the United States of
America.
The years that followed were I'M
settled, and progress in North
Carolina was slow for several dec
AIDES until the adoption of several
important Constitutional Amend
ments in 1885, which marked a
real awakening and stirring among
our people. The University of North
Carolina, which had opened in 1895,
was a leader in this awakening
through the process of educating
the young men of the State and
in furnishing enlightened leader
ship for our counties and State.
North Cardinals participation in
the war for Southern independence
was a great period of crisis, sacri-
fees and patriotism to a cause
which was lost. We supplied more
than 125 thousand men to the
Southern armies and supported the
Confederacy with all our resources
until April 1865, when the end
came. Then followed the dark and
uncertain Reconstruction period and
a time of bitter political turmoil.
By the end of the 10Th century,
North Carolina was beginning to
recover from the effects of the war
and showed signs of looking ahead
for a better and more prosperous
century to come.
Since the beginning of the
twentieth century North Carolina
has made more progress than in
all her previous history. Stimulated
by the broad and far-reaching edu-
cal .onal pr e ram lat lched by Gov
crnor Charles B. Ay, eek, the State
since 1900 has never turned back
in its forward march. During this
period our population has more
than doubled, and in 1850, North
Carolina ranked tenth in the ma
ton. In agriculture and industry,
We have been a leader in the South
for many years. This progress has
been made in spite of serious
handicaps and reflects credit upon
our people and state government.
We have not hesitated to invest
in schools, roads, hospitals, and
health centers, port terminals and
institutions of higher learning. The
record is most impressive. We were
the first Southern state to estab-
lish unsupported system of pub
lie schools, and we pioneered in
the construction of a system of
hard-surfaced roads. In public
health, North Carolina had the first
county in the United States to in
augurate full-time county health
work, and North Carolina was the
first state to manufacture and dis
tribute free typhoid vaccine. We
were one of the first states to
launch public welfare program,
as authorized by our Constitution
of 1868, and as early as 1917 pro-
vided a public welfare program for
every county. We also were early
leaders in farm and county agent
work and in soil conservation.
In public education we have
moved forward vigorously. At first
the State aided public elementary
and high schools and later during
the Depression of the 1905 as
L